The Story Of Joseph Part 15--He Sells Food To The Whole World

 Genesis 41: 53-57

Joseph has interpreted Pharaoh's dreams and Pharaoh appointed Joseph his vizier, second in command after the king so he could manage the economy and the people's welfare when the interpretation came true. And it has been going just as he said it would. 

They had seven years of plenty, during which Joseph taxed the people 20% of all the grain produced and stockpiled it all into storage bins all over the country, in all the cities. And they stored more than they could even count, and still kept adding to it until the seven years were over. 

(53) When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, (54) and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 

When the seven years of plenty were over, then the famine was all over the world, and only Egypt had grain for bread because Joseph had stored it all. 

(55) So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, you shall do." 

Pharaoh had put Joseph in charge, so he left the people in Joseph's hands as his responsibility. 

(56) When the famine was spread over all the face of the Earth, then Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 

When the fields stopped producing and the famine came, they all lined up at Joseph's storage bins to buy enough food to feed their families. That was the only place they could find food to eat. 

(57) The people of all the Earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the Earth. 

Joseph wasn't selfish with the grain, the famine was over the whole world, so anyone who could travel to Egypt could also buy grain. He didn't hoard it for Egyptians only. There was more than enough for everyone. But he did not give it away free, they purchased it. 

O my Father, You were so good to everyone in the world, to have given Pharaoh the dreams for Joseph to interpret for him, then to have Joseph prepare for not only the Egyptians, but everyone anywhere else in the world who wanted to purchase food from them were welcome also to buy grain. There was enough for everyone. 

My Father, You are so generous to us all. Even people who do not know or acknowledge You receive of Your bounty, as well as those who worship and serve You. Father, bless them all with the knowledge of You, send Your children out to every nation to share with every living person who You are and how You have already met their most desperate needs in Your Son. 

O Father, let every embryo be drawn to the birth into Your own family, and fill Your great house with all of Your uncountable children. Let no one have any excuse for rejecting Your gracious and generous gift. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus! 

The Story of Joseph Part 14---Joseph Prospers In Egypt

 Genesis 41: 46-52

Now when Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had dreams that baffled his wise men, Joseph was called to interpret his dreams, and he also presented a plan for how to survive what the dreams predicted. Pharaoh believed him, and appointed Joseph his vizier, the second in command after Pharaoh, to administer the plan he gave him. 

(46) Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 

Now Joseph had to assess the whole nation's assets, so he went through all the land of Egypt. He familiarized himself with the lay of the land, in order to honestly tax the people's produce from their fields. It was a flat tax of 20% of all the grain from everybody's fields (verses 33-36).

(47) During the seven years of plenty the land brought forth abundantly. 

Just as Joseph told the king from his dreams.

(48) So he gathered all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. 

Joseph's experience in managing Potiphar's holdings prepared him for this. He had good business sense to store the gathered grain all over the whole land, in the cities near the fields where the grain had grown, and near the people who lived all over the nation. He didn't gather it up into a centralized place. He scattered the storage bins all over.

(49) Thus Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure. 

The fifth of the grain that was produced during these seven years mounted up so abundantly that they didn't even have numbers to count that high, he just kept on building more bins to store more grain all over the place. 

(50) Now before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. 

While Joseph is charioting around the land gathering all the grain into the storage bins, and managing all the kings people, he also is building his family. Life has never been better for Joseph! God has honored his patience and perseverance and has prospered him greatly.

(51) Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my troubles and all my father's household." 

The name Manasseh means, "Making to Forget." Now he can focus on all the good that is happening in his life, and he's too busy to think about all the trouble his brothers brought on him.

(52) He named the second, Ephraim, "For," he said,"God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."  

The name Ephraim means, "Fruitfulness." God is prospering him not only with his work and his income, but also with two beautiful sons to carry on his line. So much bad has happened to him in this foreign land, but it has all led to this wonderful good life he is living now. 

God used all the experiences in Joseph's life to prepare him for this very thing. Joseph had no idea of what would happen to him at every step of the way. Every time he thought he was doing well, it just collapsed on him. 

When he obeyed his father and found his brothers, they betrayed him. Then when he was working for Potiphar and managing all his holdings, then Potiphar's wife goes and slanders him, and he ended up in jail. Then even when he thought the cupbearer would put in a good word for him, he forgot and let him down, so Joseph still sat and waited. 

Joseph was disappointed at least three times that we are told about, when he did what was right but it turned out negatively anyway. God was building in Joseph the trust in Him and the perseverance to slog through those disappointments without losing faith in God. Without losing his footing. He was building character. "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger!" It's all in how we choose to respond. 

O my Father, this story of this man is so encouraging. You had Joseph go through so much trouble and hardship and disappointment, yet he never lost sight of You, and the encouragement of those two dreams he had in early youth. His own dreams are now coming true, as he now has the honor and respect and homage of the whole nation of Egypt, one of the most powerful nations of that day. 

My Father, seeing how Joseph hung on to You through the storms of life, and how You rewarded him, is so encouraging to me. You have me also sitting, waiting for what You have prepared for me. Strengthen me to keep on keeping on, as Joseph did. He didn't know how it would turn out until it did, and I don't know how my life will turn out, either; but I trust You and Your love for me, that uses everything I experience to prepare me, too. I don't know if what I think I see is what You have planned for me, or if You have something even better! 

O Father, use me. Send me out, send my words out, into all the world; so that Your children will grow up in You, and that everyone will hear of Your great love for us all. Father, send out all Your children, wake us up to Your Plan of the Ages, and our parts in it, each one of us. Make each of our threads in Your grand Tapestry of Time to shine and sparkle against the black velvet backdrop of the threads of the evil, rebellious ones. And bring every embryo to the birth into Your family to fill Your great house with all of Your uncountable children. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus! 

The Story Of Joseph Part 13--Joseph's Elevated Position

 Genesis 41: 38-46a

Pharaoh, king of Egypt, has had a couple of dreams that concern him, and none of his magicians or wise men have any idea of what they can mean. 

Then his forgiven Head Cupbearer finally faces his shameful episode, and reveals that another prisoner can interpret dreams. 

So Joseph is rushed into Pharaoh's presence and put to the test, which he passes with flying colors. Then he takes a calculated risk, and gives this king some advise he did not ask for--and his boldness is paying off.

(38) Then Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, in whom is a Divine spirit?" 

Pharaoh admits that God's Spirit is in Joseph.

(39) So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. 

Now Pharaoh is acknowledging Joseph's Lord God, and recognizes that because he listens to Him, He has given Joseph wisdom and discernment.

(40) "You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne will I be greater than you." (41) Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."

Pharaoh is appointing Joseph into the office of Vizier to the king, the second-in-command.

(42) Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, 

This signet ring is the king's credit card, it is the seal that legalizes all purchases and declarations and edicts. This is the financial power of the kingdom.

and clothed him in garments of fine linen 

Only the king himself and his highest officials were able to wear clothing as fine as this.

and put the gold necklace around his neck. 

Egyptian Pharaohs often put gemstones and amulets in the gold of their jewelry, to ward off evil spirits, protect their wealth, and bring good luck. Certain colors, designs and materials were associated with supernatural powers and deities. 

So when the king put "the" gold necklace on Joseph, he was intending to give him protection and let him show the authority he was giving him.

(43) He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, "Bow the knee!" And he set him over all the land of Egypt. 

So, all of the Egyptian populace were commanded to give Joseph respect, honor and obeisance.

(44) Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." 

Pharaoh gave Joseph dictatorial authority over the personal lives of every citizen in Egypt. No one would be permitted to come or go or work or do whatever without Joseph's okay.

(45) Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-Paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt. 

The name Pharaoh gave Joseph means, "God speaks--He lives," because Joseph's God must be alive to tell him what the dreams mean. And, of course, he must have a wife! So he gave him the daughter of the next most important man in his kingdom. 

And Joseph accepted all of these accouterments and the position, and started to exercise his authority over the people.

(46) Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. ...

Joseph was only seventeen when was kidnapped and carried to Egypt, so he essentially grew up here in this foreign land. Now it's thirteen years later, and God has prepared him culturally, emotionally, and spiritually for this weight of authority he now bears. 

O my Father, You never do put anything on any of us, that You haven't prepared us for. You put our feet on the path that You have determined for each of us, and You take our hand as we tread the road. And as we encounter problems, and sorrows, and disappointments in life, and stumble over the rocks and get stuck in the ruts, You continue to hold us up, so that we won't fall. 

O Father, You prepared Joseph to change history. And You have prepared others to lead nations, and discover great discoveries, and write important books and documents, and to rear and bring up the leaders in this world, all who shape history. And You are still guiding our human story into the great saga of Mankind, to flow according to how You have planned it all. 

My Father, please raise up Your children to be the leaders in the world, to lead nations, to lead cultures, to lead children to grow into Your adults. To lead the attitudes and thinking processes and world-views of the world. Father, there have been so many evil people who have led so many away from Your ways. 

Father, send out Your children as Your messengers and missionaries, to tell every living person in the whole world about who You really are, and to reach even the leaders of the world, as Joseph reached Pharaoh. Let everyone in all the nations have the knowledge and understanding to make a clear and informed decision to receive Your gracious and generous free gift. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus! 

The Story Of Joseph Part 12--Joseph's Purpose

 Genesis 41: 14-37

We have followed Joseph from the time of his youth, and we have seen how God encouraged him early in his life with the prospect of respect and homage, even before his brothers betrayed him. Everything that has happened to him since those early days has not been very positive from the Earthly point of view, being sold into slavery, and being the property of another man, a foreigner in a foreign land. And even when he maintained his integrity and it put him into prison, he still maintained his faith and trust in his God. 

Because he was faithful to the Lord God even through all this extended hardship, God gave him a tremendous purpose to fulfill, something that he never would have imagined. Our God is like that. 

The longer we faithfully wait on the Lord, without wavering, then the greater is the purpose God has planned for us, too.

(14) Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. 

When the king summoned him, they rushed him through cleaning up, and he "ran" to Pharaoh!

(15) Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it, and I have heard it said about you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." 

Pharaoh asks Joseph if it is true that he is able to interpret dreams; remember, all his magicians and wise men had no idea what they could mean, can Joseph really do this?

(16) Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me, God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer." 

Joseph still maintains his humility, and tells the king that he is just another guy, there's nothing special about him. But his Lord God is the One who has all the answers! He just witnessed to the king!

(17) So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; (18) and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. (19) Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt; (20) and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. (21) Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke. 

(22) "I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; (23) and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; (24) and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me." 

Pharaoh is putting Joseph to the test: will he have any kind of answer or reason for these dreams? Can he make sense of either one?

(25) Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dreams are one and the same; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 

Joseph is telling the king that the Lord God is talking to him! Since Joseph knows this God, he is able to tell him what He is saying. And he is telling him that it is the Lord God who is going to do these things. Even in Egypt, a land where the people don't even know Him, but He cares for them, and is telling their king what He is going to do, so they can prepare for it. 

Joseph is telling Pharaoh that the Lord God has authority over him and his land and people. And that He cares for them, even though they have not known Him.

(26) "The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one and the same. (27) The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. (28) It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 

Joseph has recognized that both of the dreams were about the same subject, the same time period that is still to come, a prophesy. And he tells the king again that it is the Lord God who has the power over the climate and growing seasons. He is still witnessing to this king.

(29) "Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; (30) and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land. (31) So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe. 

Now Joseph repeats what the dreams mean in practical terms; that the abundance of the seven good years will not carry them through the seven years of famine that are coming, so the king needs to do something about it.

(32) "Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 

And he says that because God gave him the same dream twice in a row, that He is serious and that this turn of events will certainly come about. 

I wonder when Joseph realized this, because God repeated the dream of encouragement that He gave Joseph in his youth. Is this why he was able to persevere through so many years of hardship? 

(33) "Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. (34) Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. (35) Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh's authority, and let them guard it. (36) Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine." 

Now Joseph boldly takes another step, and advises Pharaoh as to what he thinks he should do about this new information he has received from God. 

Pharaoh only asked him to interpret the dreams, now Joseph is stepping into the role of an advisor to the king. The response to his advice will determine whether Joseph will be punished or rewarded! 

Will Pharaoh say, "How dare you tell me what to do, when I haven't asked you!"?

(37) Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants. 

This is a positive response. Joseph's courageous daring to take a risk will pay off. 

Stay tuned tomorrow to see what happens next in this thrilling adventure! Truth really is better than any fiction! 

O my Father, Help us also to have the confidence in You to be courageous and bold to take the risks that will pay off for us. Show us, Father, when the risk would be foolish, and teach us to weigh the consequences. 

My Father, You are so good to us, You love each one of us, and You want us to succeed in what we do, to bring You the glory! Show us how to do everything You have called us to, both concerning worldly and spiritual things. 

Send out Your children into all the world, Father. Let every living being hear and perceive Your love and care, and Your provision, Your generous and gracious gift. Bring all of Your children to the birth into Your family, and fill Your great house with all of Your uncountable progeny. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus! 

The Story Of Joseph Part 11--The Cupbearer Remembers

 Genesis 41: 9-14

We have seen that God has been guiding and keeping Joseph by using the decisions and actions and inactions of the people around him, to prepare him and have him in place for the plan God decided for him. Joseph did not know what would happen before every step happened in his life, he just kept on trusting the Lord and following His ways. 

Joseph could have rebelled and fought against all the wrongdoing and slander against him, but he never lost his footing walking in God's ways, even when it resulted in negative circumstances for himself (in slavery, in jail). This is remarkable. 

It has been quite a few years since his brothers tried to get rid of him when he was only seventeen years old. He's been a slave all this time, the property of the commander of the king's bodyguards. 

And now he's sat in jail for years, waiting ... waiting ... waiting ....

(9) Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, "I would make mention today of my own offenses. 

The cupbearer finally remembers Joseph! He has been blocking all those memories of being in trouble and sitting in the jail not knowing what would happen to him. 

(10) "Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. 

This is what was so painful for him, that he didn't want to face. It was shameful and disgraceful.

(11) "We had a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 

But now he's remembering the dreams they had, that weren't just regular dreams, but important messages, that needed to be decoded.

(12) "Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream. (13) And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him." 

And he tells Pharaoh how this Hebrew slave of his captain was also in jail with them, and he was able to understand what their dreams were telling them, and he was right. He told them what would happen, and it did, exactly as he understood from their dreams; that he was restored as the chief cupbearer, and that the baker was hanged, just as he said.

(14) Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph ... 

All right, now finally God is letting Joseph out of jail. This is why He kept him there for so long, God knew when He was going to give these dreams to this king concerning his land, and He wanted Joseph there to make such a big difference, no wonder He spent so many years preparing him. 

God used Joseph's brothers to get him into Egypt; then he used Potiphar's wife"s slander to make him put Joseph into the elite jail where the king's prisoners were kept, and He even used the cupbearer's refusal to face his embarrassing episode in jail. 

God is so powerful and wise and caring that He used all these things to shape Joseph's thinking and attitudes, and to have him exactly where he would need to be for Pharaoh to summon him. 

O my Father, You are so great! You are so good! You are so wise! You care for us in ways that are beyond my understanding. You kept Joseph's brothers from killing him so that he would be in Egypt at this time, prepared and ready to change history.

And You gave us his story so that we can learn the lessons we also need to know and practice for our own stories, walking in the path You have placed our feet, so that we also will do what You have planned ahead of time for us to accomplish. 

O Father, Your strength and Your smarts and Your caring for each one of us, to prepare us and lead us along the path, the end of which will be glorious for each of us, and bring You all the credit for doing it all. 

My Father, please use me. Lead me and guide me along this rocky road my feet trod each day. I cannot see what lies ahead, any more than Joseph could; but, like him, I want to trust You, because I know that You only have my best in mind. 

Father, even when I encounter adverse circumstances, or face slander, or stumble over some stumbling block, I know that You are with me, and I will not fall, because You, as my good Father, will never let go of my hand! 

Send me out, Father; send out my words, my blog, my books, into all the world, that I might speak Your words, to influence many minds to think Your thoughts, and to realize how much You love each of them. Draw them all to a clear understanding of who You are, and what You have done for them already in Your Son. 

Send out all of Your children, Dad, to be Your messengers and Your missionaries, to share their witness and their testimonies to encourage everyone in the world to see You in Truth, and to leave the lies that have deceived them. Daddy, I emplore you with tears, bring all of Your embryonic children, my sisters and brothers, to the birth. Fill Your great house with all of Your uncountable family! 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus! 

The Story Of Joseph Part 10--Now Pharaoh Is Dreaming

 Genesis 41: 1-8

We just saw that Joseph has been in Egypt for some time now, having served Potiphar and wound up in jail for not falling for his wife's seductions. Now more time has passed, and Joseph interpreted the dreams of the Pharaoh's chief cupbearer and chief baker, which both happened just as he said; but the cupbearer clean forgot about him, so he's still sitting in the jail. 

(1) Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, 

Now another two years have passed, and Pharaoh is now dreaming. And here's his dream:

and behold, he was standing by the Nile. (2) And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the marsh grass. (3) Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. (4) The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke.  

He woke up right after the dream so that he would remember it.  

(5) He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; 

Then he rolled over and went back to sleep, and had another dream: 

and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. (6) Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. (7) The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.  

He woke up again after this dream, too, so now he will remember both of these dreams. But it was still the middle of the night, so he went back to sleep again.

(8) Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, 

When he got up in the morning, he was still thinking about those two dreams; they seemed important somehow.  

so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, 

So he asked them for help in understanding what they could mean.

but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

None of his intelligentsia had any idea they could proffer. This will take more than mere intelligence. 

Is this why God left Joseph in the prison for so many years? Is this why the chief cupbearer forgot about him? Tune in tomorrow for the next episode in this exciting saga!

O my Father, You know that we like to listen to stories, and You put so many good stories in Your written Word for us to enjoy and learn about You and ourselves. 

My Father, You even tell us what to expect down the road where we can't see, so that we will prepare for what is coming. Then when it happens, just as You said it would, then our faith in You is strengthened, and we can trust You with more of the things we try to handle ourselves. 

O Father, help Your children to grow up to maturity, so that Your Church will attain the full stature of the Son of God, whose body we are. Send us out into the world, Father, to tell everyone how much You love us all. Let every living person hear and understand that You sent Your own Son to save us from ourselves and from the power sin has over us, and to wash us in His blood, so we can be Your own children! Bring all of Your pre-born babies to the birth into Your family, and fill Your great house with all of Your uncountable progeny. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, do come quickly, Lord Jesus! 

The Story Of Joseph Part 9--More Dreams

 Genesis 40: 1-23

The story so far has Joseph sold by his own brothers into slavery in Egypt. He is an honest man, who worships the Lord God, Who gives him grace in the eyes of his master Potiphar, who puts him in charge of his whole estate. Then when Joseph refuses his master's wife's seductions, Potiphar has to put him in jail to protect his family's reputation. And the chief jailer also recognized Joseph's abilities and gave him responsibility for taking care of the other prisoners.

(1) Then it came about after these things, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. (2) Pharoah was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. (3) So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned. 

This was the elite jail where they would put the servants of the king who offended him, not the common jail full of criminals. And the royal chief cupbearer and the royal chief baker did something that angered the king, so he put them into the jail where Joseph was.

(4) The captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he took care of them; and they were in confinement for some time. 

The captain of the bodyguard was Potiphar, and he knew Joseph, so he made sure that Joseph had charge of these king's servants, to take good care of them.

(5) Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. 

They'd been there for some time, which could have been several months. Now these two officials each have a significant dream in the same night.

(6) When Joseph came to them in the morning and observed them, behold, they were dejected. (7) He asked Pharaoh's officials who were with him in confinement in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?" (8) Then they said to him, "We have had a dream and there is no one to interpret it." Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, please."

Joseph is serving the servants of the king, who are in the jail with him, and as he prepares their morning routines, he notices how dejected they were, even more so than usual; and they relate to him that they each had a dream. 

Joseph tells them that only the Lord God can give a dream that has an interpretation, and he encourages them to tell him their dream.

(9) So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, there was a vine in front of me; (10) and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters of ripe grapes. (11) Now Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh's hand." 

The cupbearer goes first, and tells his dream to Joseph, which relates to his job for Pharaoh in being his cupbearer.

(12) Then Joseph said to him, "This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; (13) within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and and you will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer. 

This is good news. In three days, Pharaoh will give him back his job.

(14) "Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. (15) For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon." 

And, since he will be serving Pharaoh in a very personal way, Joseph asks him a favor, to put in a good word for him to the king, since he never should have been in that jail in the first place, to give him justice.

(16) When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, "I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; (17) and in the top basket there were some of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head." 

Since the cupbearer got such good news, the baker was encouraged to also tell him his dream; and it also was about his job for the king.

(18) Then Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; (19) Within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off you." 

This was not so good a prospect. Again, in three days Pharaoh will decide about this servant, too, and execute him.

(20) Thus it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; 

It's Pharaoh's birthday and he gives himself a party with all his servants.

and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 

Pharaoh used the party to lift up the head of his servants in jail, too. He called them out of the prison to the party, and pronounced sentence on them both. 

(21) He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh's hand; (22) but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. 

Possibly, the king had been doing some investigating while both men were confined, and deduced that the blame for whatever went down accrued to his baker.

(23) Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. 

Now that the cupbearer is again serving the king at his side, in all the excitement of getting his job back, he completely forgets all about Joseph. He gets into the regimen of his old workday routine, and never even thinks about his time in jail any more. 

Joseph is still sitting, unjustly but patiently, in the jail.

O my Father, Joseph still was not released from confinement. But if he had been let out then, and allowed his freedom from the unjust slavery, he would have gone back home to his father Jacob, and not been there in Egypt to save his family from starvation! You knew he needed to be right there, and You remained with him to encourage him and keep him patiently serving the other prisoners while he waited for Your time. 

O Father, help me also to continue to be patient, and lead me to be in the right place I'll need to be when my time comes, too. Just as Joseph didn't know what You were planning for him, I also do not know what You have planned for me, either. So I will continue to do what You lead me to do each day, looking for opportunities to share Your love with others. 

My Father, let my words and my stories and my testimony of You go out to all the nations of the world, so that others will get to know You through my insights, and be drawn to seek you. Bring all Your embryos to the birth, and fill Your great house with all of Your uncountable children. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!