Joseph’s Wisdom in Prison Part 1

Joseph’s Wisdom in Prison - Part 1

Genesis 40:1-22

Introduction:

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to trust in His promises, even when they seem distant or hard to believe. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that we "walk by faith, not by sight." And this can be challenging, especially when our current circumstances are difficult.

Joseph’s life was an example of this. He was only 17 years old when his brothers sold him into slavery. By the time he was appointed to a high-ranking position in Pharaoh's court, he was 30 years old. This means he spent 13 long years in slavery and then in prison, enduring hardship and injustice, with nothing tangible to hold onto except for the promises God revealed to him in his dreams as a teenager.

During those 13 years, Joseph's life was marked by profound disappointments. Sold into slavery by his own brothers, he rose to a position of trust in Potiphar's household, only to be falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison. Yet, throughout these ups and downs, Joseph held onto the belief that God had a greater purpose for him.

In our study on Joseph, we have been taking notice of the various ways his life pictures the life of Jesus Christ, particularly in both of their journeys from suffering to glory.

Joseph endured betrayal and false accusations, and so did Jesus. But then, Joseph's story took a dramatic turn when he was raised to a position of glory in Egypt. Likewise, Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended to Heaven where he was given a position of authority at the right hand of the Father.

As a result of his promotion, Joseph was responsible for managing resources during a severe famine. His wisdom in this matter led ultimately to him providing food to many, including his own family. This mirrors Jesus, who, through His resurrection, provides all who believe on him with spiritual food. He is the “bread of life” and he nourishes the church as we wait on His return.

Later, when Joseph is visited by his brothers who mistreated him, he was not the angry ruler seeking revenge that some might expect. Instead, he was compassionate, forgiving, and generous.

Though we have all sinned against Christ, He doesn’t seek revenge on us. In his grace, He forgives us and one day when he returns, we will dwell with him forever.

Today and next Sunday, we will be looking at the wisdom of Joseph as he interprets these dreams of the cupbearer, the baker, and eventually Pharaoh himself in chapter 41.

I’d like for you to turn in your Bibles with me to Acts 7 and verse 9. This is the account of Stephen's bold preaching before the Sanhedrin, which was the Supreme Court of the Jewish religion. This message angered the Sanhedrin so much that they stoned Stephen making him the first martyr of the New Testament church. He pointed out Israel's history of rejecting God's messengers and showed how the Jewish leaders of his day were doing the same by rejecting Jesus, the Messiah.

In his recounting of Israel’s history, he refers to Joseph in verse 9, 10 and said the “patriarchs (referring to Joseph’s brothers) were jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt, but God was with and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.”

Here, Stephen is comparing Joseph to Jesus. Just as Israel’s patriarchs abused Joseph, the religious leaders of Stephen’s day had abused the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Stephen goes on in verse 10-14 to tell the rest of the story of Joseph. Notice where it says in verse 10 that God gave Joseph “favor and wisdom.” This is another way Joseph pictures Jesus, because the Bible presents Jesus Christ as the personification of wisdom. As we study the life of Christ, we see what true wisdom looks like.

In 1 Corinthians 1:24, Paul refers to Christ as "the power of God and the wisdom of God." Paul emphasizes that Christ is not only the embodiment of God's power but also the embodiment of God's wisdom.

1 Corinthians 1:30 goes on to say, "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God—righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." Church, this means since we are in Christ we have access to that wisdom. Christ is our righteousness, our source of sanctification, and redemption, and he is our source of wisdom.

In Colossians 2:3, Paul writes, "...Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ, reinforcing the idea that He is the embodiment of divine wisdom.

Joseph is an example of a man with divine wisdom. His wisdom came directly from God. So if we desire wisdom, we must know Jesus and we must grow to be more like Jesus. The more we become like Jesus, the more wisdom we will have. It will not be worldly wisdom but rather godly wisdom. It will be wisdom that allows us to live in such a way that our lives reflect God’s glory.

Now let’s look at the text in chapter 40.

We will break it down in four sections:

First, we will look at the dignitaries in verses 1-4. Secondly, the dreams in verses 5-8. Thirdly, the discernment in verses 9-19. Fourthly, the disappointment in verses 20-23.

So first..

The Dignitaries (vs. 1-4)

While he was in prison, God, in His kindness, sent two other men to Joseph—Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker, each with their own dream. They both had fallen out of favor with Pharaoh so he had them thrown into prison. And it just so happens that Joseph is assigned by the prison guard to take care of them.

A cupbearer wasn’t just someone who tested the wine of a king to make sure it had not been poisoned. It was also a position of high level responsibility like a governor or a prime minister.

Verse 3 says these two men were put “in custody” which means they are awaiting the resolution of their cases. In Egypt, Pharaoh’s word was essentially the law, and these two men were waiting for his decree.

Pharaoh's imprisonment of the chief baker and the chief cupbearer might indeed seem like a random act, but in the context of Joseph's story, it was a link in the chain of events that led to his eventual freedom and rise to power.

Nothing is random in the life of a child of God. God uses every circumstance to bring about His plan for us. We need wisdom to see God’s hand in those situations and even when we cannot see, we need the wisdom to trust God.

Now, let’s notice there are:

2. The Dreams. (Vs. 5-8)

In verse 5, it says “they both dreamed - the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, each his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation.”

Egyptians believed dreams could predict the future. Some people were trained professionally to interpret dreams - they were referred to as “magicians” or “wise men.” They studied books containing interpretations of past dreams to relate to the present. But the cupbearer and baker did not have access to any of these Egyptian wise men to tell them the meaning of their dreams.

In verse 6, we read “When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled.” Here, we see something of Joseph’s wisdom. He perceived something was bothering them. So he asked them in verse 7, “Why are your faces downcast today?” And they said in verse 8, “We have had dreams and there is no one to interpret them.” So in verse 8, Joseph says “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

So here Joseph is wisely correcting the false notion that dreams and their interpretations are derived from magical or mystical powers. Instead, Joseph is suggesting that only God can reveal the true meaning of dreams. Only God knows the future.

In the Old Testament, God revealed Himself to His people in many different ways. Sometimes He gave them direct messages, like when He gave the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Other times, He used prophets to deliver His words to the people. Sometimes, God communicated through dreams.

Many people today wonder if God still speaks in the same ways He did then. They want to know if God reveals His will through an audible voice or dreams. Some wonder if these methods are still relevant for the church today.

The writer of the book of Hebrews addresses these questions at the beginning of the book. He writes that in the past, God spoke to the ancestors in various ways through the prophets, but now He has spoken to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the heir of all things and through whom the world was made (Hebrews 1:1–2).

So instead of looking to dreams to find out what God wants you to do, look to the Word of God. The Bible contains everything we need to know from now until eternity. We can find the wisdom we need by running to God’s Word and prayer.

So there are the dignitaries and their dreams. Now notice

3. The Discernment (vs. 9-19).

In these verses, we see Joseph discerning the meaning of the dreams. God grants Him the ability to explain what their dreams meant.

Notice in this story the chief cupbearer is the first to share his dream with Joseph. He views himself squeezing a cluster of grapes that were on three branches into the cup of Pharaoh.

The baker's dream was that birds were eating the bread and delicacies he had prepared for Pharaoh. In explaining the meaning of both dreams, Joseph used the phrase "lifted up."

In verse 13, Joseph told the cupbearer, “In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer.” In this case, the phrase “lifted up” spoke of restoration and blessing.

But in verse 19, Joseph told the baker, “In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head. But notice the difference here - the next words are “from you! And hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

After seeing the interpretation that Joseph gave to the chief cupbearer, the chief baker is anxious to hear the meaning of his dream. Verse 16 says “When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream.” Joseph’s interpretation, in this case, however, is the opposite of what he told the cupbearer. He would be beheaded and hung. Since he was beheaded, this probably meant that he was hung upside down by his feet and the birds would eat his flesh.

Joseph faithfully interprets the brutal dream of the chief baker. Joseph's message may seem insensitive, but given the nature of the dream, there is no gentle way to convey its meaning. He has to tell him the truth.

God provided Joseph with the wisdom to discern these dreams. In ancient Egypt, people who interpreted dreams usually got paid by the person whose dream they interpreted. One would think the cupbearer would be in a generous mood considering the interpretation was a positive one. However, Joseph didn’t ask for money. Instead, he asks the chief cupbearer to remember him when he gets his old job back with Pharaoh.

Verse 14 says “Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. 15 For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”

What is Joseph doing here? He is trusting in God’s providence but he is also acting. For Joseph, waiting on God doesn’t mean twiddling your thumbs and doing nothing. It means trusting but also acting on every opportunity God puts in your path.

So often people say, if you believe in God's providence, it's going to lead to passivity and laziness. They reason, if God's in control, why should we do anything? If God's sovereign, why pray? If God's sovereign, why witness? This is not the logic that enters into Joseph's mind neither should it be our logic. Joseph is active in seeking his release while trusting in God's providence. This is what God expects us to do while we wait. We need the wisdom and discernment to seek the right solutions to our problems.

Joseph told them that both interpretations would be fulfilled within three days, and that’s exactly what happened. The predictions happened just as Joseph had said.

That brings us to the last point:

4. The Disappointment . (Vs 20-23)

After witnessing the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker come true, Joseph must have felt a renewed sense of encouragement and hope. If God could bring about the outcomes of these two dreams, then surely He would fulfill Joseph's dreams too.

However, Joseph's hope quickly turns into disappointment. Despite accurately interpreting the dreams of the chief cupbearer and chief baker, Joseph is forgotten by the cupbearer when he is restored to his position with Pharaoh. How could the cupbearer do this to Joseph after he had interpreted his dream?

This is a reminder to us that life doesn't always go as planned. There are many disappointments. It’s easy to lose hope. But we must remember that God is still at work and we must remember that his timing is perfect.

Do you ever get disappointed that your prayers are not being answered? God’s delays are not necessarily denials. Just keep waiting on God. Just keep trusting in his timing.

In delaying Joseph's release from prison, God is working His plan for Israel. You see, if Joseph had been let out of prison earlier, it's likely he wouldn't have become second in command in Egypt. God was right on time, even though Joseph had to endure two more years. God’s timing is always perfect. He is never late. His timing is always aligned with His purpose. Trust in God’s wisdom.

Application:

Earlier in our study on Joseph, we saw how he showed wisdom by resisting Potiphar’s wife’s advances. He understood what Solomon would later describe in Proverbs 6 - the foolishness of immorality.

Today, we have looked at his wisdom in interpreting these dreams.

Next week, we will see how Joseph had wisdom to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. In the weeks following, we will see how he had wisdom to manage the resources in Egypt during the seven years of abundance so that when the famine came, there would be sufficient food.

As we said earlier, Joseph pictures Jesus , who was wisdom in action. Jesus always knew the right thing to say in any situation. The religious leaders were always trying to trip him up with a question and he always silenced them. He knew how to communicate deep truths in simple ways when he used parables. He had the ability to discern and relate to people in their suffering and brokenness. Jesus is our model for wisdom.

As believers, we represent Jesus in this world. What a great honor and yet what a great responsibility! That is why we need to be wise as we go through life. It is not just so that our lives will go better, but it is so that we might represent King Jesus well.

James 1:5 says "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." Wisdom is a gift from God, and if we ask Him for it, He will provide it generously. God never gets tired of us asking for more wisdom.

Whether it’s facing a major life decision or needing wisdom to reconcile a relationship or just trying to solve a problem you are going through, ask God for wisdom consistentlyl.

Instead of leaning on your own intuition, learn to lean on God. Proverbs 3:5, 6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”

The gospel is God's wisdom, though often dismissed as foolish by the world. And it is that Gospel that saves people like you and me. Just think about what a wise plan God had to redeem His people! The Gospel is such wisdom!

As believers run to Christ for salvation, Jesus rescues us from the deceptive pursuit of worldly wisdom, which is actually true foolishness.

So if you have not yet received Christ as your Savior, that would be the wisest thing you could ever do. Regardless of how foolish you have been in your life and regardless of how many sins you have committed against God, God will forgive you and make you his child. You just need to believe what the Bible says that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead. Put your trust in Him to save you from sin and follow Him by faith.

One of the results of that relationship with God will be that God will grant you wisdom and direct you as you go through life so that your life will bring Him glory.

If you would like to trust Christ as Savior today, please see one of us pastors after the service.

Here in a few moments, we are going to observe communion together as a church family. We are going to remember what Jesus did on the Cross for us. How he suffered physical agony and how he took our punishment for sins. The bread we eat reminds us of his body that was broken. The juice we drink reminds us of the blood he shed all so we could be forgiven.

If you have trusted Christ to save you and have followed him in baptism, we invite you to join us in this observance. If not, just sit and observe and think about what it would be like to have all your sins forgiven and have a clean slate. That could be you today. Please come talk with us at the end of the service so we can show you how your life can be forever changed.

We are going to sing together “Jesus Thank You” as we gather the elements. And then when we all are back at our seats, we will pray and take Communion together.