Joseph as a Prisoner
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Joseph Deja Vue
Joseph Deja Vue
Remember, when we last left Joseph he had just been falsely imprisoned because he wouldn’t sleep with his master’s wife.
Joseph Deja Vue
Joseph Deja Vue
But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
gen 39 21
Just as in Potiphar’s house, God was with Joseph and showed him mercy.
Just as in Potiphar’s house, God was with Joseph and showed him mercy.
And Joseph found favor with his new boss.
gen 39
And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
And just as in Potiphar’s house, the prison keeper put everything into Joseph’s hands, because everything Joseph did prospered.
And just like Potiphar, the prison keeper doesn’t even worry about what he has placed in Joseph’s hands.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone you could hand over all your duties and just know that it will get done?
Shouldn’t we be the type of people someone could place so much trust in?
It came to pass after these things that the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while.
gen 40 1-
Uh-oh, looks like someone made their master unhappy.
We aren’t told what the butler and the baker did to offend Pharaoh, but offend him they did.
And now, they’re in prison.
Somehow, I don’t think that was all that uncommon in ancient Egypt.
But it wasn’t just any old prison.
These men were put in the custody of the captain of the guard.
Who is the captain of the guard?
The New King James Version Chapter 39
And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian,
These men “just happened” to end up in the same prison as Joseph.
And Joseph served them.
Do you think that these two men ended up under Joseph’s charge by accident?
gen 40
Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation. And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”
And here come the dreams again.
Both the butler and the baker had a dream.
Both were disturbed by their dream, and it was obvious to Joseph when he saw them the next morning.
When you see someone sad or upset, do you bother to ask why?
We know what Joseph will do, have you ever though about what you should do when you see someone who is upset?
Do you ever think God may have placed that person in your life for a reason?
So Joseph asks why they are sad.
gen 40
And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.”
So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”
Joseph, we’ve had these dreams and nobody is here to tell us what they mean.
In ancient times, dream interpretation was done by seers, magicians or other “spiritualists”.
If you wanted to understand your dreams, you needed a man with a PhD, “Properly honored Dreamer”.
What does Joseph say?
You don’t need a PhD, interpretations belong to God.
Why don’t you tell me your dreams? Maybe I can help you out.
gen 40 9-
Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. Then Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”
And Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days. Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler.
Gotcha, three branches on a grapevine, you pressed the grapes and Pharaoh drank it.
Joseph interprets the dream
Three branches means three days.
That’s when things will happen.
You put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand in the dream, after three days you’ll do it for real.
You’ll be Pharaoh’s butler again.
Good news for the butler.
But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.”
4-
Hey butler, I did you a good turn, do one for me please.
Remember me when you’re back in the palace.
Take my petition to Pharaoh.
I was stolen from home and have done nothing wrong.
Yet I’ve been put in this dungeon.
I mean, the captain of the guard is alright, and my work prospers, but I REALLY would like to get out.
gen 40 16-
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head. In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”
So Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.”
Ohh, Ohh, Me next! Me next!
You can almost hear the bakers excitement.
The butler got a good dream, he sure hopes his will be as well.
OK three baskets, just like the butler’s three branches.
Goodies for Pharaoh, just like the butler.
Oh, but the birds.
What could the birds mean?
Sorry Mr. baker, but um, after three days you’ll loose your head, hang on a tree and the birds will eat your flesh.
Not such good news for the baker.
Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.
gen 40 20-
Sure enough, three days later its Pharaoh’s birthday.
He has a feast made for all of his servants.
He even brings his butler and baker out of prison.
What a nice guy.
Then he restores the butler, but he has the baker hanged.
Do you ever wonder if sometimes Joseph felt bad about being right?
We don’t always understand what we see from God.
Sometimes we may like it, other times, not so much.
We all would rather be the butler than the baker,
But someone has to be the baker in this plan.
And it may be you.
But do we ask ourselves if we really trust that God has a plan?
Or do we only think it’s God’s plan when we get what we want?
You see, God’s plan not only required that the baker die, but that he does so at this time and in this way.
What if God’s plan requires that your friend die? Or your loved one? Or you?
God’s plan also required everything else that has happened to Joseph.
Enmity with his brothers,
Being sold into slavery,
Falsely accused and imprisoned,
And then... forgotten.
Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
After all Joseph did for him.
He served him in prison,
He interpreted his dream.
And now, Joseph is simply forgotten.
By the butler, but not by God.
God still has a plan for Joseph,
But it’s not quite time yet.
But it is about to get really interesting for Joseph.
But that will have to wait for next time.
Conclusion
Conclusion
God may put us in a difficult situation, sometimes for our benefit, sometimes for someone else’s.
The butler and the baker were going to need dreams interpreted.
And it was important that these TWO men see Joseph’s ability to interpret what God was saying through their dreams.
Maybe what is happening to you is not for your own benefit, but for others.
Like Job, whose pain and suffering not only taught him, but his three friends, and their young friend Elihu.
And how many millions have learned by studying Job?
You probably won’t suffer anything like Joseph or Job, but is what is happening to you a chance for others to learn?
Have you even considered the possibility?
It wasn’t just about what happened to the butler and baker, but what has been happening to Joseph.
Even being forgotten is part of God’s plan.
We can see it, because hind-sight is 20/20.
But imagine how Joseph felt when it was happening to him.
How should you react to what is happening to you?
Should you take the advice of Job’s wife, curse God and die?
Should you sulk and complain about how unfair life is, like Job does later in his book?
Should you pout like Jonah over Nineveh?
Or do you still find ways to help others and glorify God, even in your own prison?
And when you are forgotten… then what do you do?
That, again, will have to wait until next time.