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Joseph possessed gifts that even enemies recognized. God continuously used Joseph.
The Cupbearer and the Baker 1 Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time, 5 each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” 8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” 9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.” 12 “This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14 But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. 15 I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.” 16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread.[a] 17 In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” 18 “This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.” 20 Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand— 22 but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation. 23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
The Pharaoh's cupbearer and chief baker had angered him somehow. He sent them to prison where Joseph was put in charge of the two. Some time passes, enough for Joseph to gain their trust. One night the two had troubling dreams. Joseph noticed that the two looked down the next day and asked them why they were forlorn. They told him they had had a dream and their was no one to interpret them.
Joseph asks, “Do not interpretations belong to God”. He offers to interpret their dreams for them. The cupbearer tells him his dream. Three vines blossom and in the dream the cupbearer takes the clusters, presses them, and then pours them into the Pharaoh’s cup. Joseph tells the cupbearer that the three vines represent three days and that in three days time the cupbearer will be returned to his place at the Pharaoh's side. Joseph asks the cupbearer not to forget him when this happens.
Upon the cupbearer hearing favorable news, the baker decides to have his dream interpreted as well. In his dream the baker has three loves of bread on his head. There are birds tearing away at the bread. Joseph tells him that in three days he will be killed and put on a stake where the birds can eat at his flesh.
Three days pass and it’s the Pharaoh’s birthday. He brings the cupbearer and baker out of prison and restores the one to his position and the other he kills. Things go just as Joseph interpreted. However, the cupbearer does not remember to tell the Pharaoh about Joseph, who is still in jail for a crime he did not commit.
Joseph possessed gifts that even enemies recognized. God continuously used Joseph. In this passage the Bible does not offer an explanation of why one man is condemned and the other forgiven. It almost seems that the Pharaoh is playing with his servants like dolls choosing to save ones life but just as easily condemning the other to death (maybe even as birthday entertainment).
Although Jesus love is not like the Pharaoh’s it still leaves us to wonder. What is good? What is evil? What would Jesus approve of? All of this is gray matter that we must tirelessly shift through to find what we hope is the right answer.
The Pharaoh's cupbearer and chief baker had angered him somehow. He sent them to prison where Joseph was put in charge of the two. Some time passes, enough for Joseph to gain their trust. One night the two had troubling dreams. Joseph noticed that the two looked down the next day and asked them why they were forlorn. They told him they had had a dream and their was no one to interpret them.
Joseph asks, “Do not interpretations belong to God”. He offers to interpret their dreams for them. The cupbearer tells him his dream. Three vines blossom and in the dream the cupbearer takes the clusters, presses them, and then pours them into the Pharaoh’s cup. Joseph tells the cupbearer that the three vines represent three days and that in three days time the cupbearer will be returned to his place at the Pharaoh's side. Joseph asks the cupbearer not to forget him when this happens.
Upon the cupbearer hearing favorable news, the baker decides to have his dream interpreted as well. In his dream the baker has three loves of bread on his head. There are birds tearing away at the bread. Joseph tells him that in three days he will be killed and put on a stake where the birds can eat at his flesh.
Three days pass and it’s the Pharaoh’s birthday. He brings the cupbearer and baker out of prison and restores the one to his position and the other he kills. Things go just as Joseph interpreted. However, the cupbearer does not remember to tell the Pharaoh about Joseph, who is still in jail for a crime he did not commit.
Joseph possessed gifts that even enemies recognized. God continuously used Joseph. In this passage the Bible does not offer an explanation of why one man is condemned and the other forgiven. It almost seems that the Pharaoh is playing with his servants like dolls choosing to save ones life but just as easily condemning the other to death (maybe even as birthday entertainment).
Although Jesus love is not like the Pharaoh’s it still leaves us to wonder. What is good? What is evil? What would Jesus approve of? All of this is gray matter that we must tirelessly shift through to find what we hope is the right answer.