Transcript

The half-joking prayer, “Lord, I need patience, and I need it RIGHT NOW,” isn’t too far removed from how we approach matters of spiritual growth and living out the will of God in our life.

Life is full of waiting: waiting for your phone to charge; waiting in line at the grocery store; waiting in a traffic jam; waiting for a job; waiting for the right spouse; waiting for test results; waiting to be old enough to drive.

Steve Farrar once said, “Waiting is like eating gravel. Nobody in their right mind wants or likes to do it.” Waiting is difficult.

And the culture we live in is one that doesn’t like to wait. We like instant and fast everything—instant downloads, instant messaging, instant coffee, instant prints, fast-food restaurants, faster internet, fast phones.

However, there are many times along our journey through life when God says, “Wait here.” And what looks like 15 minutes turns out to be 15 months, or even 15 years.

The Bible provides numerous examples of people who waited on the Lord. Abraham waited for decades to have the son that God promised him.

Moses waited for 40 years on the backside of the desert, tending sheep, before leading the children of Israel out of captivity in Egypt. The Israelites then had to wait 40 years to enter the Promised Land. Simeon waited for the birth of the Messiah. Paul waited during his time of preparation in Arabia. And Joseph waited in prison for two years.

Waiting is a part of God’s plan and purpose in our lives. God works while His people are waiting. Time is not wasted in God’s waiting room. God often uses these times of waiting to prepare us for what lies ahead.

Oswald Chambers writes, “We are apt to think that everything that happens to us is to be turned into useful teaching…We shall find that the spheres God brings us into are not only meant to teach us something but to make us something.”

Like in Joseph’s life, in those waiting times, God both teaches and makes us something; in us He cultivates patience, godly character, and hope as we trust Him through those times. As we read in Romans 5:3-5,

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed.”

Genesis 40:1-4: “And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.

“And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.

“And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.”

The “after these things” in verse 1 refers to the events of chapter 39 where Joseph had been bought by Potiphar, then was later promoted to be the overseer of his estate, to being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and then cast into prison, where he gained favor with the keeper of the prison and was given great authority in the operations of the prison.

According to verse 15, he is in a “dungeon.” You could say that Joseph was back in a pit again, at the bottom of an Egyptian pit in prison. So he’s starting all over again.

We’re introduced to two men in verse 1 the “butler” and the “baker” of the king or the Pharaoh of Egypt. These men together were responsible for Pharaoh’s drink and food.

The “chief” butler here was literally the “cupbearer” of Pharaoh. The cupbearer was the person who tasted the wine of the king before he drank.

That way, if it was poisoned it was “So long cupbearer,” but “Long live Pharaoh.” As you can appreciate, it was a rather dangerous job, as each drink could’ve been their last!

The cupbearer was also overseer of Pharaoh’s vineyards and wine. He was responsible to see to it that all drinks served to the king were both safe and of the best quality.

The cupbearer was a person of rank and importance, and with their frequent access to the Pharaoh, they possessed great influence.

Often the king would confide in the cupbearer and he would become a trusted political advisor. The position demanded a relationship of trust between the two men.

The cupbearer had to be among those most trusted by Pharaoh, as he literally held the king’s life in his hands.

If the trust between cupbearer and the king was ever broken, however, serious consequences followed. And somehow that trust had been broken with this man, and he landed in the king’s prison.

As the cupbearer was responsible for what Pharaoh drank, the baker was responsible for the food Pharaoh ate.

The king’s baker or personal chef was another person that had to be trusted by Pharaoh, because whatever he prepared to eat passed into his mouth. And both the butler and the baker needed to be beyond the influence of Egypt’s enemies.

For the royal court of Pharaoh there was a multitude of butlers and bakers, or cupbearers and chefs. But these men were the chiefs or the heads of both departments. They were the chief butler and the chief baker. They held positions of high honor, and were regarded with much trust.

We’re not told the specifics of what had happened to bring this falling out and their imprisonment. All we know is that they “offended their lord” and he was “wroth” or furious with them.

They were both suspected of a capital offense worthy of the death penalty. Because of their responsibilities with Pharaoh’s food and drink, and with both of these men’s jobs being related to each other, it is probable there was a plot to murder the Pharaoh in relation to his table, and these two were the suspects.

Or maybe there was a fly floating in the king’s cup of wine or there were too many jalapenos in the chili.

Whatever it was, Pharaoh wanted these men out of his sight and he had them both thrown in prison, and it happened to be the same prison “where Joseph was bound.”

But this wasn’t a coincidence. God in His providence had just brought Joseph face to face with the man God would later use to secure Joseph’s release from prison.

And in life, with the seemingly small coincidences, and the little twists and turns, God is in them, and He often uses what seem like small things in big ways.

The prisoners are placed in the “ward” or in the custody of the “house of the captain of the guard.” According to Genesis 39:1, “the captain of the guard” was Potiphar.

This prison was under Potiphar’s jurisdiction, and somehow connected to his home or on his property. And verse 4 tells us that Potiphar, Joseph’s former master, charged him to attend to these 2 royal servants who had been placed in his custody until sentence was passed.

Since their guilt or innocence had not yet been established, the butler and baker were put into prison while an investigation was ongoing in Pharaoh’s court. That investigation was likely under the direction of Potiphar, since he was the head of Pharaoh’s security.

When Potiphar charged him to oversee them, Joseph did not complain. Instead, in obedience to Potiphar’s charge, Joseph willingly “served them,” which speaks of how he waited on and attended to these two men as a companion or servant. And as they waited for the resolution of their case, he got to know them well.

Joseph carried out a faithful prison ministry at this time. He was God’s man in that prison. And had Joseph not ministered to these men, he would never have ended up in Pharaoh’s palace. His ministry in the dungeon opened that door later.

Joseph didn’t wait for his circumstances to change to serve the Lord, he served others and sought to bring glory to God in the circumstance he was currently in.

Even in the midst of his own adversity, Joseph helped others. We often can see no further than our own need in difficult times, but God wants us to lose ourselves in the needs of others and to be a blessing to others in any circumstance of life.

Because when we set our hearts on the business of helping someone else, we find that our own load gets lighter. As Philippians 2:4 says, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

The Make-A-Wish Foundation has been granting the wishes of children with life threatening illnesses since 1980. Most commonly, children wish to meet a celebrity, shake the hand of the president, or go to Disney World.

In 2004, a critically ill nine-year-old, Mak Shulist, wished to enrich the lives of others. Before a brain tumor took Mak’s life on April 9th, 2004, instead of asking for something for himself, he wished for the Make-A-Wish Foundation to build something for his friends: a rock-climbing wall on the playground of his elementary school.

Dave Knees, principal at the 600-student school said, “We learned an important life lesson from that special little nine-year-old boy: that even when we’re going through tough times we should be thinking of other people and not just ourselves.”

Genesis 40:5-8: “And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.

“And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in the ward of his lord’s house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?

“And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.”

One night, both the butler and the baker had a dream. First, it was remarkable that they both happened on the same night, showing that God was in it.

And the dreams they had were so unusual and made such an impression on them, that they could not get them out of their minds.

These two different dreams with separate interpretations were divinely given foreshadows of the future for these men.

God had led them to dream as they did in order to give Joseph the opportunity to come to Pharaoh’s attention, which was the later outcome of these dreams.

Verse 6 says that Joseph notices that these men were “sad” one morning. Now if anyone should have had a sad face it was Joseph.

He’d been betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused and wrongly imprisoned, and didn’t know if he’d ever be released or be put to death. But in spite of his own trial and reasons to be sad, he noticed the distress on the faces of these two men.

This is a window into the heart of Joseph. It shows that he was not consumed with anger and bitterness, that out of his concern for these two men, Joseph could look upon them that morning, see their downcast expression, and ask, “Wherefore look ye so sadly today?”

And in putting the needs of others first, even when our needs our manifold, we should watch for those sad expressions on the faces of those around us in life, and ask them, “Why do you look so sad today?”

Both the cupbearer and baker said they were concerned about a dream that they had. The men each believed that their dreams had meaning, but they did not know how to interpret them. And it just so happens, that Joseph had some experience with dreams.

We can be sure their dreams would’ve brought to mind Joseph’s own dreams. His dreams of his family bowing down to him had gotten him in trouble in the past and contributed to his brothers’ hatred and envy. So we might’ve expected Joseph to beg off and ask to be excused from having anything to do with their dreams.

But that wasn’t Joseph. His response was “Huh. Tell me about it.” But first, Joseph was careful to give credit to the Lord for the interpretations of dreams, telling them, “Do not interpretations belong to God?”

Genesis 40:9-15: “And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:

“And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:

“Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.

“But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:

“For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.”

Consistent with his duties as the cupbearer, the butler dreamed of a drink prepared for Pharaoh. As he dreamed, he saw a grape vine, with three branches which then began quickly budding, then blossoming, and finally bearing bunches and clusters of grapes.

The grapes were immediately ready for picking, so the butler dreamed that he picked them and then pressed the juice from them into Pharaoh’s cup which appeared in his hand.

In his dream he then gave the cup to Pharaoh in accord with his responsibilities as cupbearer. The dream showed that as he had faithfully carried out his duties before, he would carry them out again and serve the Pharaoh again.

The quick succession of events denoted that there was no opportunity through his negligence or guilt for any poison or foreign substance to be put into the cup, and thus it revealed his innocence.

Joseph, by divine revelation, told him that the three branches signified three days, and that in three days he’d be released from prison and restored to his former position.

Joseph was bold to give an interpretation that could be proved right or wrong within three days. In only three days, everyone would know if Joseph was correct or not.

Like the cupbearer, Joseph was innocent of any crime, and had done nothing to deserve prison. Like the butler, he told him, “here ALSO have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon” (v. 15).

So in view of the similarity of his case with that of butler, in both being innocent, he requested that once he was back in a position of influence, that he remember him, intercede for him with Pharaoh, and put in a good word for him so he might be set free.

Verses 14 and 15 show Joseph’s humanity. He used wisdom and common sense to get himself out of prison. He knew that sometimes an inmate got out of prison through good connections and by knowing the right person.

And nobody was closer to Pharaoh than his cupbearer. And his hope was that when the cupbearer returned to Pharaoh’s presence that he would make mention of Joseph and his case to the king so he could be released from prison.

Genesis 40:16-19: “When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head: And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.

“And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days: Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.”

The baker had been listening in on the conversation and after hearing the great news for the butler, he must’ve thought “Hey, maybe my dream is good news too!”

Again there was a distinct “threeness” about the dream. The number three was a prominent feature in both of the dreams.

In the baker’s dream, he saw three white baskets on his head stacked one on top of another. In the uppermost exposed basket there were all kinds of “bakemeats” or baked goods such as he’d prepared for Pharaoh in the past.

But unlike the butler’s dream, he is never given the opportunity in the dream to present them to Pharaoh. And birds came and stole and ate the good food, and this shows he failed to provide protection against this as his duties required.

Whether intentional or accidental on the part of the chief baker, the dream indicates a serious lapse of proper care for Pharaoh’s food, and showed that he was guilty of this in the past, and guilty of the accusation against him.

In interpreting the dream, Joseph could’ve told the baker anything, made up a lie, delayed telling him the truth, made him feel good, and he would never have known the difference.

Joseph though was a man who told the truth, as he had done about his brothers’ behavior in the past. The news was grim, but he needed to hear it, so Joseph told him the truth.

Joseph was just as faithful to deliver the message of judgment as he was to deliver the message of deliverance. This is the mark of a godly messenger, one who does not fail to bring the whole message of God.

People need to hear the truth even if it’s unpleasant to hear. And this is especially true in regards to the gospel.

They need to hear the message of deliverance that God loves them and has fully provided salvation from our sins through the sacrifice of His Son at the Cross, and that if we just trust Christ as our Savior we are saved and have eternal life.

And they need to hear the message of judgment, of what’s going to happen to them if they do not trust Christ before it’s too late: they will spend eternity in torment in the lake of fire forever. Like Joseph, we have a message of life and death to tell people.

Joseph told him that the three baskets represented three days. Lifting up thy head has a double meaning in this passage. In verse 13, Joseph spoke of the butler’s head being “lifted up” which speaks of him being restored and elevated back to his office.

In verse 19, Joseph spoke of the baker’s head being lifted up, but he added the words “from off thee.” Instead of being restored back to his position as Pharaoh’s chef, his very head would be removed from his body and his body then hanged on a tree.

And instead of the birds eating Pharaoh’s bread, they would eat the baker’s flesh. The baker had been found guilty by Pharaoh, and would pay for it with his life.

And so Joseph interprets the two dreams, and one brings favorable news, the other a death sentence.

Like Jesus Christ, Joseph was numbered with the transgressors. And as the Lord was crucified between two thieves, where one was judged and the other blessed, so Joseph, was the innocent one between two men where one was blessed and the other judged.

Genesis 40:20-23: “And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.

“And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand: But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.”

The interpretations of the dreams came to pass exactly as Joseph had said. Pharaoh announced the findings of his investigation and his verdict on his birthday, which was the third day after the two dreams.

It might’ve been in celebration of his life that he chose this day to reveal his findings, that he was glad to still be alive on his birthday and wasn’t killed.

As the festivities were in progress, Pharaoh called for the butler and the baker to be brought before him out of the prison before “all his servants.”

Pharaoh then pronounced the chief butler innocent and lifted his head up and restored him back to his office. And like he had done in the past, the butler took the cup and in gladness offered it to Pharaoh, just as in his dream.

But turning to his former chief baker, he was pronounced guilty and the penalty was death. His head was lifted up also, but he was then beheaded before them all.

Thus, “all the servants” were shown what happens to one who betrayed Pharaoh’s trust.

Then the baker’s body was removed to a place outside the palace and hanged on a tree where birds fed on his flesh.

After the cupbearer was released and restored to his position, Joseph’s hopes for deliverance were undoubtedly high. He must’ve anticipated the keeper of the prison coming in and telling him that he was free to go.

However, as each day came and went so too did Joseph’s expectations of being rescued.

Imagine how he must’ve felt when three days passed, then four, then 30. And nothing. No word. No change. The waiting continued. Each day began with hope and ended in disappointment. Only silence prevailed, and his hopes were dashed.

In the joy and excitement of his restoration, and catching up on his duties, the chief butler let Joseph slip from his mind and he forgot him.

The cupbearer might have forgotten Joseph, but God never did. And Joseph sat in that prison waiting on the Lord.

What we learn from the butler’s forgetfulness is that in the Christian life, people are going to forget the good we do for them, but we should keep on doing good anyway.

They’re going to forget our kindness, but we’re to keep being kind anyway. They’re going to forget our service, but we’re to keep our eyes on the Lord and keep serving anyway.

We never know how the Lord will use our labor for Him. And we know our labor for Him is not in vain.

And whether people remember our kindness or service or not, we do it for Christ, for His glory, knowing that “God is not unrighteous to FORGET your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Heb. 6:10).