The story of Joseph interpreting dreams for Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker while in prison
The story of Joseph interpreting dreams for Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker while in prison
• Well thank you for listening in on this verse-by-verse Bible study podcast, I’m Randy Duncan, and in this episode, we’ll be covering Genesis chapter 40, which continues to follow the dramatic story of Joseph’s life.
• After a spending a couple of weeks out west and in Canada, and finishing up papers in Metaphysics & Epistemology, I am so ready to sit down in front of the mic and pick-up where we left off
• But as a reminder, in the last episode, we covered chapter 39, which saw Joseph cast into prison for a crime he did not commit, accused by Potiphar’s wife of attempted rape. But even in prison, God is with Joseph, and even the keeper of the prison saw it, and so he placed everything into Joseph’s care. Which brings us now to chapter 40.
• Sometime after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody.
• So, we see that sometime after Joseph is cast into prison, the cupbearer and baker to the king are also cast into prison. Now, when it says “sometime later”, that’s an indefinite statement. IOW, we don’t know how much later. However, we can calculate that Joseph is now 28 years old. Because we know that in another two years, when he appears before Pharoah, he will be 30 years old.
• So, what this tells us is that 11 years have now passed since Joseph was first sold into slavery. But we have no definitive way of knowing how many of those 11 years were spent running things for Potiphar, and how many years were spent in prison.
• But at some point, the cupbearer and baker also get tossed into prison. Now, this isn’t like some child story on the level of the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker. No, these were two very important roles in ancient Egypt, and these two were the chief officials of their professions in the household. They were both high-ranking members of Pharaoh’s court
• The cupbearer was very important, as he had direct access to the king since he served his wine. And kings often feared being poisoned, and so they trusted cupbearers with their lives. This person had to be extremely loyal, beyond reproach. As a result, these officials were often wealthy and influential. They often became trusted advisors and confidants of kings, and also wielded political influence.
• Similar situation with the baker. Both these officials had access to the king, and both had the potential to play a sinister role in any conspiracy or plot against the king.
• But at some point, the text tells us that they committed an offense against the king. Now that word “offense” in Hebrew is “hata” actually means they “sinned” against him. We don’t know the details of what they did, as the text doesn’t tell us, but it is serious enough to land them in prison. They were both held in prison pending the final verdict in their case. IOW, they were both waiting on Pharaoh’s final decision and sentencing in their case.
• And so, they are imprisoned and put in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, which is the same prison where Joseph was confined. And the captain of the guard appoints Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. Interesting to see that Joseph is now attending to those who were formerly attending to the Pharaoh.
• And it says that they remained here for “some time”. Now the Hebrew word used here can refer to different amounts of time. But there is a thought that they remained in prison for one year. Because, we quickly see that their confinement ends on the royal birthday, and so it is possible that whatever their offense was, whatever they did, took place during the last royal birthday celebration
• But we continue with verses 5-8…5 And one night 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. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”
• So, both men, the cupbearer and the baker, have dreams the same night. Often times dreams of prophecy come in pairs as a way to validate that the dream is legitimate. So just like Jacob took serious note of the two dreams Joseph had, the cupbearer and baker became very interested when they realize they both had a dream on the same night. And so, although each man had only one dream, it was a total of two. But what is unique here is that each of the dreams will have a different interpretation and fulfillment.
• Spoiler alert here. Although Joseph sharing his own dreams caused him misfortune, we’ll see that his interpretation of other people’s dreams leads to his prosperity.
• But Joseph comes to them the following morning, he notices they are troubled, and he asks them “why are you so downcast”. No doubt these two men, these two officials, have talked, and have shared their dreams. They also realize that the coincidence of them each having significant dreams like this is probably no accident. And still waiting on a final sentencing only increases their anxiety, as they may already suspect it has something to do with that.
• Furthermore, and as they respond, down in the prison, there’s no one to interpret their dreams for them. Now in the Ancient Near East, dream interpretations were sought out by experts who had been trained in techniques and methods of the day. Both the Egyptians and the Babylonians compiled what were called ‘dream books”, which contained sample dreams along with a key to their interpretation. But these two officials no longer had access to the magicians and wise men of Pharaoh’s court. And so, for those reasons, they are understandably upset.
• I think it’s worth pointing out that even after all that has happened to Joseph so far, being betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, wrongly accused and imprisoned, he still cares enough to ask these two men what’s wrong. I wonder how many of us would take on that same attitude? Feeling as though life, or even God, had betrayed us, and now we are going to unjustly rot in prison, feeling like over our entire life, we just can’t catch a break. How many of us would slide into an attitude of apathy, uncaring, and certainly not worrying about someone else’s problems.
• But not Joseph. After all he has suffered, he still cares enough to ask. And not only that, once they tell him there is nobody down here in prison who can interpret their dream, who does he reference? God. Again, it would have been so easy for Joseph to turn his back on God at this point. Wondering and questioning why God has allowed all of his unjust suffering.
• But Joseph remains loyal and dedicated to God. And he tells these two officials, do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” And how easy would it have been for Joseph to take credit for the ability to interpret dreams? After all, if he felt God had let him down, that God had abandoned him, leaving him to suffer, then why not make himself feel better by bragging about how he can interpret dreams? But again, this is not what Joseph does. He makes it clear that it is only God who can interpret dreams. Time and time again we see that Joseph does the right thing. He never turns his back on God, he never comprises himself or his beliefs or his faith in God. It really is amazing the strength of character that he exhibits
• Verses 9-15 continue….9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11 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.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. 13 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. 14 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.”
• So, the cupbearer apparently thought Joseph’s words persuasive, and so he tells Joseph his dream. Joseph tells him that the three branches he saw represent three days. In fact, this dream involves a few units of three. For example, the vine has three branches. There are three verbs used to describe the growth of the vine and the branches, namely, that they “budded”, “came out”, and “ripened”. Three times in verse 11 the cupbearer mentions Pharaoh’s name, and three times he mentions the cup. Also in verse 11, he mentions himself three times doing three things, when he says “I took”, “I pressed”, and “I placed”.
• Now, Joseph is probably aware that pharaoh’s birthday is in three days, and that he will decide their fate on that day. Again, this s why some believe that whatever their sin against Pharaoh was, it may have occurred last year during his birthday celebration
• But Joseph interprets his dream for him. He tells the cupbearer that in three days, Pharaoh will pardon, or, release you. Now, that Hebrew phrase literally means to “lift up your head”. That is, you will regain your honor, your dignity, and independence. The inability to “raise your head” is associated with shame, indignity, and a state of subjection.
• So, this has to be great news for the cupbearer to hear, and such a relief. He is to be restored to his former position, and he will once again place the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.
• And all Joseph asks of the cupbearer is to remember him when he is released. To do him this one act of kindness. He 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. 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.” Joseph reminds him again of his innocence, and only asks the cupbearer to remember him, to perhaps let someone know once he has been released. Remember, he was in a very influential position, and his words may have been effective in pleading Joseph’s case.
• But we continue with verses 16-19…16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” 18 And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you! —and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”
• So, the chief baker sees that the interpretation of the cupbearer’s dream was good news, and so he wants his dream interpreted as well. It may be that the willingness of the cupbearer to share his dream suggests that he had nothing to hide, whereas the baker didn’t share his dream until he heard a favorable interpretation from Joseph.
• But the baker, seeing the good report the cupbearer received, is now eager to talk, because he recognizes the similarities between his dream and the cupbearer’s dream. However, he misses the crucial differences in the dreams. And isn’t that just like people do? See all the similarities to justify our position, while dismissing any crucial differences.
• “All religions are basically the same”. Uh, no, they’re not. “Well, they all teach basically the same thing”. Uh, no they don’t. We often hear from skeptics and non-believers that all religions are fundamentally the same, that they just have superficial differences. But that is exactly opposite of the way religions are. In fact, they are only superficially the same, and fundamentally different.
• But the baker misses these differences, and he tells Joseph his dream. “There were three cake baskets on my head, and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.”
• Unfortunately for the baker, the only real similarity here is the element of three, and that’s where the similarities end. Notice that in their respective dreams, the cupbearer served Pharaoh, while the baker served the birds. Notice also that in the dream, the baker apparently does not have the strength or the presence of mind to drive the birds away. Which turns out to be an ominous sign.
• Well, Joseph provides the baker with the interpretation of his dream, and tells the baker that “the three baskets are three days. In three days, Pharaoh will lift off your head—from you! —and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”
• Wow, how would you like to hear that as your dream interpretation! I mean, I wouldn’t want to hear this from the circus fortune teller using tarot cards! Much less from a man like Joseph!
• And notice how Joseph responds to him here, how he doesn’t try to sugarcoat it. He just tells him the truth, even though it was a very hard truth. Joseph tells him that in three days, Pharaoh will lift “off” his head, not lift “up” his head like was told to the cupbearer. Big difference!
• But can you imagine the shock that the baker must have felt upon hearing this news? I mean, to know, and have to live with the dread that in three days, you are going to be impaled on a spike, and then your dead body is going to be publicly exposed and then left out to be pecked on by the carrion birds.
• Now impalement upon a spike was a widely used form of execution back in the ancient Near East. But this is just a particularly gruesome and loathsome death, especially considering that the theological beliefs of the Egyptians motivated them to pay special attention to the preservation of the body after death. And so, with such an awful death, and then not even being afforded a decent burial, probably implies that whatever he did was pretty serious, and so demanded a severe and public punishment.
• But we finish out this chapter with the last four verses, verses 20-23, which read…20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. 22 But he impaled the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
• So, three days from when Joseph provided these two officials with their dream interpretations, Pharaoh sends for them. And he sends for them on his birthday. By the way, and I’m not charging you anything extra for this nugget, but just in case you are ever on Jeopardy, this is actually the only birthday mentioned in all of the Old Testament.
• But Pharaoh does exactly what Joseph told them he was going to do. He restores the cupbearer to his original position, and the cupbearer actually places the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. As for the baker, it also happens just as Joseph foretold. He impaled the chief baker.
• And this chapter ends with one last verse that tells us that despite Joseph asking for only one favor, for the cupbearer to remember him, he didn’t. He did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
• Now, this is not merely an accidental, “oops, I forgot all about that”, sort of thing. This is not just a momentary mental lapse. No, this is a moral failing. He doesn’t act on his duty to help Joseph. Being a higher ranking official, and closer to Pharaoh, he could have intervened with Pharaoh to overrule the captain of the guard’s decision to imprison Joseph, and then had Joseph released. But he didn’t. He quickly becomes self-centered, and pre-occupied, and doesn’t bother remembering his former inmate in prison.
• In the ancient world, someone who correctly interpreted a positive dream was believed to also have helped make the positive dream come true. And so, the cupbearer had all the more reason to be grateful and remember him. But how soon we forget. In fact, as we will see next time, it will be two years before he’ll remember Joseph.
• If you recall, in the last episode I think, we looked at some of the ways Joseph sort of foreshadowed Jesus, some of the similarities in their lives. And I think it’s interesting here to note that Joseph was numbered with the transgressors, although he was innocent. And that he was a blessing to the cupbearer, but a curse to the baker. And as you know, Jesus was crucified between two thieves. One of them was judged, the other one was blessed.
• And so, with that, we leave Joseph unjustly sitting in prison, forgotten by the one person who could have possibly helped him. Can you imagine what Joseph must have been feeling about now? Again, betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, rising in position, and then falsely accused and condemned to prison knowing you’re innocent, and now the one person who could possibly help you, has totally forgotten you. And yet he has always done the right thing, continued trusting in God, ...
• Ask yourself a question; how long would you have lasted? How long would you have continued believing that God was still in control, that God had a plan, that God would not forsake you? Remember, this has been like 10 years now!!
• One of the lessons we need to learn here is that the closing of those prison doors was orchestrated by God in order to open the Palace doors.
• And so, when you’re going through those difficult times that you are going to endure in this life, when you’re walking through the valley, and you feel like you’re all alone, forgotten, and suffering…trust in God anyway! Hang in there, and know that He has a plan for you that you may just not be able to see right now, but through which God will bring about a greater good!