A Butler, A Baker, A Jailhouse Breaker

A Butler, A Baker and a Jail-House Breaker Genesis 41:9-14

In to each life some rain must fall. Fact is though; you don’t necessarily have to be a wrong doer or be the one to cause your rain or your storm. They just seem to happen.

Sometimes even when you’ve done no one any wrong; when you’ve done your best; when you leave others alone… rain happens.

It’s even worse however, when others contribute to your hardship. Isn’t it amazing how people…even loved ones … will lock you up seek to shut you down; people who you have tried to endear; to be nice to them and do them favor; even when you don’t hate, you can still have haters. News flash… we all have them. And unfortunately, we may be a hater to someone else. Fact still remains we all have them.

People will hate you for doing well; people will hate on you for having fun; for you having what they may think they want; they just hate. They hate you for dreaming; you don’t have to be doing so well, just dream of doing better;

That green eyed demon of jealousy will show it’s horrible face and desire to take you out or to box you in; to destroy you and yours;

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People will hate you for who you are and what you try to accomplish. People can just hate you for no real reason at all.

The text concerns itself with one of the patriarchs of the OT… Joseph.

You remember Joseph; you may have heard of him… Hermeneutics or bible study refers to him as a type of Christ; the firstborn of a favored mother; loved by his father; hated by his brother; the child of his father Jacob’s old age by his beloved wife, for which he had worked 14 years to receive.

Joseph becomes an avenue for his brothers to hate him. Please be aware; Joseph doesn’t create jealousy and hatred. He simply reveals an already present hatred. You might say he caused jealousy by being himself.

We see the life of Joseph as he grows from PawPaw to a pit; (typology; sent to see about hateful brothers) from the pit temporarily to a palace; then … a spell in prison. Sometimes, you may have to go through some adversity to get to your prosperity. But just stay in the race…stay focused… don’t give up. God has someone to ferry you to your destiny.

Listen, even in prison; even in his dark days; when things seems to be going every way but right. So bad that your faith wavers…God will give you favor.

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In his prison experience, God gave Joseph favor with the guards. When God is for you, no one and nothing can prosper against you; NO WEAPON!!!

Look at what happens … the jailer puts Joseph; a convict, in charge of the convicts …but then he sends a convict to provoke an evict;

God causes a butler, the king’s butler; the king who has the power to set Joseph free; someone who has position to bring Joseph to his destiny;

God creates a situation that will cause things to switch and work in Joseph’s favor. God puts someone else in trouble to set Joseph free of his troubles; God puts a butler in the prison.

Here’s a pin point for you though; there may come a time when you have to be the butler; you may not be guilty but you have to go into someone’s prison; you may not be sick but you have to go in to the hospital to be a catalyst to set someone else free. You may have to go into the fiery furnace so that someone else can see the “fourth one”. The butler has to go to jail for the sake of God’s anointed.

Here, Joseph is given the opportunity to get in to deliverances way.

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However, here is another power point. There is also another person in this prison affair…a baker. Beware, for there is also a baker in your prison. Here’s the story, the butler and the baker have a dream; Story shortened… Joseph interprets both dreams. In the dreams, both the butler and the baker are freed from prison and their stories end just as Joseph interprets.

Joseph requests that they not forget him when they are freed. Listen …the baker is decapitated (there are some folk who just clutter your life; they cannot help you; because they are destined for failure themselves… beware) and the butler forgets all about Joseph and goes to enjoying his freedom. People will forget you; your children will forget you; your friends will forget you; family will forget you; listen, even you forget!!! But here’s your victory …God never forgets and when the time is right, He will make others remember you;