A Prisoner's Dreams (Genesis 40)

Sometimes in life God may take a few years or more to get us out of a bad situation. He may be setting us up for a great blessing. Will we have the patience and faith to wait upon the Lord? Let’s look at Genesis 40.

Was God beginning to work something out by giving Joseph the interpretation of dreams?

Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody. (Genesis 40:1-4 ESV)

What were the dreams of the cupbearer and baker? To whom did Joseph give credit for interpreting dreams?

The Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were confined in the prison, each had a dream. Both had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning. When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they looked distraught. So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” “We had dreams,” they said to him, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” (Genesis 40:5-8 HCSB)

What was the cup bearer’s dream? Was it rather intriguing?

So the senior security advisor [cup bearer] related his dream to Joseph. “In my dream,” he said, “all of a sudden there was a vine in front of me! On the vine were three branches that budded. Blossoms shot out, and clusters grew up that produced ripe grapes. Then, with Pharaoh’s cup in my hand, I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, then handed the cup directly to Pharaoh.” (Genesis 40:9-11 ISV)

What was the interpretation that God gave Joseph? Was it good news?

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. (Genesis 40:12-15 KJV)

What about the baker’s dream? Was it quite the opposite, bad news?

When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, “I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; and in the top basket there were some of all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a wooden post, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.” (Genesis 40:16-19 NASB)

What happened to the two men? Were the interpretations given to Joseph true?

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: He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand— but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation. The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him. (Genesis 40:20-23 NIV)

Sometimes in life God may take a few years or more to get us out of a bad situation. He may be setting us up for a great blessing. Will we have the patience and faith to wait upon the Lord? You decide!