Beyond The Basics

Transcript:

Welcome to the Beyond the Basics Bible Study Podcast. My name is Dan Snyder and I am your host. Thank you so much for joining me for this episode of Beyond the Basics where we are exploring the Bible from Genesis to Revelation one chapter at a time.

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Have you ever gone through a really difficult time? Really hard circumstance and found out once you got through to the other side that what you learned during that time was actually invaluable? This is what Joseph is experiencing in Genesis chapter 40. He’s been enslaved, wrongly imprisoned, for something he didn’t do, but it’s gonna become training ground for the future. He’s gonna encounter two men that have dreams, and he’s gonna interpret those dreams. And this is gonna prepare him for his future when the Pharaoh, King of Egypt, is gonna have a couple dreams, and Joseph is gonna have to interpret those as well.

So let’s get into Genesis chapter 40. So it says, starting off in verse 1, sometime after this. So the question is what? Sometime after what? Going back to chapter 39, sometime after he was put into prison for allegedly trying to sleep with Potiphar’s wife, which of course he was not trying to do, but he was falsely accused. So sometime after he was thrown in prison is when the events of this chapter is going to take place. So, he was in prison for a while. He stayed there for a while, but he was faithful and served humbly while he was there, while he was waiting. I believe he was waiting for the Lord to deliver him. I think he knew, even now at this point, that the Lord had a plan.

So, sometime after this, the cupbearer of the King of Egypt, so the cupbearer could also be interpreted as the butler. Basically, his job was to taste Pharaoh’s wine before giving it to him to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. So he had access to Pharaoh’s ear, meaning, in other words, he had close access to Pharaoh. He was able to speak to him one-on-one. He had direct access to the most powerful man in the world at that time. That’s going to be important later on in the next chapter. And also, we find out that Pharaoh’s baker was there. The baker had charge of Pharaoh’s meals. Also probably tasting them before Pharaoh ate them to make sure that they were not poisoned.

So we’re told that they committed an offense in verse one. We’re not told what this offense was, but very possibly they were suspected of attempted murder potentially through the poisoning of Pharaoh’s food or drink, which would make sense because that was their job. We’re told they committed an offense against their lord, the king of Egypt, and Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cup bearer and the chief baker.

So their titles here in the second verse are repeated from the first verse. And this could be an indication that it was actually one of their employees that may have committed the crime, but the supervisors, the chief cup bearer and the chief baker were being held responsible. That’s one possibility of why their titles are repeated so quickly in the narrative along with that word chief in front of them. Basically it’s saying, look these guys were in charge, this wasn’t just any old baker working at Applebee’s, he’s the chief baker, he’s the guy in charge. No offense to line cooks out there that may be listening.

So it says in verse 3, and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard in the prison where Joseph was confined. So they came under Joseph’s care. And we know from the previous chapter that the Lord was with Joseph. We found that out going through Genesis chapter 39. And I believe that’s why we’re not told the crimes that these two committed, because the real reason they were there was to meet with Joseph and his God. We know that God has directed Joseph and been with Joseph, and directed the outcome of his life. Joseph is there for a reason. He’s there to meet with the cupbearer and the baker. The cupbearer and the baker are there for the reason to meet with Joseph and God.

So in verse four, the captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them. So then we’re told in verse four that Joseph attended the cupbearer and the baker. In other words, he served them. Joseph here is showing true leadership. He could lord it over these guys that are in this prison. He could flex his authority. He’s a man that’s had authority in Potiphar’s house already. He knows his position. He knows his worth. But instead, he served them. He attended them. He’s showing true leadership.

So Joseph shows us what this looks like in practical terms, even for those who are going through persecution. Even in persecution, we can serve others. We can show others the love of Christ.

So in verse 5, moving on, it says, one night they both dreamed, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt. So this is the second set of two dreams. Remember, the first set of two dreams is when Joseph had two dreams when he was a teenager. This is the second set of two dreams. There’s gonna be a third set of two dreams in the next chapter. So we’ll talk more about that in the next chapter. But notice that, that this is the second set of two dreams. That’ll be important.

So in verse 6 it says, when Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. Now, this is interesting, this phrase that he saw that they were troubled, because Joseph could have been consumed with bitterness over his situation. He had been taken captive by his brothers, they attempted to kill him, and then they decided to sell him into slavery, and then he finally had a good master that gave him an elevated position in his house, and then his master’s wife accused him of trying to sleep with her, and then he was thrown in prison. And Joseph just does not seem like he can catch a break. He could be so bitter. How many of us would end up so, so bitter over this? Angry, just steaming, sitting in our cell, saying, why me? Why did this happen to me? I didn’t do anything. I didn’t deserve this. I know that’s what I’d be doing. But Joseph didn’t do that. He didn’t sit there and have self-pity. Instead, he noticed the troubles of others.

See, if he was consumed with bitterness over himself, he wouldn’t have noticed somebody else’s troubles. If we allow bitterness and self-pity to take over when we are moderately inconvenienced compared to what Joseph goes through, we’re never going to notice other people’s troubles. And then we’re never going to be in a situation where we can minister to them, where they can hear the gospel, where they can encounter the love of Jesus. And in Joseph’s case, he happened to encounter somebody who had the ear of the king. How many of you would like that situation? And then find out later, you missed a chance to minister to that guy who had the ear of the king because you were too busy sitting in self-pity. I say you, but I’m speaking to myself too. We all deal with that. We all struggle with that. I do all the time. We all do. It’s normal. That’s why it’s so important for us to see somebody like Joseph who overcame that and see the results of what happens when he overcomes that temptation to give into the bitterness.

So in verse 7 it says, So he asked Pharaoh’s officers, who were with him, in custody in his master’s house. Now that’s another interesting phrase, because previously Joseph had attended them, in verse 4, as his superiors. He was a servant and he attended these two men who had very high elevated positions in Pharaoh’s government. But now, this language here in verse 7 says, they were with him in custody. So, it’s like the roles have flipped. Joseph is no longer the servant, with them being the masters, now they are all on equal footing in the prison. They are all in custody together. See, negative circumstances especially, but many types of circumstances have a way of removing the differences between us.

So Joseph asks the two men, “Why are your faces downcast today?”

And in verse eight they said to him, “We have had dreams and there is no one to interpret them.”

So Joseph replies, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

So Joseph gives glory to God instead of taking it for himself, so that reveals his humility. He could have said, “Well, I could probably interpret these dreams. Why don’t you tell them to me?”

But instead he says, “Interpretations belong to God.” He knows that he doesn’t have the ability to interpret these dreams, but God does. And since God is with him, there’s no reason why God couldn’t reveal the interpretation to him.

Now, it doesn’t necessarily say that the dream was from God, just that the interpretation is from God. Although I think it’s likely that the dreams were from God as well. Dreams in the Bible, we’ve seen these several times already, but I don’t believe I’ve talked a whole lot about dreams in the Bible. Dreams are interesting because God actually gave more dreams to pagans than to his own people in the Bible. And there were some of his own people, of course, that received dreams such as Abraham and Joseph, as we’ve already found out, but more often they were given, even in this book, to pagans. Abimelech. Pharaoh.

Now I believe that God still speaks in dreams today. Although we do need to be discerning. I’ve had several dreams that I believe are from the Lord. But not every dream that I have is from God and not every dream that people claim to be from God is actually from God. We have to be discerning. We have to know Scripture when we hear these dreams. We have to know Scripture. They have to line up with what it says in scripture. They have to line up with the character of God because false prophets may use false dreams or use true dreams falsely.

They said to him in verse 8, “We’ve had dreams and there’s no one to interpret them.”

And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

So Joseph’s not trying to increase his dream interpretation ministry here. He genuinely cared about these men and he wanted to help them. Like I said, he was in prison himself and he could have been sitting there in self pity, but instead he had compassion that they were troubled. He took the time to go find them and say, “Why are your faces downcast?”

He wanted to help them. 1 Corinthians 13 verses 1 through 3 says, If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Joseph ministered to these men because he had compassion, because he had love. We can have all the dreams, all the visions, all the prophecy in the world. It doesn’t matter. If we don’t do it in love, it’s worthless. If we don’t do it because we see people hurting and have compassion, then we might as well just pack up our ministry and go home. It’s worth nothing.

So in verse 9, the chief cup bearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me.”

So the images in this dream would have been familiar to the cup bearer. He served wine, which is a fruit of the vine, a drink made of the fruit of the vine, and this is possibly an indication here that the dream could be from God, because they’re images familiar to the one having the dream.

Then verse 10 it says, “On the vine there were three branches and as soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth and the clusters ripened into grapes.”

So that language reflects a quick progression. That’s saying there’s three branches and as soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth. It’s quick, it’s showing that whatever’s happening is happening very quickly. So this indicated to Joseph that this would take place in three days. That’s where he gets that three days from, is the quick progression.

In verse 11, moving on, “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.”

Then Joseph said to him, “Three branches are three days.”

So, everyone’s gonna find out if this dream is true in three days, because Joseph is saying this is gonna come true in three days. So we’re gonna find out. Is Joseph right? Or is he just making stuff up?

Now the number three indicates that it’s established by God. The number three is an indication that something is established and done by God. We see this all through the Bible. And God is, especially in this chapter, you’re going to see the number three all through this chapter. So God’s hand is shown all throughout this chapter because of the number three.

So verse 13, moving on, “In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head,” meaning his case would be heard by the king, and the cupbearer would be restored to his position.

“And you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly when you were his cupbearer.” And then in verse 14 he goes on and says, “Only remember me.”

So he says, “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.”

So essentially he’s saying, “Hey cup bearer, show me the mercy that you’re going to be shown in three days.”

Then in verse 15 it says, Joseph says, “For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews.”

So he was reiterating that he was kidnapped unjustly and sold into slavery. And he says, “Here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”

So not only was he kidnapped, but he was thrown into prison unjustly. He never had a fair trial. And now here he is in prison and he calls it the pit, which if you remember when Joseph was being thrown in the cistern by his brothers, that was also the pit. So Joseph is comparing being thrown in prison with being thrown in the cistern by his brothers. Even though God’s favor was on him during this time, he’s saying the betrayal of being thrown in prison, it stung just as much as when he was thrown in the pit by his brothers. And it still felt just as dark as when his brothers betrayed him.

So we’re not told in the narrative here how difficult this was for Joseph to be in prison because he is immediately promoted and shown favor. But this was a very dark time for Joseph. And by him comparing prison to the pit that he was thrown in by his brothers, it’s revealing how dark this time felt for him, how much betrayal he felt, which makes it all the more remarkable how he was able to have compassion on these two men and go out of his way to serve them and help them out.

Now, the prison probably was not as bad as being stuck in a cistern or in a pit underground. It was reserved for prisoners of the king, so it’s not like these were just common criminals that they could just throw in a dungeon somewhere and leave them there and forget about them. They were prisoners of the king and they were usually fairly important people that were thrown into this prison. So they would have likely have been treated a little bit better than your average prison.

So in verse 16, when the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he assumed that he was going to receive a good interpretation. Also, he saw that the cupbearer received a favorable interpretation. And so the butler assumed that the interpretation of his dream would be favorable as well. So now he’s going to speak up. And he says, “I also had a dream. There were three cake baskets on my head. And in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh.”

Now this food would go stale quickly sitting in this basket out in the open air like that. Again indicating the dream would come to pass quickly. So again indicating that this would happen in three days. And he says, “But the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.”

Instead of the baker giving the baked goods to Pharaoh to eat it, the birds were eating it out of his head. So this is in contrast with the cupbearer putting the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. The cupbearer actually was able to put his cup in the hand of Pharaoh in his dream. The baker was not able to do that. Instead the birds came and ate the food before he could give it to Pharaoh. So that indicated that the baker would not share the same fate as the cupbearer.

So in verse 18, Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation. The three baskets are three days. In three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from you.”

There’s a double meaning here, meaning Pharaoh would hear his case but he would order his execution. And the way that the Egyptians would execute criminals is that they wouldn’t hang with a rope. They wouldn’t hang them. They would cut off the head and then impale the body on a stake. So that’s why Joseph says, “He’ll hang you on a tree or on a stake and the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

So Joseph didn’t shy away from giving bad news. He heard the dream and he didn’t do what we do so often these days and soften the blow. If we hold the truth back from people, we are doing the world a disservice because who benefited from this dream? Who benefited from the interpretation of the dream? Well, it wasn’t the baker. He died three days later. It didn’t matter if he was told the correct interpretation or not. It was the cupbearer who benefited. He could have explained away the correct interpretation of his dream. He could have looked back on it and said, “Oh, yeah I could see how Joseph could get that. Come on magicians, you’re better than that.”

But it was the second dream from the baker that the interpretation also turned out to be correct that proved to the cupbearer that Joseph heard from God. It was the message of blessing and it was the message of judgment. Both together they were necessary to prove that Joseph was not just trying to make them feel better, but that he truly heard God’s voice. We have to be willing to do the same.

So what happens? Well I’ve alluded to it for most of the chapter, but in verse 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. So the Pharaoh heard their cases and then in verse 21 he restored the chief cupbearer to his position and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand, but he hanged the chief baker as Joseph had interpreted to them. So the interpretation of the dreams came true.

And verse 23, yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Not that he forgot Joseph existed, but his attention was not turned to Joseph. This is the third great wrong done to Joseph, which indicates the large amount of testing he had to endure. Remember the number three also indicates a time of testing. This entire section of Genesis is narrating the testing that Joseph is going through. First, he was betrayed by his brothers. Second, he was betrayed by Pharaoh’s wife. And now third, he’s betrayed and forgotten by the cup bearer. But this is going to be the last time he’s going to be wronged.

And this is important because it’s easy for us to remember that God had great things in store for Joseph if we’ve heard the story. If we’ve read all the way through the book of Genesis, which many of you have, it’s easy to see the great things that God has for Joseph and say, “Oh yeah, Joseph, what man intended for bad, for evil, God intended for good. And God used Joseph and he placed Joseph into this elevated position in the government. Yeah, God does that.”

Well, we can’t forget about the reality of the betrayal that Joseph went through over and over and over. Three times he was betrayed. This betrayal was harsh, harsh discipline, harsh training. This time that he spent in Egypt away from his own family, away from his own culture, it was hard. He had to spend all these years in Egypt learning the language, the customs, because he’s going to become second in command in the government of Egypt. The only one above him is going to be the king, Pharaoh. He wouldn’t be able to effectively rule without the knowledge of the land, without the knowledge of the language, and without the knowledge of their customs. He wouldn’t be able to do this. He had to spend that long in the land in order to learn what he needed to know to effectively rule. It takes time to learn a culture and a language and Joseph would have never gone there on his own.

In Psalm 105 verses 16 through 22 it says, when he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron, until what he had said came to pass. The word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him, the ruler of the people set him free, he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.

So it was the word of the Lord that tested Joseph to prepare him to rule. See, many of us want the greatness of Joseph’s role later in the book of Genesis but aren’t willing to go through the training required for the role. Like I mentioned earlier, greatness is only shown through a willingness to serve. Greatness is only brought about through a willingness to go through the required training. How many of us desire these great ministries? We see these celebrity preachers that we follow on Instagram and we go to their churches, we listen to their sermons and we say, “Imagine what the Lord could do with me. Imagine what the Lord could do through me if I had that role.”

But you want that role you got to go through the training. The training is hard. Training requires betrayal, difficulty, persecution. It’s not easy. You want greatness? You got to lose. You got to give up. You got to serve.

So how does this chapter point to Jesus? Well we know already that Joseph foreshadows Jesus in many many ways. He has already in chapters past and we’re going to see several different ways in this chapter. So I’m going to list these out for you.

First, Joseph was lowered to the position of the guilty. Jesus was also lowered to the position of the guilty. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, for our sake he made him to be sinned who knew no sin. Talking about Jesus. So that in him we might become the righteousness of God. So Jesus knew no sin, was made to be sin. He was lowered to the position of the guilty.

Second, Joseph suffered unjustly, yet only cared about the needs of others. Philippians 2:3-8. This is one of my favorite sections of scripture in the entire Bible. I absolutely love this. It says, do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death, on a cross.

He humbled himself, he suffered unjustly to the point of death, and yet, he had a mind to take the form of a servant. That was all he cared about. Serve others to the point of death.

Joseph was surrounded by two criminals. So was Jesus. In Luke 23:32-33, it says, two others who were criminals were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called the skull, there they crucified him and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

In the story of Joseph, one criminal was saved and the other was not. A little bit later in Luke chapter 23, we find out that is the case with Jesus. One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.”

But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? We indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

And he said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

One of the criminals on the cross with Jesus insulted him. One of the criminals repented and recognized who Jesus was and was saved that day.

Joseph delivered the word of the Lord. In John 3:31-34 we’re told that Jesus also delivered the word of the Lord. It says, “He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the word of God, for he gives the spirit without measure.”

So Jesus was talking about himself there, saying that he was sent by God, so he utters the words of God.

In Joseph’s story, the word from God was proven accurate in three days. Same for Jesus. John 19:22 says, Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, will you raise it up in three days?”

But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

So God had given the word through Jesus saying that Jesus would die and be resurrected in three days, and the disciples remembered and believed when it was proven accurate.

Joseph’s message brought both life and death. Same with the message of Jesus. In 1 Peter 2 verses 4-8 it says, As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men, but in the sight of God, chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: “Behold I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

So the honor is for you who believe but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become a cornerstone and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word as they were destined to do.

So all that to say that Jesus’ message brings both life and death. Life to those who believe and death to those who do not believe.

Joseph was tested three times. Same with Jesus. In Matthew 4:1-3 we’re told Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, and after fasting 40 days and 40 nights he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

And then the tempter tempted Jesus two more times after that in Matthew 4 and Jesus resisted temptation all three times. So that chapter, Matthew 4, details Jesus’s testing. Was he going to give in to the temptation or was he not? And that was done three times just like Joseph.

So a lot of questions I could ask from this one, but I want to hone in on the idea of servant leadership. So how can you learn from the example of Joseph and the example of Jesus and show servant leadership in your home, in your workplace, in your church, in your neighborhood, in your family? What are some specific ways that you can serve those around you? Not so that you can become great, but because Jesus was great and He lowered Himself to be a servant. What are some specific ways you can do that? Think about that. Pray about it.

Let’s pray. Lord, I thank You so much for Your Word. Thank You that You spoke to us in ages past. Thank You that You spoke to these two men, the cupbearer and the baker in prison. You intervened in their lives and that thousands of years later we’re still reading about that story and learning from it. I pray that you would give us wisdom as we read and as we meditate. Teach us to serve others. Teach us to set aside our own desires for greatness and instead to desire the good of others around us. Teach us to hear your voice clearly. Teach us to seek, to seek you faithfully, to remain humble, tethered to scripture so that we can recognize your voice and so that we can recognize when someone may be trying to deceive us. Protect us and guide us each day in Jesus name. Amen.

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