The One Year Chronological Study Bible - Flipbook - Page 58
JANUARY 15
Day 15 •
•
page 54
JANUARY 15
Two royal officials are thrown into prison; they are assigned to Joseph’s care. Their dreams and Joseph’s
interpretations give Joseph hope that he’ll be released. However, God, in His timing, rarely acts instantly
to fulfill His plans and promises. Two years pass before Pharaoh’s terrifying dreams initiate a search for
someone to interpret them. The chief cup-bearer remembers Joseph and commends him to Pharaoh. As
he begins his interpretation, Joseph gives glory to God and explains a truth that runs throughout the Bible:
God reveals in advance what He will do both in the immediate and in the far-distant future. Here, He reveals
His plan for Egypt: A period of incredible blessing would be followed by an impossible situation. God uses
Joseph’s interpretation to raise him up to governor in Egypt. Joseph’s story provides a glimpse into how
God works through unlikely circumstances to promote His agenda.
1886 or 1720 BCBC
Isaac lived for 180 years. 29 Then he breathed
his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. And his sons, Esau and Jacob,
buried him.
28
Pharaoh’s Dreams • GENESIS 41:1-36 /
1885 or 1719 BC
Two years had passed since Joseph had interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer
and chief baker.
1 Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he
was standing on the bank of the Nile River. 2 In
his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come
up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh
grass. 3 Then he saw seven more cows come up
behind them from the Nile, but these were
DIVIDED
KINGDOM
40:20 Hebrew He lifted up the head of.
KINGDOM
EXODUS
PATRIARCH
PATRIARCH
CREATION
The Death of Isaac • GENESIS 35:28-29 /
JUDGES
Some time later, Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer
and chief baker offended their royal master.
2 Pharaoh became angry with these two officials, 3 and he put them in the prison where
Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the
guard. 4 They remained in prison for quite some
time, and the captain of the guard assigned
them to Joseph, who looked after them.
5 While they were in prison, Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker each had a dream one night,
and each dream had its own meaning. 6 When
Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed
that they both looked upset. 7 “Why do you look
so worried today?” he asked them.
8 And they replied, “We both had dreams last
night, but no one can tell us what they mean.”
“Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Go ahead and tell me your dreams.”
9 So the chief cup-bearer told Joseph his dream
first. “In my dream,” he said, “I saw a grapevine in
front of me. 10 The vine had three branches that
began to bud and blossom, and soon it produced
clusters of ripe grapes. 11 I was holding Pharaoh’s
wine cup in my hand, so I took a cluster of grapes
and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I placed
the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”
12 “This is what the dream means,” Joseph
said. “The three branches represent three days.
13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and
restore you to your position as his chief cupbearer. 14And please remember me and do me a
favor when things go well for you. Mention me
to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place.
15 For I was kidnapped from my homeland, the
land of the Hebrews, and now I’m here in prison,
but I did nothing to deserve it.”
16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had
given the first dream such a positive interpreta1
tion, he said to Joseph, “I had a dream, too. In my
dream there were three baskets of white pastries
stacked on my head. 17 The top basket contained
all kinds of pastries for Pharaoh, but the birds
came and ate them from the basket on my head.”
18 “This is what the dream means,” Joseph told
him. “The three baskets also represent three
days. 19 Three days from now Pharaoh will lift
you up and impale your body on a pole. Then
birds will come and peck away at your flesh.”
20 Pharaoh’s birthday came three days later,
and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summoned* his chief cupbearer and chief baker to join the other officials.
21 He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his
former position, so he could again hand Pharaoh his cup. 22 But Pharaoh impaled the chief
baker, just as Joseph had predicted when he
interpreted his dream. 23 Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never
giving him another thought.
CONQUEST
Joseph Interprets Two Dreams •
GENESIS 40:1-23 / 1887 or 1721 BC
