Wayfinding Bible - Flipbook - Page 67
Genesis 40
61
PG 62
PG 62
OBSERVATION POINT
EXPLORATION POINT
Joseph was placed in a facility specifically used to
retain prisoners of Pharaoh or of the state. The prison
was either a round tower or a fortress and was possibly part of Potiphar’s house. Pharaoh’s cupbearer and
baker were high-ranking servants who also ended
up there after offending their master.
Every time Joseph’s life started going well, he got
slammed. First, his brothers sold him to Ishmaelite
traders, who in turn sold him into slavery. Then,
Potiphar’s wife accused Joseph of rape, and he ended
up in prison. He had reason to be bitter and angry
and to curse God, but he didn’t. He continued trusting
that the prophetic dreams he’d had as a boy would
somehow come true. He remained strong in his faith,
and “the Lord was with him and caused everything
he did to succeed” (Genesis 39:23).
worries, because Joseph took care of every
thing. The Lord was with him and caused
everything he did to succeed.
JOSEPH INTERPRETS TWO DREAMS
a | VISIONS | 40:1–41:36
PG 897
Some time later, Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer 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 Pha
raoh’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 cup-bearer. 14 And please remember me
and do me a favor when things go well for you.
PG 1443
40
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 interpretation, 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
Pha
r aoh’s birthday came three days
later, and he prepared a banquet for all his
officials and staff. He summoned* his chief
cup-bearer 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
cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph,
never giving him another thought.
40:20 Hebrew He lifted up the head of.
