 Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody.
5 And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” 9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes.11 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.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. 13 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only 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. 15 For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.” 16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” 18 And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.” 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. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Meditation I know someone that loves orange juice so much that he bought his wife a juicer attachment for her KitchenAid Mixer for Christmas (his wife gets terrible indigestion from orange juice). Although mislead by his stomach in gift giving, he is correct that the best form of orange juice is fresh squeezed… for an orange to truly bless someone’s soul it must be picked and crushed. Joseph was picked from Canaan, a Hebrew sold into slavery by his family, and crushed in the pit by God’s providence. Only after crushing in the pit is Joseph prepared to bless the nations from the palace of Pharaoh. Joseph was an innocent man thrown into a pit of a prison (15). Joseph’s faith remained steadfast, knowing the interpretations of dreams were only in the hands of God (8). People forgot Joseph in the pit (23). God did not forget Joseph. God was preparing Joseph to lead the most powerful nation in the world. God’s providence often crushes people He is preparing to use in powerful ways. Abraham and Sarah were crushed by infertility and time. Moses was crushed by his sin of murder and exile. David was crushed through his fugitive years in the wilderness. Jesus was crushed for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5), resurrected to bless the nations with an invitation to return to the Father’s love. Jesus conquered the pit so we can have hope in the pits of God’s providence in our lives. God often picks us and crushes us to prepare us for His purposes of blessing our neighbors, neighborhoods, and the nations. Richly Dwelling -Do you find yourself in a pit from God’s providence? What is your perspective? Do you have peace? -Do you have trouble serving God, having faith in Him in the midst of crushing circumstances? How does knowing the pit has no power give you peace? -What are the purposes God is working in you through this difficult providence? How is He making you more like Him? How is He revealing your great need and His great provision in the gospel? Key Verse 15 For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.” Comments are closed.
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