Genesis Chapter 40

___________________

415. CHAPTER FORTY

JOSEPH: INTERPRETER OF DREAMS

The arrival of two new prisoners in the Round House of Heliopolis was nothing unusual. But these were no ordinary pris­oners. They were high officials in the service of Pharaoh. More than that, they were to be the channel by which Joseph was to obtain his release from prison and elevation to power. Joseph, of course, did not understand that at the time, but treated them with characteristic kindness and consideration: an attitude on his part that was to be productive of much good.

Pharaoh's Butler And Baker Imprisoned — Vv. 1-4

Being a servant of an absolute dicta­tor was a somewhat precarious position. Two of Pharaoh's high officials offend him, and are flung into prison.

VERSE 1

"And it came to pass after these things" — That is, after Joseph had been shown favour, being granted privileges in the prison.

"That the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt" — The word but­ler is mashqeh, and signifies cup-bearer from a root word signifying to drink. This was a position of great honour in ancient courts. Nehemiah was cup-bearer to the king (Neh. 1:11), and therefore one upon whom the monarch placed great trust. He not only served the king, but protected him from the fear of assassination by poi­soning. The baker was the officer who pre­pared the king's food, and one upon whom the king placed similar confidence. The word "offended" is chata, the normal word for "sin," from a root signifying to miss the mark. In what way they sinned

against the king is not revealed. Some believe that they attempted to poison him, but surely if that were the case, they would have been put to death instantly. As the baker subsequently was hanged, but the cup-bearer restored to his position, per­haps the king suffered acute indigestion!

VERSE 2

"And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers" — The circumstances of this chapter type those of the Lord in his death. There were two malefactors crucified with him, one of whom, however, escaped the fate of the other by the intercession of the Lord. See Luke 23:32. There are also two classes to be present with the Lord at the Judgment Seat (Dan. 12:2; 2 Cor. 5:9-10): the accepted and the rejected. The word for "officers" is the plural form of that in Ch. 39:1.

VERSE 3

"And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard" — See note Chapter 37:36.

"Into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound" — See Psa. 105:18. His feet were "hurt with fetters." When first flung into prison he probably was fet­tered all day long, but with the alleviation of his lot, they may have been only put on at night, giving him complete freedom of movement during the day. See v. 6.

VERSE 4

"And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them" — They were placed "in ward," in custody, whilst their fate was being decided. Meanwhile, being high officials of state, they were given preferential treatment, and placed in the charge of Joseph. To Joseph, these cir­cumstances were commonplace, and he was in ignorance of the fact that God was moving on his behalf. Similarly, seeming unimportant circumstances in our lives can be the result of the hand of Yahweh in our affairs. Therefore, let us "commit our ways unto Him." Who knows the purpose behind some apparently minor incident of life?

"And he served them" — Joseph served them in prison. Christ served humanity in the prison-cell he occupied in death, for he inherited the consequences of Adam's sin that some might be delivered therefrom. "I am among you as he that serveth," he told the Apostles (Luke 22:27), and he aligned such service with his death (Matt. 20:28).

"And they continued a season in ward"— They continued in custody whilst their fate was considered by Pharaoh.

Joseph Interprets Their Dreams — Vv. 5-19

One night each of the new prisoners have a dream which puzzles and depresses him. The dreams are told to Joseph, and with the help of God, he interprets them: the cupbearer is promised restoration; the baker, condemnation. Thus like Christ, Joseph becomes "a savour; of life unto life and of death unto death" (2 Cor. 2:15-16).

VERSE 5

"And they dreamed a dream both of them" — The remarkable circumstances of the two dreams are outlined to show that they were not coincidental, but divine­ly induced, as Joseph instantly realised. It was this that caused him to offer, with God's help, to interpret the dreams (v. 8).

This was the first of five remarkable incidents noted in this verse.

"Each man his dream in one night"— This was the second remarkable circumstance, indicating divine influence. They both happened the same night.

"Each man according to the inter­pretation of his dream" — The third remarkable detail: the dreams were very similar.

"The butler and the baker of the king of Egypt" — The fourth feature: two similar appointments of high honour in the land.

"Which were bound in the prison" — This fifth feature suggests that the cir­cumstances of the imprisonment were divinely ordained. In the reciting of the various details relating to the dreams of these two high officials, one can imagine how the alert mind of Joseph would dis­cern the hand of God in them, and instant­ly seize the opportunity to further alleviate his own condition. With rising excitement, he would recognise the ways of Provi­dence in the matter.

VERSE 6

"And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad" — There is type upon type in the story of Joseph. It is significant and appropriate to the story and type, that two malefactors should be cruci­fied with the Lord, one of whom was pro­mised ultimate release from death, and the other who was not. It is also appropriate that there will be two classes at the Judg­ment Seat of Christ who will be in the same position and condition as those two prisoners of Pharaoh. Joseph came to them "in the morning," as the Lord will return at the beginning of a new day for his people (Mai. 4:1-2). Joseph found his companions "sad," and that, too, will be the state of those brought before the Judgment Seat, for za'laph signifies to boil up, to be agi­tated. The two prisoners were deeply concerned and agitated over the dreams they experienced. They compared them, and found amazing similarities which indicat­ed that they were divinely directed. There will be similar agitation at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

VERSE 7

"And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly today?" — The word "sadly" is from ra, and signifies evil, afflicted. The concern that each felt was reflected in his countenance; each felt worried and depressed. Rotherham renders: "Why are your faces troubled today?"

VERSE 8

"And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no inter­preter of it" — They recognised that their two dreams were closely related, and therefore described them as a dream. The amazing similarity of the two dreams made them realise that God was behind them. In Egypt, as the monuments show, dreams were regarded as extremely signif­icant.

"And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God?" — Joseph did not forget God in his trials, and lost no opportunity to speak about Him. He must have frequently meditated upon the significance of the dreams he had received from God, and pondered the promise that one day his brothers must bow before him. In this, "the word of Yah-weh tried him" (Ps. 105:19).

"Tell me them, I pray you" — It was not out of idle curiosity that Joseph requested this but with a consciousness of his divine calling as prophet.

VERSE 9

"And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me"

— The vine was appropriate to his posi­tion as cupbearer, and therefore symbol­ised his important office.

VERSE 10

"And in the vine were three branch­es" — This Joseph interpreted as repre­senting three days (v. 12).

"And it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes" — This is a symbol of resurrec­tion, and indicated that the king's cupbear­er would be released.

VERSE 11

"And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand" — Implying that the prisoner would be restored to his high position.

"And I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand" — Wine is the symbol of a life dedicated, and implies that the cupbearer would be restored to his position and render good service unto his lord.

VERSE 12

"And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days"—Joseph inter­preted under divine impulse.

VERSE 13

"Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head" — He will consider your case (see margin). The head of the cupbearer was figuratively hanging down at that moment. The time limit is also significant. It is repeated in Hosea 6:2 to describe Israel's national rejection and ultimate restoration: "After two days will he revive us; in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight."

"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" — The despondency and worry of the cupbearer must have been greatly relieved when he heard this interpretation. So Israel nation­ally are the subject of divine prophecy, and will be restored to their former glory (Rom. 11:15,26; Amos 9:11-15).

VERSE 14

"But think on me when it shall be well with thee" — The margin renders this as "remember me with thee." We, too, are called upon to remember the antitypical Joseph in prison: "Take, eat; this is my body, which is for you: this do in remem­brance of me" (1 Cor. 11:24). In our liberty (Rom. 8:1) we have a duty to elevate Christ in our hearts (vv. 34-35).

"And shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me" — We, likewise, are called upon to "shew kindness" unto the antitypi-cal Joseph in addition to "remembering him." How do we do that? "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matt. 25:40).

"And make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house" — We make mention of Christ by confessing "him" before men; in which case, he will confess us before the Father in heaven (Matt. 10:32).

VERSE 15

"For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews" — This was well calculated to appeal to Pharaoh, and to gain his sympathy, for history indicates that Shepherd Kings of Semitic origin, the Hyksos, ruled in Egypt at the time.

"And here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dun­geon" — The word "dungeon", bowr, is the same word translated "p/ί" in Zech. 9:11, and there used symbolically for the grave. Christ committed no sin, and there­fore his execution at the hands of Gentile and Jewish leaders was quite unwarranted. He challenged his opponents: "which of you convinceth me of sin" (John 8:46; 18:23).

VERSE 16

"When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph" — The chief baker was encour­aged by the obviously true explanation of the cupbearer's dream given by Joseph.

"I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head" — Strong renders choriy as "white bread", and the R.V. translates: three bas­kets of white bread. The expression suggests leavened bread, which is a symbol of wickedness (cp. 1 Cor. 5:8). The baskets were on the head of the baker, suggesting a wicked mind. This is in contrast to the active hands of the cupbearer, who, in his dream, was actively engaged in doing something to the pleasure of Pharaoh (v. 11). We must be doers of the Word, not hearers only, deceiving our own selves.

VERSE 17

"And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh" — The literal Hebrew is the food of Pharaoh, the work of a baker. Not the fruit of the vine which is the work of God, but the work of human skill. Again there is a contrast in the two dreams which is most suggestive in relation to the type. God is pleased with the fruits of the Spirit-Word (Gal. 5), not with the works of the flesh.

"And the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head" — The fine man-made confections displayed on the head of the baker were consumed by one for whom they were not intended. They were prepared for the benefit and pleasure of Pharaoh, but they were consumed by the bird (for in the Hebrew the word is in the singular) for whom they were not intended. Let us beware, lest the things that we do, even in the cause of truth, are not swallowed up by the flesh by being a form of self-satisfaction or personal glory (Col. 2:23).

VERSE 18

"And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days" — The baker awaited the interpretation with anticipations of hope, but Joseph had no words of comfort to offer him. But as the interpretation was of God, he had to faith­fully report it, even though he may have desired to soften its meaning. In like man­ner, we must faithfully proclaim the will of God, even though it may cause offence to some.

VERSE 19

"Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee" — The concluding three ominous words provide the sole difference from the expression of v. 13 spoken in relation to the cupbearer. See also the similarity of expressions in the acceptance of the right­eous and rejection of the wicked by the Judge recorded in Matthew 25: 31,41. For the "three days," see comment on v. 13.

"And shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee" — The condemned will be as the accursed of God (Deut. 21:22-23).

Joseph's Interpretation is Vindicated — Vv. 20-22

Three days later, on Pharaoh's birth­day, the cupbearer is restored to his posi­tion, and the baker is executed.

VERSE 20

"And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday" — The third day represents the day of judgment (cp. Hos. 6:2). It can be compared to a birthday, for it will usher in a new era which will see established in the earth a "new heavens (ruling powers) and a new earth (constitution of ruled)." It will be the epoch that will see Zion's children brought to birth (cp. Isa. 66:7-8).

"That he made a feast unto all his servants" — For the antitype see Matt. 22:2; Luke 13:29; 22:30; Isa 25:6-9.

"And he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants" — The margin gives this as reckoned; he took into account. There will be a resurrection both of the just and of the unjust (Acts 24:15), and both will be brought before the Judgment Seat (Rom. 2:6-16).

VERSE 21

"And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again" — The previ­ous fears of the cupbearer (v. 7), were swept away in the great joy of his acquittal and restoration. So it will be with the redeemed at the Judgment Seat.

"And he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand" — The antitype: "His servants shall serve Him" (Rev. 22:3).

VERSE 22

"But he hanged the chief baker"— The destiny of the rejected is "the second death" (Rev. 21:8). The baker, figuratively, had already gone through the pangs of death in prison when his doomed destiny had been revealed to him.

"As Joseph had interpreted to them"— The destinies of both had been faithfully depicted by Joseph; even as the destinies of the just and the unjust are faithfully set forth in the Word. As it is written, so it will come to pass.

Joseph's Plea Is Forgotten By The Butler — v. 23

To Joseph's dismay, he continues to languish in prison. Most likely this was due to the cupbearer's fear of offending Pharaoh. Nevertheless it was in the pur­pose of God, for He had designed for Joseph's elevation to glory as well as release, but the time was not ripe as yet.

VERSE 23

"Yet did not the chief butler remem­ber Joseph, but forgat him" — The Hebrew shakach can signify to put from one's mind, and not merely to forget from lack of memory. Once restored, the cup­bearer put his prison experiences behind him. Perhaps he did not want to risk the anger of Pharaoh, and the danger of being flung back into prison by advancing the cause of another prisoner; perhaps he decided to wait for a more opportune time to speak to the king, and temporarily drove the thought of Joseph from his mind. In any case, he was "not grieved for the affliction of Joseph" (Amos 6:6), which was a further trial as Joseph lan­guished in prison (Ps. 105:19). Whatever the cause, the cupbearer derived the bene­fits of freedom in accordance with the interpretation of Joseph, but forgot his own responsibilities towards him until it was again brought to his attention. There is constant need for those who have bene­fited from the teaching of Christ, to remember their responsibilities towards him(cp. Ps. 31:12; Eph. 2:11).