GENESIS 40

     Prisoners’ Dreams “The Butler and the Baker”

Joseph, still in prison, prospered in his circumstances. The end of Genesis 39 shows the great authority and responsibility Joseph had in the operations of the prison, even as a prisoner.

Genesis 40:1-4                                             New King James Version

1  It came to pass after these things that the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 

• In prison and jail ministry, we call this a divine appointment.

2   And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. 

3   So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. 

• The butler was in charge of Pharaoh’s wine, and the baker was in charge of Pharaoh’s food. They were imprisoned because they offended their lord, the king of Egypt. By how the account will develop, it is probable that there was a plot to murder the Pharaoh (perhaps by poisoning), and these two were suspects.

4   And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while.

• They were probably there on suspicion of attempted murder, but they were really there because God wanted them to meet Joseph. The LORD was with Joseph.
• Though Joseph had a position of high authority in the prison, he did not use it to make others serve him. He used his high position to serve others.

GENESIS 40:5-8

5   Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation. 

6  And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. 

7  So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”

• This is a window into the heart of Joseph. Men who are consumed with anger and bitterness do not often take a concern for the personal problems of others like this.

8 And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”

• This was not a case of mere discussion of dreams for the sake of curiosity or a form of fortunetelling. Joseph saw these men were clearly disturbed by their dreams, and approached the dreams from a desire to speak to their troubled souls.
• Joseph had experience with dreams. His two dreams about his future greatness antagonized his family (Genesis 37:5-11), and he was mocked as the dreamer (Genesis 37:19-20).
• Joseph was confident that God knew what the dreams were about. He was like the one boy who told another, “My father and I know everything.” When the other boy asked a hard question, the boy just said, “That’s one for my dad.” Joseph knew he and his Father together knew everything. God may certainly speak through dreams, and many passages of the Bible show this.

1. God spoke to the pagan ruler Abimelech in a dream (Genesis 20:3).
2. God spoke to Jacob in dreams (Genesis 28:12, 31:11).
3. God spoke to Laban in a dream (Genesis 31:24).
4. God spoke to the Midianite in a dream (Judges 7:13).
5. God spoke to Solomon in a dream (1 Kings 3:5).
6. God spoke to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream (Daniel 2:1).
7. God spoke to Daniel in a dream (Daniel 7:1).
8. God spoke to Joseph in dreams (Matthew 1:20, 2:13, 2:22).
9. God spoke to Pilate’s wife in a dream (Matthew 27:19).

Notice in the Bible, God spoke to unbelievers or pagans in dreams almost twice as many times as He spoke to His people in dreams. We hear many stories today about how God speaks to people in the Muslim world with dreams about Jesus.

• It’s always important to remember that not every dream is a revelation from God. Dreams can come just because our minds are busy: A dream comes through too much activity… For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity (Ecclesiastes 5:3)

Ecclesiastes 5:3                                            New King James Version

3 For a dream comes through much activity,                                                                 And a fool’s voice is known by his many words.

• The Bible warns that false prophets might use dreams to give weight to their message (Deuteronomy 13:1-5, Jeremiah 23:25-28).

Still, we should be open to ways that God might speak — even if it might be in a dream. Our message is the same: Don’t look for messages from God anywhere else than the Bible — it is God’s voice. Yet we recognize that from time to time God will choose an unusual way to speak to us, yet never against the Bible or never even equal to the Bible.

• Tertullian (c. 155–220 AD), the early church leader wrote of a woman in their congregation who was a prophet. She heard the Lord’s voice and saw visions during church services. She never interrupted the service with her prophecies, but told them to the leaders of the church after service was over. The messages were usually encouraging words, or some kind of supernatural knowledge or wisdom. She submitted the message to the church leaders for their judgment, and they carefully judged what she said. That’s a way that God might speak today in an unusual way.

GENESIS 40:9-14

9 Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, 

• Though this dream was from God, God used figures and pictures that made sense to the butler (a vine, grapes, and serving the Pharaoh wine). 
• In his dream, the butler saw himself serve the Pharaoh again, restored to his former position.

10 and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. 

• There were aspects to this dream that could not have been guessed, such as the three branches representing three days. Joseph’s interpretation of this dream came from God, not from his own wisdom.
• Joseph was bold enough to give an interpretation that could be proved right or wrong within three days. In only three days, everyone knew if Joseph was correct or not.

11 Then 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 And Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days. 

13 Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler. 

14 But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. 

• Joseph asked the butler to work for his release. Though Joseph showed godly character in the Egyptian prison by not becoming angry and bitter in his heart, he wasn’t stupid either. He wanted to get out, and used appropriate means to do so.
• But here is where I believe Joseph made a mistake. He was putting his faith in human conditions instead of just trusting God or simply just asking  God to get him out.

GENESIS 40:15-19

15 For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.”

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head. 

17 In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”

18 So Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. 

19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.”

20 Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 

21 Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, 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 butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

• This verse lands like a thud at the end of the chapter. Joseph was wrongfully imprisoned, and there met two former employees of Egypt’s ruler, Pharaoh. When the two men had vivid, prophetic dreams, Joseph was able to interpret them through the power of God. One of the men, the baker, had a dream which predicted his impending death. The other, the cupbearer, dreamt about his future restoration. Both fates came about exactly as Joseph had said.

When Joseph successfully interpreted the cupbearer’s dream, he pleaded with the man to remember him. Knowing he was falsely accused, Joseph asks the man to put in a good word for him to Pharaoh. Joseph desperately wanted to be released from prison for a crime he did not commit. Most say this is not a lack of trust on Joseph’s part, but a sensible response to a good opportunity. Well in the human condition, the way we think, I would agree.

• We need to be wise in our thinking, are you putting all your hope in your buddy who says he’ll get you will get you that job interview?
• Or are you trusting God?

Despite everything Joseph predicted coming true, by God’s revelation, down to the smallest detail, the chief cupbearer was not impressed enough to pass along Joseph’s plea. He does not tell of his experience with Joseph until years later (Genesis 41:1, 9). The concept of “forgetting,” in English, almost always implies a complete lack of awareness. When someone literally “forgets” a thing, they have no memory of it. 

• However, the Hebrew root word shakach also includes the idea of ignoring something or setting it aside (Genesis 27:45; Job 19:14; Psalm 31:12; Ecclesiastes 9:15).

In this case, it is a deliberate “forgetting” which comes from the cupbearer. He does not lose memory of what happened, but he chooses to say nothing. Perhaps he is afraid to stir up any more controversy. He may have felt that asking anything of Pharaoh, in that moment, would have been too bold or daring to ask  any thing of Pharaoh.

• Or could it be God was not through with Joseph’s training in prison. Joseph has no idea of the position that’s coming. God is working out every detail of his life. It’s painful to go through these times, but if we will allow it, and just trust God. It’s not easy!

Joseph would remain forgotten in prison for another two years (Genesis 41:1). Though God was with Joseph and blessed him, Joseph’s circumstances continued to be very difficult. God had not forgotten him, though, and God’s plan for Joseph and Israel continued according to His own schedule, God’s plans are perfect..