seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 40:1 Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.
After they had been in custody for some time, 5 each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.
6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”
8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”
Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.”
12 “This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14 But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. 15 I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”
16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread. 17 In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
18 “This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.”
20 Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand— 22 but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.
23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
Here's the link to the commentary.I started to say, Joseph just cannot catch a break. I was going to say, Joseph just cannot catch a full night's sleep. But neither of those statements is true.
When Joseph had his dreams back home, they were about his future. He dreamed everyone would bow down to him. He knew that's what it meant, but so far, no one has bowed to him once. He's been thrown into a dry well, and then dragged out of the well to be sold into slavery. He's been chased down a cougarish woman only to be imprisoned when he did not jump in bed with her. And now... He's forgotten in prison.
The cupbearer and the baker were both government employees. These men were responsible for the wine and bread that Pharoah partook of every day.
The commentary seems to point to a plot that might have been afoot to poison Pharaoh. These two men must have been the prime suspects, according to the commentary. Apparently, it was the baker who plotted to do the deed. The cupbearer was released. The baker was hung on a pole... like a popsicle.
Actually, though, Joseph caught a few breaks. His brothers, Simeon and Levi, wanted to murder him and then throw him in the well. Rueben, talked them out of killing him and found a dry well to hold him in. Rueben planned to save him while the brothers were working in the fields. That was a break.
He was sold into slavery by his brothers. Well, that's better than dying at the bottom of a dry well, right? So that was a break.
He was sold to be a house slave. He didn't have to spend his days out in the hot sun building a sphinx. He worked in a wonderful cool home. That was a break.
He was chased down by a wanton woman.... and accused of rape... which he did not commit. Joseph didn't grab what was offered.
When imprisoned, he was put in charge. He wasn't chained to the wall like the prisoner in the Wizard of Id cartoons. He had free reign... in prison. And he didn't have to dodge the advances of that wanton woman. That was a break.
Joseph figured the cupbearer would mention his name... and get him out of prison.
I'm pretty sure the cupbearer was just happy not to be a popsicle, so he was keeping his mouth shut! I'm pretty sure it was easier to blend into the background that way. After a while... I'm pretty sure the cupbearer put prison behind him. He didn't want to shake things up or call attention to himself by mentioning Joseph. He didn't want to be jailed pending another investigation. I'm pretty sure the cupbearer was just happy to be free.
Remember now, Joseph was chased by the wanton woman... he didn't grab her....
Joseph did nothing wrong.
