# 46 2023 Dev. Ge. 40:8b. Dreams! Read all of chapter forty first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Ge.40:8b “Then Joseph said to them, ‘Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.’”
Ch.40 continues the story of Joseph in Egypt. God placed Joseph where he needed him to be to fulfill God’s purposes. God needed Joseph to be in this particular jail where he would meet two of Pharaoh’s officials who got in trouble with the Pharaoh. At this time and in the third world today dreams, have meaning. Some Africans I know converted to Christianity because of a dream they had.
Vs.1-4 “Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt.” He locked up both of them in the house of the captain of the guard and Joseph was assigned to them.
Vs.5-8 “After they had been in custody for some time,” This I think was longer than shorter, six months or so. It appears Joseph had been locked up for possibly a year. One night, both the baker and the cup bearer had dreams. It appears they were very depressed by their dreams. “Then Joseph said to them, ‘Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.’”
Vs.9-15 The cup bearer tells his dream, three branches appeared, the blossoms immediately produced grapes, I squeezed them into the king’s cup and put the cup in the kings hand. Joseph interprets, the branches are three days and Pharaoh will restore you to your former position.
But Joseph makes an appeal, “please remember me to the Pharaoh because I have done nothing to deserve being locked up.” From my experience, doing ministry in jail, in prison everyone claims to be innocent.
Vs.16-19 “When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, ‘I too had a dream:’” He dreamed to have three baskets on his head, full of different breads “but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” The interpretation was not positive. The baker would be executed in three days.
Vs.20-23 “Now the third day was Pharaoh birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials.” During the feast Pharaoh restored the cup bearer and executed the baker, “just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation. The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.”
We imagine Joseph was disappointed and dejected. Like us he would expect something to happen, like us he was disappointed, but like us sometimes we have to wait. God’s timing is not our timing. Amen! Joseph had to wait for two more years!
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