Genesis 40:1-23 “Some time later, the king’s cupbearer and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he became their personal attendant.
After they had been in custody for some time, both of these men—the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were being held in the prison—had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning.
When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were distraught. So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so downcast today?”
“We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.”
Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream: “In my dream there was a vine before me, and on the vine were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes.
Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into his cup, and placed the cup into his hand.”
Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, just as you did when you were his cupbearer. But when it goes well for you, please remember me and show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, that he might bring me out of this prison. For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon.”
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: There were three baskets of white bread on my head. In the top basket were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift your head off of you and hang you on a tree. Then the birds will eat the flesh of your body.”
On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted the dream to them. The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot all about him.”
Reading this story from a modern perspective, we might not understand the importance of the cup bearer or the chief baker. The position of cup bearer was a highly sensitive one for the cup bearer not only brought Pharaoh’s wine to him but also sipped a tiny bit to make sure it wasn’t poisoned before giving it to Pharaoh. Cup bearers were expected to always be cheerful, and it was Nehemiah’s sorrow that gained the attention of the King of Babylon centuries later. The chief baker had a place of equal importance for he was the one who would prepare the royal bread, not leaving the task to flunkies, and he might also have been required to taste a small bit of the bread in the Pharaoh’s presence to ensure that it was sound.
How and why these two men offended Pharaoh is uncertain, but rulers could make life-changing decisions on a whim as happened in this case. Both men had disturbing dreams and both described their dreams to Joseph. Joseph’s question to them reveals his humility: “Don’t interpretations belong to God?” Joseph’s interpretations come true, and he begs the cup bearer to put his case before Pharaoh; however, giddy with relief at being freed and returned to his position, the cup bearer forgets.
Sometimes we do things for people, expecting that they will be grateful, only to find they have taken us for granted or that they feel they are entitled to our help and have no need to thank us. The question at such points is this: are you doing the right thing in hopes of being appreciated or are you doing the right thing out of integrity? If you are acting in integrity, then appreciation is nice but not essential. But if you are only doing things for people in hopes of paybacks, you will always be disappointed, for people will never value your efforts as much as you do.
We have spent years working in a remote location with shortages of medicines, supplies, etc. Many times we have had to function without electricity or running water. We have continued to work because we know that God has called us to be here. Whether or not our efforts are appreciated, we are working for God and not for popular approval. Interestingly enough, it is generally our poorest patients who have been most ready to demonstrate their gratitude while others have taken our efforts as their due. And then there is the matter of divine timing.
In this story, Joseph is hoping that the cup bearer will resume his position, put his case before Pharaoh, and that he will be swiftly released. But God knows that if Joseph is released at this point, he will be just another Hebrew wandering around Egypt. God is keeping Joseph managing that prison because Joseph is learning first-hand lessons in practical administration that he can’t get anywhere else. And God is reserving Joseph until such time as the land of Egypt desperately needs him. At the right time, God is going to deliver Joseph from prison and raise him up to become the second most powerful man in all of Egypt, something that will not happen if Joseph is freed now.
Remember: as long as you are working for God, God will reward you, and His reward system far outstrips human rewards. And also remember that God’s timing is perfect. Most of us want things to happen instantly and we are frustrated when we don’t get our way. But God has not forgotten you. Perhaps you are in a time of preparation similar to the time Joseph spent managing that prison. Learn as much as you can from your current situation, for it will never come again. And don’t worry about people being grateful or ungrateful. God sees. God knows. And God will reward.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to learn as much as we can in our present situations and not to expect gratitude from those we are helping. You are the One who will reward and Your rewards are far greater than anything humans can give us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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