Genesis 40

www.biblemaster.com / Wesley (interspersed with the chapter's verses): “In this chapter things are working towards Joseph's advancement.

I. Two of Pharaoh's servants are committed to prison, and there, to Joseph's care, and so became witnesses of his extraordinary conduct, verse 1-4.

II. They dreamed each of them a dream, which Joseph interpreted, verse 5-19. and they verified the interpretation, verse 20-22.

III. Joseph recommends his case to one of them whose preferment he foresaw, verse 14, 15. but in vain, verse 23. “ SHOW CUP / GRAPES

1 Then it came about after these things, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. It is the small l, not a big one, which does not refer to the Lord, God Almighty.

“In ancient times each Egyptian city or region had its own god and worshipped many others . . . Who did they worship? The ancient Egyptians worshipped many gods. Sometimes it's hard for us to tell who was who! These gods and goddesses often represented the natural world, for example the sky, earth, wind, or sun. They took the form of animals or combined animal and human forms. http://carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/EGYPT/myth.html”

Verse 1 We should not have had this story of Pharaoh's butler and baker recorded in scripture, if it had not been serviceable to Joseph's preferment. The world stands for the sake of the church, and is governed for its good. Observe,

1. Two of the great officers of Pharaoh's court having offended the king are committed to prison. Note, High places are slippery places; nothing more uncertain than the favour of princes. Those that make God's favour their happiness, and his service their business, will find him a better master than Pharaoh was, and not so extreme to mark what they do amiss. Many conjectures there are concerning the offence of these servants of Pharaoh; some make it no less than an attempt to take away his life; others no more but the casual lighting of a fly into his cup, and a little sand in his bread: whatever it was, Providence, by this means, brought them into the prison where Joseph was.

2 Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.

3 So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned.

4 The captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he took care of them; and they were in confinement for some time.

Verse 4 The captain of the guard, which was Potiphar, charged Joseph with them - Which intimates that he began now to be reconciled to him. (We see once again Joseph has the favor of the Lord)

5 Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation.

6 When Joseph came to them in the morning and observed them, behold, they were dejected. (sad)

Verse 6 They were sad - It was not the prison that made them sad; they were pretty well used to that, but the dream. God has more ways than one to sadden the spirits of those that are to be made sad. Those sinners that are hardy enough under outward trouble, yet God can find a way to trouble them, and take off their wheels, by wounding their spirits, and laying a load upon them.

7 He asked Pharaoh's officials who were with him in confinement in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?"

8 Then they said to him, "We have had a dream and there is no one to interpret it." Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, please."

Verse 8 Do not interpretations belong to God? - He means the God whom he worshipped, to the knowledge of whom he endeavours hereby to lead them. And if interpretations belong to God, he is a free agent, and may communicate the power to whom he pleases, therefore tell me your dreams.

9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, there was a vine in front of me;

10 and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes.

11 "Now Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh's hand."

12 Then Joseph said to him, "This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days;