Our ladies Bible class is doing a study of Joseph. We are studying from The Joseph Road by Jerry White.
This week’s topic was about the time Joseph spent in prison after he
interpreted the dreams of the baker and the cupbearer. You may recall the baker and cupbearer were
also in prison with Joseph. They each
had dreams and described them to Joseph.
In the baker’s dream, he had three baskets of bread and
baked goods for Pharaoh on top of his head, but there were birds eating the
baked goods. Joseph told the baker this
meant that in three days “Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body
on a pole. And the birds will eat away
your flesh.” (Genesis 40:16-19) I guess
the baker’s crime didn’t sit well with Pharaoh, to say the least.
The cupbearer had a dream too. He told Joseph that in his dream he saw a
vine with three branches. As soon as the
vine budded, the blossoms turned into ripe grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in his hand. He squeezed the grapes into the cup and put
the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. Joseph told
the cupbearer this meant that within three days he would have his job back as
Pharaoh’s cupbearer. Joseph then asks
the cupbearer to remember him when he gets his job back and help get him out of
prison as he had done nothing to deserve being there. (Genesis 40:9-15)
The events came to pass just as Joseph had described. Three days later the baker was executed and
the cupbearer was allowed to return to his position. However, the cupbearer did not remember
Joseph. Instead, “he forgot him.” (Genesis 40:23)
That ends chapter 40 of Genesis. Chapter 41 starts with, “When two full years
had passed…” Pharaoh had a dream which no one on his staff could figure
out. Suddenly, the cupbearer remembered
Joseph. Joseph was brought from the
prison to interpret the dream of Pharaoh.
Two years later? He
had helped the cupbearer, had given him hope.
He asked to be remembered, but the cupbearer forgot him. When they came to get the cupbearer, do you
think Joseph thought, “This is my chance.
Surely he will help me be exonerated.”
Then, as the author of The Joseph
Road said, the days turned into months and the months turned into
years. Why did God leave Joseph in that
prison for two more years? What did
Joseph do during those years?
Have you ever felt like you’ve been left in prison? I know I have. What should we do while we are left to wait
in prison? If we follow the example of
Joseph, we do our job to the best of our ability, always giving thanks and
having faith in God, and wait for that twist of fate, wait to be called to
Pharaoh.
One thing the author of this book suggests that we should do
while waiting is prepare for that twist of fate. Expect God to be faithful. Expect him to deliver you. Our preacher talked about the story of a congregation
holding a prayer meeting asking for needed rain. The congregants said they believed in prayer
but no one brought an umbrella to the prayer meeting! A friend of mine once started collecting copy
paper boxes from work. I asked her why
she was collecting boxes and she said that she was moving. I asked where to and when. She said she didn’t know but that she was
unhappy with where they were living and that she had prayed to God for an
opportunity to move. She said she
expected him to answer the prayer, so she was going to start sorting through
things and packing so that she would be ready when he did.
Have I ever done that?
Have I asked God for something and had so much faith that I just started
preparing for the change in circumstances?
I have a dead car in the side yard that needs a new engine (yes, welcome
to the South – that’s how we do it here).
I really need that car fixed – to the tune of about $900. If I believe that God will provide a way to
fix that car, why haven’t I aired up the tires, cleaned the leaves off of it,
or cleaned it out so that it will be ready to take to the mechanic? If I want new clients and have prayed for new
clients, why haven’t I stocked up on file folders or copy paper?
Why haven’t I brought
an umbrella to the prayer meeting??
I’m sure Joseph didn’t just rest on his laurels after
correctly interpreting the baker and cupbearer’s dreams. I’m sure he didn’t sit around for two years
saying, “Remember that time I told the cupbearer he would get his job back?” He kept serving, stayed faithful, and waited expectantly. I’m going to give that a try for a
change. Want to join me?
