Lessons from the Life of Joseph (7)
“Character & Conscience”
Genesis 41:41-42:38
The Pharaoh and all his officials were deeply impressed with Joseph’s wisdom & his personality. The power of his godly character shone through everything Joseph said & did but the source of that power, the foundation of his godly character, was the Spirit of God. Pharaoh asked the revealing question: “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the Spirit of God?” (v 38) If indeed Egypt was going to experience 7 years of abundance followed by 7 years of famine, as Joseph had predicted, then Joseph was the ideal person to take on the job of managing the economy.
So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge. He gave Joseph his signet ring, a sign of his authority. He dressed him in a new suit (actually linen robes), gave him a golden chain and provided him with a government limousine – not a luxury German or Japanese car but an Egyptian-made chariot. Wherever Joseph went in Egypt runners cleared the way for him. His words carried authority. People had to obey his orders. On top of all this, Pharaoh gave Joseph an Egyptian name – a sign he was now a naturalized citizen of his new country. He was fully accepted, no longer regarded as a second-class foreigner. By the way, Joseph’s Egyptian name “Zaphenath-Paneah” meant: “the one to whom God reveals secrets” – surely showing how Joseph’s faith had impacted the Pharaoh who gave him the name.
The Pharaoh also gave Joseph a wife called Asenath. She was the daughter of a leading Egyptian called Potiphera (not Potiphar). How sad if three years earlier Joseph had given in to the seductions of the wife of his former master Potiphar! It is always worth waiting for God’s time & not compromising what we know to be right or rushing into relationships like marriage. Joseph must have known Asenath was the woman he could love & respect as his wife. This was a multi-cultural marriage between a Hebrew & an Egyptian and God blessed them. Joseph & Asenath had at least two sons.
Joseph was thirty when he began his service for Pharaoh. We read in Genesis 41:48 & 49, “Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt & stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea.” Joseph stored the grain in each region where it was produced. This was a wise policy for no doubt those living in each region made sure their grain was looked after properly. Joseph was not like some leaders in history who have taken the food produced in one part of their country to feed those in the capital city only, or who have siphoned off the wealth of their nation to make themselves and their officials rich.
Of course the seven years of famine also came. We read in v 53, “The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, & the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said.” Now notice a most interesting comment in v 55. “When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, ‘Go to Joseph & do what he tells you.’” The Pharaoh told everyone to go to Joseph. He was the one who would meet their needs in the time of crisis.
We have mentioned before that in many ways Joseph is a foreshadowing of Jesus. In many ways he reminds us of Jesus. As we go to Jesus He quenches our spiritual thirst & meets our spiritual hunger – just as going to Joseph was the answer to the needs of the Egyptians when the years of famine started. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry.” (John 6:35) and He said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me & drink.” (John 7:37) Just as Joseph “opened the storehouses” and met the physical needs of the Egyptians when they went to him for help, so too Jesus meets our needs when we come to Him.
Joseph was someone who reflected in his life and in his work the God he loved & served. When he suffered unjustly in prison he trusted God and waited for God’s time. In the same way, when all seemed to be going well, when he was successful & famous, he trusted in God and drew strength & wisdom from God. Joseph’s heart was not crushed when he was humiliated nor did his head swell up with pride when he was promoted. Joseph’s personality, his character, was moulded & shaped by God. His character was not determined by his circumstances but by his faith. May this be true for you and me too! Whether we are going through dark days or days filled with sunshine, let us live for Jesus. Let us draw strength, wisdom & help from Him. Whether the road we are travelling is rough or easy, may we know His wonderful presence & guidance along the way! May we allow Him to shape us and mould us just as Joseph allowed the Lord to shape & mould him!
The story of Joseph now takes a very significant turn. For a long, long time we haven’t heard anything about his old father Jacob or his cruel brothers – nor had Joseph. About 20 years had passed but all this time God was at work. The time had now come for His sovereign plan to begin to unfold. At the end of chapter 41 in v 57 we read, “And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world.” The famine was also affecting the land of Canaan where Joseph’s family lived. The focus switches back to Canaan. We read, “When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, ‘Why do you just keep looking at each other? …I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there & buy some for us, so that we may live & not die.’”
Jacob had a very large family with many dependants. The famine was seriously affecting them. They were fast running out of food & running out of options. Their very lives were at risk. When Jacob heard about the abundance of grain in Egypt he could not understand why his sons just sat there doing nothing. Why, when he suggested they go to Egypt to buy food, did they just look at each other – & say nothing? I wonder if in fact their consciences were beginning to bother them. All those years since they sold their younger brother into slavery they had lived a lie at home. Maybe the mention of Egypt stirred a sense of guilt in their hearts. For all they knew, Joseph their brother who they sold as a slave to Egypt was already dead, for the life of a slave was cheap. Their consciences troubled them. No wonder they looked at one another and said nothing.
Well, facing starvation was a matter of life & death, so eventually “…ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.” (v3) All of them went except the very youngest, Benjamin, Joseph’s brother. Jacob dare not send Benjamin “…because he was afraid that harm might come to him.” Benjamin was not only his youngest but was the only remaining child, so Jacob thought, of his beloved wife Rachel. Having lost Joseph, he could not face the thought of possibly losing Benjamin as well. Jacob’s ten older sons however took off on the journey to Egypt. They were among a crowd of people all travelling for the same reason - to try and buy grain.
Can you picture the dramatic scene? Here are Joseph’s brothers – part of a large crowd of desperate people arriving in Egypt, one of the great civilizations of the day, trying to communicate the fact they wanted to purchase grain for their starving families back in Canaan. And the well-dressed, powerful governor of the land is there. He is Joseph of course, in charge of the whole operation, of all the grain supplies. People are bowing low before him begging for his favour & help. To his shock & surprise, among those in the pressing crowd of foreigners bowing before him, Joseph recognizes his brothers! V 7 tells us, “As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger & spoke harshly to them. ‘Where do you come from?’ he asked. ‘From the land of Canaan,’ they replied, ‘to buy food.’”
Of course his brothers didn’t recognize Joseph. He was no longer a 17 year old. He was closer to 40. Those of you who are around 40 years old compare your present looks with how you looked when you were 17. You might notice quite a difference! And Joseph was dressed very differently. He was dressed as an Egyptian official and was speaking through an interpreter. V 8 says: “Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.” As Joseph saw his brothers bowing down before him the Bible says, “…he remembered his dreams about them.” (v 9) More than 20 years earlier as a young teenager Joseph had dreamed of his brothers bowing down before him. And naively, but probably innocently, he had told them about his dreams. Those dreams were one of the reasons his brothers had hated him so much. Memories must have come flooding back to Joseph. Although desperate to know news of the family, in a split second he must have made a decision to try to discover first if his brothers perhaps had changed. Did they feel any sorrow for their evil deeds? He decided to keep his identity a secret until he got some answers. A plan quickly formed in his mind, no doubt guided by God.
“You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected.” He accused them of a very serious crime. These normally rough & violent men were afraid. They were in a foreign land and the official before them was accusing them of a capital offense. Shaking with fear they protested their innocence. “‘No, my lord,’ they answered. ‘Your servants have come to buy food. We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.’” (v 10 & 11) When Joseph repeated his accusation the brothers again denied they were spies, but their deep down sense of guilt seemed to come a little closer to the surface. They said, “Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.” (v 13) Of course, unknown to them, the one they referred to as being “no more” was standing right in front of them. Twenty years earlier they had accused Joseph of coming to spy on them – for his father. And they had thrown him in the dry cistern & sold him as a slave. Now they were to get some of their own medicine. They were accused of being spies and were thrown in prison for three days. Joseph was not being spiteful but by doing this he was giving his brothers the chance to recognize & admit their own sin. He was giving them time to think and no doubt he was planning his next move.
After three days Joseph had them brought from the prison. He actually told them that he feared God. I wonder what they thought about that? Did it remind them of the fact their father Jacob also feared God? Then too Joseph had softened his position. Instead of keeping all except one of them in prison, Joseph says in vrs 19 & 20, “If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go & take grain back for your starving households. But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified & that you may not die.” Having outlined his conditions Joseph let the brothers talk amongst themselves. As all along Joseph had used an interpreter they did not know that he understood every word. And what an incredibly revealing conversation they had!
“They said to one another, ‘Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us.’ Reuben replied, ‘Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.’” (vrs 21 & 22) How interesting that they connected their imprisonment with what they had done to Joseph. God sometimes allows us to get into situations that bring us face to face with our sin & disobedience.
I remember as a ten year-old going to a friend’s house to play. Sadly no one was home except their house helper, a kind black man. So I made myself at home, playing with my friend’s things, helping myself to some cake out of the fridge & using an old boxing glove I found to punch a spray of water shooting out from a hole in the garden hose. After an hour or more when my friend still had not come home I thought I was quite a good boy to pile all his toys in a muddy heap on the veranda together with the soaking boxing glove. And I went home. Half an hour later I saw the car of my friend’s parents come over the hill and, dear O dear, it turned into our driveway. As soon as I saw that car my guilty conscience hit me. I knew I was in big trouble. Sure enough I soon heard my friend’s mother at the front door speaking to my father. That old boxing glove was her husband’s treasured possession – from when he had won a boxing match. Now it was ruined. But even before I heard the lady speaking to my father, I knew I had done wrong and was in for a spanking.
God graciously helps us to see that we have done wrong. He brings conviction because He wants to bring healing & forgiveness. But before there can be healing & forgiveness there has to be a thorough admission of guilt and a willingness on our part to repent & turn from our sin. The Bible says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves & the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful & just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 4:8 & 9)
Lessons from the Life of Joseph (6)
“From Prisoner to Prime Minister” Genesis 41
After many long years Nelson Mandela was released from prison in Cape Town, South Africa, on February 11th. 1990. Just over four years later, following South Africa’s first fully democratic election, he became President of his country. The story of this remarkable man is told in his book “Long Walk to Freedom”. The many things Nelson Mandela suffered, the injustice, the humiliation, the loneliness, did not make him bitter. Strongly influenced by the Christian faith, he learnt to forgive others, even his prison guards, and became the catalyst for reconciliation within the nation. In four short years he went from prison to being president. He became a symbol of wise & humble leadership. Joseph did not have nearly as long in prison as Nelson Mandela but his rise from being a prisoner to being Prime Minister of Egypt, one of the major civilizations of the time, was nothing short of miraculous. A mere thirteen years earlier he had arrived in Egypt as a 17 year-old slave, a foreigner not understanding the culture or speaking the language. Now virtually overnight he was brought from a prison dungeon and elevated to second in the land. No one except the Pharaoh had more power & prestige. At the end of Genesis 40 we left Joseph in prison, forgotten by the cupbearer, and seemingly forgotten by God. Of course God had not forgotten Joseph. In fact God’s plan was about to change into top gear. In the first verse of chapter 41 events start moving fast. The Pharaoh wakes up after two very disturbing dreams. He was worried. In the first dream the Pharaoh saw himself “…standing by the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek & fat, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, ugly & gaunt, came up out of the Nile & stood beside those on the riverbank. And the cows that were ugly & gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows.” (vrs 1-4) How strange, & as Bill Crowder put it, “This would have been a terrifying thing to witness – cows don’t eat beef, they are beef!” In his second dream the Pharaoh saw: “Seven heads of grain, healthy & good, were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted - thin & scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads.” (vrs 5-7) The Pharaoh must have sensed that his dreams were not ordinary dreams, and they were not the result of too much rich food the night before. They seemed to have significance for him as leader of a nation totally dependent, as Egypt was, upon the Nile River for water & fish and needing good harvests to feed its people. But what did the dreams actually mean? He was desperate for answers. Being a pagan who worshipped many gods, and being someone the ordinary people regarded as a god himself, the Pharaoh turned to the only people he knew might be able to give him answers. V 8 tells us, “…he sent for all the magicians & wise men of Egypt.” Some of these so-called wise men must have been learned scholars, but others majored in reading the stars, in fortune telling & performing magic. They would have relied on occult practices for their powers. What they didn’t realise was they were not dealing with realities they knew, or with a God they knew. The Pharaoh told them his dreams but it seems all they could do was look down at the floor & feel embarrassed. V.8 continues. “…no one could interpret them for him.” At that moment, the chief butler suddenly remembered Joseph who had interpreted his dream two years previously when he was in the prison. He felt guilty about having forgotten Joseph but now in God’s sovereignty the perfect time had come. God over-ruled even the failings of the chief butler. The butler told the Pharaoh about what happened in the prison when he and the chief baker told Joseph about their dreams: “…he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us.” (v 12 & 13) Well, Pharaoh was desperate & all the wise men of Egypt had run out of ideas. V 14 tells us: “So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved & changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.” Some of our most important opportunities come unexpectedly. One minute Joseph was going about his normal duties in the prison and the next he is told he is going to see the supreme leader, the Pharaoh. He had hardly any time to prepare himself. Imagine what he might have been thinking as he hurriedly shaved & changed. Was his heart pumping at twice its normal speed? Was he nervous? I guess he may well have been but it is amazing how well Joseph was prepared. Such was his trust in God & such was his relationship with God that whether he was in prison or standing in front of the most powerful man in Egypt, Joseph was ready. Nothing seemed to shake his remarkable poise or his gracious unassuming confidence. He had been hurried out of the dark & dirty dungeon into the bright lights and splendour of the palace. He stood in front of the supreme leader. “Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I had a dream, & no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.’” (v 15) What a challenge! How would Joseph answer? Would he try to use this chance to impress the Pharaoh, hoping perhaps to gain his freedom? Or would he freeze in panic? Neither! Look what Joseph says in v 16: “‘I cannot do it,’ Joseph replied to Pharaoh, ‘but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.’” Joseph speaks four words that express an extremely important truth which anyone who wants to serve God must know. These words are - “I cannot do it”. Worldly wisdom says the opposite. It says, “I can” or to quote Barack Obama, “We can! Yes, we can!” Heavenly wisdom however, the wisdom Joseph possessed, says: “I cannot do it!” “I cannot do it for I am nothing on my own. I cannot do it for I am weak & unworthy. Yes, if we want to serve God we had better forget thinking about how clever we are, or how gifted we are, or how lucky God is to have us serving Him. The truth is that without Him, without His Presence, without the power of His Spirit, you and I can do nothing, for as Jesus said: “apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Joseph knew that he could do nothing but notice his next two words, which are even more important for us to remember. His next two words were: “But God”. He was saying, “I can’t, but God can and God will!” Dear friends, Joseph is saying something that is essential for us to understand whether we are talking about serving God or even simply talking about living the Christian life. Joseph didn’t try to promote himself. He didn’t try to impress others with how much he knew. He had learned to put his trust in God, and not in himself. He had a realistic view of himself but he also had a great view of God. His God could do anything. His God was not for Sundays only, but was for every day and every situation. His God was not the God who did miracles somewhere else but never here. His God was not the God who did great things in the past but not any longer. His God not only used other people but He was ready to use him and speak through him. Joseph knew his God, & his God was right there with him, ready to act in the here & now. So Joseph gave glory to God. And we must do the same. Whenever the Lord uses us to accomplish something we must give the glory to Him alone. This is why I love the young Brazilian football player, Kaka. Long before he was recognized as one of the best players in the world he unashamedly gave glory to God. This is why I love the story of Eric Liddell, the famous Olympic sprinter & missionary to China. Despite all the pressures to compromise he always put God first in his life. He ran for God’s glory & said “God made me fast and when I run I feel His pleasure.” His life was lived for the glory of God. Do we live like that? Do we seek to bring glory & honour to God, or do we try to get recognition and praise for ourselves?
The Pharaoh told Joseph his dreams and ended by saying, “I told this to the magicians, but none could explain it to me.” Now Joseph was on the spot. All eyes were upon him. What would he say? He spoke with humble confidence for God had shown him the interpretation. He said in v 25, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.” Again Joseph focuses on God. Far from being afraid to bring God into things, God was central. How often do we honour God as we should? Do we leave Him out of our conversation, fearing what others may think? For many years I used to help organize visits to China by top Christian professionals. They would give seminars and share their expertise. I will never forget the visit of a Swiss grape-juice expert – one of the best in Europe. He was brilliant and the visit was a huge success. At a farewell banquet hosted by the deputy mayor of Qingdao, my Swiss friend Robert Rahm, naturally & graciously shared his faith in the Lord Jesus. Even the top Communist Party members around that table listened intently. Are you ashamed to let others know what Jesus has done for you? Learn from Joseph and give the glory to God. Keep Him at the centre of your life and do not be afraid to speak of Him to others. Live with transparent integrity and you need fear no one. What a picture it must have been - the unknown slave standing before the powerful Pharaoh! Joseph explained the meaning of the dreams. In v 28 he told Pharaoh, “God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, & the famine will ravage the land.” In v 32 Joseph explained that Pharaoh had been given two dreams with the same meaning because “…the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.” But notice, Joseph had more than an interpretation for Pharaoh. He had a plan as well. When God shows us something he usually intends us to do something about it. We need to apply the truth. We need to act upon God’s Word. God had shown Joseph what was going to happen and Joseph urges the Pharaoh to appoint someone to take action. There is not even a hint that Joseph thought the Pharaoh should appoint him. He simply shared his suggestions with calmness & dignity. “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning & wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.” (v 33) Joseph’s plan was a smart plan. Those of you in business or administration have probably heard about SMART goals. SMART is an acronym. The S stands for “specific”. The M stands for “measurable”. The A stands for “attainable”. The R stands for “realistic” and the T stands for “time frame”. Smart goals need these elements and Joseph’s recommendations in verses 34-36 measured up. They were specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic and they had a definite time-frame. It was a plan in which all Egyptians would play a part and through which all would benefit. It balanced the need for both responsibility & welfare – responsibility on the part of every citizen and welfare when and for whom such help was truly needed. What happened next was truly dramatic. We read in v 37 & 38, “The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. So Pharaoh asked them, ‘Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the Spirit of God?’” Pharaoh was so deeply impressed with Joseph’s wisdom & his demeanour that he could not help but connect all this with the God Joseph had been talking about. Joseph not only talked about His God, he knew his God. The Spirit of his God was upon him. Pharaoh recognized that Joseph was the man for the job!
There are many instances in the Bible where men & women are said to be those in whom God’s Spirit dwelt. Joshua was one. Daniel was another. In the New Testament in Acts those chosen to be deacons in the Early Church were to be men “known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom”. (Acts 6:3) Dear brothers & sisters to serve the Lord you and I need to be full of the Holy Spirit. Like Joseph we need to display in our lives the fruit of the Spirit – graces & qualities like “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control”. Many of these beautiful qualities Joseph learnt in the dungeon. Only then & in God’s time was this Spirit-filled young man ready for the challenges of being Prime Minister.
How about you and me? Are we so focused on pleasing the Lord and putting Him first in our lives that whatever happens we are ready to speak up for Him? Are we so resting in His promises that whether we are in the dungeon or in the palace we have a poise & confidence because we know He is with us? Are we like Joseph - people in whom others can see the Spirit of God? Do others see Jesus reflected in our everyday words and actions – whether we are in church, or at home or at work? Important questions, right!
Lessons from the Life of Joseph (5)
“God’s Time, God’s Plan”
Genesis 40:1-23
Last week we saw how Joseph was given a free, one-way ticket to prison – to a dark & dirty dungeon. He had been falsely accused and humanly speaking was in a hopeless situation. Yet we saw that even in that terrible place the Lord was with him. If Joseph had been bitter against his boss for treating him so unfairly, he might have simply sat down & felt sorry for himself. He could so easily have fussed about Egyptian racial discrimination, the injustice of the system, or even about how unfair God was. But Joseph was just as ready to trust God when things looked grim as when things were going well. No doubt Joseph’s attitudes & reactions were very different to those of the average prisoner, and the warden noticed. God moved upon the warden’s heart, and he took a liking to Joseph. Not only that, before long the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners. In Genesis 39:22 that “…the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.” What an amazing guy! Joseph’s relationship with God so shaped his attitudes and actions that the people around him couldn’t help but notice.
I read this week about Christians in Iran. Despite the opposition they face, the church continues to grow. Very often the greatest influence in bringing Iranians to faith in Jesus is the lives of the Christians they meet. The report I read mentioned a lady who reversed her car into another car. The lady who caused the accident was very distressed, not only by the accident but because her life was collapsing around her. Her husband was being unfaithful and wanted a divorce. Just before the accident they had had a big argument. The other car which she damaged happened to belong to a Christian couple. That evening the lady went to their home to pay for the damage she had caused. Sensing they were loving & sympathetic the lady poured out her troubles to them. As they listened the Christians forgot about their car and were more concerned for the lady. They told her not to worry about the payment, and shared the Gospel with her. That night the lady asked Jesus to become her Saviour. The love of those Christians opened her heart to the love of God.
Joseph’s life was a witness to others. He was so focused on living for God, even in prison, that his main concern was not himself. His focus was not on his own troubles or the injustices done to him. He was more focussed on the needs of others.
Something very significant was about to happen in Joseph’s life. The prison where he was held was under the jurisdiction of Joseph’s former boss, Potiphar. Potiphar was the Captain of the Guard, in charge of national security for the whole of Egypt, so this prison must have been largely reserved for political prisoners. One day two very high officials were unexpectedly brought in as prisoners. They had offended Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. One was his cupbearer & the other his chief baker. You might think being a butler and being a cook were not very important positions – but in those days, daily in touch with the supreme ruler, the emperor, they actually were extremely important positions. The chief baker was in charge of Pharaoh’s food & the cupbearer tasted the food & drink before it was given to Pharaoh. Of course if anything was poisoned the cupbearer would suffer, not Pharaoh. We don’t know how the two officials offended Pharaoh but they possibly had been suspected of plotting against him. They faced a very uncertain future. Interestingly, it must have been Potiphar, Joseph’s former boss, who instructed the prison warden to assign them to Joseph. This was not just a “coincidence” – no, God planned it. He was in control of Joseph’s life. Joseph did not know it at the time but his being assigned to help these two men was all part of that plan.
When I graduated from university I asked the education authorities if I could be assigned to teach in a black high school near the town of Gweru, in central Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). As a white Christian I wanted to give something back to my fellow countrymen who were black. Much to my disappointment the education department refused my request but sent me instead to a high school for Indian students in my home town of Bulawayo. It was God’s plan for not only did I learn more about Indians (both Hindus & Muslims) but I learnt to love them too. On top of that I met the girl who was to become my wife. We were to have almost 25 years together before she was called home to heaven. Just the year I started my teaching career she started her training at the Teachers’ College. We met at church. If I had gone to Gweru to teach I might never have met her! Wow, am I glad God was in control!
We read in vrs 4 & 5, “After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men - the cupbearer & the baker of the king of Egypt had a dream the same night, & each dream had a meaning of its own.” Joseph who was responsible for these two guys noticed something was affecting them. He was so freed from self-pity that he could take pity on others. Rather than be moody thinking only of himself, he was able to be sensitive to the moods of others. Verses 6 & 7 continue: “When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, ‘Why are your faces so sad today?’” He noticed, and he showed concern. He was ready to help.
There was a Christian professor who fell into deep depression. He felt so discouraged, so hopeless. One day a friend suggested he think of people who had been a help to him in the past and write a letter to one or two of them to tell them of his gratitude. The professor thought about it for a while. Into his mind came the face of one of his primary school teachers. She had given him a real love for literature. He decided to write and thank her for inspiring him all those years earlier. Not long afterwards he received a letter in shaky handwriting from his old teacher, now in her late eighties. She wrote: “My dear Willie, when I read your letter I was blinded with tears for I remember you as a little boy in my class. You have warmed my heart. I taught in school for fifty years. Yours is the first letter of thanks I have received from a former pupil and I will cherish your letter till the day I die.” The reply from his old teacher brought a beam of light into the heart & mind of the discouraged professor and he decided to write a few more thank you notes to others who had been special to him. He wrote another & another until he had written hundreds of such notes. By then his depression was gone! Dear friend, if you are overcome with self-pity or discouragement, remember Joseph and look around you to the needs of others. Joseph didn’t allow his circumstances to disrupt his relationship with God and he didn’t allow hurt or discouragement to stop him from caring about others.
Yes, Joseph noticed the sad faces of the two former officials & he asked them what was up. They replied in v 8, “We both had dreams …but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph responded, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” Joseph obviously had a special gift from God to interpret dreams, & he was willing to use that gift to help these men. He didn’t boast about it or draw attention to himself. Before offering to help interpret their dreams Joseph made sure they understood that only God could give the interpretations.
This has lessons for us as we serve the Lord. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, whether they are the more spectacular ones or the more seemingly ordinary ones, are all given by God. They are given not for self glorification but in order to build up the body of Christ & extend the Kingdom of God. If we have been given a certain gift, or gifts, it is not something that we should boast about. We did not earn the gifts. They were given and we must use them for God’s glory. Even natural talents & blessings, including money, physical beauty or intelligence, practical skill, etc. are gifts from God which we are to use for the blessing of others & the glory of God.
The first of the two former officials, the cupbearer, was happy to tell Joseph his dream. Vrs 9-11 tell us, “He said to him, ‘In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, & on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, & its clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, & I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup & put the cup in his hand.’” Without hesitation Joseph told the man the interpretation of the dream. He told the cupbearer that within 3 days he would be restored to his former position. Joseph was putting himself on the line, wasn’t he! He would look a real fool if nothing happened but of course God had shown him the interpretation & so he spoke with confidence.
We also get a glimpse here of the fact even though Joseph was a remarkable young man, he was also human. He also had his feelings. He had his hopes & dreams. Look what he says to the cupbearer in vrs 14 & 15: “…when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. For 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.” Joseph was human. He didn’t like being in a dungeon. He didn’t like being ill treated. No one does.
Joseph now faced a new challenge. When the other guy, the disgraced chief baker, saw that Joseph had given the cupbearer “a favourable interpretation”, he too wanted Joseph to interpret his dream for him. Maybe he thought, “Wow, in 3 days he’ll be out of this hole and back in his job! That sounds terrific. Maybe Joseph can give me some good news too.” So he told Joseph his dream: “On my head were three baskets of bread. 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.” (Vrs 16 & 17) Would Joseph tell him the truth? Joseph knew the interpretation and it was not good news for the baker – for after three days he was to lose his head. He was to be hanged. Would Joseph try to avoid upsetting the baker and make up something less shocking? After all, the baker would be dead anyway. No, Joseph had to be true to what God told him even if it meant sharing unpleasant truth. In fact telling the truth to this man would possibly have helped him better prepare for the sad fact he was going to die.
You and I need to learn from Joseph. Truth matters. Politicians often say the things they think people want them to say. They do not always set policy according to principle but more often according to what is politically correct. As a pastor I dare not be like a politician. I have to tell you what God’s Word says, not what people would prefer me to say. People are lost without hope in this world unless they turn to God in repentance. There is heaven (the good news) & there is also hell (the bad news). One day we too will die, and we will either go to heaven or to hell. How we respond to Jesus in this life will determine where we will be in the next life. This is deadly serious stuff. We cannot simply say the things people would like to hear. We have to tell the truth.
Joseph told the truth, even to the chief baker and, sure enough, 3 days later everything happened just as God had shown Joseph it would happen. Vrs 21 & 23 say, the Pharaoh “…restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand, but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.”
Joseph’s life had had plenty of ups & downs. He had experienced shattered dreams and was about to suffer yet another huge disappointment. On the day the cupbearer was released I can imagine him taking Joseph by the hand & saying, “Thanks for everything, Joe. You’ve been fantastic. I don’t know how I‘d have got through without you. I won’t forget you. Yes, I’ll put in a good word for you, as soon as I have the chance. Rest assured, my friend.”
Did he keep his promise to Joseph? The Scripture says it simply: “The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.” (v 23) That is how chapter 40 finishes but fortunately it is not how the story finishes. Joseph had further lessons to learn in the dungeon. One was that even the best people can disappoint us at times. People sometimes let us down. They do not meet up to our hopes & expectations. This should not surprise us of course because we too so easily let others down. We too sometimes fail & disappoint those we love. The lesson here is that we should not primarily be relying upon people but rather upon the Lord. People can be the secondary cause of us reaching some goal or completing some plan but our ultimate confidence & trust must be in the Lord. Psalm 20:7 puts it well: “Some trust in chariots & some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
Joseph had two more years to wait before he saw the outworking of the plan of God. The things he learnt in those two years of looking to God alone & waiting for His time were very important. In all the unexpected ups & downs in life we need constantly to check & possibly to re-adjust our attitudes. We need to ask ourselves if we are still focussing on God, if we are still resting in His unchanging love, if we are living in obedience & faith. These were important lessons for Joseph to learn & they are important lessons for us to learn too.