Taught by
Stephen ArmstrongGenesis
Genesis 2011 - Lesson 40
Chapter 39:21-23; 40:1-15
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By his obedience and godliness, Joseph finds his situation changing from bad to worse
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The Lord is testing Joseph by leading him through a series of circumstances
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In each case, Joseph does the right thing
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But the sinful world heaps more misery upon him
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Joseph is persecuted for his righteousness
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But we know the Lord is at work in these outcomes
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He is allowing the troubles to pile up so He can create an opportunity for Joseph to develop his testimony
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A testimony before the world, represented by Egypt
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And a testimony before the family of Israel
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These things are happening to Joseph because he has been appointed as the birthright holder within the sons of Jacob
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His earlier dreams told us that Joseph was appointed to become the patriarch in the family
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And he would receive a double portion of the inheritance
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While Judah would receive the seed promise to bring forth the Messiah
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We’ve already seen how unrighteous Judah was rescued by the Lord’s hand from corrupting the seed line
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Judah’s story reveals that the salvation promise comes through men but is made possible by the grace and power of God
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For certainly, Judah added nothing of value to the process
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But the story of Joseph tells the opposite story
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As a picture of Christ, Joseph’s story teaches us that God will bring salvation to the world and to Israel through the life of one man
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This man will be righteous and obedient
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He will suffer for his righteousness yet will pass every test the world and enemy throws at him
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And in the end, by his obedience, he will be elevated to a position of power and authority over the world and over Israel
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This is the story of Joseph and of Jesus Christ
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One pictures the Other, and in that picture we come to understand the reason Joseph is called to suffer in these ways
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Joseph has been appointed to bring this picture to us through his life, but what a challenge this must have been for the man Joseph
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Today we cover the final verses of Chapter 39 and then move into Chapter 40
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Joseph has been accused of rape and imprisoned by Potiphar
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He enjoyed great success as a slave, but now he’s starting over
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And he’s moved into an even more challenging set of circumstances
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Gen. 39:21 But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.
Gen. 39:22 The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it.
Gen. 39:23 The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s charge because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made to prosper.
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Even as we see Joseph’s situation deteriorating, we hear that the Lord continues to extend His grace to Joseph
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Once again, take note of the way scripture melds Joseph’s negative circumstances with a testimony of God’s favor and kindness
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These two things are not in conflict
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The measure of God’s goodness or kindness is not whether our life is carefree or easy or without suffering
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Joseph’s descent into prison didn’t mean God was displeased with him
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It didn’t mean Joseph had done anything wrong
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It wasn’t unfair
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On the contrary, the Lord was with Joseph, was extending kindness to him and giving him favor
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The word for favor in Hebrew is chen, which simply means grace
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Joseph received grace from God
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But that grace came in the context of prison, not freedom
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Given the option of a trial-free life without God’s grace or a trial-filled life accompanied by God’s grace, we should always seek for the latter
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In this case, God’s grace came in the form of a jailer who took notice of Joseph’s superior leadership qualities
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Like what happened in Potiphar’s house, the jailer places Joseph in charge over all the other prisoners
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Clearly, a pattern has emerged in Joseph’s life
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Everywhere he goes, he quickly establishes himself as the authority figure over others
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He ruled over his brothers
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He ruled over the slaves
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Now he rules over the prisoners
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This is an outcome of God’s grace in his life
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He has determined that Joseph will be the one to lead people
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No matter where Joseph lands, this outcome repeats itself
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At this point in the story, a fascinating parallel to Jesus’ life begins to emerge, in keeping with Joseph as a picture of Christ
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Joseph’s time in prison is the low point in his life
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It represents the point where he is tested to the greatest extent
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It also represents the end of his testing
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From this point forward, Joseph begins to increase in stature and power
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If we draw a parallel to Jesus’ life and ministry, then we could draw a parallel to the time He hung on the cross and descended into Hell for a time
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That point represented the low point in Jesus’ life
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It was the greatest test and trial
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And it made possible Christ’s exaltation
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So as we move forward in this chapter, we’ll look for more evidence of those parallels between Joseph’s time in the prison and Jesus’ time on the cross and in the grave
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Gen. 40:1 Then it came about after these things, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt.
Gen. 40:2 Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
Gen. 40:3 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.
Gen. 40:4 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.
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Joseph gets some company in prison
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The cupbearer and baker of the Pharaoh are thrown in prison for what
we will soon see is a capital offense-
These officials of the court shared the same feature of Potiphar – they were eunuchs
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The same word for “official” used here was also used to describe Potiphar
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What did these gentlemen do to anger the Pharaoh?
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Scripture doesn’t say
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But we can make an educated guess
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A cup bearer and baker were positions that served Pharaoh directly
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A cup bearer wan’t merely responsible for holding a cup
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He acted like a Secret Service bodyguard to Pharaoh
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He was responsible for ensuring that Pharaoh’s entire food chain was kept safe
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He would oversee the food bought in the market
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He would inspect all food brought into the Pharaoh’s kitchen
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And to ensure the food was safe, the cupbearer would sample all the food before the Pharaoh ate of it
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This way the cupbearer had a strong incentive to ensure it was poison-free
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He got his title from his role of sampling the drink before giving the cup to Pharaoh
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The baker had a subordinate role, preparing the meal in the kitchen
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He shared responsibility for ensuring the food was safe
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So between these two men, the Pharaoh’s protection from his enemies was their highest duty
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Since they were each responsible for the Pharaoh’s bread and drink, perhaps Pharaoh had reason to suspect one of them was trying to poison him
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Remember, that the Pharaoh was not an Egyptian (he was a Hyksos)
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He must have feared regularly for his safety
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Since there was apparently some doubt about which one of the men was guilty, they were both placed in the prison with Joseph
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They were awaiting the Pharaoh’s decision for who to hold responsible
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The jail the three of them are in is attached to the captain of the guard’s house
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That’s Potiphar’s house – he had a jail attached to his home
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As court officials, they would have received special handling
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The fact that the court officials were sent to this prison while
awaiting judgment says this was not an ordinary prison -
Joseph was sent to the same prison, a jail in the best of circumstances
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So God continues to protect Joseph even though He is sending Joseph through these trials
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We’re told in v.4 that Joseph spent “some” time in this prison
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The Hebrew word for some is the word yom, which literally means a day
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But in this case, the word is used in a secondary meaning of an age
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As in an extended period of time
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We learn later that Joseph will leave prison and be elevated by Pharaoh when Joseph reaches the age of thirty
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Remember, Joseph went into Egypt at seventeen
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So Joseph was in Potiphar’s house and that jail for a combined total of 13 years
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And based on the opening verses of 41, Joseph must have been in the jail for at least 2 years and probably several more
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We’ve already understood that bad things happen to good people when God chooses to work in us through trials
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But are you prepared to accept how long a trial may be required in God’s plan to test us?
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Remember, Noah was called to suffer 100 years during the years he devoted to build the ark in keeping with the Lord’s command
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To say nothing of the 14 months he spent living inside the ark?
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Talk about a prison!
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And do you think Daniel suffered during Israel’s 70 years of captivity?
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To say nothing about his experience in the lion’s den?
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And what about Joseph?
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His circumstances required he spend 13 years suffering
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We read about it in just a chapter or two of Genesis, but it took more than a decade for Joseph to rise above his trials
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That’s almost as long as we’ve been studying Genesis
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So why must Joseph suffer for so long?
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The writer of Psalms tells us
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Psa. 105:17 He sent a man before them,
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
Psa. 105:18 They afflicted his feet with fetters,
He himself was laid in irons;
Psa. 105:19 Until the time that his word came to pass,
The word of the LORD tested him.
Psa. 105:20 The king sent and released him,
The ruler of peoples, and set him free.
Psa. 105:21 He made him lord of his house
And ruler over all his possessions,
Psa. 105:22 To imprison his princes at will,
That he might teach his elders wisdom.
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Joseph is being prepared to teach his elders wisdom
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That preparation involves 13 years of learning the ways of Egypt
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Consider that when Joseph arrived in Egypt, he didn’t know the language
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He didn’t know the customs
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He didn’t understand Egyptian laws or traditions
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But the psalmist says Joseph was appointed to become a lord over the house of Pharaoh
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To demonstrate wisdom, to execute God’s purpose in Egypt
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Ultimately, he comes to picture Jesus in all these things
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But if Joseph is going to fulfill this purpose, he must spend time learning Egypt inside and out
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So the Lord puts Joseph in the house of a servant of Pharaoh
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In that place, Joseph learns the language and etiquette of royal society in Egypt
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He learns the names and functions of court officials
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He becomes familiar with law and customs in Egypt
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Then he goes to prison, but not just any prison, the king’s prison
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And here Joseph comes into contact with more court officials
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And through one of these court officials, Joseph begins to make inroads to reach the most powerful man in the world – Pharaoh himself
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Gen. 40:5 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.
Gen. 40:6 When Joseph came to them in the morning and observed them, behold, they were dejected.
Gen. 40:7 He asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so sad today?”
Gen. 40:8 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.”
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After some time together in the prison, Joseph notices both men looking particularly sad
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Only someone like Joseph could look upon two men sent to prison and ask why are you so dejected
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But Joseph evidently knew these two men well enough by now to sense something was different
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They had both experienced dreams, dreams that troubled them greatly
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But since they were in prison and had no access to the Pharaoh’s official dream interpreters, they were without a way to understand the dreams’ meanings
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Egypt, like Babylon, employed sorcerers who used the black arts to divine spiritual knowledge
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We see similar men working (or trying to work) in the book of Daniel
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And also serving Pharaoh in the story of the Exodus
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But these men fell helpless because there are no interpreters nearby
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Or so they think
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Joseph tells them that interpretations of spiritual messages come from the Lord, so it does not depend on certain men
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It simply requires the Lord to grant the proper spiritual equipping, and any man can serve Him in interpreting
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This truth is so powerful, and it remains every bit true today
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Spiritual truth and godly counsel aren’t the privilege of a few men
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On the contrary, these things are God-given, and all God’s children have access to the same spirit
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So we don’t depend on a man to hear from God or to serve Him
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On the other hand, scripture also tells us that God equips His children in different ways with different spiritual gifts to serve the needs of the body
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So if the Lord appoints certain gifts to certain people with the Church, we do well to take full advantage of these giftings wherever we find them
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Let gifted teachers, teach; gifted prayer warriors, pray; gifted healers, heal; gifted hearts of service, serve
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In Joseph’s case, he was gifted to lead and to interpret dreams
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In all the Bible, only Joseph and Daniel were gifted in this way, and both share some interesting similarities
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Both interpreted while captive in a foreign land
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Both serviced foreign monarchs who worshipped pagan gods
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Both interpreted dreams given by God that no one else could interpret
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Both speak in bold ways, sharing the interpretation without fear
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Both were elevated into positions of authority by their interpretations
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Clearly the Lord is working in these dreams to bring Joseph to a new and better place
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Gen. 40:9 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;
Gen. 40:10 and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes.
Gen. 40:11 “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.”
Gen. 40:12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days;
Gen. 40:13 within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer.
Gen. 40:14 “Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house.
Gen. 40:15 “For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon.”
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Each man relates his dream to Joseph
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The cupbearer’s dream concerned a vine with three branches
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As the grapes ripened, the cupbearer took the grapes and squeezed juice into Pharaoh’s cup
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And placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand
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Joseph tells the interpretation of the dream
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The three branches reflect three days more of suffering in jail
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But at that point, the cupbearer will be restored
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At this point, Joseph sees an opportunity to help himself
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Knowing a positive result is assured for the cupbearer, Joseph realizes that this man will soon be in Pharaoh’s presence again
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Once he reaches that position, he will be able to influence Pharaoh concerning Joseph’s situation
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Certainly, the king would have use for a man like Joseph who can interpret dreams
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So Joseph asks for his help
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Notice how Joseph describes himself
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He was from the land of the Hebrews
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That’s a statement of faith and political savvy on Joseph’s part
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In this day, the land where Jacob lived was not the land of the Hebrews
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It was the land of the Canaanites
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But Joseph knew it had been given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by God by way of a promise
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So even now he’s referring to Canaan as the land of Hebrews
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But Joseph has also learned that the Pharaoh is a Hyksos king, not a Hamite ruler
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And Hyksos were also Semites, like the Hebrews
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So by mentioning his origins, Joseph hopes to persuade Pharaoh to take an interest in his case
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Here we have the complimentary lesson to our earlier focus on learning to accept trials and sufferings as part of serving the Lord
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Joseph may have understood that God was working in his circumstances and so he remained obedient in the meantime
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But that doesn’t mean Joseph had to be passive in his circumstances
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Obedience during a trial doesn’t require we abandon all hope for a rescue
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And it certainly doesn’t mean we can work in appropriate ways to improve our circumstances
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Joseph used his God-given talents and abilities to improve his situation everywhere he went
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In Potiphar’s house, he worked hard and showed trustworthiness
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And the result was a better situation as a slave
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In prison, he did the same, and gained the benefit again
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Now he has a chance to win his freedom or so he hopes
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So he makes the most of it
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But he does it by relying on the gifts God has given him
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And he gives all credit to the Lord in the process
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And then he waits to see what the Lord will do with his hopes and his service
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Don’t forget Joseph’s example in the midst of your personal trials of faith and endurance
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Know God is working in your circumstances
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Trust that the Lord has a good purpose in your circumstance
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Continue to obey and serve diligently without discouragement
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And use every God-given talent and gift and brain cell to find your way out of your circumstances
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And pray for Him to make the most of your efforts
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