Genesis (2011) 40. By his obedience and godliness, Joseph finds his situation changing from bad to worse

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1 Genesis (2011) 40 By his bedience and gdliness, Jseph finds his situatin changing frm bad t wrse The Lrd is testing Jseph by leading him thrugh a series f circumstances In each case, Jseph des the right thing But the sinful wrld heaps mre misery upn him Jseph is persecuted fr his righteusness But we knw the Lrd is at wrk in these utcmes He is allwing the trubles t pile up s He can create an pprtunity fr Jseph t develp his testimny A testimny befre the wrld, represented by Egypt And a testimny befre the family f Israel These things are happening t Jseph because he has been appinted as the birthright hlder within the sns f Jacb His earlier dreams tld us that Jseph was appinted t becme the patriarch in the family And he wuld receive a duble prtin f the inheritance While Judah wuld receive the seed prmise t bring frth the Messiah We ve already seen hw unrighteus Judah was rescued by the Lrd s hand frm crrupting the seed line Judah s stry reveals that the salvatin prmise cmes thrugh men but is made pssible by the grace and pwer f Gd Fr certainly, Judah added nthing f value t the prcess But the stry f Jseph tells the ppsite stry 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

2 Genesis 40 2 f 12 As a picture f Christ, Jseph s stry teaches us that Gd will bring a salvatin t the wrld and t Israel thrugh the life f ne man This man will be righteus and bedient He will suffer fr his righteusness yet will pass every test the wrld and enemy thrws at him And in the end, by his bedience, he will be elevated t a psitin f pwer and authrity ver the wrld and ver Israel This is the stry f Jseph and f Jesus Christ One pictures the Other, and in that picture we cme t understand the reasn Jseph is called t suffer in these ways Jseph has been appinted t bring this picture t us thrugh his life, but what a challenge this must have been fr the man Jseph Tday we cver the final verses f chapter 39 and then mve int chapter 40 Jseph has been accused f rape and imprisned by Ptiphar He enjyed great success as a slave, but nw he s starting ver And he s mved int an even mre challenging set f circumstances Gen. 39:21 But the LORD was with Jseph and extended kindness t him, and gave him favr in the sight f the chief jailer. Gen. 39:22 The chief jailer cmmitted t Jseph s charge all the prisners wh were in the jail; s that whatever was dne there, he was respnsible fr it. Gen. 39:23 The chief jailer did nt supervise anything under Jseph s charge because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made t prsper. Even as we see Jseph s situatin deterirating, we hear that the Lrd cntinues t extend His grace t Jseph Once again, take nte f the way scripture melds Jseph s negative circumstances with a testimny f Gd s favr and kindness These tw things are nt in cnflict 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

3 Genesis 40 3 f 12 The measure f Gd s gdness r kindness is nt whether ur life is carefree r easy r withut suffering Jseph s descent int prisn didn t mean Gd was displeased with him It didn t mean Jseph had dne anything wrng It wasn t unfair On the cntrary, the Lrd was with Jseph, was extending kindness t him and giving him favr The wrd fr favr in Hebrew is chen, which simply means grace Jseph received grace frm Gd But that grace came in the cntext f prisn, nt freedm Given the ptin f a trial-free life withut Gd s grace r a trialfilled life accmpanied by Gd s grace, we shuld always seek fr the latter In this case, Gd s grace came in the frm f a jailer wh tk ntice f Jseph s superir leadership qualities Like happened in Ptiphar s huse, the jailer places Jseph in charge ver all the ther prisners Clearly, a pattern has emerged in Jseph s life Everywhere he ges, he quickly establishes himself as the authrity figure ver thers He ruled ver his brthers He ruled ver the slaves Nw he rules ver the prisners This is an utcme f Gd s grace in his life The has determined that Jseph will be the ne t lead peple N matter where Jseph lands, this utcme repeats itself At this pint in the stry, a fascinating parallel t Jesus life begins t emerge, in keeping with Jseph as a picture f Christ 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

4 Genesis 40 4 f 12 Jseph s time in prisn is the lw pint in his life It represents the pint where he is tested t the greatest extent It als represents the end f his testing Frm this pint frward, Jseph begins t increase in stature and pwer If we draw a parallel t Jesus life and ministry, then we culd draw a parallel t the time He hung n the crss and descended int Hell fr a time That pint represented the lw pint in Jesus life It was the greatest test and trial And it made pssible Christ s exaltatin set the stage fr reigning as King S as we mve frward in this chapter, we ll lk fr mre evidence f thse parallels between Jseph s time in the prisn and Jesus time n the crss and in the grave Gen. 40:1 Then it came abut after these things, the cupbearer and the baker fr the king f Egypt ffended their lrd, the king f Egypt. Gen. 40:2 Pharah was furius with his tw fficials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. Gen. 40:3 S he put them in cnfinement in the huse f the captain f the bdyguard, in the jail, the same place where Jseph was imprisned. Gen. 40:4 The captain f the bdyguard put Jseph in charge f them, and he tk care f them; and they were in cnfinement fr sme time. Jseph gets sme cmpany in prisn The cupbearer and baker f the Pharah are thrwn in prisn fr what we will sn see is a capital ffense These fficials f the curt shared the same feature f Ptiphar they were eunuchs The same wrd fr fficial is used here as was used t describe Ptiphar What did these gentlemen d t anger the Pharah? 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

5 Genesis 40 5 f 12 Scripture desn t say But we can make an educated guess A cup bearer and baker were psitins that served Pharah directly A cup bearer wan t merely respnsible fr hlding a cup He acted like a Secret Service bdyguard t Pharah He was respnsible fr ensuring that Pharah s entire fd chain was kept safe He wuld versee the fd bught in the market He wuld inspect all fd brught int the Pharah s kitchen And t ensure the fd was safe, the cupbearer wuld sample all the fd befre the Pharah ate f it This way the cupbearer had a strng incentive t ensure it was pisn-free He gt his title frm his rle f sampling the drink befre giving the cup t Pharah The baker had a subrdinate rle, preparing the meal in the kitchen He shared respnsibility fr ensuring the fd was safe S between these tw men, the Pharah s prtectin frm his enemies was their highest duty Since they were each respnsible fr the Pharah s bread and drink, perhaps Pharah had reasn t suspect ne f them was trying t pisn him Remember, that the Pharah was nt an Egyptian (he was a Hykss) He must have feared regularly fr his safety Since there was apparently sme dubt abut which ne f the men was guilty, they were bth placed in the prisn with Jseph They were awaiting the Pharah s decisin fr wh t hld respnsible The jail the three f them are in is attached t the captain f the guard s huse 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

6 Genesis 40 6 f 12 That s Ptiphar s huse he had a jail attached t his hme As curt fficials, they wuld have received special handling The fact that the curt fficials were sent t this prisn while awaiting judgment says this was nt an rdinary prisn Jseph was sent t the same prisn, a jail in the best f circumstances S Gd cntinues t prtect Jseph even thugh He is sending Jseph thrugh these trials We re tld in v.4 that Jseph spent sme time in this prisn The Hebrew wrd fr sme is the wrd ym, which literally means a day But in this cases, the wrd is used in a secndary meaning f an age As in an extended perid f time We learn later that Jseph will leave prisn and be elevated by Pharah when Jseph reaches the age f thirty Remember, Jseph went int Egypt at seventeen S Jseph was in Ptiphar s huse and that jail fr a cmbined ttal f 13 years And based n the pening verses f 41, Jseph must have been in the jail fr at least 2 years and prbably several mre We ve already understd that bad things happen t gd peple when Gd chses t wrk in us thrugh trials But are yu prepared t accept hw lng a trial may be required in Gd s plan t test us? Remember, Nah was called t suffer 100 years during the years he devted t build the ark in keeping with the Lrd cmmand T say nthing f the 14 mnths he spent living inside the ark? Talk abut a prisn! 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

7 Genesis 40 7 f 12 And d yu think Daniel suffered during Israel s 70 years f captivity? T say nthing abut his experience in the lin s den? And what abut Jseph? His circumstances required he spend 13 years suffering We read abut it in just a chapter r tw f Genesis, but it tk mre than a decade fr Jseph t rise abve his trials That s almst as lng as we ve been studying Genesis S why must Jseph suffer fr s lng? The writer f Psalms tells us Psa. 105:17 He sent a man befre them, Jseph, wh was sld as a slave. Psa. 105:18 They afflicted his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irns; Psa. 105:19 Until the time that his wrd came t pass, The wrd f the LORD tested him. Psa. 105:20 The king sent and released him, The ruler f peples, and set him free. Psa. 105:21 He made him lrd f his huse And ruler ver all his pssessins, Psa. 105:22 T imprisn his princes at will, That he might teach his elders wisdm. Jseph is being prepared t teach his elders wisdm That preparatin invlves 13 years f learning the ways f Egypt Cnsider that when Jseph arrived in Egypt, he didn t knw the language He didn t knw the custms He didn t understand Egyptian laws r traditins But the psalmist says Jseph was appinted t becme a lrd ver the huse f Pharah 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

8 Genesis 40 8 f 12 T demnstrate wisdm, t execute Gd s purpse in Egypt Ultimately, he cmes t picture Jesus in all these things But if Jseph is ging t fulfill this purpse, he must spend time learning Egypt inside and ut S the Lrd puts Jseph in the huse f a servant f Pharah In that place, Jseph learns the language and etiquette f ryal sciety in Egypt He learns the names and functins f curt fficials He becmes familiar with law and custms in Egypt Then he ges t prisn, but nt just any prisn, but the king s prisn And here Jseph cmes int cntact with mre curt fficials And thrugh ne f these curt fficials, Jseph begins t make inrads t reach the mst pwerful man in the wrld - Pharah himself Gen. 40:5 Then the cupbearer and the baker fr the king f Egypt, wh were cnfined in jail, bth had a dream the same night, each man with his wn dream and each dream with its wn interpretatin. Gen. 40:6 When Jseph came t them in the mrning and bserved them, behld, they were dejected. Gen. 40:7 He asked Pharah s fficials wh were with him in cnfinement in his master s huse, Why are yur faces s sad tday? Gen. 40:8 Then they said t him, We have had a dream and there is n ne t interpret it. Then Jseph said t them, D nt interpretatins belng t Gd? Tell it t me, please. After sme time tgether in the prisn, Jseph ntices bth men lking particularly sad Only smene like Jseph culd lk upn tw men sent t prisn and ask why are yu s dejected But Jseph evidently knew these tw men well enugh by nw t sense smething was different 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

9 Genesis 40 9 f 12 They had bth experienced dreams, dreams that trubled them greatly But since they were in prisn and had n access t the Pharah s fficial dream interpreters, they were withut a way t understand the dreams meanings Egypt like Babyln emplyed srcerers wh used the black arts t divine spiritual knwledge We see similar men wrking (r trying t wrk) in the bk f Daniel And als serving Pharah in the stry f the Exdus But these men fell helpless because there are n interpreters nearby Or s they think Jseph tells them that interpretatins f spiritual messages cmes frm the Lrd, s it des nt depend n certain men It simply requires the Lrd t grant the prper spiritual equipping, and any man can serve Him in interpreting This truth is s pwerful, and it remains every bit true tday Spiritual truth and gdly cunsel aren t the privilege f a few men On the cntrary, these things are Gd-given, and all Gd s children have access t the same spirit S we dn t depend n a man t hear frm Gd r t serve Him On the ther hand, scripture als tells us that Gd equips His children in different ways with different spiritual gifts t serve the needs f the bdy S if the Lrd appints certain gifts t certain peple with the Church, we d well t take full advantage f these giftings wherever we find them Let gifted teachers, teach; gifted prayer warrirs, pray; gifted healers, heal; gifted hearts f service, serve 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

10 Genesis f 12 In Jseph s case, he was gifted t lead and t interpret dreams In all the Bible, nly Jseph and Daniel were gifted in this way, and bth share sme interesting similarities Bth interpreted while captive in a freign land Bth serviced freign mnarchs wh wrshipped pagan gds Bth interpreted dreams given by Gd that n ne else culd interpret Bth speak in bld ways, sharing the interpretatin withut fear Bth were elevated int psitins f authrity by their interpretatins Clearly the Lrd is wrking in these dreams t bring Jseph t a new and better place Gen. 40:9 S the chief cupbearer tld his dream t Jseph, and said t him, In my dream, behld, there was a vine in frnt f me; Gen. 40:10 and n the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blssms came ut, and its clusters prduced ripe grapes. Gen. 40:11 Nw Pharah s cup was in my hand; s I tk the grapes and squeezed them int Pharah s cup, and I put the cup int Pharah s hand. Gen. 40:12 Then Jseph said t him, This is the interpretatin f it: the three branches are three days; Gen. 40:13 within three mre days Pharah will lift up yur head and restre yu t yur ffice; and yu will put Pharah s cup int his hand accrding t yur frmer custm when yu were his cupbearer. Gen. 40:14 Only keep me in mind when it ges well with yu, and please d me a kindness by mentining me t Pharah and get me ut f this huse. Gen. 40:15 Fr I was in fact kidnapped frm the land f the Hebrews, and even here I have dne nthing that they shuld have put me int the dungen. Each man relates his dream t Jseph The cupbearer s dream cncerned a vine with three branches As the grapes ripened, the cupbearer tk the grapes and squeezed juice int the Pharah s cup And placed the cup in Pharah s hand 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

11 Genesis f 12 Jseph tells the interpretatin f the dream The three branches reflect three days mre f suffering in jail But at that pint, the cupbearer will be restred At this pint, Jseph sees an pprtunity t help himself Knwing a psitive result is assured fr the cupbearer, Jseph realizes that this man will sn be in the Pharah s presence again Once he reaches that psitin, he will be able t influence Pharah cncerning Jseph s situatin Certainly, the king wuld have use fr a man like Jseph wh can interpret dreams S Jseph s asks fr his help Ntice hw Jseph describes himself He was frm the land f the Hebrews That s a statement f faith and plitical savvy n Jseph s part In this day, the land where Jacb lived was nt the land f the Hebrews It was the land f the Canaanites But Jseph knew it had been given t Abraham, Isaac, and Jacb by Gd by way f a prmise S even nw he s referring t Canaan as the land f Hebrews But Jseph has als learned that the Pharah is a Hykss king, nt a Hamite ruler And Hykss were als Semites, like the Hebrews S by mentined his rigins, Jseph hpes t persuade the Pharah t take an interest in his case Here we have the cmplimentary lessn t ur earlier fcus n learning t accept trials and sufferings as part f serving the Lrd 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

12 Genesis f 12 Jseph may have understd that Gd was wrking in his circumstances and s he remained bedient in the meantime But that desn t mean Jseph had t be passive in his circumstances Obedience during a trial desn t require we abandn all hpe fr a rescue And it certainly desn t mean we can wrk in apprpriate ways t imprve ur circumstances Jseph used his Gd-given talents and abilities t imprve his situatin everywhere he went In Ptiphar s huse, he wrked hard and shwed trustwrthiness And the result was a better situatin as a slave In prisn, he did the same, and gain the benefit again Nw he has a chance t win his freedm r s he hpes S he makes the mst f it But he des it by relying n the gifts Gd has given him And he gives all credit t the Lrd in the prcess And then he waits t see what the Lrd will d with his hpes and his service Dn t frget Jseph s example in the midst f yur persnal trials f faith and endurance Knw Gd is wrking in yur circumstances Trust that the Lrd has a gd purpse in yur circumstance Cntinue t bey and serve diligently withut discuragement And use every Gd-given talent and gift and brain cell t find yur way ut f yur circumstances And pray fr Him t make the mst f yur effrts 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.