Genesis 40: The Butler and the Baker

Have your heard the story
of the butler and the baker?
They were chief servants
of the Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

One day, both of butler and the baker
offended the Pharaoh, and he got angry
and put them in the custody
of the captain of the guard,
in the prison, the same place
where Joseph was confined.

Remember-
“Joseph had been taken down
to Egypt. And Potiphar,
an officer of Pharaoh,
captain of the guard, an Egyptian,
bought him from the Ishmaelites
who had brought him down."
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭39:1‬

“Potiphar’s wife had longing eyes
on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”
But Joseph refused 
because Potiphar had committed
all that he had into Joseph’s hands
(except for his wife).”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭39:7-8‬

So Potiphar’s wife made up a story
saying Joseph made a pass at her.

She grabbed Joseph’s cloak
to bring him close to her,
but he ran away -
leaving his cloak behind.

When the wife told Potiphar the lie,
he believed her,
he threw Joseph into prison.

Since the Lord was with Joseph,
the captain of the guard continued to charge
Joseph with everything he had -
including looking after the butler and the baker.

While in prison,
“the butler and the baker had a dream, 
each man’s dream in one night
and each man’s dream
with its own interpretation.
And Joseph came in to them
in the morning and looked at them,
and saw that they were sad.
So he asked Pharaoh’s officers
“Why do you look so sad?”
Genesis 40:5-7

They said to him,
“We each have had a dream,
and there is no interpreter of it.”
So Joseph said to them,
“Do not interpretations belong to God?
Tell them to me, please.”

I just love how Joseph knew his identity.
He knew he belonged to God.

Through godly wisdom
Joseph was able to understand.
The butler told Joseph his dream
and Joseph said to him,
“This is the interpretation of it:
The three branches are three days.
Within three days
Pharaoh will lift up your head
and restore you to your place,
and you will put
Pharaoh’s cup in his hand
according to the former manner,
when you were his butler.”
Then Joseph said to him,
“But remember me
when it is well with you,
and please show kindness to me;
make mention of me to Pharaoh,
and get me out of this house.
For indeed I was stolen away
from the land of the Hebrews;
and also I have done nothing here
that they should put me
into the dungeon.”
Genesis 40:14-15

Then the chief baker shared his dream
and asked Joseph to interpret it.
So Joseph answered and said,
“This is the interpretation of it:
The three baskets are three days.
Within three days
Pharaoh will lift off your head
from you and hang you on a tree;
and the birds will eat your flesh from you.”
Now it came to pass on the third day,
which was Pharaoh’s birthday,
that he made a feast for all his servants;
he restored the chief butler
to his butlership again,
and he placed the cup
in Pharaoh’s hand.
But he hanged the chief baker,
as Joseph had interpreted to them.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭40:20-22

Why Pharaoh reinstated the butler
but killed the baker, I do not know.
Why some are chosen and some are not, 
I do not know - I am not God.

But I do know this -
when life is good, we seem to forget.
We forget where we were
when God have us a dream and came to us.
We often fail to give the glory back -
like the chief butler did with Joseph.

The scripture says,
“Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph,
but forgot him.”
Genesis 40:23

The chief baker failed to give glory back
to the one who gave hope
during his dark times.