Dreams Come True
“Dreams Come True”
Genesis 40:1-23
Today’s narrative finds Joseph in prison. He has worked his way up the ladder. The warden recognized that Elohim was with him and has put him in charge of everyone that is in the prison.
Today’s Scripture begins with, “Some time later.” Who knows how much time has passed, the Biblical author is not concerned with that. What matters is these two stories have been placed next to each other on purpose.
Today’s story begins with Joseph receiving two new cell mates. The cupbearer and the baker who worked for the king of Egypt, were sent to prison for “offending” Pharoah. The direct Hebrew translation would be “sinned” against the king of Egypt.
In the previous story we had Joseph saying, “How could I sin against Elohim?” And now we have these two guys sinning against Pharoah.
To be clear, the baker for Pharoah is explanatory. However, the word “cup” is actually from the Hebrew causation verb “to drink.” So he was the one who provided drinks for the king, or the captain of drinking. Both had done something grievous to the king so he had them sent to the prison where Joseph had been given authority from the captain of the guard. Joseph became their attendant.
“After they had been in custody for some time,” again no idea how long, each of the two men, the baker and the captain of drinking had a dream on the same night.
The next morning Joseph recognizes they looked dejected, what an astute caregiver.
Joseph asked them, verse 7,
“Why do you look so sad today?”
No wonder Joseph was put in charge. How many prison wardens recognize the prisoners’ expressions enough to realize they were having a bad day?
They answered, verse 8,
“We both had dreams, but there is no one to interpret them.”
To which Joseph replies,
“Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
Here Joseph goes again, referring to Elohim. He mentioned Elohim in the previous chapter and here he is again talking about Him. We are getting the sense that Joseph trusts Elohim and we’ve been told by the narrator that Elohim is with him.
So the captain of drinking begins by telling his dream. He dreamt about a vine with three branches. This should take us back to Eden, with images of farming and plants.
Joseph provides a positive interpretation for the captain, revealing that the three branches represented that within three days he would be given his old position back. No sooner had he given the interpretation, Joseph quickly piped in with, verses 14 &15,
“But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. 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 eagerly wants to get out of the pit he is in. He’s been doing everything he can to do the right things and recognizes he certainly doesn’t deserve to be where he is.
The chief baker heard the favorable interpretation Joseph had given the captain of drinking so he shares his dream with Joseph.
The baker’s dream consisted of three baskets of bread, on his head, full of all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh. But there were birds eating the loaves from the baskets.
Joseph explains that the three baskets represent three days. You can imagine the baker thinking, “Oh good, in three days I too will get my old job back.”
Joseph continues with, “Pharoah will lift off your head,” Again the baker was most likely thinking, “Yes, my head will be lifted up!” Until Joseph ends with, “From upon you, you will hang upon a tree and the birds will eat your flesh.”
Two dreams - one is good, one is not so good.
The narrator continues with, verse 20,
“Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday.”
A coincidence?
Pharaoh decided to give a feast for all his officials. He remembers his captain of drinking and his chief baker and he “lifts up their heads” or he brings them back from prison. He restored the captain of drinking to his position of putting drinks into his hands and he had the baker impaled, just as Joseph had interpreted.
Unfortunately, the captain of drinking was so elated about getting his job back that he forgets all about Joseph, even though it had only been three days since his interpretation and Joseph had nailed it, right down to the smallest detail. You can almost feel how disappointed Joseph must have felt.nHere he had helped the captain of drinking out with his interpretation and had been forgotten.
Let’s look at how this story relates to what we have already read.
We have this story of two dreams echoing back to Joseph’s own two dreams. Dreams have had significance in the book of Genesis, beginning with Abraham and then with Isaac. Through the book of Genesis when dreams appear it’s presented as a time when one sees things more clearly. This is actually the emergence of what will become apocalyptic literature, which is when the recipient is asleep or in an altered state of consciousness. Throughout human history the sleep state has been pondered and it has been determined that dream states or altered states of consciousness are often portrayed as moments when people actually have the most clear vision of reality. And when we are in our awakened state, we tend to see things through the lenses of what is good in our own eyes and desires, and that tends to distort everything. Somehow, when we are asleep, we tend to gain a true picture.
Apocalyptic literature is seen as when God opens the consciousness to other dimensions of reality that are normally invisible.
Another motif presented in this narrative is with the significance of three days. The first story involving three days was with Abraham and Isaac, where we are told “God put Abraham to the test.” What we see is that the third day is often next to, concluding, or introducing testing stories, where a character is at a crossroads that will eventually lead to either their exaltation or their downfall. Today’s Scripture had both.
The ultimate three day event occurred with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The theme of two dreams will continue in the next section of Joseph’s life with Pharaoh having a couple of dreams.
The captain of drinking remembers Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams and Joseph manages to be lifted out of the pit.
But for now, we are left with Joseph, stuck in prison, innocent, doing what is good and getting no reward.
Check in time.
Joseph’s situation is not that uncommon. History is full of stories where goodness is not rewarded. Where the innocent are punished and it doesn’t seem fair.
We live in a world that is not fair.
Humans try to wrap their heads around how a benevolent God could allow bad things to happen to good people.
In John chapter 9, the disciples express their mindset with this question for Jesus,
“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
The disciples had been taught that if you had a physical impairment it was because of someone’s sin. There are still denominations of Christianity that hold that belief. Jesus disputes that notion completely.
Yet, not everyone with a disability has it in order to demonstrate the works of God. Some people receive healing when prayed over and some don’t. Pain and suffering exist and there is no genie in a bottle or magic potion that fixes things.
So what does the Bible say about pain and suffering, especially for those who have not sinned.
First thing we need to recognize is that Jesus, God Himself, felt this first hand. He gets it. The ultimate answer is the resurrection. But that doesn’t help us right now. This is where we need to look to others and seek God’s presence in our lives.
Second, we aren’t in heaven, yet. Bad things happen. However, God is faithful, and has promised to be with us through all things.
During my eight years of pain I spent lots of time researching this subject. I studied the Book of Job. I read books about those who had similar circumstances.
Joni Eareckson Tada was one of the people who brought me hope. At the age of 17, she experienced a diving accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down. Here is her response years after the accident,
“The best thing that ever happened to me was when I broke my neck diving. If the accident hadn’t happened, I would have just been a normal, suburban mother and wife with a minivan and several horses. But now my life has meaning and purpose.
I’m leaving a legacy of calling the church to care for the disabled in a way they never had before.”
Joseph recognized God’s presence. Joseph didn’t give up. Joseph continued to put his trust in Elohim, who is faithful. So should we.
Like Joseph, we can’t control other people’s actions. What we can do is ask for help in our response to them. We can pray for guidance to make the best choices within the despair, both individually and as a church.
There is no way anyone could wish cancer, or mass shootings or natural disasters to occur.
But they do and we have a choice.
We can either become resentful and bitter or
we can look for ways to be resilient and
to create something meaningful and even beautiful.
With God, anything is possible.
Let’s pray.