G
E N E S I S
CHAP. XL.
In this chapter things are working, though
slowly, towards Joseph's advancement. I. Two of Pharaoh's servants are
committed to prison, and there to Joseph's care, and so become witnesses of
his extraordinary conduct, ver. 1-4. II. They dreamed each of them a dream,
which Joseph interpreted (ver. 5-19), and the event verified the
interpretation (ver. 20-22), and so they became witnesses of his extraordinary
skill. III. Joseph recommends his case to one of them, whose preferment he
foresaw (ver. 14, 15), but in vain, ver. 23.
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The
History of Joseph.
B. C. 1717.
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1 And it came to pass after these
things, that the butler of the king of
Egypt
and his
baker had offended their lord the king of
Egypt.
2 And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief
of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. 3 And he put
them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the
place where Joseph was bound. 4 And the captain of the
guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a
season in ward.
We should not
have had this story of Pharaoh's butler and baker recorded in scripture if it
had not been serviceable to Joseph's preferment. The world stands for the sake
of the church, and is governed for its good. Observe, 1. Two of the great
officers of Pharaoh's court, having offended the king, are committed to
prison. Note, High places are slippery places; nothing more uncertain than the
favour of princes. Those that make God's favour their happiness, and his
service their business, will find him a better Master than Pharaoh was, and
not so extreme to mark what they do amiss. Many conjectures there are
concerning the offence of these servants of Pharaoh; some make it no less than
an attempt to take away his life, others no more than the casual lighting of a
fly into his cup and a little sand into his bread. Whatever it was,
Providence
by this
means brought them into the prison where Joseph was. 2. The captain of the
guard himself, who was Potiphar, charged Joseph with them (v. 4),
which intimates that he began now to be reconciled to him, and perhaps to be
convinced of his innocence, though he durst not release him for fear of
disobliging his wife. John Baptist must lose his head, to please Herodias.
5 And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one
night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and
the baker of the king of
Egypt, which were
bound in the prison. 6 And Joseph came in unto them in the
morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.
7 And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his
lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day? 8
And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no
interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong
to God? tell me them, I pray you. 9 And the chief butler
told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was
before me; 10 And in the vine were three branches: and it was
as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters
thereof brought forth ripe grapes: 11 And Pharaoh's cup was
in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into
Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. 12 And
Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three
branches are
three days: 13
Yet within three days shall
Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt
deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast
his butler. 14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee,
and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh,
and bring me out of this house: 15 For indeed I was stolen away
out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they
should put me into the dungeon. 16 When the chief baker saw that
the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my
dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:
17 And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for
Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.
18 And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof:
The three baskets are
three days: 19
Yet within three days shall
Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the
birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
Observe, I. The
special providence of God, which filled the heads of these two prisoners with
unusual dreams, such as made extraordinary impressions upon them, and carried
with them evidences of a divine origin, both in one night. Note, God has
immediate access to the spirits of men, which he can make serviceable to his
own purposes whenever he pleases, quite beyond the intention of those
concerned. To him all hearts are open, and anciently he spoke not only to his
own people, but to others, in dreams, Job xxxiii. 15. Things to come were thus
foretold, but very obscurely.
II. The
impression which was made upon these prisoners by their dreams (v. 6): They
were sad. It was not the prison that made them sad (they were pretty well
used to that, and perhaps lived jovially there), but the dream. Note, God has
more ways than one to sadden the spirits of those that are to be made sad.
Those sinners that are hardy enough under outward troubles, and will not yield
to them, yet God can find out a way to punish; he can take off their wheels,
by wounding their spirits, and laying loads upon them.
III. Joseph's
great tenderness and compassion towards them. He enquired with concern, Wherefore
look you so sadly to-day? v. 7. Joseph was their keeper, and in
that office he was mild. Note, It becomes us to take cognizance of the sorrows
even of those that are under our check. Joseph was their companion in
tribulation, he was now a prisoner with them, and had been a dreamer too.
Note, Communion in sufferings helps to work compassion towards those that do
suffer. Let us learn hence, 1. To concern ourselves in the sorrows and
troubles of others, and to enquire into the reason of the sadness of our
brethren's countenances; we should be often considering the tears of the
oppressed, Eccl. iv. 1. It is some relief to those that are in trouble to be
taken notice of. 2. To enquire into the causes of our own sorrow,
"Wherefore do I look so sadly? Is there a reason? Is it a good reason? Is
there not a reason for comfort sufficient to balance it, whatever it is? Why
art thou cast down, O my soul?"
IV. The dreams
themselves, and the interpretation of them. That which troubled these
prisoners was that being confined they could not have recourse to the diviners
of
Egypt
who
pretended to interpret dreams: There is no interpreter here in the
prison, v. 8. Note, There are interpreters which those that are in
prison and sorrow should wish to have with them, to instruct them in the
meaning and design of Providence (Elihu alludes to such, when he says, If there
be an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness,
Job xxxiii. 23, 24), interpreters to guide their consciences, not to satisfy
their curiosity. Joseph hereupon directed them which way to look: Do not
interpretations belong to God? He means the God whom he worshipped, to the
knowledge of whom he endeavours hereby to lead them. Note, It is God's
prerogative to foretel things to come, Isa. xlvi. 10. He must therefore have
the praise of all the gifts of foresight which men have, ordinary or
extraordinary. Joseph premises a caveat against his own praise, and is careful
to transmit the glory to God, as Daniel, ch. ii. 30. Joseph suggests,
"If interpretations belong to God, he is a free agent, and may
communicate the power to whom he pleases, and therefore tell me your
dreams." Now, 1. The chief butler's dream was a happy presage of his
enlargement, and re-advancement, within three days; and so Joseph explained it
to him, v. 12, 13. Probably it had been usual with him to press the
full-ripe grapes immediately into Pharaoh's cup, the simplicity of that age
not being acquainted with the modern arts of making the wine fine. Observe,
Joseph foretold the chief butler's deliverance, but he did not foresee his
own. He had long before dreamt of his own honour, and the obeisance which his
brethren should do to him, with the remembrance of which he
must now support himself, without any new or fresh discoveries. The visions
that are for the comfort of God's saints are for a great while to come, and
relate to things that are very far off, while the foresights of others, like
this recorded there, look but three days before them. 2. The chief baker's
dream portended his ignominious death, v. 18, 19. The happy
interpretation of the other's dream encouraged him to relate his. Thus
hypocrites, when they hear good things promised to good Christians, would put
in for a share, though they have no part nor lot in the matter. It was not
Joseph's fault that he brought him no better tidings. Ministers are but
interpreters, they cannot make the thing otherwise than it is; if therefore
they deal faithfully, and their message prove unpleasing, it is not their
fault. Bad dreams cannot expect a good interpretation.
V. The
improvement Joseph made of this opportunity to get a friend at court, v.
14, 15. He modestly bespoke the favour of the chief butler, whose preferment
he foretold: But think of me when it shall be well with thee. Though
the respect paid to Joseph made the prison as easy to him as a prison could
be, yet none can blame him for being desirous of liberty. See here, 1. What a
modest representation he makes of his own case, v. 15. He does not
reflect upon his brethren that sold him; he only says, I was stolen out of
the land of the Hebrews, that is, unjustly sent thence, no matter where
the fault was. Nor does he reflect on the wrong done him in this imprisonment
by his mistress that was his prosecutrix, and his master that was his judge;
but mildly avers his own innocence: Here have I done nothing that they
should put me into the dungeon. Note, When we are called to vindicate
ourselves we should carefully avoid, as much as may be, speaking ill of
others. Let us be content to prove ourselves innocent, and not be fond of
upbraiding others with their guilt. 2. What a modest request he makes to the
chief butler: "Only, think of me. Pray do me a kindness, if it lie
in your way." And his particular petition is, Bring me out of this
house. He does not say, "Bring me into Pharaoh's house, get me a
place at court." No, he begs for enlargement, not preferment. Note,
Providence
sometimes designs the greatest honours for those that least covet or expect
them.
20
And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that
he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief
butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 21 And he
restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into
Pharaoh's hand: 22 But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had
interpreted to them. 23 Yet did not the chief butler remember
Joseph, but forgat him.
Here is, 1. The
verifying of Joseph's interpretation of the dreams, on the very day prefixed.
The chief butler and baker were both advanced, one to his office, the other to
the gallows, and both at the three days' end. Note, Very great changes, both
for the better and for the worse, often happen in a very little time, so
sudden are the revolutions of the wheel of nature. The occasion of giving
judgment severally upon their case was the solemnizing of Pharaoh's birth-day,
on which, all his servants being obliged by custom to attend him, these two
came to be enquired after, and the cause of their commitment looked into. The
solemnizing of the birth-day of princes has been an ancient piece of respect
done them; and if it be not abused, as Jeroboam's was (Hos. vii. 5), and
Herod's (Mark vi. 21), is a usage innocent enough: and we may all profitably
take notice of our birth-days, with thankfulness for the mercies of our birth,
sorrow for the sinfulness of it, and an expectation of the day of our death as
better than the day of our birth. On Pharaoh's birth-day he lifted up the head
of these two prisoners, that is, arraigned and tried them (when Naboth was
tried he was set on high among the people, 1 Kings xxi. 9), and he
restored the chief butler, and hanged the chief baker. If the
butler was innocent and the baker guilty, we must own the equity of
Providence
in
clearing up the innocency of the innocent, and making the sin of the guilty to
find him out. If both were either equally innocent or equally guilty, it is an
instance of the arbitrariness of such great princes as pride themselves in
that power which Nebuchadnezzar set up for (Dan. v. 19, whom he would he
slew, and whom he would he kept alive), forgetting that there is a higher
than they, to whom they are accountable. 2. The disappointing of Joseph's
expectation from the chief butler: He remembered not Joseph, but forgot
him, v. 23. (1.) See here an instance of base ingratitude; Joseph
had deserved well at his hands, had ministered to him, sympathized with him,
helped him to a favourable interpretation of his dream, had recommended
himself to him as an extraordinary person upon all accounts; and yet he forgot
him. We must not think it strange if in this world we have hatred shown us for
our love, and slights for our respects. (2.) See how apt those that are
themselves at ease are to forget others in distress. Perhaps it is in allusion
to this story that the prophet speaks of those that drink wine in bowls,
and are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph, Amos vi. 6. Let us learn
hence to cease from man. Joseph perhaps depended too much upon his interest in
the chief butler, and promised himself too much from him; he learned by his
disappointment to trust in God only. We cannot expect
too little from man nor too much from God.
Some observe the
resemblance between Joseph and Christ in this story. Joseph's fellow-sufferers
were like the two thieves that were crucified with Christ--the one saved, the
other condemned. (It is Dr. Lightfoot's remark, from Mr. Broughton.) One of
these, when Joseph said to him, Remember me when it shall be well with
thee, forget him; but one of those, when he said to Christ, Remember me
when thou comest into thy kingdom, was not forgotten. We justly blame the
chief butler's ingratitude to Joseph, yet we conduct ourselves much more
disingenuously towards the Lord Jesus. Joseph had but foretold the chief
butler's enlargement, but Christ wrought out ours, mediated with the King of
kings for us; yet we forget him, though often reminded of him, though we have
promised never to forget him: thus ill do we requite him, like foolish people
and unwise.
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