THE BUTLER
AND THE BAKER
Chapter 40
The butler (also called chief cup-bearer) was an officer of the highest trust of Pharaoh, and was responsible for the security of what he ate and drank, trying the food and drink first to make sure they were not contaminated or poisoned.
The baker was the head chef, responsible for preparation and quality of meals, another position of the highest responsibility.
The Pharaoh was angry with them: we do not know why, it may have been a simple indigestion. He had arbitrary, dictatorial powers over all his subjects, and, having lost his confidence in these two, he put them in custody in the prison where Joseph was confined, in the house of the captain of the guard.
We read that Potiphar was captain of the guard, and probably there were more than one. Otherwise, they would be confined, along with Joseph, at his house. Anyway, Joseph was put in charge of them and served them by order of the commander.
After a while one morning Joseph looked at them and saw that they were sad, so wanted to know the reason why. The two said they had each had a dream and there was no interpreter for it. Joseph promptly declared that to God belongs the interpretation of dreams. He did not miss this opportunity to witness the true God.
God did communicate through dreams, on certain rare occasions, during the period of the Old Testament up to the birth of the Lord Jesus. In these dreams He spoke clearly as to Abimelech (chapter 20:3,6), or by pictures such as to Daniel (Daniel 7:2), or by symbols such as we now read to the chief butler and to the chief baker, which were interpreted by men of God, such as Joseph in this case.
The chief butler told his dream to Joseph – we notice how he had gained his trust. Joseph immediately interpreted his dream: he was in perfect communion with God, and God gave him this special gift of being able to interpret dreams.
The message of the dream was good: the chief butler would be restored after three days. Joseph took the opportunity to ask the chief butler to remember him when things went well, and speak to Pharaoh to free him from prison.
The chief baker was encouraged by hearing the good prognosis of his colleague, and in turn told his dream to Joseph. But the interpretation revealed that the message was tragic: after three days he would be killed by Pharaoh.
Here again we see the faithfulness of Joseph, who gave the correct interpretation of the dream, though painful. It is much harder to give sad news than happy ones. It's much nicer to talk to unbelievers about the love of God than about the eternal damnation they will be subjected to for not believing in Christ!
The messages of the dreams were fulfilled faithfully. But the chief butler forgot about Joseph, and only two years later did he remember him again (chapter 41:9-13).
In parallel to this passage we are reminded that the Lord Jesus was crucified between two criminals, one of whom was saved by going to Paradise, and the other died in his sins, being condemned to eternal damnation.
R David Jones
1 It came to pass after these things that the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt.
2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker.
3 So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined.
4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while.
5 Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man's dream in one night and each man's dream with its own interpretation.
6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad.
7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in the custody of his lord's house, saying, "Why do you look so sad today?"
8 And 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."
9 Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "Behold, in my dream a vine was before me,
10 and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes.
11 Then Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand."
12 And Joseph said to him, "This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days.
13 Now 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.
14 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.
15 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."
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, "I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head.
17 In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head."
18 So Joseph answered and said, "This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days.
19 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."
20 Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
21 Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand.
22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.
23 Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Genesis chapter 40