| Subject: Genesis 40 vss 1-23 Post 188 |
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Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 12:39:28 03/16/12 Fri
CHAPTER 40
Genesis 40:1-23 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. 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 shew 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. 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.
In reading this chapter we find a recurring theme. which is judgment. Joseph has been given a place of authority under the keeper of the prison. He is second in command and when two very important prisoners come into the prison house they become his responsibility. The two are the chief butler to Pharaoh and the chief baker. While under his care and keeping the two had a dream in the same night. The similar elements of the dream were the 3 branches in the butler's dream and the 3 baskets in the baker's dream. Each was interpreted as being 3 days time until the fulfillment of the dreams which were to coincide with Pharaoh's birthday.
In the butler's case he was to be restored to his former position while the baker was to be hanged and left to the birds.
There is much symbolism to be found in the passage. As it pertains to judgment we find one pardoned and one condemned. This is as it was on calvary. One thief pardoned and one condemned. When each of us stand before the judgment we will either be condemned or pardoned. Notice how the butler is connected to the vine, grapes and new wine. He presses the grape juice into the cup of Pharaoh. Wine or graped juice are symbolic of the blood of Jesus. Remember when Jesus set forth the communion he said: "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. " (Matt. 26:28) What was Jesus referring to in the verse? The cup of wine held up before the 12 which they were to drink. If we are to be pardoned it will be on the merits of the blood of Jesus. The butler shows symbolically the blood applied.
The baker on the other hand has no means by which he can be pardoned. All he has is baskets of baked goods measured in the three baskets. The top basket of which is devoured by the birds. Birds often times are symbolic of evil. Evil devours!
We are also reminded of a parable of Jesus concerning meal which the bakers bakemeats was made of : "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." Leaven, in the Bible is equated with sin and false doctrine.
The 3 days have their part in prophecy and symbolism also. The number 3 is very prominent in scripture and especially concerning judgment and tribulation. There is a 3 day prophecy concerning Israel and her returning to the Lord. Hosea 6:1-2 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. This prophecy is to be understood from the standpoint of prophetic time and not literal time. Prophetic time concerning Israel is found in 2 Peter 3:7-8 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. From the time of her great apostasy until her restoration will be approximately 3 of these 1,000 yr. days.
The two witnesses in Revelation 13 are restored to life after 3 days. Jesus was in the heart of the earth for 3 days and 3 nights. This number 3 herald great events with God and emphasis is put on this in Exodus 19:11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
Much of the remaining chapters in Genesis will be heavy on prophecy and it will be aimed at the end times. This prophetic episode in the life of Joseph and the two dreamers is just a prelude to the next dreams which Pharaoh will have in the next chapter.
One last thing concerning the dreams and interpretations of the dreams. Notice that Joseph in verse 8 magnifies the Lord for the interpretations. "Do not interpretations belong to God?" There are people today who claim to be able to interpret dreams. If they don't give God the credit and glory but claim the power within their selves they are charlatans. Only God can know the future and if He sends a dream only He can interpret it. If He wants the meaning made known the He will have a Joseph prepared to interpret that dream.
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