So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 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.” Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”
It is hard to imagine Joseph’s situation. He was sold by his brothers as a slave for money and then put in home to serve, only to be accused of rape and put into prison under those false accusations. Now he is in prison serving others. The king’s baker and wine, cupbearer, were place in his charge. They both experienced a dream and Joseph would interpret it for them. After doing so, he asks the cupbearer to remember him when he would be restored to service before the king. This, of course, would eventually be his way out. God put the cupbearer in jail to be the tool God would use to bring Joseph out of jail. God’s sovereign rule is on full display here. However, another notable portion of this story is found in Jospeh’s explanation as to why he was in prison. Note again what he told the cupbearer:
Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit. (Verses 14-15).
For the record, Joseph was not stolen out of the land of the Hebrews. He was sold by his brothers. He was correct to say, “I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.” Why did Joseph characterize his being in Egypt as being stolen from the land of the Hebrews? The Hebrew word for stolen here is that of being taken away. He was taken out of the land of Egypt. He went from one pit in the land of Israel to another pit in the prison of Egypt. He is not really stressing the reason that he was taken out of the land, but just that he was. God used this moment to continue to work in Joseph’s life to show His divine purpose for this situation. Joseph is still learning about God’s care. He is seeing it but has much hurt in his heart over it. We can be used by God and even believe God’s hand is in it and still have a weight on our hearts that we are where we are and it hurts.
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