Joseph - Part 5
The Waiting as Refinement - 39:20-41:36
While we can’t fully know the amount of time that passed in prison, after some amount of time, two new prisoners joined Joseph in prison (1) Pharaoh’s cupbearer (2) Chief baker. Both of them held important places in Pharaoh’s court. A cupbearer was not just the one who tasted the wine before Pharaoh drank it to ensure he was not poisoned, but he would have also been an advisor to Pharaoh. The baker would have held the important position of making sure the food served was excellent and fitting for Pharoah and safe for him to eat.
For some reason, they found themselves at odds with their master and they found themselves in prison with Joseph.
While they all lived in prison, there came a night where both men had a dream, and by God’s help Joseph interpreted their dreams. The cupbearer’s dream meant that in three days he would be restored to his position, but the baker’s dream meant that in three days he would be killed. The text reveals that Joseph pleaded with the cupbearer for this in…Genesis 40:14 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. 15 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.”
Can you not see the humanity in Joseph’s request? Sure enough, 3 days later Joseph’s interpretations came true, and you wonder if the cupbearer said, “I’ll remember you and get you out shortly”! For years now, Joseph had experienced not much hope in Egypt & they likely were the best they had been since his brother’s betrayal.
He was getting out, or this was his assumption, but not God’s plan. We should all be careful that we don’t allow assumptions to equal God’s purposes in our lives. If we do this, then we can open up our lives to blame Him when our assumption does not come to fruition. He needed to be worked on a bit more in the prison.
Did he roll up his bedroll and start imagining his return home to his father Jacob?
The first night came & no word came about a release from prison. The next day and then another came with no word about freedom.
Over time Joseph realized that he had been forgotten. He was not alone, but for the time being, he was forgotten by man, but he still knew God was with him.
This story informs us keenly that…
God uses disappointments to bring His people
to the place where their only hope is in Him.
Often this can be a very painful process, but at times this is needed as God pulls from us the false human hopes and our confidence in things to bring us joy. These moments force us to cling to Christ alone as the only certainty in this life. We’ve got to come to the place where we know in our mind, experientially and in our heart that God alone is to be trusted.
Disappointments will move us either to despair or hope.
Our text does not indicate what happened in Joseph’s heart as he waited day after day and we are left to wonder the depth and implications of these words in Genesis 40:23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Two Years in the Prime of Life
We notice in our Bibles now a new chapter comes and as we enter this new chapter, that period represents 2 whole years of Joseph’s life in the prime of his life. Those two years indicate the deepening & maturing of Joseph, when he dealt with his disappointments and moved, not into despair and anger, but into hope in God alone.
Genesis 41:1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass.
Sometimes we have to learn that we are not
too trust in the cupbearer but in Christ for our deliverance.
We know Joseph became a much deeper man in God as he is not cynical or angry, but he is a man who is godly & ready for great responsibility to run a nation.
Psalm 105:19 speaks of this time as one where “the word of the Lord tested him” & it gives us more insight into this period of time of 2 years in prison. It is staggering to read the next verses now in Psalm 105 describing those 730 days.
Psalm 105:16 When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, 17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 18 His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; 19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.
Look at 105:18 – His feet hurt with fetters and he often stayed in a collar of iron.
Man will often forget but God never will.
Though Joseph could interpret dreams, he could not see his future and had to continue to wait and trust.
Another Reason We Have to Wait
Sometimes we have to wait because God has not gotten someone else ready for what we need to do in their life. Pharaoh was not yet ready for he had not had his dream, so Joseph remains until God’s perfect timing.
So, what lessons do we need to learn on waiting?
(1) Difficult days force us to listen to and look to God
(2) Difficult days bring a necessary godly refinement to our character
God’s grace is always sufficient if we will receive it. Joseph came through these trials stronger, not weaker, gentle, not bitter, because he hoped in God.
(3) Difficult days teach us much about the grace of God in our lives
Spurgeon on Grace
The 19th century British preacher, Charles Spurgeon, was riding home after a heavy day’s work, feeling weary and depressed, when suddenly the verse flashed into his mind, “My grace is sufficient for you.” He said, “I should think it is, Lord,” and he burst out laughing. It seemed to make unbelief so absurd.
He said, “It was as if some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry, and the river said, ‘Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for you.’ Or, it seemed like a little mouse in the granaries of Egypt after seven years of plenty fearing it might die of famine, and Joseph might say, ‘Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for you.’ Or it was like a man up on a mountain saying to himself, ‘I fear I shall exhaust all the oxygen in the atmosphere.’ But the earth might say, ‘Breathe away, O man, and fill your lungs; my atmosphere is sufficient for you.’” You can’t exhaust the grace of God to meet your need in every trial.
Joseph found this to be true in prison!
Some of us may be right now in the midst of extreme and broken circumstances and disappointments. Whatever we may be going through – we have hope for He is Sovereign over all.
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