We are looking at where God is in the midst of suffering. We are looking for these answers through lens of the life of Joseph. Joseph now finds himself in a prison but he is innocent. Joseph has done nothing worthy of being imprisoned. Nothing has gone right for Joseph in his life. Joseph did what his father told him to do, yet his brothers hated him and sold him into slavery. Joseph faithfully served his master, Potipher, in all of his house, yet he was false accused of sexual assault and now is in Pharaoh’s prison. But through all of these terrible and painful circumstances, we are told four times that the Lord was with Joseph (Genesis 39:2, 3, 21, 23). This is what I want us to think about as we approach Genesis 40. The Lord was with Joseph, the Lord is blessing Joseph, but Joseph is in a prison. Joseph’s circumstances still appear hopeless. How is Joseph going to get out of prison? How can any of the dreams that the Lord gave him come true? How can Joseph have any hope for his life considering where he is at this moment? Why not just give up now that he is hopelessly contained in the prison? Let’s see where God is with Joseph in the midst of his suffering.
Preparing For The Turn (Genesis 40:1-23)
Joseph is now serving in the prison and he has been elevated to have authority over the prison (cf. 39:22-23). Genesis 40 begins by telling us that Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker offended Pharaoh, angered him, and were thrown into the prison by him where Joseph was also confined. Joseph was put in charge to tend to them during their imprisonment. One night they both had a dream and the next day Joseph sees that both of these men were distraught. Joseph asks them about why they are downcast and troubled. Joseph does not say, “You think you have troubles. You should hear my story.” Rather, Joseph is concerned about these two strangers and wants to know what they are experiencing. Both men tell Joseph that they have both experienced dreams and there is no one to tell them the meaning (40:8). Now think about what Joseph could say at this moment. Joseph could say that he does not care. Joseph could say that he does not want anything to do with dreams. The last time Joseph encountered dreams, it ended up with him in this very prison. Rather, Joseph seizes the opportunity. Joseph does not worry about being cultural sensitive. Joseph speaks truth. “Interpretations belong to God. So tell me your dreams.”
Now this should capture our attention for a moment. We are not told that Joseph is a dream interpreter. Joseph has received dreams from God. But Joseph knows that God is with him and God will use him to give the interpretation to these men. Joseph sees this moment as a way to serve the Lord by serving these men. Joseph does not say that interpretations belong to God and then walk off. Rather, Joseph still sees himself as an instrument in God’s hands. Interpretations belong to God so tell me your dreams.
The chief cupbearer goes first telling Joseph his dream (40:9-11). He saw a vine with three branches of ripened grapes. He took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and gave the cup to Pharaoh. Joseph says that the meaning is that in three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, placing Pharaoh’s cup in his hand. Then Joseph has a request. Remember me. When it is well with you, show me steadfast love my mentioned me to Pharaoh because I have done nothing deserving being put into this pit.
When the chief baker saw that Joseph gave a favorable interpretation, he also tells Joseph his dream (40:16-17). In his dream he saw three baskets of bread on his head and the birds were eating out the basket on his head. Joseph now gives the interpretation. The three baskets represent three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and hang you on a tree. Your body will be left there and the birds will eat your flesh from you. So you can imagine both of these men waiting for the next three days. On the third day it was Pharaoh’s birthday and a great feast was given for all his officials. Pharaoh lifted up the heads of both the cupbearer and the baker among his servants. He restored the cupbearer to his position before them all. He hanged the baker on that day as well. Both dreams and their interpretations were fulfilled just as Joseph said.
But I want you to feel the weight of verse 23. The cupbearer did not remember Joseph. He forgot him. Could life get any worse? Can you imagine your hopes that you would have, waiting for the cupbearer to tell Pharaoh about what happened to you and sending someone to set you free? You can imagine the hope each day, thinking surely today will be the day that he will be released from prison. Notice how long the waiting continues. Look at Genesis 41:1. “After two whole years….” Two whole years pass from this time when Joseph interpreted their dreams. Can you imagine your hopes and dreams of getting out of this prison slowly slipping away as each day goes by? One day turns to 7 days, which turns to 30 days, which turns to 300 days, which turns to 600 days, which turns to more than 700 days. Hope faded day by day.
Ready For The Turn (Genesis 41:1-36)
Two whole years pass but now Pharaoh has a dream about seven ugly, thin cows and seven plump cows. But the seven ugly cows ate the seven plump cows. Then Pharaoh has another dream in which he sees seven good, health heads of grain and seven thin, scorched heads of grain. But the seven thin heads of grain ate the seven good heads of grain. So Pharaoh wants to know what these dreams mean. We noted in our first lesson that dreams were understood to be given by God or by the gods. This is why Pharaoh sends for his magicians and wise men to come to him and interpret the dream (41:8). But no one is able to interpret the dreams. We are not surprised by this because Joseph already told the prisoners that interpretations belong to God.
But this is a light bulb moment for the cupbearer (41:9). He says to Pharaoh, “Today I remember my offenses.” He tells Pharaoh about a young Hebrew in the prison with him who was able to give an interpretation to their dreams. Not only does he give interpretations, but his interpretations came true. So Pharaoh sends for Joseph and they quickly bring him out of the pit. They clean him up and change his clothes so that he can appear before Pharaoh. Pharaoh tells Joseph that he had a dream that no one can interpret. But I have heard that you can hear a dream and interpret it. Listen to what Joseph says in verse 16.
Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” (Genesis 41:16 ESV)
Yet again Joseph does not take any glory to himself but points the glory to God. So Pharaoh recounts his dreams to Joseph (41:17-24). Joseph says that both dreams mean the same thing. There are going to be seven years of great abundance throughout the land of Egypt. But then there are going to be seven years of famine that will consume all the seven years of abundance so that the abundant years are forgotten. Having two dreams means that the matter is certain and God is going to shortly bring these things about. Joseph then advises Pharaoh to choose a discerning and wise man to be in charge and prepare the nation to start collecting a portion of the harvest during the years of abundance to prepare for the famine so that no one will perish (41:33-36).
Pharaoh agrees and notes that God is with Joseph (41:37-39). Pharaoh sets Joseph in charge over all of Egypt. No one will be greater than Joseph in all of Egypt except Pharaoh himself. Pharaoh puts his signet ring on Joseph’s hand and dressed him in royal robes. This is the third time that Joseph will wear the robe of authority. Pharaoh had Joseph ride in a chariot as second in command, calling out for everyone to submit to him. As we conclude the narrative for this lesson I want you to look at Genesis 41:46. Joseph was 30 years old when he entered into the service of the king of Egypt. So what do we learn about God in the midst of suffering?
The Turn Can Be Just Around the Corner
I want us to think about how many opportunities Joseph had to quit on God and give up on his promises. Joseph would have been tempted when his brothers hated him. He would have been tempted to quit when his brothers sold him into slavery. He would have been tempted to give up when he was being tempted by Potipher’s wife every day. He would have been tempted to quit when he was falsely accused and sent to the prison. He would have been tempted to walk away from God when the cupbearer forgot and two more years went by. But here is what I want you to see. If he had given up, he would missed out on what God was preparing. Who knew that this is what God was going to do in Joseph’s life? Who knew that his rise would be this kind of a rise? The turn can be just around the corner.
Please note that it took 13 years for this turn to happen. Please let that sink in. The turn took 13 years to come. We are tempted to give up after 13 days. But God might take years to bring about the turn. We do not know when the turn will come. The turn could be today. The turn could be tomorrow. The turn could be next week or next year. The turn might be long down the road. But you do not want to exclude yourself for the turn that God has in store for you. This leads to the second point.
Wait For the Turn
We have to wait for the turn. We have to wait for God’s timing. We quickly forget that God’s timing is not our timing. We want our timing to always be God’s timing. But this is not how it works. We are told to wait for the Lord. Listen to what Isaiah says about our need to wait for the Lord.
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV)
God does not get tired. God does not grow faint. He is not exhausted by time or circumstances and he understands all things. God gives power to the faint. God gives strength to those whose strength has failed. Everyone will grow wearied by this life and all of its hardships. But listen to what Isaiah says. Those who wait for the Lord will have their strength renewed. They will run and not be weary. They will walk and not faint. God will lift us up if we will wait for the turn. God’s timing is not our timing. We even sing a song called, “In His Time” in which we proclaim that God will make all things beautiful in his time. We must wait for God to make the turn in our lives and not give up in the process. I am heartbroken at how many people quit on God and quit on life because they do not believe that the turn is coming. They feel like they cannot wait any longer for the turn. But the turn can be around the corner. Wait for it.
The Turn Does Not Mean Return
Joseph’s rise did not mean going back home. Joseph’s turn did not mean going back to his family. Joseph’s turn did not mean returning to the way life was. I think this is hard for us to wrestle with as well. Often in our trials we are asking God to return life to the way it was. We can miss the turn God is working in our lives because we are so focused on returning to the way things used to be. The turn does not mean that things are going to return to the way they were. The turn means God is going to lift you out of the pit. The turn means God giving you the strength you need and the transformation you need to move forward with him. I know I spent too much time in my early years angry that life did not return to the way I wanted it to be, completely missing how God was turning my life toward a whole new direction.
See Jesus
Let’s conclude by seeing Jesus in this who understands your circumstances. Jesus looks forsaken and rejected by people and by God. Jesus enters into service to the Father on earth at age 30 but people do not see him for who he is. But the turn was around the corner, when the Father would glorify the Son by raising from the dead and exalting him to his right hand. God exalted his suffering servant to kingship to save the world, just as Joseph’s life is foreshadowing. The bars of the pit were opened and he was raised. The turn was around the corner. Do not give up just as Jesus did not give up. Instead, wait for the turn as Jesus did.