IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Joseph Interprets Two Dreams

Date: Jul. 11, 2025

Passage

Genesis 40:1-23 (ESV)

Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody.

And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11 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 Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. 13 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. 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.”

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” 18 And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, 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 cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 40:8

They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

Joseph was in the king's prison, which was under Potiphar's jurisdiction. He was a faithful steward in prison, too. And God was with him, so he was put in charge of the prison. Two prisoners, who were very close to the king, were entrusted to his care. One was the king's cupbearer and the other, the king's baker. Joseph paid close attention to them; one morning, he noticed that something was bothering them. He found that each man had had a disturbing dream. What did they mean? Joseph entrusted the dreams of the two prisoners to God. He testified to the Lord’s sovereign rule there.

God was speaking to these men through their dreams, but they could not understand what he was saying. Joseph was God's servant. He listened to their dreams and uncompromisingly interpreted each dream. Even though the baker's dream was bad news, Joseph was honest; he did not spare the details. Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him before Pharaoh once he was released. But the cupbearer forgot all about Joseph when he was released. Joseph would wait.

Prayer: Lord, all things, including dreams, belong to you. Help me to serve others. Use me to testify to you in all things.

One Word: Use all things to proclaim God’s glory

Daily Bread

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Colossians 1:24-2:5

Key Verse: 1:1:28

Greeting

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