It had seemed like Joseph had fallen as low as possible when he found himself sold as a slave in Egypt. Yet, now he had fallen further still, just when things had looked like they were on the way up again. He now finds himself falsely accused, treated as a criminal and in prison.
At the end of his life, Joseph would talk about God intending things for good. How was he able to say that? How can believers today suffering literal enslavement or imprisonment and worse say that God is good? How can we, when our life feels metaphorically like prison, even like death say that God is good?
Read Genesis 39:20b -40:23
The start of Joseph’s experience in prison seems to echo his experience in Potiphar’s hose. God is with him in the prison cell and so he is increasingly given authority and responsibility (39:20b -40:23).
Joseph is soon joined by two important prisoners, Pharoah’s personal cup bearer and baker. These two men would not simply be responsible for serving food and drink but would have been trusted right hand men, responsible for ensuring that no one got to the king via his food. They are put under Joseph’s care (40:1-4).
Both men have dreams that trouble them. They seem to realise, perhaps because of the similar themes and the apparent coincidence of dreaming the same night, that these are no ordinary dreams but ones with meanings to interpret (40:5). Joseph finds them downcast the next morning because there in prison they have no access to the wise men and magicians in the court who would be able to interpret dreams. Joseph insists that interpretation belongs to God, by implication, not to men. He gets them to share their dreams with him (40:6-8).
The cupbearer goes first. He had seen a vine with three branches. He had squeezed the grapes from the branches into Pharoah’s cup. Joseph interprets for him. The branches represent three days and indicate that in three days he will be restored to his position (40:9=14). Joseph asks only that the cupbearer will remember him and plead his case for him before Pharoah when restored (40:14-15).
The baker, encouraged by his colleague’s interpretation, shares his dream. He had seen three baskets of bread and pastries on his head. He was taking them to Pharoah but the birds were eating them. Joseph says that the baker will also be taken from the prison in thre days but not to be restored, instead he will be executed. He will be hung or impaled and the birds will eat his flesh (40:18-19).
Three days follow and the Pharoah has a feast to celebrate his birthday. As predicted, he releases the two men from prison, one is restored to his position, the other is killed. However, the cupbearer forgets all about Joseph’s request (40:20-23).
Digging a little deeper
In the darkest prison, God is still there and acting. In 1 Peter 3:18-20, we are told that during the process of Christ’s resurrection, “he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits…” Quite what this is referring to has provoked much debate. However, what we can say is that Jesus has been to the very darkest places, beyond our imagination, in all of space and time. There is nowhere beyond his reach, not even a prison cell. Joseph in prison points us to Jesus.
A look at ourselves
If God could work in Joseph’s literal prison and that points us to the truth that nowhere is beyond Christ’s reach in all of space and time, and beyond then this is good news for us. Whatever our situation, no matter how dark, we can trust Jesus to be there.
Faithroots 