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16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head. 17 In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.” 18 So Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” 20 Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 21 Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, 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 butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. ~ Genesis 40:16-23
Today, we complete our study of Genesis 40 where we find Joseph still in Pharaoh's prison with his two newfound friends the butler and the baker of the Pharaoh. Both of these men had dreams on the same night and Joseph accurately interpreted their dreams from their beginning to their end. Having considered the first dream, the dream of the butler, today, we will consider the second dream, the dream of the baker.
In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, 'I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head. 17 In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.’”
In the dream of the baker there were three white baskets which were filled with baked goods. The baskets were wicker and so one would have been able to see the baked goods through them. The Jewish historian Josephus said they were loaves in two of the baskets and in the third were other tasty baked goods. The birds swooped down and ate the bread. What should have been for Pharaoh were eaten by the birds.
In v.18-22 of today’s passage we read, “18 So Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” 20 Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 21 Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.”
As was the case with the dream of the butler, there was a three-day fulfillment of the baker's dream. As we see so many times in the Bible when two things are placed side by side, there is a contrast and yet there is a confirmation. This is no different. The confirmation is the three days. With over four hundred occurrences of the number 3 in the Bible, a careful study reveals the number 3 is always associated with God. When God created man in His image, He made us with a body, a soul, and a spirit. On the Mount of Transfiguration there were three people Jesus, Elijah, and Moses. The body of the Lord Jesus was in the grave for three days. We could go on and on but I think you get the idea.
Then Pharaoh put the baker to death. Some say the baker’s head was taken off by decapitation and then his body was nailed to a tree. Some say he died either by hanging or crucifixion. The Jewish historian Josephus said that he was crucified. However he died, he hung on a tree and the birds ate his flesh three days later.
We are forgiven of our sin because we have placed our trust in Christ or we are still in our sin awaiting the judgment of God. We either have a curse upon us or we have the blessing of God upon us. These two dreams mentioned in today’s chapter likewise contrast and confirm. They contrast the choice of every human on this earth: Will we go with God or will we try to make it on our own?
Only two birthday parties are mentioned in the Bible, Pharaoh’s and Herod’s. These birthdays are mentioned because these men were rulers and the celebration affected the outcome of the decisions they made. In the case of Pharaoh, it was the time to reassert his rule and reaffirm his nobles. His rule and authority was established through decisions he made concerning life and death, specifically, that of his butler and baker. And so he lifted up their heads. The meaning of this comes from the surrounding context. It means something like “to hold a trial.” Imagine a group of people entering into the presence of the king. They would have their heads down and their eyes averted from his as a sign of respect. To lift up one’s head then would be to meet the gaze of the king. For those who are in the king’s favor, they would be looked on with approval. For those who were out of his favor, their meeting his eyes would be with a note of disapproval. His gaze would then be their sentence.
Whatever made Pharaoh angry with the cupbearer, it was forgiven. He lifted up his head with a favorable gaze and his status was restored. In acknowledgement of that he “placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” In the Hebrew, it says he “set the cup upon Pharaoh’s palm.” The picture was of Pharaoh opening his hand palm up, and the cupbearer gently placing it into his palm. Exactly as Joseph interpreted, so it came to pass. Sadly, the chief baker went to his death, and the word used here for his hanging pictures for us crucifixion.
In v.23 of today’s passage we read, “Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”
The last verse for today's passage closes with the fact that the cupbearer didn’t remember Joseph even though Joseph helped him so. It is one thing to be forgotten by a human but another to be forgotten by God. Obviously, the Lord had more work for Joseph to do in that prison and this explains why the butler didn’t do as he had promised. If the cupbearer had remembered Joseph right after he was restored to his position, then Pharaoh wouldn’t have come to know Joseph in the way he needed to, and therefore, wouldn’t have ever promoted Joseph to the place God wanted Joseph to be promoted as the second most important person in the world. Thank the Lord that He knows the perfect time to bring such to fruition. This is why we must trust Him and walk with Him daily for He only knows the end from the beginning.
