Thank you.
We're going to read all of chapter 40 this morning. I'm going to pray and then we'll hear what God has to say to us. So let's read God's word, starting at verse 1.
Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt.
Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard in the same prison where Joseph was confined.
The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph and he served them.
After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison, had a dream the same night.
And each dream had a meaning of its own.
When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected.
So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, why do you look so sad today?
We both had dreams, they answered, but there is no one to interpret them.
Then Joseph said to them, do not interpretations belong to God?
Tell me your dreams.
So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream.
He said to him, in my dream I saw a vine in front of me and on the vine were three branches.
As soon as it budded, it blossomed and its clusters ripened into grapes.
Pharaoh's cup was in my hand and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup and put the cup in his hand.
This is what it means, Joseph said to him.
The three branches are three days.
Within three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position.
And you will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.
But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness.
Mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.
I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews.
And even here, I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.
When the chief baker saw that Joseph had been given a favorable interpretation,
he said to Joseph, I too had a dream.
And on my head were three baskets of bread.
In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh,
but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.
This is what it means, Joseph said.
The three baskets are three days.
Within three days, Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole.
And the birds will eat away your flesh.
Now, the third day was Pharaoh's birthday.
And he gave a feast for all his officials.
He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials.
He restored the chief cupbearer to his position,
so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand.
But he impaled the chief baker,
just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.
The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph.
He forgot him.
Well, let's pray together.
Father, thank you for your word.
Thank you for this true account of the life of Joseph.
We ask for your spirit's help to have understanding with our minds,
but that it would also be driven deep into our hearts.
And it would change us and affect us in such a way
that it affects our week in what we do and how we live.
We pray that what we hear today will be good for us
and will help us.
Thank you that you are present here now
through your word to us today.
Amen.
Well, not much has changed in the last 10 years of Joseph's life.
At 17, he was thrown into a pit of a well by his brothers
and sold off as a slave.
Now 27, Joseph is thrown into the pit of a dungeon by his master
and is working as a slave.
Nothing new to report.
Just the same old struggle and suffering.
In fact, by the time we get to the end of chapter 40,
guess what?
Joseph is still in the pit of a dungeon
and he's still doing slave stuff.
One wonders if God has moved on and left Joseph behind.
You see, life can be like that for God's people, can't it?
We long for a change in our circumstances,
but the problem is nothing ever seems to change.
We cry out to God for a better life,
but life, it seems, gets no better.
There's trouble at work
and weeks later,
the same trouble is there.
Or maybe you develop an illness
and months down the line,
there's no improvement,
there's no relief.
Or you're struggling with a relationship
that's broken down
and years later,
it's still not right.
Nothing new to report,
just the same old struggle
and suffering.
One wonders if God has lost interest in me.
Maybe he's forgotten me altogether.
Well, God has not forgotten his people
and God has not forgotten Joseph.
You see, in the unchanging struggles of life,
God is consistently unchanging towards us.
In our unchanging sufferings of life,
God is consistently unchanging towards us.
We're going to look at three main things
from our text this morning
that are going to encourage us,
comfort us,
and assure us
in this time of struggle.
So first,
we want to be encouraged
by God's sovereign design.
Encouraged by God's sovereign design.
Joseph is in prison
and he's soon to have some new friends.
Look at verse 1.
Sometime later, the cupbearer,
so he was the winemaker
or the wine buyer
and the baker,
he's the pastry chef
of the king of Egypt,
offended their master,
the king of Egypt.
So something must have ticked Pharaoh off.
Maybe he didn't like the choice of wine
with the steak he was having that evening
or perhaps he found the croissants
just a little too flaky.
Whatever it was,
he's got annoyed.
That's what powerful people do.
They throw a wobbly
and he throws the baker
and the cupbearer
into prison
where Joseph was.
Now the problem for Joseph is
they're not quite on an equal friendship.
They're still the king's attendants.
They still hold a special status.
So, verse 4,
the captain of the guard
assigned them to Joseph
where he served them.
Well, you can't get much lower than that,
can you?
Joseph's not only in prison,
but he's at the bottom of the pile
where he's serving the other prisoners.
What is God doing?
What is God up to?
Has he forgotten Joseph?
Well, not so.
God is working.
In fact,
we have here
a spoiler alert.
You see,
the cupbearer
is going to have a big part
to play
in Joseph's life.
In fact,
he's going to be the person
that God uses
to get Joseph
out of prison
and into a position of power
to serve
alongside
Pharaoh.
Read on in the story
and you will find out.
But we're getting
a bit ahead of ourselves.
At this point,
we just need to know
that God is working
and he's working out
his purposes
even though
we don't know
and we can't always see
what God is doing.
Which means
we just get on
serving.
You see,
our role
is not to try
and figure out
what God is doing.
His ways
are not our ways.
His thoughts
are not our thoughts.
No,
we simply trust
that God is sovereign
and we keep on serving.
And that's exactly
what Joseph did.
Look at verse 6.
When Joseph came
to the other prisoners
the next morning,
he saw
that they were dejected.
they were down
as they were eating
their breakfast.
Now,
if I were Joseph
and I were at the bottom
of the pile,
I might feel
a little bit
delighted
in their trouble.
I mean,
there's nothing better
than seeing those
who are above you
suffer and struggle,
isn't there?
But not Joseph.
He sees an opportunity
to serve.
Verse 7.
So he asked
Pharaoh's officials
who were in custody
with him
in his master's house,
why do you look
so sad today?
I mean,
it's not a big thing.
Just a sympathetic
observation.
They're glum.
They're not the same
jovial selves.
Something's not right.
Why are you so sad?
And sure enough,
it led to some
God talk.
Verse 8.
Oh,
we both had dreams,
they answered,
but there is no one
to interpret them.
Then Joseph said to them,
well,
I know someone,
don't I?
Do not interpretations
belong to God?
Tell me your dreams.
Joseph does the one thing
he can do
to help lift the burden.
He points them to God
who sees all things
and knows all things.
In his suffering,
he sees the suffering
of those around them
and he points them to God
who is sovereign over all.
You see,
God has not lost interest
in you or me.
He's not forgotten us.
God has a design
for your struggles
in life.
Our sufferings
might not be the path
we would choose.
Our troubles
mightn't be
what we would plan.
But God knows
and God has a sovereign design
for every circumstance
of your life.
In other words,
God is in control
of your day to day.
in what you face
when you go to work
tomorrow morning.
The news
that you might receive
in the doctor's surgery.
The relationship
that you're struggling with.
God is sovereign
over every single detail
and it's in moments like that
we don't need to panic.
In fact,
we get on serving.
Our suffering
that we face
with God's help
can make us sensitive
to the needs
and the suffering
of those around us.
Just as we run to God
in our struggle
so we can point others
to our God
who sees all things
and knows all things.
So when we struggle,
don't look down.
Look up.
You might see
someone who is sad
and someone
who needs help.
You see,
in the unchanging
struggles of life,
God is consistently
unchanging
towards us.
In your suffering,
be encouraged
by God's
sovereign design
for your life.
So first,
be encouraged.
second,
we can be comforted.
Comforted
by God's
steadfast
love.
So the cupbearer
and the baker
tell their dreams
to Joseph.
They take it in turns.
And God,
through Joseph,
gives the interpretation.
The cupbearer
dreams means
he's going to be
restored
to being
chief cupbearer.
the baker's dream
means he will be,
well,
it's brown bread
for him,
isn't it?
We'll come back
to that shortly.
Now,
while the dreams
are very important,
it's Joseph's response
that should get
our attention.
With the cupbearer
looking forward
to his restoration,
Joseph sees
an opportunity.
verse 14.
He says
to the chief
cupbearer,
when all goes
well with you,
remember me
and show me
kindness.
Mention me
to Pharaoh
and get me
out of this
prison.
Now,
I don't blame
Joseph,
do you?
I don't think
there's much
wrong in asking
those with influence.
it's okay
to be asking
others for help
when we're in
a tight spot.
Who wouldn't
ask?
But it's not
that he asked,
but what
he's asking
for.
Because Joseph
was to learn
that God
is sufficient
in his
struggle.
look at
Joseph's
request again
in verse 14.
When all
goes well
with you,
remember
me
and show
me
kindness.
Now,
that word
kindness
means
covenant
love.
It's a
steadfast
love.
It's a
faithful
love.
It's the
same
word
that God
used
to show
his love
to Joseph
just
previously.
Just look
back to
chapter 39
at the
end of
verse 20.
Chapter
39,
the middle
of verse
20.
But while
Joseph was
there in
the prison,
the Lord
was with
him.
He
showed
him
kindness
and
granted
him
favour
in the
eyes
of
the
prison
warder.
God
showed
Joseph
kindness.
God
remained
loyal,
committed,
faithful to
Joseph in
all his
trials and
troubles.
That's what
covenant
love does.
It doesn't
give up,
let out,
run out,
or burn
out.
It's a
steadfast
love.
You see,
God's
love is
enough.
God's
love is
sufficient,
which means
we can
keep on
trusting.
I think
Joseph was
beginning to
wonder if
God had
forgotten
him.
Maybe
God doesn't
love me.
But we
got to
remember that
God had
made a
covenant
promise to
Joseph and
his family,
and here
in chapter
40,
Joseph is
asking another
prisoner for
the same
loyal
commitment.
Remember me
and show me
kindness.
But why
ask others
to promise
what only
God can
promise?
Why would
you put your
trust and
your hope in
people who
can't deliver
on their
promise?
This was a
lesson Joseph
would soon
learn.
Despite
whatever
commitments the
cupbearer
made, look
at verse
23, back
in chapter
40, verse
23.
The chief
cupbearer,
however, did
not remember
Joseph.
He forgot
him.
You see,
there is only
one we can
ultimately
trust.
Look, when
we're going
through our
ongoing
struggles, we
can turn to
the good of
others or to
the power of
others.
We can get
help from one
another, which
is a good
thing.
There's nothing
wrong with
that.
But let's
not put all
our hope and
trust in
people.
Why trust the
steadfast failure
of people when
we have the
comfort of God's
steadfast love?
God's covenant
love, his
kindness remains
no matter what
our suffering
is, as the
writer of
Lamentations
reminds us,
because of the
Lord's great
kindness, or
the Lord's
steadfast love,
we are not
consumed, for
his compassions
never fail.
They are new
every morning.
Great is your
faithfulness.
You see, in the
unchanging
struggles of
life, God is
consistently
unchanging
towards us.
So in your
suffering today,
in your struggle
today, be
comforted by
God's steadfast
love.
Third,
encouraged,
comforted,
and assured
by God's
saving
promise.
Let's get
back to the
dreamers.
The dreamers
were told,
or the dreams
were told,
and the
dreams were
interpreted.
For the
cupbearer,
the
interpretation
was favourable,
wasn't it?
Verse 13.
Within three
days, this is
the interpretation,
Pharaoh will
lift up your
head and
restore you to
your position,
and you will
put Pharaoh's
cup in his
hand, just as
you used to do
when you were
his cupbearer.
All is well.
But for the
baker, the
interpretation was
less favourable.
Verse 19.
Within three
days, Pharaoh
will lift off
your head
and impale
your body on
a pole and
the birds will
eat away
your flesh.
For one,
his head will
be lifted up,
for the
other, his
head will be
lifted off.
Now, the
question is,
will the
interpretation
of these
dreams
be fulfilled?
Remember what
Joseph had
said back in
verse 8.
Do not
interpretations
belong to
God.
So can what
God said
be trusted?
well, yes,
God is
always true
to his
word.
Let's see
how this gets
worked out.
Verse 20.
Let's read.
Now, the
third day
was Pharaoh's
birthday and
he gave a
feast for all
his officials.
He lifted up
the heads of
the chief
cupbearer and
the chief
baker in
the presence
of his
officials.
He
restored the
chief cupbearer
to his
position.
so that he
once again
put the
cup into
Pharaoh's
hand.
But he
impaled the
chief baker
just as
Joseph had
said to
them in
his
interpretation.
You see,
the interpretation
given by
God through
Joseph came
to pass.
What God
said would
happen did
happen.
God's
word is
faithfully
fulfilled.
You see,
when God
speaks,
God acts.
What he
says always
comes to
pass.
Now, what
are we to
take from
this?
Well, there's
a big
capital A
assurance
for
Joseph.
You see,
these two
dreams are
a reminder
of the
two dreams
that Joseph
had had
ten years
before.
Can you
remember
them?
Have a
look back
with me
to
chapter
37.
Back in
chapter 37,
he was a
17-year-old
and he
has a
dream.
Verse 6,
Joseph said
to them,
that is
his eleven
brothers,
listen to
this dream
I had.
We were
binding
sheaves of
corn out
in the
field when
suddenly my
sheaf rose
and stood
upright,
while all
your sheaves
gathered round
mine and
bowed down
to it.
a place
of position
of authority
to which
others are
bowing.
Verse 9,
then he had
another dream
and he told
this to his
brothers,
listen he
said,
I had
another
dream and
this time
the sun
and moon,
probably
speaking of
his mother
and father
and eleven
stars of
his eleven
brothers were
bowing down
to me.
Let's go
back to
chapter 40.
You see
God had
spoken
through these
dreams to
Joseph to
tell him
that he
would rise
to a
position of
power and
authority where
his brothers
would bow
down to
him and
serve him.
Well would
God's word
stand?
Can God
be trusted?
Well ten
years later
nobody's
bowing down
to Joseph,
he's stuck
in a prison.
Seems
the promised
word has
failed.
But not
so.
God has
given a
capital A
assurance.
You see
God is
saying to
Joseph,
just as
the dreams
of the
cupbearer
and the
baker
were fulfilled,
so will
my promise
to you
be fulfilled.
You can
trust God's
word.
God always
does what
he says
he will
do.
Which means
for Joseph
and for
us.
We keep
on
believing.
You see
Joseph had
been given
a promise.
A promise
that, well
I expect
he had
hoped would
have been
fulfilled a
long time
ago.
But our
timing is
not always
God's
timing.
Joseph
would have
to wait
until God
fulfilled his
promise to
him.
How long
was that
going to
be?
Well
Joseph
isn't
told,
is he?
He's not
given any
days or
number of
how long
he'll have
to wait.
But he
does get
assurance
that God's
word can
be trusted.
God's
saving
promise to
Joseph
will be
fulfilled.
And Joseph
must learn
to trust
God's
timing,
to go on
believing
God's
word that
it will
come to
pass.
you see
like
Joseph
we can
find
ourselves
in a
season
of
suffering
where
we
long
for
things
to
change
and
we
hope
for
better
days
but
nothing
ever
seems
to
give.
Ten
years
can
pass
and
we're
still
in
that
same
old
struggle
and
one
wonders
has
God
forgotten
me?
Has
God
moved
on
and
just
left
me
in
this
mess?
Well
we
too
have
been
given
the
assured
word
of
God's
saving
promise.
You
see
the
promise
given
to
Joseph
would
only
serve
of a
much
greater
promise
that
was
to
come
the
promise
of
the
Savior
Jesus
Christ.
You
see
at
just
the
right
time
in
God's
time
according
to
God's
great
sovereign
design
God
sent
his
son
Jesus
into
the
world.
Jesus
entered
into
the
dark
dungeon
of
this
world
to
lift
us
up.
Jesus
has
come
so
that
we
might
experience
his
steadfast
love
in
all
of
our
suffering.
This
is
God's
saving
promise
to
all
who
will
trust
in
him.
turn
with
me
please
to
1st
Peter
chapter
5.
It's
towards
the
end
of
your
Bible
so
you
might
want
to
go
to
the
very
end
which
is
Revelation
and
then
you
come
to
Jude
and
then
John
and
John
and
2nd
Peter
1st
Peter
1st
Peter
chapter
5
right at
the
back
of
the
Bible
so
as
you
think
of
the
trouble
the
suffering
that
you're
going
through
as
we
turn
to
Jesus
we
discover
that
he
is
sufficient
he
is
enough
in
all
of
our
suffering
let's
pick
it
up
in
the
middle
of
verse
5
1
Peter
chapter
5
verse
5
God
opposes
the
proud
but
shows
favour
to
the
humble
verse
6
humble
yourselves
therefore
under
God's
mighty
hand
that
he
may
lift
you
up
in
due
time
in
other
words
it's
a
call
to
trust
God's
sovereign
design
for
your
life
humble
yourself
before
God
well
what
does
that
look
like
how
do
we
do
that
well
look
at
verse
7
cast
all
your
anxiety
on
him
because
he
cares
for
you
in
your
struggle
in
your
suffering
humble
yourself
by
crying
it
out
to
the
only
one
who
can
deal
with
it
we
can
cry
out
to
God
remember
me
show
me
kindness
and
he
will
he
will
show
you
his
steadfast
love
because
he
doesn't
forget
his
people
but
more
than
that
look
at
verse
10
and
the
God
of
all
grace
who
called
you
to
his
eternal
glory
in
Christ
after
you
have
suffered
a
little
while
will
himself
restore
you
well
it's
strange
to
think
of
our
sufferings
as
lasting
as
it
says
here
in
verse
10
a
little
while
Johnny
do you
not
understand
what
I'm
going
through
how
can
you
say
it's
a
little
while
when
we've
been
struggling
for
years
with
pain
or
loss
or
heart
break
it
doesn't
seem
a
little
while
but
in
the
light
of
eternal
glory
our
sufferings
and
struggles
today
are
just
a
blip
a
blink
of
the
eye
in
the
light
of
God's
eternity
one
day
the
risen
Lord
will
come
again
and
he
will
restore
you
for
those
who
are
trusting
in
him
he
will
lift
you
up
but
for
those
who
refuse
him
and
ignore
him
it
will
be
a
very
different
ending
but
as
we
trust
and
as
we
wait
verse
10
he
will
make
you
strong
firm
and
steadfast
in
the
midst
of
all
of
our
struggles
he
will
keep
you
so
that
you
will
endure
through
all
things
this
is
the
kindness
of
our
God
he
is
faithfully
committed
to
you
the
covenant
love
of
God
expressed
to
us
in
Jesus
Christ
is
new
every
single
morning
whatever
you're
suffering
you
see
in
the
unchanging
struggles
of
life
God
is
consistently
unchanging
towards
us
so we
can all
read
together
verse
11
to
him
be the
power
forever
and
ever
amen
let's
pray
our
father
god
we
thank you
that
you
know
and
you
understand
each
of
our
struggle
and
suffering
today
you
know
the
things
that
are
weighing
us
down
the
things
that
ask
us
where
are
you
lord
have
you
forgotten
me
so
help
us
today
that
we
might
humble
ourselves
before
god
that
we
would
cast
all
our
anxiety
that
we
would
tell
him
all
our
fears
and
all
our
concerns
knowing
that
he
loves
us
with
a
steadfast
love
that
he
cares
for
every
single
detail
thank
you
father
god
that
in
christ
you
lift
us
up
you
restore
us
you
make
us
strong
firm
and
steadfast
and
you
will
hold
us
and
you
will
keep
us
as
we
wait
for
the
eternal
glory
to
come
thank
you
that
you
are
with
us
and
that
we
can
trust
you
in
Jesus
name
amen
well
the
end
of
first
Peter
that
we
read
says
the
God
of
all
grace
who
called
you
to
his
eternal
glory
in
Christ
ward
o
Christ