Joseph Gets Company in Prison

Genesis 40:1 Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker,  3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined.  4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.

The favor of the Lord was upon Joseph in prison and the warden clearly noticed.  Having a responsible, compliant, and hard-working person like Joseph in prison made the process of guarding a delight.  The warden could delegate tasks, put things in Joseph’s hands, and not have to worry that they won’t get done or will become a secret means of revenge.  Joseph was made responsible for all the prisoners and God gave him success and favor in everything he did.

One day, two new prisoners arrived, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.  Both were high level servants of the king of Egypt and had made the Pharaoh angry.  So off to prison they went! 

Little did Joseph know when he was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife (and sent to prison) that jail would be the very place of God’s next intervention.

Little did two prisoners know when they were sent to prison, their story would be told in perpetuity because they encountered Joseph.  They probably thought it was just another day, a bad one, and cursed Pharaoh under their breath for putting them in prison. 

Little did they know that the moments of genuine importance and relationships of greatest significance often enter as a whisper so soft, they’re audible only in the soul.  For them, a bad day—in the moment—would turn into a string of bad days and nights and eventually to a bad night’s dream.  In the story of Joseph, however, these dreams would be predictive of life and death.

Think about it:

• When we meet people, how likely are we to remember their names let alone consider they might be the most significant encounters we’ll have in our entire lives? 
• Is hindsight necessary to have that kind of perspective? If not hindsight, then what? 
• In our story, the baker and the cupbearer don’t have names.  The warden doesn’t have a name.  Yet, their part in the story is integral.  How does this serve to highlight Joseph? 
• Why was it necessary that both the cupbearer and the baker arrive in prison at the same time?