IN Genesis 40. we have the history of two men, and it is not too much to say that their fate was sealed by the way they treated the third. It may be said there is not a more beautiful type of our Lord Jesus Christ, in all scripture than Joseph. And certainly everything as to our eternal destiny depends upon the way in which we treat the Lord Jesus. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."
Now it mattered not where Joseph was, he became the pre-eminent man. In Potiphar's house he was made overseer, and all that the Egyptian had he put under Joseph. Moreover because he did so, God prospered Potiphar so that it came to pass "he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he knew not aught that he had, save the bread which he did eat." In the prison, it is the same tale; "the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison, and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand, because the Lord was with him [Joseph] and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper."
It is written concerning the Lord Jesus, "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand;" also, "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him." Were such words ever spoken of anyone else?
Now our two men were chief men, but they had offended their lord, the king of Egypt; and of the best of mankind now, as men would speak, God's word says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God," and again it says, "God is angry (with the wicked) every day."
These two men were put into the prison, "the place where Joseph was bound." What a way of speaking about it What is this world to God; but a place where the Son of His love has suffered? Thank God though, that He came into it; for, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."
These two men dream a dream, "each man according to the interpretation of his dream," for their memories were not to be depended upon to give exactness; only Joseph could do that. And when he came in the next morning to see them, "behold, they were sad." What a summary of this present world and its inability to make men happy! But he, the prisoner who was unjustly there, was not occupied with his own circumstances of sorrow, but says to them, "Wherefore look ye so sadly today?" How like Him who, when His own ministry seemed a failure, could turn round to a weary world, and say, "Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Have you taken Him at His word, my reader? Oh, do so now; "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out."
They tell Joseph they have dreamed a dream, but add, "there is no interpreter." No! apart from Christ, by whom alone God is made known to us, there is no interpreter of the scene of sorrow, sickness and death in which we are, however unflattering to the philosophy of men such a statement may be. But Joseph says, "Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you." Joseph did not vaunt himself, but he knew a link with God they had not. Jesus, God over all, blessed forever, humbled Himself to become a man, and He is God's salvation unto the ends of the earth.
The chief butler trusts Joseph, and tells his dream. "In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; and in the vine were three branches, and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth, and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes; and Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand." Shortly stated, the vine (and the Lord Jesus, is the true Vine that has alone brought forth fruit unto God), was the subject of the butler's dream; and all that he had done was to press the pure blood of the grape into the cup, like one whose only trust is the precious blood of Christ which brings us to God Himself, giving us access into His holy presence. "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”
Joseph gives the interpretation to the butler; within three days he was to be restored to his office, adding these touching words, "Think on me when it shall be well with thee; and skew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh.”
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he also tells his dream to Joseph, and there are many like him; their understandings are convinced of the advantages of Christianity: how civilization has followed in its train, etc., but like him, they have never judged self; hence that self's doings are the burden of their hopes, if such you can call them. Well, what says the baker? "I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head; and in the uppermost basket, there was all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head." White is the symbol of purity; bakemeats of works, the works of man; no wonder then that the birds of the air, which signify the power of Satan, had fellowship with them. How little did this man know that "we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." No wonder that Joseph told him, "Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee." What an awful portion, to be with the devil and his angels forever in all their awful torments, because on earth Jesus was not trusted nor His precious blood confided in. Verily, "blessed are all they who put their trust in Him.”
Sad as it was that the baker should forget Joseph, yet when he stood before the proud king who had restored him to his favor, and circumstances demanded Joseph should be remembered, he speaks of the young man, the Hebrew servant, thus, "It came to pass as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he [not thou] restored unto mine office, and him he [not thou] hanged.”
So it will be, my reader; we who believe will everlastingly praise and adore our Lord Jesus, not but of course we shall praise the Father too; and in doing thus we shall honor the Father, whilst those who stand before the judgment throne will find it occupied by the One whom they despised or neglected as Saviour, and have their sentence from His own lips. “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him." W. N. T.