The merchants who took
Joseph to Egypt sold him to a rich man, a captain in the king’s army, whose
name was Putiphar.
Joseph pleased his
master and was placed over all his possessions.
Because of Joseph, the Lord showered blessings upon the house of the Egyptian. Putiphar became richer and richer. But Putiphar’s wife was mean to Joseph.
One day, the wicked
woman became very angry with Joseph and told her husband a wicked lie about
him. Putiphar believed her and had
Joseph sent to prison. But God took care
of Joseph and helped him to do everything well, even in prison.
The prison guard soon
came to love Joseph. He put him in
charge of all the other prisoners, among whom were the king’s chief butler and
chief baker.
One day, Joseph saw that
these two servants of the king’s house were very sad because the night before,
they each had a dream which nobody could
interpret. Joseph then told them that he
was going to tell them the meaning of their dreams.
This was the butler’s
dream.
He saw a vine with three
branches. Out of these branches came
ripe fruits, which he took and passed into the king’s cup and gave to him to
drink.
Joseph explained that
the three branches meant three days.
“Within three days, the king will forgive you and take you back into
service,” he told the butler. “Do not
forget to help me out of prison when you are free.”
The butler gladly
promised to help Joseph when he should be with the king again.
The baker had dreamed
that he carried three baskets of his head.
The biggest basket contained all kinds of pastry, which the birds came
and ate.
Joseph explained that
the three baskets meant three days.
Within three days, the baker was going to be hanged and the birds would
come to eat his flesh.
On the third day,
everything happened as Joseph predicted: the chief butler was restored to his
job in the house of the king, while the chief baker was hanged.
However, the chief
butler forgot his promise to help Joseph out of prison; and for two more years,
Joseph had to languish in it.
Now, it was the turn of
Egypt’s ruler to have a dream that none of the wise men in Egypt could
interpret.
He dreamed that he was
standing near a river, when out of it came seven fat and beautiful cows. As they gazed in the meadow, seven lean and
ugly cows came out of the river and ate up the fat ones. At this, the king woke up, frightened at his
dream. Then he slept again. This time, he dreamt that seven full and good
ears of corn grew from the stalk. Then
seven thin and withered ears grew upon the same stalk and began to eat up the
seven good ears.
The king was seriously
troubled by his dreams, particularly because no one could tell him their
meaning. Finally, the chief butler
remembered Joseph. He spoke of Joseph to
the king who immediately ordered the prisoner to be brought before him. The king said to Joseph: “I had dreams, but
no one can tell me what they mean. I
hear that you are a very wise man.”
Joseph answered: “God
Himself will tell you the answer to you dreams.”
“God has shown you by
these dreams, what is going to take place.
For seven years, there will be plenty of everything. Then seven years of famine will follow.” And
Joseph continued: “Let the king place one man over the land of Egypt. Let this man see to it that one fifth of the
harvest is placed into the barns. Let
the corn be put away in cities. Let all
these be done to prepare for the years of famine, and Egypt will not suffer.”
The king became very
happy. He said to Joseph: You shall be
over my house. All my people shall obey
you. I alone will be above you.
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