This lesson is compatible with the "Joseph" Flash-A-Cards from Abeka Books.  

Scripture References: Genesis 39:20-23; 40:1-23

“Joseph, you are in charge of all of the prisoners.  You will take care of everything they do.  I won’t even need to be here to supervise you, because I know you will do a good job.  I can finally relax a little bit!  Maybe I’ll even take a vacation!”  God gave Joseph favor with the prison keeper, and now he was in charge of all of the prisoners!  He was a prisoner himself, but the prison keeper trusted him so much that he put him in charge.

[Visual 3.4]   Joseph checked on all of the prisoners each day.  I imagine he tried to encourage them and tell them about the True God who promised to bless the whole world with a Savior.

Some of the prisoners were real criminals, and some were just people that had offended the pharaoh, or king of Egypt.  If you worked in the palace, it was important not to make the pharaoh angry!  If you did, you would surely spend time in prison.  Even if you didn’t do anything wrong, but the pharaoh was in a bad mood and decided to take it out on you, you could spend time in prison.   

As Joseph had been innocent when he was sent to prison, I’m sure he had compassion on those who were sent to prison unjustly.  He understood exactly how it felt.  He could encourage them like no one else could!  He could tell them all about God, and how God was always with him, even in a prison.

[Visual 3.4]   One day, Joseph was going around checking on all of the prisoners, like he did every morning.  He got to one of the prison cells with two prisoners.  One man was Pharaoh’s’ head butler, and the other man was Pharaoh’s head baker.  The job of the head butler included being the Pharaoh’s taste-tester.  He took the king his cup whenever he wanted to drink, and he had to taste the drink in Pharaoh’s sight.  If he didn’t get sick, the Pharaoh knew the drink wasn’t poisoned.  In those days, it was like a security guard for the food!  People tried to poison the kings because they wanted their power.  The chief baker was in charge of the cooking of all of Pharaoh’s food.  He also had to make sure none of the food was poisoned.  They had both made Pharaoh mad, and he sent them to prison.  I think the king got sick from a meal and accused both the butler and the baker of trying to poison him!

Joseph noticed that they both looked unusually sad that day.  “What’s going on, guys?  Why do you look so sad today?” Joseph asked.

The head butler said “We’re sad because we both had very strange dreams, and we don’t know what they mean.  There is no one here in prison to help us understand them, either.”

Joseph said “Don’t dreams and their meanings belong to God?  Please tell me about your dreams.”  Joseph knew that in those days, since they didn’t have the whole bible written down yet, God used dreams to tell people things.  Not every dream was God speaking, because sometimes we all just dream normal things.  But these dreams were special. 

The head butler started with his dream.  [Visual 3.5]  “I was dreaming, and I saw a grape vine with three branches.  The vine was healthy, and there was a lot of fruit on it!  I was holding Pharaoh’s cup in my hand, and I took some of the delicious grapes and I squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup.  I then handed Pharaoh the cup with the juice.”

“This is what your dream means:” began Joseph “The 3 vine branches are 3 days.  In 3 days, Pharaoh will give you your job back.  You will take the cup to Pharaoh once again, just like you were doing before being sent to prison.  Please remember me when you are back at your job.  Tell Pharaoh about me.  I am a Hebrew who was stolen from his home country.  I have done nothing wrong to be put in this prison.”  Joseph knew the butler would be able to speak to Pharaoh and could explain that a good man was sent to prison unfairly.  Pharaoh could have him released!  I think Joseph was praying that he would soon be out of prison and on his way back home to be reunited with his father Jacob, and his brother Benjamin, and his 10 other brothers and sister.  He wanted to see them so badly!  It had been years!  As soon as he was released from prison he would go as FAST as he could to get back home.

The baker listed as Joseph told what the butler’s dream meant.  He began to get very excited!  Maybe his dream meant he would be released in 3 days too!  He told Joseph about his dream.  [Visual 3.5]  “In my dream, there were 3 white baskets on my head.  The top basket had all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh.  The birds came and ate them out of the basket.”

“Here is what your dream means:” said Joseph. “The 3 baskets are 3 days.  In 3 days, Pharaoh will cut your head off and hang you on a tree.  The birds will come and eat your body.”

The baker didn’t like to hear this at all!  I think he was hoping Joseph was wrong about his dream.  But Joseph was NOT wrong!  3 days later, the news came to the prisoners by a messenger.  “In honor of the King’s birthday, he has decided that the head butler gets to go home!  He’s got his old job back!” said the messenger sent to the prison.  “The head baker will be put to death for his crimes.  His head will be cut off.  Now, a feast is prepared for all of Pharaoh’s servants to celebrate the King!”

God had helped Joseph understand those dreams, and they came to pass!  [Visual 3.6]  And now, someone near Pharaoh would hear all about him, and he would soon be out of prison!  Joseph continued his work in the prison, but he waited excitedly to hear when he would be released.  He knew it was too much to expect it to be that day.  Everyone would be busy celebrating the King’s birthday.  There was a big party and a lot of work to do.  So, he waited until the next morning. 

No word came, and Joseph thought maybe the King was asking around about what happened to him.  The next day, no one came to release him.  I’m sure he was a little disappointed.  But he kept doing his job and praying that God would help him.  Days passed, and no word came to the prison for his release.  I think Joseph’s heart began to hurt some.  He was hoping to see his family again.  But God had other plans.  God was still teaching Joseph to wait on His timing.  It’s not an easy thing to do for anyone!  But God was still with Joseph in the prison, as He had been with Joseph in the dark well when his brothers threw him down inside and planned to sell him.  Joseph kept working and waiting.  He kept his faith in God.  He knew God had promised to bless the world through his family, and he knew God always keeps His promises.  So even if Joseph spent the rest of his life in that prison, He knew God would keep His promise to send a Savior to die for his sins.

What do you think?  Will Joseph ever see his family again?  Will he ever get out of that prison?

Come back next week to find out!