January 26 Daily Devotional

Genesis 39–40

The men who had bought Joseph went on southward and after several days came to Egypt. Here Joseph saw large cities, elaborate temples, mighty pyramids and the great river Nile. How strange all this must have seemed for the boy who always had lived in tents. He was sold to an officer of the guard of the king. His name was Potiphar. Joseph was a clever youth, cheerful and willing and able in all that he undertook Potiphar found him trustworthy, and after some time placed him over his household and affairs. For Joseph’s sake God blessed the Egyptian officer and his house. He was with Joseph and things went well.

Then there came a sudden change. Potiphar’s wife, who did not know the true God, was a wicked woman. She cast her eyes upon Joseph and tried to lead him astray. But Joseph said, “How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Because he would not listen to her, she became angry and told a lie to her husband about Joseph, accusing him falsely. Potiphar believed the lie that she told, and punished him, by casting him into prison. At first he was treated as a criminal: they forced his feet into fetters, and his body was laid in iron. But God was with Joseph, even in prison. In a little while the keeper of the prison committed to his hand all the other prisoners.

In prison Joseph met two prisoners, the one had been the king’s chief butler, the other the king’s chief baker. One night these men had strange dreams. In the morning they were sad, and Joseph encouraged them to tell him the dreams: The butler said, In my dream I saw a grapevine which had three branches, with blossoms, and ripe grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into the king’s cup so it became wine, and I handed the same to the king. Joseph said, This is what your dream means. The three branches are three days. In three days Pharaoh will take you out of prison and make you his butler again. Thou shalt give him his wine, as you did before. But when it shall be well with you, tell the king about me, that I have done nothing wrong, that I should deserve to be in prison.

When the baker heard the interpretation, he also told his dream. He said, In my dream I had three white baskets on my head, and the top basket was filled with all kind of good baked foods for the king. And the birds came and ate all the food out of the basket. Joseph said, Three baskets are three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and hang you on a tree and the birds shall eat your flesh. So it was. The butler was restored to his position, the baker was hanged. But the butler forgot all about Joseph.