Turn with me then, if you have your Bibles, to our sermon text for today, which is found in Genesis chapter 40. And last Sunday we looked at Genesis 39 and Joseph in Egypt. Joseph had been brought to Egypt as a slave having been sold into slavery by his envious brothers who had first cast him into a pit to die and then sold him to the Ishmaelites to have him brought down to Egypt and had taken his robe, had deceived their father, saying that he had been eaten by wild beasts. And in Egypt, Joseph had underwent several trials, the trial of slavery, the trial then of temptation, of Potiphar's wife trying to bring him into adultery, into sin, and yet he resisted both The trial of slavery, he continued to work and press on and the Lord was with him and he prospered and he resisted the temptation, which came time and again and fled when she laid hands on his garments and yet was falsely accused for it. And then the third trial, that of prison, where he was sent into prison. And yet there he continued to do good and the Lord was with him and caused his deeds to prosper and was put in charge of that prison. That's what we looked at last week. And so we come to him in prison this week at an event that takes place in prison. I thought it was interesting when I was looking at Martin Luther's commentary on this chapter. He begins by saying, there's nothing really that we need to spend a lot of time on in this chapter, because it's just setting it up for the next chapter. And then he goes on to spend 20 pages talking about it. There's plenty to look at in this chapter as we see the wisdom and the sovereignty of God in the life of Joseph as he was in prison. So let me go ahead and read Genesis 40. Sometime after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord, the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard in the prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody. And one night they both dreamed. The cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled, so he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, Why are your faces downcast today? They said to him, We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me. So the chief cupbearer told him his dream to Joseph and said to him, in my dream there was a vine before me and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth and the clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh's cup was in my hand and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. Then Joseph said to him, this is its interpretation. The three branches are three days. In three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly when you were his cupbearer. Only remember me when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into this pit. When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, I also had a dream. There were three cake baskets on my head, and in the uppermost basket, there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh. But the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head. And Joseph answered and said, this is its interpretation. The three baskets are three days. In three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat the flesh from you. On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cup-bearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cup-bearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cup-bearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him." This is the word of the Lord. Let's pray for God's blessing upon His Word. O Lord Jesus, we give thanks to You for Your Word. We pray that You would cause us to rightly understand it and to benefit from the Word that You have entrusted to us and have brought into our hearing this day. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. The backdrop for the whole story of the accounts of Joseph and his life, you'll have to go back to the beginning, where we first heard about Joseph and the dreams that he had. Do you remember the dreams that Joseph had? What he dreamed about? He dreamed that people would be bowing down to him, right? Not only people, but his own brothers. In fact, his father understood the dream to say that even he would be bowing down to Joseph. Joseph had heard, had seen these dreams, but life had not gone like he had expected it to. But the end was revealed from the beginning, even though the path was uncertain. Knowing the end, not only Joseph, but the reader of Genesis, if you're reading this for the first time and you didn't already know where the story was headed, you would have already had a taste of where the story was headed to. There's this lingering tension that Joseph is supposed to be exalted, although right now he's in the pit. But knowing the end, the reader should see each episode as one link, one link of the story that is leading to Joseph's exaltation. Even if you didn't read the last chapters, it's not a path that anyone would expect. It's not a path that anyone had planned. Well, anyone except God. all these events were under God's control and step by step he was working out his purpose a purpose that he had already partially revealed to Joseph to uphold him amid these trials. Now we find two more dreams in this chapter. Who had the dreams? Not Joseph, right? It was the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, two royal officials who were close to Pharaoh. These were people that Pharaoh would have interacted with, especially the cupbearer was a very important trusted position, not merely to give him his cup of wine, but often with someone who also might converse with Pharaoh and be trusted by him. Pharaoh knew that the cupbearer wouldn't poison him, so it was obviously someone he trusted well and would entrust other things to. But they had one way or another offended against Pharaoh. and had been sent to this prison and received dreams of their own. It wasn't the night that they came that they were there for several days at least, maybe longer. We don't know how long they had been in the prison, but one night both of these royal officials that Joseph was attending upon had dreams. Dreams that were out of the ordinary. Dreams that were somewhat like each other. What would be... They realized that there was some significance to them. As Joseph asserts, the interpretation of these dreams would come from God. God knows the future, and he sometimes, in times past at least, revealed it through dreams. The decisions and destinies of Pharaoh and his high officials are not a surprise to the Lord. He is sovereign over all. And in this chapter, Joseph is proven as a faithful servant of the Lord. he's also forgotten by the cupbearer and left in his position. And so it's a trial in the sense that his character was revealed in helping these two royal officials, but it was also tested because he would be forgotten by the one that he had asked for help from. So let's take this portion at a time. First, let's look at Joseph's compassion in verses 1 through 8. In the first eight verses, it speaks of how these officials got there, but it also speaks about how Joseph came to help them. He was assigned by the captain of the guard. Do you remember who the captain of the guard was? Unless the captain of the guard had changed, it was Potiphar. Potiphar was the captain of the guard. over all this prison. He wasn't the keeper of the prison, but he was someone higher up, and he brings these royal officials to this prison, and he knows Joseph is a good manager of things, and so he assigns him to attend upon these royal officials. And so Joseph does his work. He continues his service in the prison. He helps these two royal officials, but he also showed compassion upon them. He saw one morning that these two royal officials were downcast, that they were troubled, that they were distressed. Now, he could have thought that, oh, I'll just go about my business. I'll just do the bare minimum. I'll get them their food, and then I'll get out of there. They have their own problems. I don't need to deal with them myself. Is that what Joseph did? No, he did not do that. He asked them about it. He said, what's going on? Why are you feeling downcast? He inquired about it. He showed concern for them. Now, was Joseph also suffering? Right? Joseph had suffered a lot. Some people in Joseph's position would have been quite self-occupied about their own miseries, but Joseph also looked to the miseries of others. Despite his own suffering, he cared about the suffering of other people. Perhaps it was because, in fact, he had suffered that he cared about the suffering of others. When the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, sorry, 2 Corinthians, he said, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort which we ourselves are comforted by God. Paul will say that, yes, I've been afflicted, I've been stoned, I've been left for dead, I've been shipwrecked, all sorts of things have happened in my life, but God has comforted me. And not only has Paul been comforted for his own self, but so that he would also comfort others with the comfort he had received from God. So Joseph had endured trials of suffering, of pain, of isolation, And he had also grown compassionate, or was compassionate, had not lost his compassion for others. And not only did he ask about it, but then when he was able to do something about it, he helped these two royal officials as well. He didn't only say, oh, what's going on? Why are you feeling downcast? They said, well, it's because we both have these dreams. They both seem to mean something, but there's no one here to interpret them for us because they would have thought in terms of a royal Egyptian. They would have thought that they needed the wise men of Egypt or the priests of Egypt to do their rituals and follow their guidelines and give them an interpretation of these dreams. None of them are here. We're stuck in prison. They were troubled. But then Joseph goes further. He seeks to help them. He, as a prophet, as one who served the true and living God, who would be able to give the interpretation for such dreams. Not only does he help them, but he also helps them in such a way as to give glory to God, to point them to the true God, away from their dependence upon magicians or servants of a false god. So from these first eight verses, you can learn several things. First, to serve others where God has called you. Work for the good of others. To love your neighbor as yourself. Whether it is work that you're getting paid for or not, do all your work as service unto Christ and for the good of your neighbor. It's not just the charitable extra work that you do that's done for the Lord, it's your work throughout your life that should be done for the good of others in service to the Lord Christ. This is the doctrine of calling that goes beyond any profession that we might think includes that, but wherever God has placed you, whether you're little, whether you're old, that you have a place where you can serve God. Whether you're a minister, whether you're not, it doesn't matter. You have a place where you can serve the Lord Christ. And that was true of Joseph, even in the prison. So love your neighbor as yourself, even amid difficulty and discouragement. Learn also to show compassion to the dejected and to the distressed. Like I said, Joseph could have done the minimum, and gotten out of there, not bothered himself with their suffering. But he gently asked them, why are your faces downcast today? I can tell something's bothering you from your face even. He opened up himself to share their burden. And so may you and I do when the time comes. And then if possible, give help in the name of the Lord. Be ready to help those who are afflicted. Joseph not only shared the knowledge of their distress, but he also sought to be of help, and in helping you directed them to the true God. So may your tongue be ready to administer comfort and help to others with wisdom, and to also direct the lost to look to the Lord, to the true God, for help. You know, not taking the glory for yourself, but rather that men might glorify our Father who is in heaven. So first we find Joseph's compassion. We find Joseph's piety. You know, if Potiphar's wife is trying to tempt him, what does he speak of? How can I do this sin against God? As he's comforting the afflicted, what does he say? Do not interpretations belong to God? He has God on his mind. He is thinking of God and his power and his knowledge. Well then in verses 9-19 we find Joseph as a faithful messenger. God's word should be made known faithfully. See the cupbearer told his dream to Joseph. Joseph interpreted it. The dream involved several combinations of three, three branches and three stages of growth and three actions that he did, particularly the branches that he pulls out as referring to three days from now, and that you'll return to the same work that you once did that's kind of being imaged in this dream. You, Chief Cupbearer, are going to be restored in three days' time. Joseph also asks for help, though, that the Chief Cupbearer would bring his case before Pharaoh, would talk to Pharaoh on his behalf so that he might get out of there, because he was there unjustly. He'd been made a slave unjustly, and he'd been put in prison unjustly. Well, the Chief Baker apparently hadn't told his dream yet, but then when he saw that the first dream had a good outcome, then he says, well, let me tell you about my dream. And he tells his dream about the baskets on his head and the birds eating the bread that was in the baskets. There's also three involved there, three baskets. And Joseph interprets that dream, but it was not a good outcome for the baker. It says in three days' time, just as the chief cupbearer's head would be raised up there metaphorically, thinking of, you know, that you'll be lifted up, that was an expression, Well, your head will be lifted up from you. His head would be cut off. Then he would be hung and left for the birds to eat, which is a horrible end, especially for an Egyptian who placed such importance on the preserving of the body after death. And so it is a very different meaning for the chief baker. Well, we learned from this a couple things. First of all, that a faithful messenger will deliver the message, even when it is a message of disaster, whether it is good or ill. Joseph faithfully fulfilled his office as a prophet, speaking what God had revealed, whether good or ill. Joseph would have rather spoken, well, he was a compassionate man, he wanted to comfort these men, but it wasn't up to him what the message was. When you speak about what God's Word says, be true to what it teaches. Even when it cuts, or when it's distressing, even whether you'd rather it say something else, whether it's saying it to you or whether you're explaining it to someone else, receive and deliver the Word of God faithfully, even as Joseph did here. You don't have interpretations of dreams given to you, but you do have the Bible. You have God's Word in that form. And so may you be faithful to it. May the church be faithful to her trust when you tell others what God has said to speak truthfully and boldly like Joseph. May the church's ministers be faithful to their office to proclaim the whole counsel of God even when it is unwanted or does not suit the passions of their hearers. May they proclaim both God's threats and promises, both convicting of sin and building up under comfort and holiness. Secondly, not only will a faithful message deliver the message, whether it's good or ill for the person receiving it, whether it's wanted or unwanted, you know, if it's time to speak it, that it's not distorted, but a faithful hearer will seek God's word, whatever it is. The chief baker had only told his dream when he thought it would have a good meaning for him. Some people today only want to hear positive, affirming messages every week, without fail, that foretell good and prosperity, and things will be alright, and that God loves you just the way you are, and you don't need to change. Just be that way, and that be the extent of the message. But saving faith is placed in God, and in whatever he says. If you trust someone, you're going to trust their words. You know, we trust God and we trust therefore His word, His whole word. All that He says, whether it's good or ill, embracing the promises, obeying the commands, and heeding the warnings that we might turn. All of Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable, so take it all in, the good and the uncomfortable, that you might profitably use it by faith." We don't have any indication that the Chief Baker used this warning, but at least it could have been a warning to call him to turn to the true God, that his time was coming. Now, thirdly, a faithful believer should seek his own good in the way Joseph does. What does Joseph do after he tells the cupbearer the interpretation? He asks that the chief cupbearer would remember him. Joseph sought to rectify the injustice of his enslavement and his imprisonment by asking the cupbearer to speak to Pharaoh about his case. Joseph said this in a measured way. He didn't give way to bitterness or despair in the way he spoke. He didn't speak more about the evildoers than he needed to. In fact, in this case, he doesn't even mention them, at least in what we have written here. He simply says, I was unjustly stolen from my land, and I didn't do anything that deserved being put here in this pit. But he didn't rail against those bitterly who had done him wrong. But he was sensible of his just cause. He desired liberty. He pursued it in this way. He sought to work through the legal structure. He did not resort to lawlessness. But he followed Paul's later instructions in 1 Corinthians 7, where he said, were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. So yes, you should seek the good of others. That was the first point earlier, right? To be compassionate to others. Seek the good of others. Look to their interests. But also you can seek, in an appropriate way, your own good. Just as Joseph pursued his good while he also helped others. Be ready to sacrificially help others, even if you have to give up something of your own. but also take care of yourself, your life, your health, your property, your name, to bear your own burden in a moderate and lawful manner to use the opportunities God has given you, to not be irresponsible before Him. So Joseph was a faithful messenger, and he also took this God-given opportunity to seek for his release from this unjust predicament that he was in. Asking for the cupbearer to show him kindness. In other words, steadfast love. It's that same word that we come across other times. This chesed. Show me this mercy when you're elevated to Pharaoh. Well, in the last few verses, 20 through 23, we find fulfillment and forgetfulness. All that Joseph said came to pass. Their heads were lifted up, but in radically different ways, right? One head is lifted up above Egypt, you know, to be there with Pharaoh. The other head is lifted up from his body, and the chief baker is hanged and killed, just as was said. But as this happens, as Joseph's word is vindicated, as he is proven to be a true prophet of the true God, the cupbearer forgets Joseph. He does not tell Pharaoh about Joseph. Man may forget. God calls his people to exercise patience. The Lord will not forget, but man may forget. To remember someone is not only to have them in mind, but also to have them in mind in such a way as to help them. That is what Joseph was hoping for. In the story of Noah, at the peak of the story, in the midst of the flood, God remembered Noah, and so he caused the waters to recede. When Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, it says God remembered Abraham and brought Lot out of those cities. Joseph probably even, he probably knew those stories, but he also knew of his own mother, where it says that God remembered Rachel and gave her a son after years of waiting. But the cupbearer did not remember Joseph on this occasion. But the Lord will remember his people. We learn several things. First of all, don't be like the cupbearer. Don't forget those who have helped you to be ungrateful, but rather show steadfast love and mercy to others. When you have been exalted, let's remember those who need the help. Secondly, the faithful may be forgotten by men, but not by the Lord. The world can be ungrateful. as Joseph saw time and again. He was faithful in his father's house and what did he get for it? He got slavery in Egypt. He was faithful in his master's house and resisted committing adultery with his wife and what did he get for it? Time in prison. He helped these royal officials to encourage them and what did he get for it? he got left in prison. If you looked for simply worldly good and immediate results, you would soon lose hope and not do good things. If that was your motivating cause, you would not endure. But Joseph persevered. It's not the person who looks to earthly glory that will endure in well-doing, but the person who is motivated by love and faith and looks to his Lord Christ who is with him wherever he goes. So exercise a patience that's not a worldly patience that holds out for a while and then explodes when it's gone, but rather a patience that is upheld by faith and hope. As Calvin comments, therefore we are all taught in his person, in Joseph, that nothing is more improper than to prescribe the time in which God shall help us. In other words, don't set the time limits, the timeline for God. Since God purposefully for a long season keeps his own people in anxious suspense, that by this very experiment they may truly know what it is to trust in him. So Joseph thought this was the time, and it wasn't. There's two whole years before the next chapter will come. But thirdly, look and see the wisdom of God's working in this case. You don't always get to see why God had things go the way they went, but you often see enough to be encouraged that God's wisdom is being worked out. If the cupbearer had spoken right away, Joseph may have been set free, but not set above the land of Egypt to save the lives of many, It would be a different time that Joseph would be set free because it would lead to greater benefits all around, that he would meet his brothers again, that he would tell Pharaoh about the need to provide grain, that he would interpret Pharaoh's dream. If Joseph had been set free right away, he might have returned to Canaan. He might have not been there for these things to happen. Although God's ways may be mysterious to us, He is at work with wisdom to achieve His purposes. So let's trust in our God, the Lord of heaven and earth, who works all things according to his purpose. His word is true. He is the one who gives wisdom and insight. He has sent his son that we might be with God and he with us, both now in our trials and later in glory. So be steadfast, show compassion to others rather than dwelling in bitterness. Faithfully believe and communicate God's Word as you have received it, both for your own sake and in communicating it to others. And wait upon the Lord with patience. Just a final remark, interesting comparison, Matthew Henry comments, some observe the resemblance between Joseph and Christ in this story. Joseph's fellow sufferers were like the two thieves that were crucified with Christ. The one saved, the other condemned. One of these, when Joseph said to him, remember me when it shall be well with thee, forget him. But one of those, when he said to Christ, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom, was not forgotten. And so let us trust our Lord who will not forget us. Let's pray. O Lord, our God, we give thanks to you for your faithfulness and your wisdom, which is beyond our comprehension, that you see all things and know all things, and are sovereign over all. We ask that you would help us and sustain us, that we might be faithful in our callings and to give glory to you, that we might direct men to the true God, that you might receive glory and praise from your creation, that you would work out this in this earth. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.