BEHOLD A VINE … THREE WHITE BASKETS

The incident involving the imprisonment of Pharaoh’s butler and baker was crucial to God’s plan for the release of Joseph, and his emergence as the saviour of his people. Evidently, Pharaoh suspected his officials of a conspiracy, or at least carelessness that endangered him, and so they were shut away.

Joseph was their supervisor and attendant, v. 4, and on the morning after their dreams, he was aware of their melancholy mood, v. 6, 7. His concern for them is touching. In this section of Genesis, dreams and their interpretations are very significant.

The butler’s dream featured an unusually scraggy vine, for it had only three branches, and yet it had life. Buds, blossoms, and ultimately clusters of grapes materialised in the dream, climax­ing in the butler presenting the pressed grape juice to Pharaoh. The three branches seem to be the significant feature of the dream, for in them Joseph sees three days, after which the butler would be reinstated. With the encouraging interpretation, Joseph made his plea, ‘Think on me when it shall be well with thee’, v. 14. That appeal fell on deaf ears, v. 23, and meant another two years of confinement for Joseph. When you say it quickly, ‘two years’ does not sound too much, until you remem­ber that it meant 730 more days of boring loss of liberty, stifling heat and overpowering stench: how disappointing for Joseph, and yet at God’s chosen moment, the prison doors swung wide. Similarly, Mordecai’s loyalty was unrewarded until the time when it was in the interests of God for it to happen, Esther 6. Let us learn the lesson that His timing is always best, even though it may require patience on our part.

The interpretation for the baker was less happy. Three bas­kets: again, three days. Even the activity of the birds had a grisly foreshadowing; he would become carrion for the fowls of the air. As predicted by Joseph, on the third day, the butler was rehabili­tated, and the baker hanged. Even on his birthday, Pharaoh did not allow sentiment to influence his judgement.

Two men, two destinies: Matt. 24. 40, two men, two destinies; Luke 16. 19-31, two men, two destinies; Luke 23. 39-43, two men, two destinies. To which destiny are you heading?