GENESIS CHAPTER 40
                          ------------------

Verses 1-3, Two men offended Pharaoh and he put them both into
  prison. One was chief of his bakers and the other was chief of
  his butlers. Perhaps they had done this offence together, but
  we do not know.
     butler = shaqah {shaw-kaw'}
       AV - drink 43, water 17, butler 9, cupbearer 3, misc 1; 74
       1) to give to drink, irrigate, drink, water, cause to
         drink water
          1a) (Hiphil)
              1a1) to water, irrigate
              1a2) to water, give drink to

     baker = 'aphah {aw-faw'}
       AV - bake 13, baker 11, bakemeats + 04639 1; 25
       1) to bake
          1a) (Qal)
              1a1) to bake
              1a2) (subst) baker

  Pharaoh put them under the captain that was in charge of
  Joseph, so they were in the prison with Joseph, where he was
  bound (not fettered, but bound as a prisoner).

  Just as Christ was numbered with two thieves in his
  crucifixion, so too Joseph is numbered with two men who have
  committed an offence against the King of Egypt.

Verse 4, Joseph was charged with their care and he served them in
  giving them what they needed.

Verses 5-7, They both have a dream the same night. Each man had
  his own dream (not the same dream).
  The dreams were by divine appointment and not just random
  dreams, but told something of future events according to the
  interpretation.

  Each man's dream troubled him so that they were both sad and
  Joseph beheld their sad faces and wondered what was causing
  them to be sad.

Verse 8, They each had dreamed a dream and knew not the
  interpretation of it and there was no one to interpret for
  them, which troubled them both.

  Joseph informs them that interpretations belong to God,
  especially since these dreams were by divine appointment.

  Joseph asks them to tell him the dreams that he might give them
  the interpretation.

Verses 9-11, The chief butler (drink bearer) told Joseph his
  dream first.
  A vine, three branches. The branches budded and brought forth
  grapes. The butler took the grapes and pressed them into
  Pharaoh's cup and gave to him to drink.
  Notes: Christ is the vine. A budding vine represents life. And
    fruit from a vine is the evidence and fruition of that life.
    The fact that the butler himself delivers the cup into
    Pharaoh's hand is a good sign.

  God's regenerated children are said to have eternal life and
  are branches on a vine that produce fruit, and that vine is
  Christ.

Verses 12-13, Joseph gives the interpretation of the dream to the
  butler.
  The three branches represent three days. Christ arose from the
  dead after three days.
    Darby version:
      "In yet three days will Pharaoh lift up thy head and
      restore thee..."
      Yet = a going round, continuance
        (Going around the three days.)

  After or within the three days, will Pharaoh restore him to his
  former position which he held before being cast into prison. He
  would serve Pharaoh as he had done before and a drink bearer or
  butler.

Verses 14-15, Joseph asks the butler to remember him when he is
  restored into Pharaoh's house. He wants the butler to make
  mention of him to Pharaoh concerning the injustice put upon
  him, so that he might be brought out of the prison.
  He relates to the butler how that he was stolen away from his
  people and that he had been also put into this prison unjustly.

Verses 16-17, The chief baker seeing that the interpretation of
  the butler's dream was favorable, proceeds to tell Joseph his
  dream.

  Three white baskets: Marginal Notes = {white: or, full of
    holes}
    white = choriy {kho-ree'}
      1) white bread, cake
    Gill also says that these baskets had holes in them.

  The uppermost basket was full of all manner of bakemeats.
    Bakemeats is from two words, one meaning "deeds or works" and
    the other is "to bake." So the basket was full of all sorts
    of foods that a baker would prepare.
    Marginal notes: {bakemeats...: Heb. meat of Pharaoh, the work
      of a baker, or, cook}

  While the basket was yet upon his head the birds did come and
  eat the prepared food.
    Birds = fowl
    Sometimes fowls represent Satan's demons.
    Compare:
      Mt 13:4 And when he sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way
        side, and the FOWLS came and devoured them up:
    ..with..
      Mt 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and
        understandeth [it] not, then cometh the WICKED [one], and
        catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is
        he which received seed by the way side.

  That's the end of the dream. No presenting Pharaoh the works of
  his trade as the butler had in his dream.

Verses 18-19, Joseph gives the interpretation of the chief
  baker's dream.
  The three baskets represent three days just as the three
  branches represented three days.
  But the outcome is totally different for him than it will be
  for the butler.
  He will be hanged on a tree and the fowls (birds that eat
  carcasses) will eat his flesh while he hangs upon the tree.

  Notice Joseph did not refrain from telling the baker the truth.
  He told it to him plain and truthful.

  Some comparisons:
   1) Christ was crucified between two thieves. He was a blessing
     to one and pronounced eternal life to him, while he was not
     a blessing to the other.
     So too, Joseph was a blessing to one but pronounced death to
     the other.

   2) The two professions: One a baker and the other a drink
     bearer.
     The butler presented what had come forth from the vine and
     it was not a product of his efforts.
     I believe it was wine, the fruit of the vine, and this is
     representative of Christ's blood being presented to the
     Father.
     The baker on the other hand presented the WORKS or DEEDS of
     his profession and the fowl came and devoured it.
     So too, everyone that trusts in his own works will come to
     the same end as the baker.

  3) The white baskets with holes.
    Jesus called the Pharisees, "whited sepulchres."
      Mt 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
        for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed
        appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead
        [men's] bones, and of all uncleanness.
      Jer 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; they have
        forsaken me the fountain of living waters, [and] hewed
        them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no
        water.

Verses 20-22, The interpretations given by Joseph came true just
  as he had said.
  The third day was Pharaoh's birthday.
  The only two birthday's celebrated in the Bible was the
  birthday of Pharaoh and Herod.


Verse 23, The chief butler had forgotten Joseph.
  Compare:
    2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot
      see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from
      his old sins.
  READ Luke 17:12-19