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43 - Commentary on The Book of Genesis · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Chapter forty. In this chapter, things are working, though slowly,
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  Speaker 1: towards Joseph's advancement. One two of Pharaoh's servants are committed
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  Speaker 1: to prison, and there to Joseph's care, and so become
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  Speaker 1: witnesses of his extraordinary conduct Verses one to four. Two
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  Speaker 1: They dreamed, each of them a dream which Joseph interpreted
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  Speaker 1: Verses five to nineteen, and the event verified the interpretation
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  Speaker 1: Verses twenty to twenty two, And so they became witnesses
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  Speaker 1: of his extraordinary skill. Three, Joseph recommends his case to
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  Speaker 1: one of them, whose preferment he foresaw Verses fourteen fifteen,
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  Speaker 1: But in vain verse twenty three. The History of Joseph b. C.
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  Speaker 1: Seventeen seventeen, Verses one to four. And it came to
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  Speaker 1: pass after these things that the butler of the King
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  Speaker 1: of Egypt and his beggar had offended their lord, the
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  Speaker 1: King of Egypt, And Pharaoh was wroth against two of
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  Speaker 1: his life officers, against the chief of the butlers, and
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  Speaker 1: against the chief of the bakers, and he put them
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  Speaker 1: in ward in the house of the captain of the guard,
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  Speaker 1: into the prison the place where Joseph was bound, and
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  Speaker 1: the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and
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  Speaker 1: he served them, and they continued a season in ward.
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  Speaker 1: We should not have had this story of Pharaoh's butler
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  Speaker 1: and baker recorded in scripture if it had not been
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  Speaker 1: serviceable to Joseph's preferment. The world stands for the sake
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  Speaker 1: of the Church, and is governed for its good. Observe one.
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  Speaker 1: Two of the great officers of Pharaoh's court, having offended
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  Speaker 1: the king, are committed to prison. Note high places are
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  Speaker 1: slippery places, nothing more uncertain than the favor of princes.
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  Speaker 1: Those that make gods favor their happiness and his service
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  Speaker 1: their business will find him a better master than Pharaoh was,
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  Speaker 1: and not so extreme to mark what they do amiss.
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  Speaker 1: Many conjectures there are concerning the offense of these servants
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  Speaker 1: of Pharaoh make it no less than an attempt to
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  Speaker 1: take away his life. Others no more than the casual
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  Speaker 1: lighting of a fly into his cup and a little
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  Speaker 1: sand into his bread. Whatever it was, Providence by this
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  Speaker 1: means brought them into the prison where Joseph was two.
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  Speaker 1: The captain of the guard himself, who was Potiphar, charged
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  Speaker 1: Joseph with them verse four, which intimates that he began
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  Speaker 1: now to be reconciled to him, and perhaps to be
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  Speaker 1: convinced of his innocence, though he durst not release him
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  Speaker 1: for fear of disobliging his wife. John Baptist must lose
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  Speaker 1: his head to please Herodias Verses five to nineteen. And
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  Speaker 1: they dreamed a dream, both of them, each man his
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  Speaker 1: dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation
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  Speaker 1: of his dream. The butler and the baker of the
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  Speaker 1: King of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. And
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  Speaker 1: Joseph came in unto them in the morning and looked
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  Speaker 1: upon them, and behold they were sad. And he asked
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  Speaker 1: Pharaoh's office that were with him in the ward of
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  Speaker 1: his lord's house, saying, wherefore look ye so sadly to day?
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  Speaker 1: And they said unto him, we have dreamed a dream,
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  Speaker 1: and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said,
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  Speaker 1: unto them, do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me them,
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  Speaker 1: I pray you. And the chief butler told his dream
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  Speaker 1: to Joseph and said to him, in my dream, behold
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  Speaker 1: a vine was before me, and in the vine were
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  Speaker 1: three branches, and it was as though it budded, and
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  Speaker 1: her blossoms shot forth, and the clusters thereof brought forth
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  Speaker 1: ripe grapes, and Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. And
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  Speaker 1: I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup.
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  Speaker 1: And I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. And Joseph
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  Speaker 1: said unto him, this is the interpretation of it. The
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  Speaker 1: three branches are three days. Yet within three days shall
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  Speaker 1: Pharaoh lift up thine head and restore thee unto thy place.
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  Speaker 1: And thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand after
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  Speaker 1: the former manner when thou wast his butler. But think
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  Speaker 1: on me when it shall be well with thee and
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  Speaker 1: show kindness. I pray thee unto me, and make mention
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  Speaker 1: of me into Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.
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  Speaker 1: For indeed I was stolen away out of the land
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  Speaker 1: of the Hebrews. And here also have I done nothing
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  Speaker 1: that they should put me into the dungeon. When the
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  Speaker 1: chief baker saw the interpretation was good, he said, unto Joseph,
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  Speaker 1: I also was in my dream, and behold I had
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  Speaker 1: three white baskets on my head, and in the uppermost
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  Speaker 1: basket there was all manner of bake meats for Pharaoh
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  Speaker 1: and the birds did eat them out of the basket
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  Speaker 1: upon my head. And Joseph answered and said, this is
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  Speaker 1: the interpretation thereof the three baskets are three days. Yet
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  Speaker 1: within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from
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  Speaker 1: off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree, and
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  Speaker 1: the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee. Observe
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  Speaker 1: one the special providence of God which filled the heads
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  Speaker 1: of these two prisoners with unusual dreams such as made
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  Speaker 1: extraordinary impressions upon them, and carried with them evidence of
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  Speaker 1: a divine origin, both in one night. Note God has
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  Speaker 1: immediate access to the spirits of men, which he can
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  Speaker 1: make serviceable to his own purposes whenever he pleases, quite
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  Speaker 1: beyond the intention of those concerned to him. All hearts
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  Speaker 1: are open. And anciently he spoke not only to his
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  Speaker 1: own people, but to others in dreams Job Chapter thirty three,
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  Speaker 1: verse fifteen. Things to come were thus foretold, but very obscurely.
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  Speaker 1: Two the impression which was made upon these prisoners by
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  Speaker 1: their dreams verse six they were sad. It was not
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  Speaker 1: the prison that made them sad. They were pretty well
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  Speaker 1: used to that and perhaps live jovially there. But the dream.
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  Speaker 1: Note God has more ways than one to sadden the
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  Speaker 1: spirits of those that are to be made sad, those
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  Speaker 1: sinners that are hearty enough under outward troubles and will
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  Speaker 1: not yield to them. Yet God can find out a
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  Speaker 1: way to punish. He can take off their wheels by
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  Speaker 1: wounding their spirits and laying loads upon them. Three Joseph's
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  Speaker 1: great tenderness and compassion towards them, He inquired with concern,
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  Speaker 1: wherefore look you so sad today? Verse seven. Joseph was
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  Speaker 1: their keeper, and in that office he was mild. Note
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  Speaker 1: it becomes us to take cognizance of the sorrows, even
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  Speaker 1: of those that are under our cheek. Joseph was their
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  Speaker 1: companion in tribulation. He was now a prisoner with them,
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  Speaker 1: and had been a dreamer too. Note communion in sufferings
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  Speaker 1: helps to work compassion towards those that do suffer. Let
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  Speaker 1: us learn, hence one, to concern ourselves in the sorrows
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  Speaker 1: and troubles of others, and to inquire into the reason
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  Speaker 1: of the sadness of our brethren's countenances. We should be
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  Speaker 1: often considering the tears of the oppressed. Ecclesiastes, Chapter four,
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  Speaker 1: Verse one. It is some relief to those that are
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  Speaker 1: in trouble to be taken notice of two to inquire
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  Speaker 1: into the causes of our own sorrow? Wherefore do I
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  Speaker 1: look so sadly? Is there a reason? Is it a
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  Speaker 1: good reason? Is there not a reason for comfort sufficient
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  Speaker 1: to balance it? Whatever it is, why art thou cast down,
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  Speaker 1: O my soul? Four? The dreams themselves and the interpretation
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  Speaker 1: of them. That which troubled these prisoners was that, being confined,
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  Speaker 1: they could not have recourse to the diviners of Egypt,
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  Speaker 1: who pretended to interpret dreams. There is no interpreter here
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  Speaker 1: in the prison verse eight. Note there are interpreters which
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  Speaker 1: those that are in prison and sorrow should wish to
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  Speaker 1: have with them, to instruct them in the meaning and
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  Speaker 1: design of providence. Elahu alludes to such when he says,
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  Speaker 1: if there be an interpreter one among a thousand, to
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  Speaker 1: show unto man his uprightness job Chapter thirty three, Verses
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  Speaker 1: twenty three and twenty four, interpreters to guide their consciences,
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  Speaker 1: not to satisfy their curiosity. Joseph hereupon directed them which
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  Speaker 1: way to look. Do not interpretations belong to God? He
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  Speaker 1: means the God whom he worshiped to the knowledge of
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  Speaker 1: whom he endeavors thereby to lead them. Note it is
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  Speaker 1: God's prerogative to foretell things to come Isaiah chapter forty six,
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  Speaker 1: verse ten. He must therefore have the praise of all
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  Speaker 1: the gifts of foresight which men have, ordinary or extraordinary.
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  Speaker 1: Joseph promises a caveat against his own praise, and is
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  Speaker 1: careful to transmit the glory to God. As Daniel Chapter two,
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  Speaker 1: verse thirty. Joseph suggests, if interpretations belong to God, he
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  Speaker 1: is a free agent and may communicate the power to
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  Speaker 1: whom he pleases. And therefore, tell me your dreams now one.
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  Speaker 1: The chief Butler's dream was a happy presage of his
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  Speaker 1: enlargement and readvancement within three days, and so Joseph explained
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  Speaker 1: it to him Verses twelve and thirteen. Possibly it had
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  Speaker 1: been usual with him to press the full ripe grapes
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  Speaker 1: immediately into Pharaoh's cup, the simplicity of that age, not
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  Speaker 1: being acquainted with the modern arts of making the wine
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  Speaker 1: fine observe. Joseph foretold the Chief Butler's deliverance, but he
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  Speaker 1: did not foresee his own. He had long before dreamt
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  Speaker 1: of his own honor and the obeisance which his brethren
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  Speaker 1: should do to him, with the remembrance of which he
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  Speaker 1: must now support himself without any new or fresh discoveries.
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  Speaker 1: The visions that are for the comfort of God's saints
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  Speaker 1: are for a great while to come and relate to
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  Speaker 1: things that are very far off. While the foresights of
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  Speaker 1: others like this recorded there look but three days before them.
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  Speaker 1: Two the chief Baker's dream pretended his ignominious death Verses
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  Speaker 1: eighteen and nineteen. The happy interpretation of the other's dream
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  Speaker 1: encouraged him to relate his Thus, hypocrites when they hear
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  Speaker 1: good things promised to good Christians, would put in for
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  Speaker 1: a share, though they have no part nor lot in
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  Speaker 1: the matter. It was not Joseph's fault that he brought
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  Speaker 1: him no better tidings. Ministers are but interpreters. They cannot
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  Speaker 1: make the thing otherwise than it is. If their before
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  Speaker 1: they deal faithfully and their message prove unpleasing, it is
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  Speaker 1: not their fault. Bad dreams cannot expect a good interpretation. Five.
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  Speaker 1: The improvement Joseph made of this opportunity to get a
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  Speaker 1: friend at court Verses fourteen and fifteen. He modestly bespoke
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  Speaker 1: the favor of the Chief Butler, whose preferment he foretold.
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  Speaker 1: But think of me when it shall be well with thee.
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  Speaker 1: Though the respect paid to Joseph made the prison as
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  Speaker 1: easy to him as a prison could be, yet none
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  Speaker 1: can blame him for being desirous of liberty. See here, One,
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  Speaker 1: what a modest representation he makes of his own case
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  Speaker 1: verse fifteen. He does not reflect upon his brethren that
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  Speaker 1: sold him. He only says, I was stolen out of
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  Speaker 1: the land of the Hebrews. That is unjustly sent. Thence,
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  Speaker 1: no matter where the fault was, Nor does he reflect
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  Speaker 1: on the wrong done him in this imprisonment by his
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  Speaker 1: mistress that was his PROSECUTORIX and his master that was
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  Speaker 1: his judge. But mildly is his own innocence. Here have
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  Speaker 1: I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon. Note,
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  Speaker 1: when we are called to vindicate ourselves, we should carefully avoid,
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  Speaker 1: as much as may be, speaking ill of others. Let
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  Speaker 1: us be content to prove ourselves innocent, and not be
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  Speaker 1: fond of upbraiding others with their guilt. Two, What a
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  Speaker 1: modest request he makes to the chief butler. Only think
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  Speaker 1: of me, pray do me a kindness if it lie
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  Speaker 1: in your way. And his particular petition is bring me
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  Speaker 1: out of this house. He does not say, bring me
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  Speaker 1: into Pharaoh's house, get me a place at court. No,
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  Speaker 1: he begs for enlargement, not preferment. Note Providence sometimes designs
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  Speaker 1: the greatest honors for those that least covet or expect
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  Speaker 1: them Verses twenty two, twenty three. And it came to
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  Speaker 1: pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he
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  Speaker 1: made a feast unto all his servants, and he lifted
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  Speaker 1: up the head of the chief butler and of the
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  Speaker 1: baker among his servants. And he restore the chief butler
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  Speaker 1: unto his butlership again, and he gave the cup into
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  Speaker 1: Pharaoh's hand. But he hanged the chief baker as Joseph
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  Speaker 1: had interpreted to them. Yet did not the chief butler
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  Speaker 1: remember Joseph but forgot him. Here is one the verifying
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  Speaker 1: of Joseph's interpretation of the dreams. On the very day prefixed,
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  Speaker 1: the chief butler and baker were both advanced, one to
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  Speaker 1: his office, the other to the gallows, and both at
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  Speaker 1: three days end. Note very great changes, both for the
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  Speaker 1: better and for the worse, often happen in a very
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  Speaker 1: little time, So sudden are the revolutions of the weal
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  Speaker 1: of nature. The occasion of giving judgment severally upon their
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  Speaker 1: case was the solemnizing of Pharaoh's birthday, on which all
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  Speaker 1: his servants, being obliged by custom to attend him. These
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  Speaker 1: two came to be inquired after, and the cause of
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  Speaker 1: their commitment looked into. The solemnizing of the birthday of
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  Speaker 1: princes has been an ancient piece of respect done them.
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  Speaker 1: And if it be not abused, as jere Bohams was
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  Speaker 1: Saya chapter seven, verse five, and Herod's mark chapter six,
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  Speaker 1: verse twenty one, is a usage innocent enough, and we
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  Speaker 1: may all profitably take notice of our birth days with
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  Speaker 1: thankfulness for the mercies of our birth, sorrow for the
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  Speaker 1: simfulness of it, and an expectation of the day of
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  Speaker 1: our death as better than the day of our birth.
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  Speaker 1: On Pharaoh's birthday, he lifted up the head of these
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  Speaker 1: two prisoners, that is, arraigned, and tried them. When Naboth
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  Speaker 1: was tried, he was set on high among the people
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  Speaker 1: first kings chapter twenty one, verse nine. And he restored
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  Speaker 1: the chief butler, and he hanged the chief baker. If
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  Speaker 1: the butler was innocent in the Baker guilty. We must
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  Speaker 1: own the equity of providence in clearing up the innocency
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  Speaker 1: of the innocent and making the sin of the guilty
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  Speaker 1: to find him out, if both were either equally innocent
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  Speaker 1: or equally guilty. It is an instance of the arbitrariness
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  Speaker 1: of such great princes as pride themselves in that power
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  Speaker 1: which Nebuchenezzar set up for Daniel Chapter five, verse nineteen.
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  Speaker 1: Whom he would he slew, and whom he would he
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  Speaker 1: kept alive forgetting that there is a higher than they,
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  Speaker 1: to whom they are accountable. Two. The disappointing of Joseph's
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  Speaker 1: expectation from the chief butler, he remembered not Joseph, but
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  Speaker 1: forgot him Verse twenty three, paren one. See here an
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  Speaker 1: instance of base ingratitude. Joseph had deserved well at his hands,
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  Speaker 1: had ministered to him, sympathized with him, helped him to
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  Speaker 1: a favorable interpretation of his dream, had recommended himself to
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  Speaker 1: him as an extraordinary person upon all accounts, and yet
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  Speaker 1: he forgot him. We must not think it strange if
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  Speaker 1: in this world we have hatred shown us for our love,
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  Speaker 1: and slights for our respects. For ren too. See how
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  Speaker 1: apt those that are themselves at ease are to forget
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  Speaker 1: others in distress. Perhaps it is in allusion to this
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  Speaker 1: story that the prophet speaks of those that drink wine
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  Speaker 1: in bowls and are not grieved for the affliction of
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  Speaker 1: Joseph Amos, Chapter six, verse six. Let us learn, hence
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  Speaker 1: to cease from man. Joseph perhaps depended too much upon
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  Speaker 1: his interest in the Chief Butler, and promised himself too
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  Speaker 1: much from him. He learned by his disappointment to trust
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  Speaker 1: in God only. We cannot expect too little from man,
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  Speaker 1: nor too much from God. Some observed the resemblance between
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  Speaker 1: Joseph and Christ in this story. Joseph's fellow sufferers were
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  Speaker 1: like the two thieves that were crucified with Christ, the
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  Speaker 1: one saved, the other condemned. It is doctor Lightfoot's remark
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  Speaker 1: from mister Broughton. One of these, when Joseph said to him,
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  Speaker 1: remember me when it shall be well with THEE, forgot him.
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  Speaker 1: But one of those, when he said to Christ, remember
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  Speaker 1: me when thou comest into thy kingdom, was not forgotten.
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  Speaker 1: We justly blame the Chief Butler's ingratitude to Joseph. Yet
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  Speaker 1: we conduct ourselves much more disingenuously towards the Lord Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: Joseph had but foretold the chief Butler's enlargement, But Christ
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  Speaker 1: wrought ours mediated with the King of Kings for us.
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  Speaker 1: Yet we forget him, though often reminded of him, though
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  Speaker 1: we have promised never to forget him. Thus ill do
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  Speaker 1: we requite him like foolish people and unwise. End of
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  Speaker 1: Chapter forty