Two Dreams in Prison

Joseph had been sent to prison unjustly. Now he would learn to trust God there too.

Once again, Joseph's life had changed suddenly.

He had worked hard. He had been honest. He had chosen to do the right thing.

But now he sat inside a dark prison.

Joseph may have wondered, “Why has this happened to me?”

Yet even inside the prison, Joseph was not alone.

God was still with him.

The keeper of the prison watched Joseph carefully. Before long, he noticed that Joseph was responsible, honest, and kind.

“You are different,” the keeper told him. “I can trust you.”

The keeper placed Joseph in charge of many things inside the prison. Joseph helped organize the work and cared for the other prisoners.

God helped Joseph there, just as He had helped him in Potiphar's house.

Some time later, two new prisoners arrived.

One was Pharaoh's chief cupbearer. His job had been to prepare and serve Pharaoh's drinks.

The other was Pharaoh's chief baker. His job had been to prepare special bread and food for Pharaoh.

Both men had made Pharaoh angry, so they were sent to the prison where Joseph was kept.

Joseph was asked to care for them.

One morning, Joseph went to see the two men. He immediately noticed that they looked worried.

“Why are you both so sad today?” Joseph asked.

The cupbearer and the baker looked at one another.

“We each had a dream last night,” they explained, “but there is no one here who can tell us what the dreams mean.”

Joseph listened carefully.

“Only God truly understands dreams,” he said. “Please tell me what you dreamed.”

The cupbearer spoke first.

“In my dream, I saw a grapevine with three branches,” he said. “Buds appeared, flowers opened, and clusters of ripe grapes grew on the vine. Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. I squeezed the grapes into the cup and gave it to Pharaoh.”

God helped Joseph understand the dream.

“The three branches represent three days,” Joseph explained. “In three days, Pharaoh will give you your job back. You will serve his cup to him again.”

The cupbearer's face filled with hope.

Then Joseph made a request.

“When you are free, please remember me,” he said. “Tell Pharaoh that I was brought here unfairly. I have done nothing that deserves this prison.”

The baker had listened to Joseph's encouraging interpretation. He hoped his own dream would also have a happy meaning.

“I had a dream too,” the baker said. “There were three baskets of bread on my head. The top basket was filled with baked treats for Pharaoh, but birds flew down and ate the food from the basket.”

Joseph grew quiet.

The meaning of this dream was sad.

“The three baskets also represent three days,” Joseph explained gently. “But you will not return to your work. In three days, your life will come to an end.”

The baker lowered his head.

Joseph had not chosen the meaning of either dream. He had simply shared what God helped him understand.

There in the prison, far away from his family, Joseph could not yet see the purpose behind everything that had happened.

But God had not forgotten him.

God was preparing Joseph for something much greater, and Joseph's story was still unfolding.