Joseph in Egypt and the Prison Dreams

Joseph walked beside the caravan all the way to Egypt.

The journey was long. Each day, the travelers crossed dry roads beneath the hot sun. At night, Joseph looked up at the stars and remembered his home.

He missed his father. He even missed the brothers who had treated him so badly.

Joseph did not know what would happen next, but he knew one important thing: God was still with him.

At last, the caravan arrived in Egypt.

Joseph saw tall buildings, busy streets, colorful markets, and more people than he had ever seen before. Merchants called to one another while carts rolled past and donkeys carried heavy baskets.

Everything looked strange and new.

In Egypt, Joseph was sold to a man named Potiphar. Potiphar was an important officer who worked for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

Joseph was taken to Potiphar's large house.

At first, Joseph may have felt frightened. He was far from home, and he did not know anyone there.

Still, Joseph decided to do his very best.

He worked carefully. He listened well. He was honest, patient, and kind.

God was with Joseph and helped him in everything he did.

Potiphar soon noticed that Joseph could be trusted.

“Joseph, you have done good work,” Potiphar told him. “I will place you in charge of my entire house.”

Joseph was given many responsibilities. He made sure the work was completed, the food was prepared, and everything in the house was cared for properly.

While Joseph was in charge, Potiphar's household did very well.

But one day, Potiphar's wife asked Joseph to do something that he knew was wrong.

Joseph shook his head.

“No,” he said. “I will not do what is wrong. I want to obey God and be faithful to Potiphar.”

Potiphar's wife became angry because Joseph would not listen to her.

Then she told a lie about him.

She claimed that Joseph had behaved badly, even though he had done nothing wrong.

When Potiphar heard her story, he believed it. He became angry and sent Joseph to prison.

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.