Genesis 40:9 – 23

⁹ So the chief cupbearer recounted his dream to Joseph and told him, “In my dream there was a grapevine before me,

¹⁰ and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms broke out, and its clusters ripened into grapes.

¹¹ Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”

¹² Then Joseph said to him, “This is its explanation: the three branches are three days.

¹³ In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and put you back in your position, and you shall put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer.

¹⁴ If you will only remember me, when it is well with you, and show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house.

¹⁵ Because I was really stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”

¹⁶ When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head,

¹⁷ and in the top basket there were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them from the basket on my head.”

¹⁸ And Joseph answered and said, “This is its explanation: the three baskets are three days.

¹⁹ In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head- from you!- and impale you on a pole. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

²⁰ The third day from that was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.

²¹ He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he again placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.

²² But he executed the chief baker, as Joseph had explained it to them.

²³ However, the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, and forgot about him. _______________________

still in the middle

Three people saw God at work here, and each had expectations that – since God was in this – there must be a favorable outcome – deliverance. But there was no deliverance for the former chief baker: he was executed. There was no deliverance for Joseph: he was forgotten. God was indeed in the events described, but his purposes were more long range than what was expected.

One temptation that accompanies people of faith is the expectation that every change is a rescue, every act is the final act. We must learn the wisdom of trusting God to respond to our prayers in his timing. Our ultimate rescue will not come until our Savior returns. Until then, the Holy Spirit is at work, and we do not have access to his playbook. We do not know whether we are at the beginning or the end of our story. When he was once again forgotten in the Egyptian round-house, Joseph discovered that he was still in the middle of his story.

LORD, give us patience to allow your Holy Spirit to do what he wants of us, and to answer our prayers when he wants to. Give us courage to stay faithful when still in the middle.