Genesis 40 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Genesis 40

WHEN:

• Joseph was 17 when he went to Egypt (approximately 1728 B.C.).

• He was around 28 years old when he met Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker (41:46).

CHARACTERS:

• Joseph – Jacob’s son with Rachel. Joseph’s brothers hated him and sold him into slavery.  

• Pharaoh’s Cupbearer and Baker – Officers of Pharaoh who had their dreams interpreted by Joseph while in prison. 

WHERE:

• The story recorded in Genesis 40 took place in the country of Egypt.

OUTLINE:

• PHARAOH’S CUPBEARER AND BAKER (40:1-8):

  • Sometime after Joseph was thrown into prison, the chief cupbearer and chief baker committed an offense against the king of Egypt and were put in prison.

  • The keeper of the prison appointed Joseph to attend to them.

  • One night, they both dreamed dreams and were troubled because they didn’t know how to interpret them.

  • Joseph told them God was the interpreter of dreams and he asked them to recount their dreams to him.

• THE CUPBEARER’S DREAM AND ITS INTERPRETATION (40:9-15):

  • The chief cupbearer dreamed about a vine with three branches. The vine bloomed and clusters of grapes grew on it.

  • The cupbearer was standing nearby with Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, so he filled it with juice, and gave it to Pharaoh.

  • Joseph gave him the interpretation of the dream.

  • In three days, the cupbearer would be released from prison and reinstated to his role as Pharaoh’s cupbearer.

  • Joseph asked the cupbearer to mention him to Pharaoh so he could be let out of prison.

• THE BAKER’S DREAM AND ITS INTERPRETATION (40:16-19):

  • When the baker heard the interpretation of the cupbearer’s dream, he was eager for Joseph to interpret his.

  • He told Joseph he dreamed of three cake baskets on his head. In the top basket there were baked goods prepared for Pharaoh, but birds came and started eating the food.

  • Joseph told him the three baskets represented three days.

  • In three days, Pharaoh would hang the baker on a tree and the birds would come to eat his flesh.

• THE FATE OF THE CUPBEARER AND THE BAKER (40:20-23):

  • Three days later, Pharaoh celebrated his birthday with a feast.

  • He summoned the cupbearer and baker from the prison, gave the cupbearer his job back, and hanged the baker.

  • But the chief cupbearer forgot to mention Joseph to Pharaoh, and he remained in prison.

APPLICATION:

• Ingratitude is a terrible sin.

• An ungrateful heart is not a godly heart.

• It’s hard to believe the cupbearer forgot about Joseph, but have their been times in your life when you forgot about those who helped you during your times of trouble?

• Have you been ungrateful to the people who raised you? Those who have poured so much of their time into you? Those who loved you at your lowest?

• An ungrateful person will never understand the Bible, because an ungrateful person will never appreciate God’s greatest gift, Jesus!