Joseph was sold into slavery by the Ishmaelites because of his brothers’ envy and jealousy.
The Ishmaelites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, a servant of Pharaoh (Pharaoh).
Joseph served his master honestly and diligently, and Potiphar trusted him enough to make him his household secretary and entrust all his possessions to Joseph.
But soon after, Potiphar’s wife fell in love and Joseph was imprisoned on the false charge of attempting to rape his master’s wife.
Joseph met the chief cupbearer and chief baker of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
Both of them sinned against the king, and the king was angry with them and put them in prison in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was imprisoned.
The two chiefs were equally guilty of the king and incur the king’s wrath and were put to death. This story is a record of how a person who has sinned before God can escape from that sin, and it is a very important part that must be understood among many Bible verses.
The vine and the white rice cakes in the three baskets all signify the blood and flesh of Jesus, and only through the sacrifice of Jesus can the sins be forgiven and stand before the holy God.
If the chief cupbearer went before Pharaoh with only the fruit of the vine, the chief baker placed various baked goods prepared for Pharaoh on top of three baskets of white rice cakes and presented them to Pharaoh. This can be interpreted as putting his efforts and zeal towards God above the sacrifice of Jesus.
[Related Verse]
Genesis 40:1
After that the king’s cupbearer and baker sinned against their lord the king of Egypt.
Genesis 40:2
Pharaoh was angry with the two chieftains, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
Genesis 40:3
They put them in prison in the house of the captain of the guard, where Joseph was imprisoned.
Genesis 40:4
The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to serve them, and Joseph served them. They were imprisoned for several days.
Genesis 40:5
The cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt who were imprisoned had dreams one night, each dreaming differently.
Genesis 40:6
Joseph went in in the morning and saw that they were troubled.
Genesis 40:7
Joseph asked the ruler of Pharaoh, who was imprisoned with him in his master’s house, “Why are you so sad today?”
Genesis 40:8
They said to him, “We have had dreams, but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph said to them, “Does not God have interpretations? Please tell me.”
Genesis 40:9
The cupbearer told Joseph the dream, saying, “I dreamed and saw a vine in front of me.
Genesis 40:10
The tree had three branches, and it budded and blossomed, and the grapes ripened.
Genesis 40:11
Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I picked the grapes, squeezed the juice into Pharaoh’s cup, and offered the cup to Pharaoh’s hand.
Genesis 40:12
Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation: three days are three days.
Genesis 40:13
Within three days from now Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your former office, and you will hold Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, as you did when you were cupbearer.
Genesis 40:14
If you are pleased, remember me and be gracious to me, and tell Pharaoh my case and deliver me from this house.
Genesis 40:16
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was auspicious, he said to Joseph, “I also saw in my dream that there were three baskets of white rice cakes on my head.
Genesis 40:15
I am a man brought from the land of the Hebrews, and here I did not do anything that would put me in prison.
Genesis 40:17
In the upper basket were all kinds of baked goods prepared for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them from the basket on my head.
Genesis 40:18
Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days.
Genesis 40:19
In three days from now Pharaoh will cut off your head and hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh.
Genesis 40:20
The third day was the birthday of Pharaoh, and when Pharaoh gave a banquet for all his servants, the chief butler and the chief baker had their heads lifted among his servants.
Genesis 40:21
Pharaoh’s cupbearer was restored to his former office, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.
Genesis 40:22
The chief baker was hanged, as Joseph interpreted to them.
Genesis 40:23
The chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.