Joseph Interprets Dreams in Prison
Joseph was in prison even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. But Joseph didn’t give up. He knew that God was with him and had a plan for his life. While he was in prison, Joseph worked hard and was kind to everyone. The prison warden trusted Joseph and put him in charge of the other prisoners.
One day, two new prisoners arrived. They were very important men who had worked for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. One was Pharaoh’s cupbearer, who brought Pharaoh his drinks, and the other was Pharaoh’s baker, who made his food.
Two Strange Dreams
One night, both the cupbearer and the baker had strange dreams. The next morning, Joseph noticed they looked upset.
“Why are you so sad today?” Joseph asked.
“We had dreams, but we don’t know what they mean,” they replied.
Joseph said, “God can help me understand dreams. Tell me what you dreamed.”
The Cupbearer’s Dream
The cupbearer went first.
“In my dream,” he said, “I saw a grapevine with three branches. The grapes grew and ripened, and I squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and gave it to him.”
Joseph smiled and said, “This is what your dream means: The three branches represent three days. In three days, Pharaoh will let you out of prison, and you will get your job back as his cupbearer.”
The cupbearer was happy to hear this.
Then Joseph said, “When you are free, please remember me. Tell Pharaoh about me so I can get out of this prison.”
The Baker’s Dream
Next, the baker told his dream.
“In my dream,” he said, “I had three baskets of bread on my head. The top basket was full of baked goods for Pharaoh, but birds were eating the bread.”
Joseph listened carefully and said, “This is what your dream means: The three baskets represent three days. In three days, Pharaoh will punish you, and you will not get your job back.”
The baker was sad to hear this, but Joseph told him the truth.
The Dreams Come True
Three days later, it was Pharaoh’s birthday. He decided to let the cupbearer out of prison and give him his job back, just like Joseph had said. But the baker was punished, just as Joseph had explained.
Even though Joseph was still in prison, he knew that God was with him. He waited patiently, trusting that God would help him in His perfect timing.
Lesson
This story reminds us that God gives us gifts to help others, just like He gave Joseph the ability to understand dreams. Even when things seem hard, we can trust that God is always working behind the scenes for our good. When we use our gifts for God, amazing things can happen!