|
Joseph was a good and industrious
servant to Potiphar; he was not idle nor deceitful, nor disrespectful, nor
dishonest; and he was very careful of his master's things; and God blessed
him, and made him a blessing to Potiphar, and all his family. Potiphar's
wife was a very wicked woman; she hated Joseph, and told her husband many
things about him that were not true; and asked his master to punish
him. Potiphar believed all she said, and commanded Joseph to be put
into prison. Potiphar did not know that Joseph had not done wrong;
but God knew all the truth, for He cannot be deceived. Joseph
went to prison; but God was with him there. He can keep His people
wherever they are, and comfort them in all their sorrows; and He blessed
Joseph, and made the keeper of the prison love him. Joseph took care
of every thing in the prison, and of all the prisoners; and he was so kind
and gentle, that they loved him, and told him all their sorrows. While
Joseph was in prison, the chief butler and the chief baker of Pharaoh,
king of Egypt, offended their master, and he sent them both to
prison. One morning, when Joseph came in to see them, he found them
looking said and unhappy, and he asked, "Why look ye so sadly
today?" They said, "We have dreamed dreams; and we have no
one to interpret them to us." Joseph answered, "God sends
dreams; He only known the interpretation; tell me your dreams, I pray
you." Then the butler told his dream, and said, "I saw in
my dream a vine, and in the vine three branches; and they budded, and the
flowers came, and the fruit ripened; and I took Pharaoh's cup, and
gathered the grapes, and pressed them into the cup, and gave it to
Pharaoh." Then Joseph said, "The three branches are three
days. In three days Pharaoh will restore thee to thy place, and thou
shalt give the cup into his hand." And then Joseph said,
"Do not forget me when it shall be well with thee; speak for me to
Pharaoh, and bring me out of prison. For I was stolen away from
Canaan, and brought to Egypt, and I have done nothing that they should put
me into this dungeon." Then the baker told his dream and said,
"I had three baskets upon my head; they were full of baked meats for
Pharaoh; and the birds came, and ate the meat out of the baskets on my
head." Joseph answered, "The three baskets are three
days. In three days, Pharaoh will hang thee upon a tree, and the
birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee." All
happened as Joseph said, for God had given him wisdom and power to
interpret the dreams rightly. In three days was Pharaoh's birth-day,
and he made a feast for all his servants, and called the butler and baker
out of prison. He forgave the butler, and restored him to his place,
and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand; but the baker was hanged, as
Joseph said. Did the butler
remember Joseph, and ask the king to take him out of prison?
No: he quiet forgot him: when he was happy and safe himself,
he thought no more about Joseph. But God always remembers us; He
says to every one who serves him, "They may forget, but I will not
forget thee." Isaiah 49:15.
|
