God’s Timeline – Part 46 Joseph Interprets Dreams

 God’s Timeline – Part 46

Joseph Interprets Dreams

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

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This Document is a Sermon Outline, you may hear the full audio of the actual sermon by following the link Online Audio Files located above for this, and other Full Sermon Audios.  For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org or Truth Digest on facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on Facebook at House of Faith Church

 

SERMON TIMELINE (2021 A.D. = 5781 Jewish Calendar Year)

 -         Creation Week (Approximately B.C.)

o   Adam, Eve, and the Fall

-         Cain and Abel

o   Evil Fills the World

-         Noah Did All God Commanded Him

o   The Flood (B.C.)

o   God’s Covenant with Noah

o   Noah’s Sons and Ham’s Sin

o   Nations of Noah’s Sons

-         Tower of Babel

 -         God calls Abram (B.C.)

o   Abram and Lot part ways (B.C.)

o   Rescue of Lot (B.C.)

-         The Lord’s Covenant with Abram for Isaac

o   Hagar and Ishmael Born (B.C.) Abram 86 years old

o   Sarai and Isaac

o   The Three Visitors

o   Abraham Pleads for Sodom

-         Birth of Isaac (2066 B.C. Abraham 99 years old Sarah 90-Hagar and Ishmael sent away)

o   The Lord tests Abraham (B.C.)

o   Sarah Dies 127 years old (B.C. Abraham is 136)

-         Isaac marries Rebekah (B.C. Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah)

 -         Jacob and Esau are born (B.C. Isaac was 60 Abraham 159)

o   Abraham dies at 175 (B.C. Isaac was 75)

o   Isaac receives the Birthright and his father’s blessing

o   Esau marries two Hittites at 40 (B.C.)

o   Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael

o   Jacob travels to his grandfather’s family to find a wife (B.C.)

o   Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

o   Jacob marries Leah then Rachel

§  Levi is born (B.C.)

§  Joseph is born (B.C.)

o   Jacob fled Laban and is pursued (B.C.)

o   Jacob Prepares to meet Esau

o   Jacob Wrestles with God & Becomes Israel

o   Jacob Meets with Esau after 20 Years

o   Jacob’s Daughter Raped by Shechem (B.C.)

o   Jacob Returns to Bethel

o   The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac (Isaac was 180 years old)

 

-         Joseph’s Dreams (Joseph is seventeen at the time)

o   Joseph Sold by His Brothers

o   Joseph Imprisoned

o   Joseph interprets dreams while in prison

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Last week in Genesis we read about Joseph being sold to Potiphar, and how he worked his way into a great position within the household. We saw how Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph, but he refused, exclaiming it was sinful, so she falsely accused him, and Potiphar threw Joseph in prison.

 

In prison, Joseph once again found favor and was placed in charge.

 

Now we find him hearing the dreams of a couple of fellow prisoners.

  

SCRIPTURE READING

Genesis 40:1-23

“Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.

 

After they had been in custody for some time, 5 each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.

 

6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”

 

8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”

 

Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

 

9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.”

 

12 “This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14 But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. 15 I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”

 

16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread. 17 In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”

 

18 “This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.”

 

20 Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand— 22 but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.

 

23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.”

  

       I.         THE DREAM OF THE CUPBEARER (BUTLER)

a.      The Dream

                                     i.      “So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.”

 

b.     The Meaning

                                     i.      “This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14 But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. 15 I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”

 

c.      Satan was at work

                                     i.      Satan, either himself, his fallen comrades, or humans he either possesses or oppresses to manipulate and use as a pawn, is trying to stop God’s works

                                  ii.      He began in the garden by manipulating Eve into sin

                               iii.      He continues to this day and even until the End Times by using the Anti-Christ to do his will as opposed to God’s

1.      Satan influenced Josephs brothers to kill him, though they sold him instead

2.      Satan then used Potiphar’s wife to try and seduce Joseph into sin

3.      When that didn’t work, false accusations put him in prison

4.      Satan’s influence will now keep the cupbearer from telling the King of Josephs innocence or his incredible relationship with God

 

   II.         THE DREAM OF THE BAKER

a.      The Dream

                                     i.      “When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread. 17 In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”

 

b.     The Meaning

                                     i.      “This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.”

 

c.      All through scripture we see God often uses dreams, visions, and prophecy to carry forth His work

 

III.         ARE THERE STILL DREAMS AND INTERPRETATIONS?

a.      VS 19 God alone knows the future and can reveal it to men if He so chooses

                                        i.      Things to remember when it comes to dreams, visions and prophecy

1.      They are either of God, Satan, or vain imaginations

2.      They are to further God’s Will ALONE, and no other reason

                                     ii.      In every verse we read of dreams, visions, and prophecy, they all have one thing in common…God’s Will and purpose.

                                  iii.      Whether it is interpreting dreams through Joseph to get him out of prison to fulfill his call by God, or John to receive the revelation of Christ.

                                   iv.      Used for, or in any other way is not of God.

                                      v.      The Holy Spirit uses three Spiritual Gifts through Joseph here

1.      Discerning Spirits (knowing these dreams were from God)

2.      Word of Knowledge (understanding what the dreams represented)

3.      Word of Wisdom (knowing what to do with this knowledge)

 

b.     The interpretations from Joseph took place just as he said they would

                                        i.      “Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand— 22 but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.

 

23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.”

 

                                     ii.      Some well-meaning people get themselves in trouble when it comes to dreams, visions, prophecy, word of knowledge.

1.      Their zeal can lead them astray

2.      If you are wrong 1 time about a prophecy, you are a false prophet…stop

3.      The scriptures tell us it is OK to desire certain gifts, and even pray and ask for them, however, this does not mean you will receive them.

4.      And you CANNOT fake it till you make it when it comes to the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts.

 

c.      Satan was at work, and the cupbearer forgot Joseph

                                     i.      He knew Joseph was kidnapped and sold into slavery

                                  ii.      He knew Joseph was innocent of the charges of rape

                               iii.      He knew that Joseph possessed a mysterious relationship with God

                                iv.      Yet, he said nothing when he was freed…satanic influence

 

CONCLUSION –

 

Do we have dreams, visions, and prophecies today?

 

Perhaps not as many as some claim. Many in the world today misuse dreams, visions, prophecy, tongues, and other imitations of the Holy Spirit’s Spiritual Gifts to manipulate, control and lead false churches and congregations.

  

Peter says in Acts 2:17-21 “In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams.
¹⁸ Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
    and they will prophesy.
¹⁹ I will show wonders in the heavens above
    and signs on the earth below,
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
²⁰ The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
²¹ And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

 

He is quoting Joel 2

 

However, to keep from being deceived by Satan and his workers, the false prophets, the cults posing as churches, prosperity preachers getting rich, etc., we need to KNOW the Word of God, and measure everything by the Word!

 

1 John 4:1-3 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”

 

How do we test the spirits? Measure everything by the Word of God and DO NOT believe everything you read or hear just because they say they are of God!

 

Anyone who claims visions, dreams, and prophecies from God all the time, and they either do not line up with the Word of God, or they do not serve to fulfill God’s Will, are more than likely the vain imaginations of man.

 

2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

 

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

 

 

Next week we will read about the Pharaoh’s Dreams

 

 

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