The story in Genesis 37-50, the life of Joseph is revealed.
Though it is a story full of teachings of the trials, persistence, and God’s
love shown through Joseph himself, there is a smaller minor character I would
like to bring more light to… the cupbearer.
Barely mentioned in one and a half chapters of the bible,
this cupbearer plays a vital role in the progression of Joseph’s life and ultimately
God’s plan.
In Genesis 40, we see how Joseph interacts with this man who
had the position of the cupbearer. Joseph is thrown in jail for being wrongly
accused by Potifer’s wife. Chapter 40 opens us to share that sometime after
Joseph was thrown in he met both the baker and the cupbearer. We are not really
sure why they were put in jail, but somehow they committed an offense against
the Pharaoh. Joseph was appointed to be with them and the Bible says he
attended to them. By this point Joseph was given favor by God and did well in
all that he endeavored and was managing the prison below the head of the
guards.
The cupbearer and the baker both have dreams in the same
night, and Joseph hears them discussing the dreams and asks what is wrong.
After explaining that they cannot understand the meaning to their dreams,
Joseph declares that dreams belong to God and asks them to share the dreams to
him.
The cupbearer shares his dream of vine branches and serving
pharaoh. Joseph replies that the cupbearer would be restored back to his
position in three days. He also asks him to remember him when he is restored.
The baker’s dream, well, let’s just say it didn’t have that great of an
interpretation, and his dreams mean that he will die in three days.
In three days, the cupbearer is restored and the baker dies.
The cupbearer forgets that Joseph wanted to be remembered to Pharaoh for two
years until Pharaoh has two dreams that no one can interpret and the cupbearer
remembers Joseph and shares about the accuracy of Joseph’s interpretations. He
is called out of jail and ends up being Pharaoh’s right hand man. The story
continues without mentioning the cupbearer again.
For a moment let’s talk about his cupbearer.
He was thrown into prison for “committing an offense against
Pharaoh” and we do not know any other context. If I were this cupbearer I would
be upset that I was thrown in jail possibly scared or mad depending on why I
was placed there. Then, he has a confusing dream at the same time as this other
guy that got thrown into prison with him or maybe even caused him to be in
prison.
Then, this Hebrew man is able to correctly interpret both of
their dreams, and he is restored back to his position. I can only imagine the
emotions that the cupbearer might have felt being taken out of jail and
restored. He forgets about the Hebrew dream interpreter for two whole years,
but he comes in clutch to his boss as the Pharaoh has some troubling dreams of
his own.
This cupbearer is not a main character, but the story needed
him to continue. If we believe in God’s sovereignty, then God allowed the
cupbearer to be thrown in jail so he could meet Joseph. He was in the same cell
as Joseph so that he could interpret his dream and be a testimony that Joseph
could really interpret them through God. Then he was restored to share with the
Pharaoh about this man he met in prison two years later.
Without the cupbearer Joseph is still in prison and does not
make it out to pharaoh’s court. Sure, God would have gotten him out another
way, but God used the cupbearer.
Sometimes when we ask God to use us, we are not the star, Joseph,
(though his life was far from easy) we are the cupbearer. We are there to move
God’s plan along. We are there to be used.
That means sometimes God allows us to go through trials. We
are “thrown in prison” by our fault or by mistake maybe even SOLEY to let God’s
plan in the story go on. This is NOT a time that feels good. We may not see the
moment as a “being-used-by-God-moment,” but rather a time of injustice,
mistreatment, or trials.
We encounter people or leave certain people at a specific
time that God ordained so that his plan would continue. Sometimes that means
friendships are formed or relationships are broken or separated. We may be
hurt, angry, and even confused about why God is letting something happen like this…
But we have to remember, WE ARE NOT THE STAR OF THE STORY…
GOD IS.
We cannot ask God to use us and then complain when we feel used. We
cannot expect glory when we may be used as a bridge to get the story from one
spot to another.
I have recently come out of a cupbearer experience where for
over a year and a half my faith was shaken because I did not understand what
God was doing.
I was working at a ministry full-time and going to school.
Then, I was mistreated and broken as a left the ministry unexpectedly. I knew
in me leaving left tons of gossip and stories behind it by others. I felt much
as I am sure the cupbearer felt when he was thrown in jail. Upon me leaving,
another friend took my place, she too was mistreated and broken when she left
unexpectedly from this ministry a year later. She was the bridge that connected
a church to this ministry and now they have merged to form an even growing
ministry.
It took over a year to get over the resentment and brokenness
I felt from my departure and even worse when I found that my friend had
experienced the same. But I have come to realize that in that ministry, God is getting
glory. Now that it has combined with another, I am confident that more people
will experience God in new and numerous ways there. But, they wouldn’t have
been connected had I not left, my friend not come, my friend not be involved in
both places, and the she leave as they connect.
It’s hard to be a cupbearer sometimes. It’s hard to
surrender to God and be understanding when you are used as a tool in his master
plan in ways that you were not expecting or that are hard and painful. It’s hard
to understand that we aren’t always the star that sometimes we are a small
piece in a big plan, and God will bring us in and use us if we will let him. He
will also take us out at the right time even when we may not be planning it or
be acceptable of it. It may even be in hard and heartbreaking circumstances
that do not make sense. It may not even have to make sense because we don’t know
the master plan and God does.
So, if you are being used right now by God or if you are
coming out of a trying time of being used by God, I want to encourage you to
worship God in the lack of understanding.
God has a master plan to bring others to understand the
amazing gift of love and mercy.
Sometimes it just takes having willing people
to be cupbearers and to be tools used to move the story along.
God loves you.
He cares for your soul and he has not abandoned you.
He wants to use you, and
sometimes, He may use you as a cupbearer.
