April Eighth.
PHARAOH'S BUTLER AND BAKER.
"He restored the chief butler to his butlership again; but he hanged the chief baker."—Gen. xl. 21, 22.
IN this chapter we read that two of the officers of Pharaoh's household, the chief butler and the chief baker, had offended their lord, the king of Egypt; and for this offence, being wroth with them, he cast them into prison, where Joseph (who had been sold by his brethren) was a captive, and had the charge of them. These two offenders had each a dream, in one night, which appears to have preyed much upon their spirits. Joseph, in the morning, seeing their depression, said to them, "wherefore look ye so sadly today?" (ver. 7.) They replied, "we have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it." "Interpretations belong to God," said Joseph: "tell me then, I pray you." The butler then said, "In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; and in the vine were three branches; and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes, and Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand." Joseph interpreted this, by saying, that "within three days Pharaoh would restore him to his office."—The baker, seeing the interpretation was good, told his dream, and said, "Behold, I had three white baskets on my head: and in the uppermost basket were all manner of baked meats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head." (ver. 16.)
