Genesis 130 – Encountering a Dream – Part 2

The Word of God is from Genesis 40:9-23:

 

"Then the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, 'In my dream, behold, there was a grapevine before me; and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms came out, and the clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed their juice into Pharaoh's cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.' Joseph said to him, 'This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. 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. Only remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. For indeed I was forcibly carried away from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which I should have been put into the dungeon.' When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, 'I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; and in the uppermost basket there were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.' Joseph answered and said, 'This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh from you.' So it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand; but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him." Amen.

 

Joseph's Suffering and the Process of Spiritual Maturation

As we examined last week, a span of no less than eleven years passed between the last verse of Genesis chapter 39 and the first verse of chapter 40. Although the Bible does not record the details of what happened during this time, we saw in the Psalms that Joseph endured great inner conflict and pain, with his feet bound in shackles and an iron collar around his neck—the Scriptures record the extent of his suffering. The Bible also states that the word of the LORD tested him.

 

When Joseph was about eleven years into his imprisonment, two men entered the jail. Unlike all the previous inmates, they were people who held quite high positions. Potiphar assigned Joseph to serve them, and Joseph began to attend to these two officials of the king.

 

Observing them closely, Joseph noticed that their faces were troubled one morning, and he kindly asked if something was wrong. They replied that they had dreamed unsettling dreams but did not know the meaning. It was then that Joseph said, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams" and thus listened to their dream stories.

 

As we know, Joseph later interpreted the dreams, one of which foretold that the cupbearer would eventually meet Pharaoh again, recommend Joseph to Pharaoh, and finally lead to Joseph's release from prison and his rise to become Prime Minister—a story we know well from the narrative of Joseph.

 

Interpreting Joseph's Suffering: It is Not a Prime Minister Success Story

When we look at Joseph's life, we often assume that even his suffering in prison was merely preparation for eventually meeting Pharaoh and becoming Prime Minister. This is the 'blessing in disguise' approach to interpreting Joseph's story—that all this suffering ultimately led to a great outcome. While it is true that God's providence was intricately at work, viewing Joseph's story only through this lens risks missing the main point the Scriptures want to convey.

 

The first main point the Bible wants to convey is not the story of Joseph eventually becoming Prime Minister. As we see even in the book of Hebrews, Joseph later met his brothers and said, "God sent me ahead of you to preserve life." Ultimately, he instructed them to "carry my bones up from this place" and return to Canaan, which the book of Hebrews presents as an act of faith.

 

In other words, the story of Joseph is meant to communicate how God would form and redeem Israel, establish His nation in Canaan, and eventually, how Jesus Christ would come into the world. Therefore, this is not merely an individual success story about Joseph becoming a Prime Minister.

 

Spiritual Maturation is a Personal Process

The second important aspect of this story involves Joseph personally. Through the account of Joseph's life from the age of seventeen until his death, the Bible shows that history (time) is involved in a person's life. It shows that a person does not receive all faith and make a complete confession instantaneously at age seventeen. Instead, God walks alongside them, leading, shaping, and building their faith step by step—a process that is also present in our lives.

 

This is true for your own story, and at the same time, it provides the correct perspective for viewing your brothers and sisters in faith. Of course, it is natural for ordinary believers to expect leaders, such as pastors, to maintain a slightly higher standard of morality. Believers have the right to speak up when those who teach the Word act with corrupt morality that undermines it.

 

However, regardless of the office God has given or how sacred and holy a person's work may appear to us, that person is still someone God is in the process of making into His own person. A pastor is certainly set apart by God for the congregation, but I believe that at the same time, I was set apart for myself! (When I think about how much trouble I might have caused had I not become a pastor, I am constantly grateful for God's guiding hand.)

 

The Holy Purpose of a Life Conformed to Christ

As you know, the believers around us are not yet finished beings; like us, they are walking together in God's grace. This truth allows you to love them more deeply, be more patient with them, and offer correction more graciously. There are so many things that can be changed and corrected as we strive to resemble the Lord! These efforts become an adventure, a joyous pursuit for us all.

 

Our spiritual ancestors called walking this path with the Lord "the joyful road, the delightful way." This is because the further we walk, the more we come to know Jesus Christ, draw closer to the Lord, and increasingly experience His eternal and holy life within our own lives.

 

What a blessed and happy life this is! You did not come to this earth merely to survive, achieve great things, or succeed. You came to be like Jesus. You came for the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. You came to be a person fit for the Kingdom of God. Therefore, we possess life's highest value and a purpose that can be exchanged for nothing else. This is what we call a saint (a seongdo).

 

Joseph's Confession and the Curve of Spiritual Growth

In this process of spiritual maturation, Joseph makes a respectable statement, a sign of growth compared to his seventeen-year-old self. He says, "I'm troubled by this dream. Doesn't the interpretation belong to God? It is in God's will and in His hands. I’ve realized nothing in my life has gone according to my plan. Surely, it must belong to God." This is a remarkable confession.

 

However, we tend to think that once a person meets Jesus and begins to resemble Him, their spiritual life will proceed in a straight upward trajectory (upward-sloping). We believe faith just keeps improving. Faith does not grow that way. Faith usually grows like this: our knowledge of God grows, and that knowledge causes us considerable struggle and conflict. Through this, we realize how weak we are, and we learn that we live not by what we know but because the Lord loves us, and so we grow to resemble Him a little more. And then, as time goes on, we learn a little more about the Lord.

 

Because these things happen, the path is not a simple zigzag line; it's not just a mechanical up-and-down pattern. You realize that God is not simply dealing with your life like a machine but personally and intimately. He sometimes lets you rest when you need it. Other times, the Word of God fills your heart so completely that you soar like an eagle, making it impossible to exchange your life for anything else. Still other times, He leads you through seasons like a desert. Through these experiences, we see that God builds us up. You must remember this was also true for Joseph. In fact, immediately after the confession he just made, Joseph demonstrates a completely different, contradictory attitude.

 

The Priority of Dream Interpretation, Revelation, and the Word of God

Today's message focuses on two biblical truths—or points we must remember in our lives of faith—before we get to the main point of Joseph’s spiritual progression. The first point explains the meaning and purpose of dreams in this context.

 

Dream Interpretation and Joseph's Limitations

Because Joseph's dream stories appear often, you know he interpreted them masterfully. A grapevine with three branches: he interpreted this as three days. Three baskets carried on the head: also three days.

 

Seeing the branches bud, blossom, and bear grapes, and seeing the cupbearer squeeze the juice into Pharaoh's cup, Joseph interpreted this as, 'Ah, Pharaoh will call you back to your position.'

 

The other official had three baskets, the top one containing food for Pharaoh, which birds came and ate. Joseph interpreted this by saying, 'Ah, you will also be summoned in three days, but Pharaoh will hang you—you will be killed on a tree.' This is an incredibly difficult task, interpreting another person's dreams, but he interpreted them, and they came true.

 

This makes Joseph's ability to interpret dreams seem extraordinary. We easily conclude that Joseph was a gifted interpreter and one whom God loved and showed great favor. But let me say one thing that will immediately challenge that assumption: Joseph, the great interpreter, never dreamed of his own release from prison. Shouldn't the Bible have recorded something like, 'Joseph dreamed of a way out three days before his release, and realized he would be leaving'? That would make us say, 'This is Joseph!' Yet, he never had a dream about himself. Things just happened.

 

The Holy Spirit and the Interpretation of the Word

The reason I bring this up is that while dreams were used in the past to foretell the future, in the Bible—in the Old Testament (Genesis and Daniel) and in the New Testament (essentially only Matthew, as we consider Revelation's content as visions)—divine revelation through dreams does not appear often. In fact, the significance of dreams is amplified more by the book of Joel. Joel 2:28 is the verse Peter quoted in his very first sermon in Acts: "Your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy."

 

This is what happens when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. Unlike the Old Testament, God makes it possible for all believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit, allowing Christ and God to dwell within us—an astonishing work. Therefore, prophecy means not only foretelling the future but also speaking, interpreting, and understanding the Word of God together. In other words, with the arrival of the Holy Spirit, you can finally hear and understand God's Word, and its active work within us occurs in everyone who confesses Jesus Christ as Lord. You can all listen to and understand the Scriptures. If you are a child of God, the Spirit is within you, and you can interpret all the Word. You can hear and understand it.

 

The one thing you and I must be careful about is that even though the Holy Spirit works within us to help us understand the Bible, we have one weakness: the problem is our heart. The problem isn't the Spirit's interpretation; it's our heart. Because of our greed, we can twist the Scriptures. We want to force God's Word to fit our conditions and our own thoughts. To prevent us from misinterpreting, the Holy Spirit, working through many believers and our faithful ancestors, gradually teaches us what the true Word of God is, reveals it to us, and we learn through history how the Spirit corrects falsehoods.

 

Therefore, we do not remain solely in our personal interpretation but always value God's Word given to us publicly throughout history. However, because the Holy Spirit resides within you, you can sit in the same place—even with non-believers—and hear the Word and know. The Bible lets you know that God loves you and who Jesus Christ is, even if it doesn't reveal everything to you all at once.

 

The Final Revelation Through Jesus Christ

In this way, dreams were used in the Old Testament to convey God's Word and make His revelation known. However, Hebrews 1:1 says: "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets," (This includes dreams, visions, events, and healings—various forms of revelation.) "but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son." This means that the new covenant Word of God, spoken through the Son in the final age, is our definitive and final word.

 

And that Word is finalized with the declaration in Revelation: "If anyone adds to them or takes away from them, God will add to that person the plagues"—meaning the Scripture is finally complete for us, the New Testament believers. It is no longer God's will to add to or take away anything from the Bible. Therefore, God can now illuminate our minds through dreams, miracles, or other new, unknown means, shedding light on our hearts and giving us understanding, but He does not give revelation—meaning He does not give a word to be recorded in the Holy Scripture.

 

The Priority of God's Word

Therefore, you may dream dreams. One of the important functions of dreams is that they often reveal many of our unconscious thoughts, concerns, greed, frustration, and despair. Sometimes, you may so earnestly long for God's Word that it illuminates your dream, and you hear a voice calling your name, like 'Abraham.' This can happen. However, because it cannot be a revelation on par with God's Word, it must be checked against something. It must be checked against God's Word, and God's Word has priority.

 

For example, imagine someone comes to me and says, "Pastor, a person who prays often gave me a prophecy that I should start this business. So I'm going to start it." Instead of simply saying, "Don't do it" or "Go ahead," I would say this: "Do you know what 'revelation' means? Revelation is God's Word, so it is inerrant. It can't have errors; it is God's Word. If that is the case, God would not give an inerrant Word concerning a specific personal business venture that isn't recorded in the Bible."

 

More importantly, the Word of God promises something greater than success or failure in business. Though your business may succeed or fail, and sometimes things happen beyond your expectation or cause you great pain, God has clearly promised you through His Word that your entire life is moving toward eternal life, you can never fail, and you will enjoy eternal joy because God is with you. This is God's will. This is the revelation given to you. This is the Word that overrides all the success and failure of your life. This applies to every person, regardless of the struggles or worries you carry. If you are a child of the Lord, this Word of God will certainly be fulfilled.

 

That is faith. It may be fulfilled differently from what you expect, but God's Word will certainly be fulfilled. Therefore, do not let your heart be captivated by dreaming dreams or seeking prophecy. What happens immediately ahead of you is not what matters; what matters is that you must never forget that God, who walks with you through your life, is your Father. That is the power that sustains you, not a successful business. Secular jobs, buildings, and wealth are not eternal. The banker job, once a 'rice bowl' guarantee, or the status of a government official or teacher, once highly coveted, is no longer the case. Even being a landlord, once thought to be the most secure, is losing favor. Circumstances change people's minds.

 

You all know this. Does it make sense to stake your life on such things? Is that all the value your life holds? Of course, there are immediate hardships and difficulties. Having more money might be slightly more comfortable than having none, and having your plans succeed, however momentarily, can bring you joy. But how can any of that be exchanged for eternal joy? It cannot. We must live diligently, dedicating all our energy to our talents and the work God has given us, but this life cannot be exchanged for the Kingdom of Heaven. It cannot be exchanged for the eternal joy and glory of God.

 

Joseph indeed dreamed dreams and interpreted them, and that was conveyed to us as revelation. But now, you must understand how to view your own dreams or experiences within the context of God's eternal Word. If anyone makes you anxious with talk of dreams or special prayers, inwardly (you don't have to do it outwardly) shout, 'Get behind me, Satan!' 'Is the dream you had or the prayer you received more powerful than God's promise that He acknowledges me as His child and will lead my life on the most beautiful path?' That is nonsense. If you understand this well, I want to talk about the second point.

 

Worldly Method or Spiritual Method?

After interpreting the dreams, Joseph tells the cupbearer: "When things go well for you, remember me and get me out of this place." We might think Joseph acted wisely, but this, my friends, is a favor request (cheongtak). Even if you don't consider Joseph's action as outright unethical lobbying, you might at least think, "Isn't this too worldly?" Shouldn't he have given thanks to God when the dream came true?

 

Wouldn't you do the same? If you gave someone good advice—"Look at God's Word; cling to this and take courage"—and they replied, "That's truly encouraging," you wouldn't say, "Could you give me some money?" You would say, "Give glory to God," even if it was just lip service. (Though you might secretly wish for something.) But Joseph is doing exactly this. The name 'God' is not mentioned even once.

 

Given this, we might easily conclude, 'Yes, trying to get pulled out by appealing to a person to speak to Pharaoh is a completely worldly method, so it is unbelief and a lack of faith. Joseph has so little faith.' Although the conclusion may be somewhat similar, I believe thinking this way is dangerous.

 

The Apostle Paul was once imprisoned in Caesarea. The way he got to Rome was by invoking his Roman citizenship, demanding, "I appeal to Caesar." He didn't get out because of an earthquake, lightning, or fainting guards. He simply used the citizenship he possessed to get out. You might interpret this as, 'Paul is indeed wise,' but from my perspective, how is this different from a worldly method? It's the same. So, is it worldly? No, it is not.

 

The Danger of Mistaking the Non-Miraculous for the Worldly

If we were to assume that all methods found in this world are worldly, then we would constantly feel, 'No, I need to pray. I shouldn't use this method.' I often heard stories like this when I was young: someone facing business difficulties went to a friend for a loan, and the friend scolded them, saying, "Did you pray before you came? You should pray first. Coming to me first is relying on me, and that is wrong." (He should have at least lent the money while saying that.)

 

Whenever you try to plan and think things through carefully, people often say, "Ah, you're using your human cleverness too much; you should go to God and entrust it to Him." There is certainly truth in this statement. However, you need more wisdom to filter this advice. Otherwise, when taken to an extreme, you start to feel that anything that is not a miracle from God is worthless. Some even believe that using doctors or medicine when sick is blocking God's work. They think, "Why should I use doctors and medicine first? I will pray to God and be healed first."

 

Of course, we cannot doubt that God can heal someone without medicine or doctors. However, it is incredibly dangerous to think that using them is 'worldly.' This view can instill in us a false belief that anything that isn't God's miraculous way is worldly. Faith is indeed supernatural, and God transcends our thoughts and ways. But not everything supernatural is necessarily spiritual. Satan can also perform the supernatural. We focus on the supernatural and call it God's miraculous intervention, which is why we lack so much gratitude.

 

You don't rejoice just by breathing and living; you only give thanks when you are lying in a hospital bed with an oxygen machine. 'God intervened! I was almost dead, but I survived with the oxygen machine.' You give thanks then, but no one gives thanks for breathing right now. This is the problem. What seems too natural is perceived as not a miracle of God, making it seem as if God's power and work are not present. No, that's wrong. The most supernatural things are, in fact, the most spiritual and most biblical. The most supernatural things are those that happen according to the principles found in the Bible. When I discover a principle of God in the Scriptures, and it is realized in my life according to that principle—those are the most supernatural and miraculous events.

 

What greater miracle is there than you and I believing in Jesus? What could be more astonishing than you coming here and worshipping God? Because we misunderstand this, I would like you to consider three criteria. A worldly method is defined by these things:

 

The Standard of Worldly vs. Holy Methods

First, is the purpose a worldly value? The first criterion for a worldly method is using it to achieve the world's goal—money. Ultimately, when you use a method simply to satisfy your own desires, to gain what you want and achieve only your own goals, it becomes a worldly method because it is not done in the context of God forming His image in you.

 

Second, does one rely on the method itself? Similarly, the method you use becomes worldly when you rely completely on the method itself. For example, taking medicine when you are sick is not wrong. Why do you seek a healthy body when you take medicine? It is because you believe that the time remaining is still God's time. When you take that medicine, you are not doing it just for yourself but for the Kingdom of God; at that moment, you are doing a holy work.

 

However, when you place all your reliance on the medicine, it becomes a worldly method. But when you firmly believe that God is the Master of your life and the one who sustains you, and you use the wisdom God has given to this world (doctors and medicine) for the sake of the Kingdom and the righteousness of God, then your action becomes a holy work and God's method, not a worldly affair.

 

The Holy Calling of All Believers

One of the most crucial biblical truths restored to believers by the Reformation is that all believers are priests. When you work in your workplace, it is not just to make a living or achieve personal goals.

 

You are performing a holy, sacred work because, through your work, you are helping many families, sharing God's common grace in this world through the talents God has given you, and using a portion of the profits for good works.

 

When the methods you use for this work are not relied upon in and of themselves, but you confess, "Yes, Lord, my health, the wisdom to do this work, and Your guidance to do it well—all of it contains Your providence, Your will, and Your love. Thank You, Lord," then those methods become sacred and holy methods of God. At that point, you are all priests. You are the holy people of God who have received a holy calling.

 

You are no longer merely running a store, working a job only for a salary, a mother and father struggling to raise children, or someone just extending your time on earth out of necessity. You are a priest living for the Kingdom of God and His holiness.

 

When we realize and accept this, we realize, "Ah, God called me because my life is this valuable." You don't need to envy the pastor. A pastor who is only seeking to fill his own desires, make a name for himself, and achieve his own goals, even while preaching God's Word, is doing the most secular work. Conversely, when you live with the Kingdom of God in your heart for the sake of the world according to the Lord's will, you are doing a more astonishing work for God. Therefore, be holy. Pursue a holy life. Because you are a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

 

Joseph's Mistake, God's Remembrance

Was Joseph's appeal to the cupbearer worldly or spiritual? Sadly, the words used show that instead of seeking God's Kingdom and righteousness, he was tremendously relying on the cupbearer. Many words point to this.

 

For instance, he asks, "Remember me" and "show me favor." The word for 'favor' is 'hesed.' This is the covenant word most often used to express the unchanging love of God. It means, 'I want to make an unchanging covenant with you.' This is treating the cupbearer like a superior master.

 

Even more telling is the phrase, "bring me out of this house." The word 'bring out' has crucial theological meaning. This term is primarily used when the Lord says, "I am the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt" (an Exodus word). So, he is using the language of God's covenant and deliverance.

 

In other words, Joseph is treating the cupbearer like God, as if the cupbearer were the one who could solve his problem and is using the very language of God for this. This relates to the second standard we discussed—relying on the method itself versus relying on God—and Joseph is relying on a person. Therefore, this action becomes secular rather than spiritual.

 

The World Forgets, But God Remembers

What was the result? The world will never look after you; it seeks to enslave you. You may love money, but money does not love you; it seeks to make you its servant. What happened to the man Joseph relied on? He forgot him.

 

This is Genesis 40:23: "Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him." Of course, we know through chapter 41 that Joseph eventually appears before Pharaoh two years later. If there were one line I could insert between chapter 40 and 41, it would read: "But God remembered Joseph."

 

Joseph had a lifeline: the chief cupbearer. It was a rotten lifeline. He was forgotten, treated as nothing. But later, before Pharaoh, Joseph says something entirely different from his previous actions. When Pharaoh says, "I hear you can interpret dreams! Do it now," Joseph immediately replies, "It is not in me" and "God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."

 

He denies himself, stating that it is not he, but God who is the answerer. He declares that it is no longer himself, but God who sustains his life. He confesses, 'It is not I; it is God's love, God's grace, that has pursued me to the very end—the God who never forgets me, even though the world and the cupbearer have forgotten me.'

 

Pursuing Love: Hesed

You know and love Psalm 23. How beautiful are the opening verses? "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for your rod and your staff, they comfort me." How amazing and moving! Joseph must have been grateful for the Lord's presence and guidance in that difficult prison.

 

But do you know where the most magnificent part of the Psalm is? It is the verse that says, even when it seems I have abandoned God, forgotten Him, and relied on the world—and the world has abandoned me—'I will not forget you.' That verse appears in Psalm 23: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."

 

The word for 'follow' here is originally a military term. It means to pursue a deserter from behind: "Surely I will chase you and catch you until the very end." Why do we run away? We run because we are not living according to God's Word; we hide. But despite all that, because there is the One who pursues us to the very end, guarding and guiding us, Joseph could confess: 'It is not I. It is not my life, what I know, or what I possess. Only God is my answer.'

 

We are so easily shaken and lose everything over small matters, becoming distressed by what the world does to us, troubled by inexplicable anger and selfishness, and even forgetting what we rely on—ourselves, the world, our spouses, or our children. And when we think about it, we get angry at ourselves and hate the fact that we are angry. Yet, amidst all this, there is the One who pursues that very self that doesn't know what to do. Even so, there is One who never lets go of you, and He says to you, "Remember me."

 

It is not just that you must remember the Lord. The Lord also pleads with you. Do you know the culmination of that plea? It is the Holy Communion. What did He say then? "Do this in remembrance of me. Remember me."

 

The moment you remember the Lord, the moment you realize once again who the Lord is, the moment your heart finally knows and perceives who the Lord truly is, you are free. That is when you gain hope. That is when you understand why you weep, why you should rejoice, why you should rest, and why you have peace. Remember the Lord.

 

Let us pray

We thank You, Lord, for the fact that You remember us. Truly, Amen. But the Lord also says to us, "Therefore, remember me. Remember my name. Remember the cross where I died for you. Remember how much I love you. Remember my heart, which would gladly give all my life for you." O Lord, we come to You; call my name, O Lord. Lord who remembers me, call me again today. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.