JOSEPH- Prison & Dreams

Joseph didn’t enjoy being again in a pit, but he made the best of it. God gave him favor. Can we apply this to our own lives?We don’t like the hard times, but we can still live in His care! Enjoy!

PRISON

But once again as before

The Lord was with me, and all the more

He showed me His steadfast love

And gave me favor from above

In the sight of the prisons steward

Did he find me best suited

To put me in commission

Of all the inmates

Who were in this prison.

The keeper gave me the position

And then paid no attention

Of all that was in my trust

For he didn’t have to even fuss

Because the Lord was with me

In whatever I did, you see

For the Lord made it succeed

So after a good long season

Some new prisoners came in for a reason

The cupbearer and baker of Egypts king

Committed an offense and did so bring

The Pharaoh’s hot anger and wrath

He put them into custody with little scath

For his two officers caused him offense

No excuse would be heard

Their recompense was confinement

In the prison under my assignment

So they continued here for some time

But one night they both dreamed

Almost a riddle, even a rhyme

The cupbearer and the baker it seemed

Each had his own dream,

When Joseph came to them the next morn

He saw they were troubled and quite forlorn

I say why are your faces

So downcast today?”

Then they said that we have had dreams,

No one can understand them it seems

Well…I too have had dreams so broad

Do not interpretations so belong to God?

So please tell them to me

Perhaps He will allow us

To see what they mean

So the chief cupbearer

Told his dream to me…

In my dream there was a vine

With three branches of mine

As soon as its buds grew

Its blossoms would cluster and ripen anew

To ripe grapes with a wonderful luster

Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand,

And so I did press then pour

The wine to his cup…

But I do not understand for sure!

Then Joseph gave its interpretation:

In three days your head

Shall be lifted in restoration

And you shall again place the cup

To Pharaoh as he will sup

Only promise to remember me,

When you return to your office

Please do me this kindness

To mention me to Pharaoh, his highness

To so get me out of this house.

For I was indeed stolen and counted as lost

Out of the land of Hebron

For indeed I have done nothing wrong

That they should put me into this pit

The chief baker smiled wide when he saw

The interpretation was good and not wild

He said: I also had a dream of three

Baskets on my head, are they the key?

They were baked food for Pharaoh,

But nasty birds were eating it

Out of the basket on my head

Should I dread, or be glad instead?

And Joseph answered him and said

This is its meaning

And what you are gleaning

The three baskets are three days.

For in three days Pharaoh

Will lift up your head,

But it will only be dread

For you!—you see,

They will hang you on a tree.

And the birds will eat the flesh from you

So on the third day, all of it came true

It was Pharaoh’s birthday,

And he made a feast for all of his crew

He restored the chief cupbearer

To his rightful position,

But he hanged the chief baker

For he proved to be a liar and faker

Yet despite all this, the chief cupbearer

Did not remember me too clear

PHARAOHS DREAM

But after nearly two whole years

Pharaoh had a mighty dream

That was very extreme

As he was standing by the Nile,

Behold there came up seven cows awhile

They were attractive and plump,

For they fed on reed grass by the clump

And behold then seven other cows,

Came up out of the same Nile, single file

They were ugly and thin,

And then they voraciously

Ate up the seven beautiful cows.

I don’t even know how…

So then he again fell asleep so deep

And dreamed a second dream

For behold, seven ears of grain,

Plump and good, were of a strong main

But behold, after them sprouted seven ears,

Thin and blighted

Like the east wind plighted them for years

And the thin ones swallowed up the plump

And then Pharaoh awoke with a jump

So in the morning his spirit was troubled,

All the magicians of Egypt so struggled

The same was with its wise men.

Pharaoh told them his dreams then

And there was not one

That could figure this puzzle out

There had to be someone to decipher

The meaning of what this was all about

For he knew the dreams were significant

And that’s when the chief cupbearer

Told his dream and became an informant

Do you remember how I was restored?

I had offended your highness

For causing discord

When I was in custody in the prison

A young Hebrew was there that listened

To my dream as well as the chief bakers

He interpreted them exactly and accurately

The baker was hanged as the taker

And I was fully restored

But there’s even more

The entire interpretation

Proved true that day

So then Pharaoh sent for him right away

He called for Joseph quickly

To be brought out of the pit

After he had shaved

And cleaned himself a bit

And changed his clothes so well

Pharaoh said to Joseph, now do tell

I have had a dream,

And there is no one it seems

Who can interpret what it means

I have heard it is said

That you can understand

When you hear a dream from a man…

Then Joseph said

It is not me; but God will give Pharaoh

A favorable answer, this I know

Well then, let it be so

Behold, in my dream…

And Joseph pondered awhile it seemed

As he listened intently to the dreams…

Pharaoh finished with a plea

Please tell me what these dreams mean?

For I told it to the wise men and magicians

But there was no one of any position

Who could explain them at all to me

Then Joseph spoke up, I believe I see

The dreams of Pharaoh are one;

God has revealed what needs to be done

And what He is about to do.

To all of what He requires of you

The seven good cows are seven good years,

And the seven good ears

Are seven good years;

See the dreams are one.

The seven lean and ugly cows do warn

For they came up after the times of plenty

They are seven years of mighty frenzy

These seven empty ears and cows so thin

Both mean seven years of utter famine.

Oh!

What God has shown to you, oh Pharaoh!

What He is about to do.

Your dreams are mightily significant

And you have been placed

With a task that is remarkably important

There will come seven years

Of all that’s fresh and new

A time of great plenty at hand

Throughout all the land

But after then there will arise

Seven years of famine,

That will come as quite surprise

So much that all the plenty, I surmise

will be forgotten…

In all the land to mighty dishearten

For famine will consume the land,

Plenty will be unknown on any hand

For the season of famine that will follow,

Is without seeming reason

To be so severe that you must know

And the doubling of dreams do so show

That the thing is fixed by God, as for sure

God will shortly bring it to endure…

To be continued…

Next. PROMOTION