A butler and baker imprisoned with Joseph


Genesis 40: 1 - 3: And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

A butler and baker eventually joined Joseph in the prison where he was. The baker was in charge of the bread set before Pharaoh, and the butler was in charge of the wine set before Pharaoh. Genesis 40 then records how both the butler and baker dreamed and how Joseph gave the interpretation of the dreams, resulting in the butler being restored to his position and the baker being put to death.

Before Jesus went to Calvary, He partook of a last supper with His disciples, stating the following to them in 1 Corinthians 11: 24 - 25: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. The butler and baker in prison with Joseph were a shadow of what Jesus would accomplish for us on the cross. As the baker was put death by hanging, so the body of Jesus was broken on the cross, and as the butler was restored to his position, so Jesus’ blood purchased our redemption and restored us back into favor with God.