Genesis 40:20

Scripture mentions only two kept birthdays. One is Pharaoh's, in Genesis 40:20. The other is Herod Antipas's, when John the Baptist lost his life (Matthew 14:6; Mark 6:21). Some think that Job's sons, who feasted "each on his day," did so on their birthdays, Job 1:4, 13. We do not read that the Israelites had any such custom. And the Preacher says the day of death is better than the day of one's birth (Ecclesiastes 7:1).

In both cases the time was short, as the dream indicated and Joseph interpreted. On the third day, his birthday, the king lifted up the head of each official. But the chief cup-bearer rose to his post beside Pharaoh, and the chief baker rose to the gallows.

The third day arrived, and Joseph's interpretation of the dreams proved true. Being Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for his servants. Both the cupbearer and the baker were brought out into public view, but for opposite reasons (v. 20). The chief cupbearer was restored to his former position, while the baker was hanged (vv. 21-22). What influenced Pharaoh here is not mentioned. But the evidence of God's presence with Joseph was unmistakable.

Here were two men in the same prison, both equally condemned. As far as we know, they were equally guilty — or equally innocent. They looked exactly alike in every outward way. Christ (Joseph) comes among them and pronounces one saved and the other lost.

We see the gospel pictured in these dreams. The chief butler sees in his dream what speaks of the blood (the juice of the grape). And he was delivered. The chief baker, on the other hand, dreams of the white baskets. They remind us at once of human righteousness. He saw only what he had laboured to produce, the baked goods. And he is hanged... Here we have "the only two religions" pictured. One makes everything depend on the blood of Jesus. The other ignores the blood and trusts human righteousness.

The event proved that Joseph's interpretations were given by God. Pharaoh's birthday was on the third day, and he acted as the dreams had indicated. Yet the chief butler, in his renewed prosperity, forgot about Joseph. He has become a standing monument of human ingratitude. Still, we believe the hand of God was over even this. If the butler had remembered, Joseph's release would have come through grateful, and perhaps respectful, human arrangement. God intended to take him out, by reviving the butler's memory, in a far more striking way.

May the Lord preserve us from being like him. We who are believers have far more reason to remember the Lord Jesus than the cupbearer had to remember Joseph. He has not only foretold our deliverance. He has Himself delivered us from all our sins and our bondage, through the great sacrifice of Himself. Believers may too easily let this become almost forgotten in practice. That is a real reason why the Lord gave us the Lord's supper with the words, "Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19).