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And to complete the malefactor's statement, let us quote a verse from Isaiah:
"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes, we are healed" (53: 5).
The next event, recorded in Gen. 40:, is that Pharaoh was angry with his butler and
his baker. They were placed in prison with Joseph and were in his charge. Both had
dreams but neither of them could interpret them. The butler told the details to Joseph and
he explained the meaning, that in three days, he would be restored to his previous
employment. This good news cheered the baker who then plucked up courage to tell
Joseph about his dream. The interpretation was not favourable in his case, for in three
days, the baker would be hanged. Joseph asked the butler to remember him when he saw
Pharaoh and he hoped that he too might secure his release. However, the butler did not
remember Joseph, but forgat him (Gen. 40: 23). The figure of three in this part of the
story reminds us that Christ was three days and three nights in the grave.
We read that at the end of "two full years" (Gen. 41: 1) Pharaoh also had dreams,
which he related to his magicians. They were unable to interpret them. The chief butler
remembered how he had dreamed while in prison and how Joseph had given the
interpretation. He said to Pharaoh, "I do remember my faults this day" and he told
Pharaoh his story and how Joseph knew the meaning of his dream. So Pharaoh gave the
order for Joseph to be released, and be brought to him. Joseph was hurried out of prison,
given a change of clothes (and a shave), and brought to Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh told
Joseph about his two dreams, the first being about seven fat kine which were eaten by
seven lean kine, and the second, about seven full ears of corn which were eaten by seven
thin ears of corn.
Joseph explained that there were to be seven years of plenty followed by seven years
of famine and he continued to advice Pharaoh of the steps he should take to store food in
the years of plenty, so that provision could be made for the famine which was sure to
follow. Pharaoh immediately said that Joseph was the man to organize the storing of the
corn and he gave Joseph a high position and authority to undertake his new duties. He
was second only to Pharaoh and only in the throne was Pharaoh greater than Joseph. So
Joseph rode in the second chariot and as he went, there was a cry before him, "Bow the
knee".
We read that Pharaoh gave Joseph a new name, Zaph-nath-pa-a-ne-ah and then in
Gen. 41: 46, we are informed that Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before
Pharaoh.
Luke 3: 23 gives the age of our Lord at the beginning of His earthly ministry as
"about thirty years". One of His titles as given in John 6: 48 is the "bread of life".
Joseph's new name means "the abundance of life". He had been sent by God to preserve
life. Thus, Joseph began his ministry of supplying the bread of life (natural food) when
he was thirty years old, and Jesus Christ began His ministry of supplying the spiritual
food, the true bread of life, when He was about thirty years old. The record that Joseph
went about in his chariot as the cry went before him "Bow the knee" reminds us of