Now then, the butler was reminded of his own dream through the dream of the king and said, I remember my sin.^[1] That confession was late indeed, but would it were true. After committing sin, you confess what you should have avoided before you committed sin. How swiftly you had forgotten, Remember me.^[2] Of course you know that this word was spoken at that time, but you had ears blunted by the arrogance of power, and being drunk with wine, you did not hear the words of sobriety. Even now, remember me, you that confess your sin late. You that inquire of the mere servant, why do you deny the Master? Now be drunk, not with wine but with the Holy Spirit. Remember what the baker suffered, with whom you slept your sleep and dreamed your dream.^[3] He too was a chief, and chief over the royal banquets, which were part of the work of the bakers.^[4] He believed that he was exalted because he had in his power the king’s bread; he did not know that such power took many turns. He threatened others, although he was shortly to be given over to the extreme penalty himself, and he did not listen to Joseph, who spoke prophecy even though he was only a humble servant of the Lord. The prophecy was that he was going to lose his head at the command of that king in whose regard he flattered himself so very much, and he was to be left as food for the birds.^[5] At least this example should restrain you from giving credence to unbelief.

See God’s wonderful design. First he let him have recourse to all those considered wise in those parts so that, when their ignorance was demonstrated, then this prisoner, this captive, this slave, this Hebrew, might be brought forward and unravel what was a mystery to so many, and thus Joseph might make clear to everyone the grace that had descended on him from above. So when all the wise men arrived and were unable to say anything or even open their mouths, then the chief cupbearer’s memory returned, and he informed Pharaoh of what had happened to him, saying, Today I’m going to bring to light my fault.

Notice immediately how much esteem Joseph enjoys from the outset. After being completely purified by endurance and emerging from prison like some piece of glittering gold, he was brought into Pharaoh’s presence.

Do you see how wonderful a thing it is to be helped by grace from on high? See how many things divine providence had arranged so that the events affecting Joseph should come to pass. After surviving that greatest challenge and avoiding the clutches of that wanton Egyptian, he was thrown into prison. It was arranged that Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker should be imprisoned there at the same time and should come to know the man’s wisdom through his interpretation of dreams, so that now at the opportune moment the cupbearer should remember and bring him forward.

Notice how Pharaoh was ashamed to say openly, None of my sages can interpret the dream. Instead, what? I had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it; but I have heard them say of you that once you hear of a dream you interpret it. Consider in this case too, I ask you, Joseph’s good sense and discretion in the way he replies to Pharaoh: Don’t suspect, he says, that I utter anything of myself or interpret them by human wisdom. There is, in fact, no way of coming to knowledge of them without revelation from on high. So be aware that without God it is not possible for me to give you a reply. Without God, the text says, Pharaoh will not be given the right solution. So, now that you know that the Lord of all is the one who gives this revelation, don’t look for something from human beings (he is saying) that God alone has it in his power to bring to light.

See how through his reply Joseph brings Pharaoh to the realization of the limitations of the sages attending him and the power of the Lord. Since, then, you have learned from me that these utterances of mine spring not from human wisdom or from my own reasoning, tell me what God has communicated to you.

And yet I judge that this dream was not revealed only to one or two but was set out before all men for this reason: because the seven years of this world that are fat and sleek with worldly plenty are swallowed up by those ages to come in which there will be everlasting rest and the observance of the spiritual law. Among the fathers, that tribe of Ephraim, rich in God, keeps such observance like a good heifer, not taut in the udder of the body but abundant in spiritual milk and grace. God says that he sits upon her beautiful neck, as is written, Ephraim is a heifer taught to love victory, but I passed over upon her beautiful neck.^[1] Accordingly let not the oil of the sinner anoint our head,^[2] and false fruits ought not to delight us; else it may be said also of us, You have planted wickedness and gathered in its iniquities. You have eaten false fruit because you have trusted in your chariots.^[3] And it does not trouble me that such a one has lean ears and ears destroyed by the wind, because David also was a better man at the time when he was wasting away like a spider,^[4] and a sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit.^[5] Those people turn out better whom the wicked spirit has tried in this world with severe wrongs.

When Joseph said, Let Pharaoh select a man, he spoke about himself. Joseph, out of modesty, did not say it openly in his own name, but he would not give it to another, for he knew that no one else would be able to make suitable provision for the great scourge that was coming upon them. Joseph became great in the eyes of Pharaoh through his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams but even more through the beneficial counsel that his mind had devised.