Genesis 40:2-4 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while.

These were not just the Wine Steward (butler) and the Baker, but they also would have been the Assayers. What’s an Assayer? An Assayer is a food tester … Poison Control Techs … these guys were the royal food tasters. You see, if you were a Pharaoh (or a king), there would inevitably be those who would want to remove you from the throne in underhanded and nefarious ways. One of the sneakiest ways of assassinating a royal was to slip poison in his food or drink. So, you can see the brilliance of having those who are responsible for the preparation of the food and drink being the one’s who taste the food and drink prior to the Pharaoh consuming it. Incidentally, the Blog of Really Bad Jobs places the Royal Food Taster just above Rat Catcher and Whipping Boy and just below Chimney Sweep. Despite the risk, the position also gave them access to the king which many in his court did not have. So, it was not unusual for relationships to be created between these guys and the Pharaoh, which might have been the case here. Whether there was an actual plot or if these guys just got on Pharaoh’s bad side, we don’t know.

We do know, however, that Joseph was falsely accused and imprisoned. He shouldn’t have been there. God continued to bless him and he was charged with these two prisoners, meaning he was over them … and yet it says that Joseph served them. To be great you must serve others.

Mark 10:31 “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

God’s economy turns the world’s economy on it’s head. You see, in the world, those who are great lord it over those who are under them; the great are to be served and the lesser are to do the serving. But in God’s economy everything is turned around. If you want to be blessed, then bless others. If you need forgiveness, you must be willing to forgive. If you are concerned about money, then give.

Jesus said:

Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

You will have an opportunity to serve, love, forgive, help, bless someone else today. Will you?