Genesis 40:8

They said, ‘There is nobody who can explain their meanings to us.’ In *Pharaoh’s court there were wise men. These wise men believed that they could tell the meanings of dreams. But the *cup-bearer and the baker were in prison. Therefore, they could not ask the wise men to explain their dreams.

‘God knows the meanings.’ That does not mean that God will always tell us the meanings of dreams. And it does not mean that all dreams are messages from God. But God can use dreams. He can use anything that he has made. He can use dreams to speak to us. And when God gives a dream, he can explain its meaning.

The *cup-bearer’s dream

v9 So the chief *cup-bearer told his dream to Joseph. He said to him, ‘In my dream there was a vine plant. v10 The vine had 3 branches. The flowers appeared and they grew very quickly. Then the grapes appeared and they became ripe. v11 I held *Pharaoh’s cup in my hand. So I took the grapes. And I squeezed them so that the juice ran into *Pharaoh’s cup. Then I put the cup into *Pharaoh’s hand.’

v12 Then Joseph said to him, ‘This is what the dream means. The 3 branches mean 3 days. v13 In 3 days, *Pharaoh will forgive you and he will put you back in your job. And you shall put *Pharaoh’s cup into his hand as you did before. You shall again be his *cup-bearer. v14 But please remember me, when things are well with you. Please be kind to me and mention me to *Pharaoh. Then he may let me leave this prison. v15 I did not deserve that they should put me into the prison. People seized me and they brought me here from the land of the *Hebrews. And while I have been here in Egypt I have not done a wrong deed.’

Verses 9, 10

A vine is a plant that produces grapes. Grapes are the fruits of vines. People make wine out of grapes.