Genesis 40:9-10
“So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes.”
INSIGHT
-Cupbearer or butler in Hebrew is written as mashqeh which means a high ranking royal official primarily in charge of serving the king wine using special cups. Due to the sensitivity of his work, he was a person of high moral conduct, trust, irreproachable loyalty, capable of winning the king’s complete confidence.
-The chief cupbearer & chief baker of Pharaoh were both imprisoned & put under Joseph in the dungeon. They later had a dream on the same day & Joseph helped them in the interpretation. The chief cupbearer was restored back to his position but the chief baker was condemned just as Joseph had interpreted (Gen 40:21-22). In his dream, the chief cupbearer saw a vine in-front of him having three branches on it which blossomed & clusters ripened into grapes. Christ Who died for our sins & after three days resurrected is the Vine & we are His branches. We are called to remain in Him as He is in us that we may blossom & bear much fruit.
PRAYER
We thank You Jesus our Lord for Your graces & mercies upon our lives, receive all the glory & praise. Have mercy on us Father & protect us from all evil. Forgive us all our sins Jesus & cleanse us by Your precious blood. We humbly ask You to help us to abide in You Jesus our true Vine so that we may blossom & bear much fruit. Restore the moral, economic & financial health of our nation Lord, so that we may prosper in all good things. All glory, honor, riches, authority, power, praise & blessings belong to You Father, now & forever. Amen
1 Kings 10:4-5
“When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.”
INSIGHT
-The queen of Sheba journeyed to Jerusalem to witness the wisdom of king Solomon & all he had done. God had kept His word when He said he would bless king Solomon with wisdom which he had requested for & add him riches & honor. The queen of Sheba was overwhelmed by the magnificent temple, quality of food, ordinances of his courts & government, & the burnt offerings sacrificed in the temple & glorified God for maintaining justice & righteousness in Israel (1 Kings 10:9). The queen took keen interest on the kings cupbearers who sometimes acted as his advisers & confidants apart from their main task of serving him wine. We are called to pray for our nation & all its affairs, our president, his advisers, & all other leaders, for when the leadership & affairs of a country are governed by God, the nation & it’s people prosper.
PRAYER
Oh God of all creation; bless this our land & nation, justice be our shield & defender, may we dwell in unity, peace & liberty plenty be found within our borders. Increase our individual capacities & that our nation Lord that we may one day lend to many nations & borrow from none. Guide our nations leadership Father & especially our president in Your wisdom, justice & righteousness that whatever decrees he makes may be ordained by You alone. You alone are holy, You alone are God, we praise You & glorify Your holy name forever. Amen
Psalm 116:13
“I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.”
INSIGHT
-In humble adoration & faith we call upon the name of the Lord for His love for us endures forever. At the garden of Gethsemane; Jesus in deep sorrow prayed to God saying “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Mat 26:39). Jesus is the ultimate Cupbearer for He became sin Who knew no sin that we may become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21). The blood of Jesus speaks better things than that of Abel on our behalf in redemption of sins & sonship to God. We therefore lift up the cup of salvation holding fast Gods’ saving grace through His everlasting love & mercy for us, which is our portion in Christ so that with joyful hearts we may forever claim the victory that Christ won for us unto life everlasting in Him.
PRAYER
You are our Salvation & Shield Jesus, we lift up the cup of salvation & call on Your powerful name. We thank You Jesus for Your sacrifice on the cross for all of us & for Your everlasting grace upon our lives. Pour out Your precious blood Jesus into our hearts in redemption from our sins, sins of our fathers, forefathers, nation & the whole world, & deliver us from all powers of darkness. We claim Your victory Father over our lives, families & nation, fight for us Jesus that nothing can stop us from achieving that which You have promised us. You are worthy of all glory & praise Jehovah, we praise You on high. Your saving grace is everlasting Lord, do a new thing in our lives, families & nation. We forever give You glory Father. Amen
Nehemiah 1:11
“Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.”
INSIGHT
-Nehemiah was greatly distressed by the news that the walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed & the gates burned with fire, so he fasted & prayed. As the cupbearer of king Artaxerxes & his close confidant, he was not only responsible of tasting the quality of wine & checking for poisoned drinks but was respected & honored in the Persian Empire for his wise council. Through the grace of God he was granted the relevant letters & support to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. God directed him in skill & knowledge to successfully rebuild the wall & restore worship in Jerusalem. As His disciples, God calls us to pray always, restore worship in our various environments & exhibit Christ likeness for the glory of His name.
PRAYER
Bless the Lord, O my soul & all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul & forget not all His benefits. Grant us wisdom, skill, intelligence, knowledge & a discerning spirit Lord; so that we may apply skill in all we do & explore various opportunities that You present unto us. Guide us in our various gifts & talents so that we may be successful in project implementation; especially those that are geared towards uplifting others peoples lives; for the glory of Your name. May Your favor go before us Father so that we may succeed in all things. Open the eyes of our hearts that we may see You everyday everlasting Father. Amen
Mark 10:39-40
“We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
INSIGHT
-James & John were somehow excited by the news of Jesus’ glory & wanted to share in His glorification. Jesus tells them that they will drink the cup He drinks; intimating sacrifice & suffering which they experienced later. Jesus then tells them that whoever wants to become great must be a servant & whoever wants to be first must be a slave of all, for even He did not come to be served, but to serve & to give His life as a ransom for many (Mk 10:43-45). After His cup came the crown. Service requires humility & people who serve others like mother Teresa touch the hearts of many. Jesus’ life was primarily focused on serving others & reminds us of the value accrued from servanthood.
SUMMARY
A cupbearer was a high ranking royal official who had good moral conduct & integrity; primarily in charge of serving the king wine. Christ became the ultimate Cupbearer for He became a ransom for many by His sacrifice on the cross. In works of service we have been called to be cupbearers displaying acts of selflessness & humility, serving God & others in works of love & kindness.
PRAYER
You have called us to service merciful Father; redeem us from selfishness & pride, & give us the grace of servanthood. Help us to remain humble disregarding our social status, education levels & spiritual inclination for only You Lord are worthy of praise. May we decrease as You increase King of glory. You have assured us that whoever is gracious to the poor lends You Lord & You will repay him for his good deed. Many people out there need help Lord, direct us to reach out to them for Your greater glory. Amen