The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-04-18
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
APRIL %.
Lesson Text: HsJoseph Ruler In
Egypt" Gen. xiii. 3S-4S-Golden
Text: Samuel H., 80
commentary.

whom the Splrlt OF Iou II! very Sdfleu
and full of trial had been the ten years or
more Of Joseph's life since his brethren sold
him to the Midianites, and several OF them
had been passed In prison through the lying
of a wicked woman. AS we see him now he
has just been brought from the prison to In
terpet, II he can, to Pharaoh his double
dream. Disclaiming all power to do 80 OF
himself (verse 16), but giving the glory to
God, he, by the Spirit, interprets and ap-
plies the dreams: hence from Pharaoh the
words Of this verse.
49, "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, For
asmuch as God hath showed thee all this,
there Is none so discreet and wise as thou
art Joseph had suggested that officers be
appointed who during the years OF plenty
should make provision for the years OF fam
inc to follow, perhaps without thought
that he who had just been brought from
prison might be of any service, but Gods set
time to favor Joseph had come. The dreams
Of long ago are on the way to fuihilment.
be gracious. Blessed are all they that wait
for Him.
40. "Thou shalt be over my house, andac-
cording unto thy word shall all my people
be ruled only in the throne will be greater
than thou" Truth is surely stranger than
fiction. From prison to throne In an
hour; from ignominy and disgrace to all but
the supreme position In the land. Promo
ton cometh neither from the east nor from
the west, nor from the south, but God Is the
Judge. He putteth down one and setteth up
another CPS. lxxv., 6, y. He bringeth low
and lifteth up q Sam H., y. There Is good
story of from q prison to throne In II
Kings xxv.,. 27-30, but that was simply de-
liverance, not rulership.
Il, "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See. I
have set thee over all the land OF Egypt"
Joseph put 1t q little differently and more
correctly when he said, "God hath made me
are those who recognize His hand In all the
events of life. We may see the visible In
strumentality, or look back of it all and see
orly God. Moses endured as seeing Him
who Is invisible (Heb. xi).
a. sand Pharaoh took of his ring from
his hand, and put 1t upon Joseph's hand,
and arrayed him in vestures OF fine linen.
and put gold chain about his neck" SO
did the King to Mordecai (Est. viii, 15) and
Belshazzar to Daniel (Dan: ", 29): Thesoul
that Is redeemed by the blood of Jesus can
truly say, 'He brought me up also out OF
an horrible pit, out OF the mtry clay, and set
nv feet upon a rock and established my 60
ings :" "He hath clothed me with the gar
ments of salvation; He hath covered me
with the robe Of righteousness "He hath
made me a king and q priest unto God, and
I shall reign on the earth" CPS. xL, 2; Isa.
l1i., 10; Rev. ", 10).
43. "And he made him to ride In the Sec
ond chariot which he had, and they cried be-
fore him, Bow the knee, and he made him
ruler over all the land Of Egypt" Joseph's
humiliation, although wholly undeserved,
could not be said to be voluntary; but Jesus
humbled Himself and became obedient unto
the death of the cross. wherefore God hath
highly exalted Him and given Him name
which is above every name, that at the namo OF
Jesus every knee should bow Phil. H., S-10).
II we have the mind Of Christ we will cheer
fully humble ourselves unto the death OF SELF
for His sake.
A. "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, am
Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man MT
up his hand or foot in all the land OF Egypt.
or Jesus It Is written that all things were
created by Him and for Him, and that In Him
we live and move and have our being (Col.
l., 16 Acts xviii, 2S). It is to be feared that
OF some of US It might be said, "The God In
whose hand thy breath Is. and whose are all
thy ways, hast thou not glori1ed?" (Dan. ",
23). II. as His redeemed, we would only al
low the fact to grasp us that we are to SIT
with Him on His throne Grew. III, ~, we
would walk more worthy Of our high calling.
As. "And Pharaoh called Joseph's name
Zaphnath-paaneah, and he gave him to wife
Asenath, tile daughter Of Potipherah, priest
of On. And Joseph went out over all the
land Of Egypt" The margin says that this
new name of Joseph means "Revealer OF
Secrets" but in Young's concordance 1t Is
said to mean "Savior of the World" Both
are suggestive Of Him who Is the only
Saviour, and who does nothing without re.
yealing His secret unto His servants the pro-
nhets 1Amos. ILL.,, y. That he should re-
ceiye an Egyptian wife during the period OF
his brethren's hatred and rejection Is sug-
eestiye OF the fact that when Israel shall
again see Jesus they will find that during
the time of His rejection He has taken to
Himself a brids which will be largely Gen
tile. =,
46. "And Joseph was thirty years old
when he stood before Pharaoh, king OF
Egypt. And Joseph went out from the
presence OF Pharaoh and went throushou
all the land of Egypt" Jesus was about
thirty years old when He began His public
work Guke ill.,, 23). Daniel and his friends
at a probably much younger age are said to
have stood before the king (Dan. l., l9).
But neither Jesus nor Daniel nor Joseph
stood before man as much as they stood be-
fore God. They were like Elijah, who said,
"The Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom
I stand" q Kings xvii y. When we learn
to stand more in the presence OF God, we Will
be better qualified to stand before men.
81. Auu Ill lu0 oONSh pkSh-Sooo
earth brought forth by handfuls." What
God is about to do He showeth unto
Pharaoh" were the words Of Joseph as he
Interpreted the dreams (verse 2s). So we
see in these years of prosperity the hand OF
the Lord for good. 1t was His blessing upon
Israel's land which in the sixth year made 1t
bring forth fruit for three years lLev. XIV,
21). The blessing of the Lord 1t maketh
rich, and toll addeth nothing thereto (Prov.
x, %, f. W.
4s. .'And he gathered up all the food OF
the seven years, which were in the land OF
Egypt, and laid up the food In the cities !;
the food OF the field which was round about
every city laid he up in the same" In pros
perity he prepared for adversely. While we
sing "The Lord is my shepherd, shall not
want" we are not authorized to be either
careless or improvident. Our Lord did not
commend the unjust steward, but He drew
a apractical lesson IRON his forethought (Luke
xvi, g, 81. Consider in verses 81, 80, the very
suggestive names Joseph gave to his chill
dren. Compare the go unto Joseph. what
he saith to you do," with Marys words to
to the servants (verse So aud John H., 5).-
| Lesson Helper.