The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-04-04
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
APRIL 8.
Lesson Text: Discord in Jacobs
Family" Gen. xxxii., lii
Golden Text: Gen. XIV,
24-Commentary.

I. Sand Jacob dwelt in the land wherein
his father was q stranger, in the land OF
Canaan" The margin says, SIN the land OF
his fathers sojournings." God SPOKE OF
Abraham as stranger in the land, and
Abraham spoke of himself as stranger and
David In Chron. xxx, Is. Compare Pet.
H., II. II we are Christ's, we are citizens oil
heaven (Phil. ill.,, 20, 21), but shall reign on
the earth when the kingdom comes Grew.
", 9, 10). The principal events in the inter-
vening chapters since last lesson are the re-
conciliat1on with Esau, another appearance
of God to Jacob and the death and burial OF
Isaac. Rachel and Deborah.
2. "These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, being seyent teen years old, was feed
ing the flock with his brethren, and Joseph
brought unto his father their evil report. +"
This Is the tenth time that we have met In
this book the phrase, "These are the gen.
eratlons," and It Is the last time. Joseph
Jacob, and both were the children OF his be-
loved Rachel. who died when Benjamin was
born (chapter xx1v., IS, 19). 1t would seem
that the conduct Of Joseph's brethren was
not commendable, and that he brought his
father word to that effect.
8 ''Now Israel loved Joseph more that all
his children, because he was the son Of his
old age, and he made him q coat Of many
colors." OF all the sons Of Jacob the two
most honored by Jehovah were Judah and
Joseph, for from Judah came the Messiah,
and the birthright was Joseph's Il Chron. ",
p. See In verses 81, 35 OF our lesson chap
ter how great was Jacobs love to this son,
and how he refused to be comforted when he
thought him dead.
4. "And when his brethren saw their father
loved him more than all his brethren, they
hated him and could not speak peaceably unto
him." Joseph was in many respects won
drous type Of Gods we'll beloved Son, Jesus,
our Saviour. Observe him hated and separ-
ated from his brethren (Gen. xix, 23, 26 !;
Deut. xxxiii., 16), and think Of Jesus hated
without cause Cps. xxxv., 10; Xix, 4 :;
John xv., 25). These brethren make usthink
Of the elder brother in Luke xv., but the
practical part Is for US, IL ever hated with
out cause. to think of Jesus and rejoice in
the privilege of fellowship with Him q Pet.
H., 1929.
5. "And Joseph dreamed dream, and he
told 1t his brethren, and they hated him yet
the more" Joseph does not seem as yet to
have known his brothers hatred, und In the
simplicity of his heart he told them his
dream. We have already read Of God COM
ing to Abimelech, to Jacob and to Laban in
O dream (xx., 8; xxi, II, 24), and in Job
xxxiii., IA, Is, we read that God speaks to
men in dreams and visions, If by any means
He may turn them from their pride and the
ruin to which 1t leads. There Is not the same
need for him to speak in dreams now that
we have the whole word Of God, yet we
would not like to say that he never tells any
thing In dreams any more.
6. "And he said unto them, Hear, pray
you, this dream which have dreamed" It
must have deeply impressed Joseph and
made him anxious to tell it. When we have
the sure word OF God concerning all coming
events, how Is 1t that we are so little inn
pressed by 1t, and therefore SO slow to speak
of 1t? It must be simply unbelief on our
part, or else willful ignorance, for as surely
as Joseph's dreams were in due time full
filled so shall every word OF God be fulfilled.
See lisa. xiv, "a xlvi, 9, 10; Ps. xxxiii., 10,
II.
7. 'sFor behold, we were binding sheaves
In the field. and, 10, my sheaf arose, and also
stood upright, and behold, your sheaves
stood round about and made obeisance to my
sheaf." The significance OF the dream seems
simple enough and the brethren evidently
understood it. but it seemed very unlikely to
be fulfilled. The sons Of Jacob were doubt
less familiar with the fact that God had
spoken to their father and to Laban In
dream, and Joseph probably believed that
God had now spoken to him. When any
word OF God takes hold OF US as the very
voice of God to our souls, we are not apt
either to forget or keep still about It.
8. "And his brethren said to him, Shalt
thou indeed reign over US? or shalt thou in
deed have dominion over me? And they
hated him yet the more for his dreams and
for his words" Their hatred did not affect
the dream nor its fulhllment, but only them
selves, neither has the hatred OF the Jews to
their brother Jesus affected the fullllment Of
the sure word OF God that He shall sit on
David's throne and reign over the house Of
Jacob forever elsa. i1., Z: Luke l., SO, 33),
but It has seriously affected themselves and
will until they bow before Him In true peni-
tence Czech. k. 10 xiii. y.
9. "And he dreamed yet another dream
and told It to his brethren, and said, Behold,
have dreamed q dream more, and, behold,
The sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars
made obeisance to me-" Here Is the same
revelation with an enlargement including
bied would prove that It was established BY
God, and that He would bring 1t to pass (xli. I,
32). And we know that 1t came to pass.
When read in Rev. xii. the record OF the
woman clothed with the sun, the moon un-
der her feet, and on her head crown {
twelve stars. associate that vision with this
dream and think that the man child OF that
chapter will prove to be a first fruits from
Israel in the time OF the great tribalation,
which with the church as first fruits from
all nations and both identified with Christ
will form the complete man child to rule oil
nations. In due time we shall see.
10. "And he told 1t to his father and to
his brethren, and his father rebuEed MIN
and said unto him What is this dream that
thou hast dreamed2 Shall I and thy mother
and thy brethren indeed come to bow down
ourselves to thee to the earth?' His father
saw the Interpretation, and 1t went some
what against the grain, but he lived to see 1t
all fulfilled, and when he and his sons be-
came thoroughly humbled before this same
Joseph then it was we'll with them and they
prospered. So shall it be with the Jews and
Jesus. It Is hard to humble, but oil who
walk In pride shall be made to come down
(Dan. w., 81; W, 20 marsin). See also lsa.
H., II, II; Jas. W., 10; Pet. ". 6.
II. "And his brethren envied him, but ms
father observed the saying" Stephen said
that. moved with envy, they sold him into
Egypt (Acts vii, 81. Paul says. Love
envieth not (I Cor. xiii. 4. In Pet. H., l,
we are told to lay envy aside. 1t was well
for his father to observe the saying, but nad
he believed it he might have found comfort
when led to suppose that Joseph was dead.
See Dan. VIII. rs ; Luke IL, 81 Rom. w., ~,
21.-Lesson Helper.