The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-04-19
SUNDAY MEDITATION
A Study of the International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for April
%, 1894 Vt

AV. 1OCfs
| TITS
| Subject: Joseph Makes Himself Known to
His Brothers,. Gen., 45:1-15.
lone reading these notes should first carefully
| study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
| indicated above.l
INTRODUCTION
The account of Joseph making himself
| known to his brothers is not only q matter
of theological interest, but is of great literary
value. Ethically, too, it has weight. One
has cited, as a case suggested, the classic
instance of Ulysses discovering himself to his
son Telemachus. Many feelings had play
doubt, fear, grief Outlines, joy, reverence,
wonder. We see the operations of conscience
terribly manifested. We have a fearful
lesson against evil-doing. This story will
always have great significance as specially
emphasizing brotherly love.
1t is so unique as to be regarded by many
thelogians as typical of Christ's love to us.
So true is this that Joseph is generally re-
garded as type of our Savior in the rela-
ton of brother.
| Joseph passed through great struggle.
| Unable for another moment to repress his
| emotions, he exclaimed: 81 am Joseph"
He, of course, spoke in Hebrew. Doth
my father yet live?" No wonder the Il
brothers were utterly confounded. Nine of
| them in special would be stunned with re-
| morse. Reuben took no part in the sale of
| Joseph, and probably did not even know
! what became Of his brother. (37 :21, "a
And Benjamin was not at Dothan. There
| could be no mistake. They were In the
presence and in the power of Joseph. A
momentary struggle of terrible fear Sc zed
| them. To allay it, Joseph bids them not
| flee from his wrath, but to come to his love.
Verses 5-8 are wonderful in their soothing,
forgiving, apologize tone. Joseph does not
lay the guilt Of the brothers cruelty and his
sale into slavery on God, nor does he remove
it from the brothers. Their conduct had
been shameful, inexplicable, heartless; but
they had paid well for their evil deeds.
They had not been happy since the sale.
Their consciences had for years dashed them.
1t was kind of Joseph to euphemize the cir
cumstances as much as possible. He was
also doubtless correct. Providence pre-
sided over the whole train of events rom,
8: 28.) The same state Of things could have
been brought about without the cruelty at
Dothan, and would without doubt have been
effected in some other way.
Time.
We date 1898 A. M. Joseph was 80 years
old and Jacob $780, The seven years of
plenty had passed and two years of the fam
inc. twenty-five years had passed since the
sale of Joseph at D8than.
Place.
The scene of the lesson was located in
Egypt, probably at Memphis 1t was on
the western bank OF the Nile, something
like Is miles south of the apex of the data
Oriental writers, late as the 18th century,
say it contained work so wonderful that
they confound even a rejecting mind and
such as the most eloquent would not be able
to describe" II was the Capital of Lower
Egypt.
VERSES 1-S.
These recount the facts of the revelation
of Joseph to his brothers, and are exceed
ingly pathetic.
Words aud Phrases.
/. Could not refrain. ". ~ He could
not suppress, keep down, his feelings; could
not force an apparent want of senslbili!y.
He broke down, as we say.
2. Cause every man to 60 out from me.
(V.I) Reasons.
q. Sorrow chooses retirement
b. He could not preserve royal dignity.
He apprehended a scene and felt he could
not pass the ordeal without showing I'M
seemly sentiment.
C. He wou!d not expose to others the
wickedness of his brothers. 1t would be
reflection on himself to have such brothers,
and specially would the brothers be put to
shame.
d. The attendants could not understand
all the train Of circumstances and so could
not enter into sympathy with the scene.
Their presence was incongruOus.
G. Joseph did not wish to portray before
Egyptians all the grand prospects of the
Israeites. He might thus thwart his pur-
poses, stir up prejudices, excite suspicious.
g. Brethren. ~ ~ Brothers.
a. Cried. ". u Exclaimed, shouted
out, ordered Wept aloud " p Sobbed,
mosned audibly. Compare V. ID.
5. Heard. wa What? a. The weep
ing. This was possible in Egypt, where
the people were very demonstrative in grief
Notice "wept aloud" b. The report of Jo-
sephs feelings. (See V. 49,
g. Sold. az Read 81: 28. a. Buyers,
Ishmaelites. b. Price, 90 pieces of silver.
C. Age then, II years. d. Eye" Not all
the II brothers, but only nine of them.
e. Place Dothan.
Z. Earring This does not mean the col
Letting of ears of grain. That would be
harvesting. Then the text would read
neither harvest, not harvest. The word |
earning" means plowing and SO refers to |
seed-time.
g. Father to Pharaoh. (S.) The word |
father" was governmental official title. |
The Caliphs called their Prime Ministers |
fathers The Projects of the Pratorum |
were so called by the Emperors of Rome. |
Calmet says that certain officers among the |
Phenicians, Persians, Arabans, and Re- |
mans were SO titled. (Cf Jud., II: 10) |
The term father is expressive OF honor and
reverence. The clergy in general of the
(R.) Catholic Church are known as fathers.
Many highly-respectable aged gentleman
in this or that community is known az
Father A, B, or c. Washington is styled |
The Father of his,eouutry."
VERSES els.
These tell of Josephs invitation to his |
family-Jacob and all his descendants-to |
leave Canaan and make Egypt their future |
home.
Goshen.
We know some facts as to this region.
a. 1t was suited to cattle, and hence of |
service to Jacob and his family, who gave
themselves to grazing ofsheep, etc. (46: 81; |
Az:
b. 1t was the bestIan (47:6, ID