The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-04-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson FOR April a:. is0l-,
Joseph Ruler Ia Egypt-Gen. Sfs3s-Sa.

The SrfTIrS or History Chapters Tsi.
psalm los refers Tn ". ld-2sl 20 Gods won
derful ana loving providence over Hif people az
this time
TINE II G. i.6 Thirteen years after Joseph
was sold 20 Tho MdianitcS
pLhcr 1t IL gcn,rnily supposed tnat the
capital Of Egypt at this time was zoan ths
Greek Tanis. and modern San, near one OF tho
mouths OF tho Nile where tho Egyptian cxpior-
alton fund have recently made important
cavations ana discoveries
According 10 Osburn Monumental FgVoO,
"ihe scene OF the BONDAGE. tho imprisonment.
and the subsequent cxaitatlon and marriage. OF
Joseph. was the city OF Hellopois, the most
ancient capital Of Egypt" called also On. and
situated near the head 81 the delta Of the Nile.
twenty miles north Of Memphis. and six or
seven northeast Of modern Cairo Certainly
Joscph's wife belonged here
PLACE IN SECULAR HISTORY is gener-
ally thought now that the Pharaoh OF Joseph
WAS Apophls lApcpD one " the last Of Hykscs
or shepherd kings who had ruled IN Egyprfor
long time before Abraham Egypt at this
time was the most nourishing Kingdom the
world had ever known. II was culturctir the
arts-ln learning. in architecture. printing,
writing weaving etc The chief cities we're
Heliopolis, Memphis. Thebes and Zoen TABS.
the capitals Of different districts.
JOSEPH now thirty years old al 80. He
was seventeen wears old when he was sold into
Egypt ara. II is supposed that he spent ten
OF the thirteen intervening years rs q slave OF
Potiphar aud three in the kings prison.
JACOB. now one hundred and twenty-one
years old. stiil living in Hebron
LESSON NOTES.
I. Thirteen Years of Preparation.
Joseph in The Smelling Furnace" OF
Life.--Ten Years of Service and Of
Trial. Joseph when he reached Egypt
was sold to Potiphar the captain Of
the guard" The military caste In
Egypt ranked next to the priesthood;
and the entire force consisted OF 410,-
900 men. who were divided into two
corps. thousand serving each for a
year as the kings body guard (lIerod
Q. l64-l6s). Potiphar was probably the
captain of che Of these thousands, and
consequently man of great honor and
influence. -Thornley Smith. Joseph
was 50 wise. so faithful. so manifestly
blessed of God. that he was soon raised
TO high position in Potiphar's house
hold. and had general control of all
his affairs.
Three Years in Prison. At the
end of ten years another bitter trial
came to Joseph. After long resisting
temptation. his very goodness and
truth are made the occasion of an un-
just accusation. and without trial he is
cast into prison. In the present case,
the term very probably implies an edi-
fee. or portion Of the official mansion.
mostly subterrancan. Of which the roof
or vault. rising Immediately from the
surface of the ground. was round, or
shaped like an inverted bowl. 1t is
called. in chapter 4i:14. the dungeon"
Such dungeons are still, under similar
circumstances. used in the east.-kit-
to. In rs. l05:i.-ls. we are told that
his feet were hurt with letters; he was
laid in iron. The imprisonment was at
first severe. But God favored him, and
he afterwards had freer and better
life in waiting upon the other prisoners.
Steps in Joseph's Training and Prep
aration. % His discipline was Sc
we're His prison life was hard to en-
durc. He was practically a martyr.
(2) lie learned trust in God. We SEQ
no signs of distrust or Of complaining.
He simply chung closer 70 God and be-
came acquainted with God. t3) He
had long opportunity 10 study himself
and his needs. There are times when
character grows best by rest from
work. by slow, UNCONSCIOUS growth.
az Wherever Joseph was, and in what
ever circumstances, he did what was
right. lie made the best Of every
thing. lie not only looked on tho
bright side. but he did what was bet
tcr-he worked on the bright side. The
way to be ready for larger fields Is tn
be faithful in the smaller The way to
reach wider sphere is TO fill full the
narrower. II is well To remember that
the particular sphere we are in is OF
very small Importance compared with
what we do in the sphere. Piety is
just as beautiful in hovel as in pal
ace: faithfulness. truth, courage, honor
are no more noble on throne than in
q factory or on a farm. love, gentle
ness. self-dcnial are as blessed in the
kitchen as in the parlor. in the prison
Us In the court. 90 He grew in helpful
ness and kindness. The injustice done
10 him did not make him unjust to
others: the harshness of his treatment
did not harden his heart. 90 The
young Hebrew slave was, we imagine,
thoughtful and observant and cx-
tremcly diligent in the culture Of his
mind. Learning and the arts were at
that time in high rcpute in Egypt. as
the monuments prove" -- Thornley,
Smith. ca The work he had to do for
Potiphar was an excellent training for
his future high position. for tho
Egyptian courtiers were often inn
mensely rich. and not a few of them
take care to tell us in their tomb in
scriptions exactly the number Of their
cattle Of every kind. One, for cx-
ample. states that he had s35 oxen.
go cows and calves, 700 asses, 2,235
goat like sheep and 974 goats" To
care for all these would require great
skill and executive ability.
LESSONS FROM JOSEPH IN EGYPT.
There Is divine and a human clc-
mcnt in every life. They are the
warp and wool Of which the web Of
life is woven. Both arc necessary to =
successful life
So our whole life is school for the
future life. Life is the time of prep
aration. I'VE know not what we shall
be- We do not know what glorious