Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-05-05
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VI, SECOND QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 6.

Text of the Lesson, Gen. !. 14-sG-Nem.
DRY Verses. a4-e6-Goiden Text. Prov.
Nv. Is-Commentary by tho Rev. d. n.
Stearns.
II. "And Joseph returned into Egypt
he and his brethren and all that went uf
with him to bury his father, after he had
buried his father" For II years did ia
cob enjoy Joseph's presence and care in
Egypt chapter Xvii, eS) and died at the
age Of 14T, having first blessed all his sons
and charged them to bury him beside Leah
in the cave of M~achpelah, where Abraham
and Sarah, Isaac and Rehekah, had already
been laid. When Jacob was dying. he,
with confidence in the promises of God
blessed the SONS Of Joseph and assured
Joseph that God would bring them all cut
OF Egypt Heb. ri, 81: Gen. Xviii. 21).
Is. "And when Joseph's brethren saw
that their father was dead they said, 10
seph win peradventure hate us and viii
certainly requite us all the evil which We
did unto him. That looks like a very
mean estimate of their brother. who had
so freely and fully forgiven them and i.ac
SO ~abnndantly cared for them for SO many
years. One cannot read chapter XIV. I-I5.
without seeing that it was pure unbeliei
and actually made Joseph a liar. But il
is just the way that many Christians treat
the Lord. They cannot believe that lie
has nothing against them and that He will
never mention their sins. and so they max,
Him a liar IL John V, 100.
10. And they sent a messenger untt
Joseph, saying, Thy father did command
before he died, saying A messeugcr's
only responsibility is to receive and delive,
his message correctly and promptly. Hag
gal was the Lords messenger with the
Lords message alag. i, i3l, and the mes
sage accomplished the work. 1t is n pleas
nre TO be the Lords messenger aud is thu
highest honor a mortal can here enjoy
But this messenger was in poor employ
and on a very poor errand.
Il. $50 shall We say unto Joseph, For
give, | pray thee now, the trespass Of thy
brethren and their sim This was ut
new sin they were asking forgiveness for
but the old wrong of 81 years before which
had been fully forgiven for over II years
We have no record that Jacob ever told hi.
som thus to appeal to Joseph. If he did,
he was as bad as they. Yet there art
Christians who, being assured Of forgive
ness tEph. i, Z, | John ii. i2), are all the
time asking forgiveness for the same old
sins. No wonder Joseph wept. 1t Is enough
to make Jesus weep TO be SO unbelievingiy
regarded.
IS. "And his brethren also vent and
fell down before his face, and they said,
Behold, we be thy servants" 1t was in.
fear they came. begging for that which had
long ago been given them. This is not tae
kind of servant Jesus expects TO find in
those who have been made nigh by His
precious blood (Eph. /, 13). Not serving
to obtain forgiveness, but serving because
forgiven, is the right way. Serve the Lord
with gladness.
10. "And Joseph said unto them, Fear
not, for am in the place of Gods Ii was
against God they had siuned, and from
Him first they should nave sought forgive.
ness. David recognized this when he said.
Against thee, thee only, have sinned and
done this evil in thy sight (Ps. Ii, -. We
must seek forgiveness from God, for all
sin is against Him Il Cor. viii, 121, and
then from those against whom we have
offended.
20. But as for you, We thought evil
against me, but God meant it unto good
to bring it to pass, as il is this day. TO save
much people alive" In almost the very
same words had he spoken TO them of this
matter IA years before. He reminds us OF
Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today
and forever 1Icb. xiii, 81, of jehovah, who
says, 81 am the Lord, Ichange not' (Alal
Iii, 81.
81. ''Now therefore fear ye not. | viii
nourish you and your little ones. And be
comforted them and spake kindly unto
ti... - Hls. Z. - - H.. f.. TT
not" in this story (xliii, 90; Xvi, 5; l., 19)
The first in the Bible is in Gen. XIV, 1, and
the last is Rev, i, II, or ii, 10, but how
many heart comforting ones there are
throughout the book find constant com
fort and strength in such as | Sam. xxi,
%; lisa. xii, 10, 13. Joel ii, 81; Mark v,
SO. We are TO comfort others with the
comfort wherewith we ourselves are com
forted OF God III Cor. i, ~; therefore ]
pass them on.
90. "And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he
and his fathers house, and Joseph lived
an hundred and ten years. lie was 80
when he first stood before Pharoah xii,
and homo in Egypt. He would be about
So when his father died therefore he lived
to make good his word to his brethren for
at least so years.
90. "And Joseph saw Ephraim's chill
dren of the third generation. The children
also of Machir, the son of Manesseh, were
brought up upon Joseph's knees" After
Jobs afiiction he saw his sons sons, even
four generations dob xiii, 16l. lt is one
Of the blessings of the righteous to sec
children's children and peace Herewith
FPS. ~cxxviii, o..
"a. "And Joseph said unto his broth
rem, | die, and God will surely visit you
and bring you out Of this land unto the
land which He sware to Abraham, to Isanc
and to Jacob" This was confidence in
God. By faith Joseph, when he died, made
mention of the departing of the children
of Israel and gave commandment concern
ing his bones Heb. XII, 22},
rs. 'Apd Joseph took an oath of the
children of Israel, saying, God will surely
visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones
from hence" So when Moses led Israel
out of Egypt he took the bones Of Joseph,
and when their walderings all had ceased
they were buried in Shechem (Ex. xiii, 10;
Joshua xiv, 1927. Joseph might have de
sired such n funeral as he gave his father
and had his body at once buried In the
land of promise, but he was so sure OF
their going up in due time that he was
content to wait and let his body remain
among them as u token Of their coming
deliverance,
80. $ Joseph died, being an hundred
and ten years old, and they embalmed
him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. -
Gathered unto his people (xlix, 33), his
body still awaits the resurrection of the
Just at the coming Of Christ Il Cor. Ky,
20; | Thess. iv, 1G). These all died in faith,
not having received the promises. These
all having obtained a good report through
faith received not the promise, God having
provided some better thing for us, that
they without us should not be made per
feet (Heb. ri, IS, 80, 4O). That unburied
body was a constant sermon to the believ
ing remnant such as Amram and Jochcbed,
parents of Moses, not to be discouraged by
trials, but to wait for the deliyerance,
which was sure to come.