Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-04-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON II, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NAT iONkL SERIES, APRIL 8.

Text of the Lesson, Gen. xNNvii, Ill.
Memory Verses, 3, 4-Golden Text, Gew.
xiv, "a -Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
1. And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein
his father was stranger, in the land Of
Canaan" The margin says, I'm the land
of his fathers soiournings." God spoke of
Abraham rs a stranger in the land, and
Abraham spoke of himself as a stranger
and II sojourner Gen. xviii s; xiii, a. So
also David in Chron xxx, 10. Compare
Pet ii, II. If we are Chris.s, we are citi-
Eens of heaven phil. iii, 20, 2D, but shall
reign on the earth when the kingdom comes
(Rev. V, 9, l0). The principal events in the
intervening chapters since last lesson are
the reconciliation with Esau another APP
pearance Of God to Jacob and the death
and burial of Isaac, Rachel and Deborah.
9. "These are the generations Of Jacob.
Joseph, being II years old was feeding the
1ock 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 genera
tions," and it is the last time Joseph and
Benjamin were the younger sons of Jacob,
and both were the children of his beloved
Rachel, who died when Benjamin was
born (chapter xXXv, Is, l9). 1t would seem
that the conduct of Jo,eph's brethren was
not commendable, and that he brought his
father word TO that effect.
3. "Now Israel loved Joseph more than
all his children, because he was the son of
his old age, and he made him IA coat Of
many colorS." Ofall the sons of Jacob the
two most honored by Jehovah We're Judah
and Joseph, for from Judah came the Mes
siah, and the brthright was Josephs Il
Chron. V, q. See in verses "a, 30, of our les
son chapter how great was jacobs love to
this son, and how he refused to be comfort
cd when he thought him dead.
4. And when his brethren saw that their
father loved him more than all his breth-
rem, they hated him and cou not speak
peaceably unto him." Joseph was in many
respects "A wOndrous type of Gods well be
loved Son, Jesus our Saviour. Observe him
hated and separated from his brethren
Gen Xix, %, %; Deut. XxXiii, 100, and
think of Jesus hated without a cause (ps.
xXxv, 10; Xix, 4; John Ky, 25). These brcth.
rem make us think of the elder brother in
Luke XIV, but the practical part is for us, il
ever hated without "a cause, to think of Je-
sus and rejoice in the privilege of fellow
ship with Him Il Pet. ii, l9-2D
D. And JoNph dreamed a dream, and he
told it his brethren, and they hated him yet
the more. " Joseph does not seem as yet to
have known his brothers hatred, and 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 dream Xxx, 3; XXSi II, pa, and in job
XNNiii, II, 10, we read that God speaks to
meu in dreams and visions, if by any means
He may turn them from their pride aud
the ruin to which it 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
anything III dreams any more.
q. And he said unto them, Hear, pray
you, this dream which have dreamed II
must have deeply impressed Joseph and
made nm anxious totelll 1t. W men We have
the sure word OF God concerning all com
ing events, how Is ii that We are so little
impressed 10y 1t, aud therefore 50 slow to
speak OF ltY II must be simply unbelief ON
our part, or else wilitul ignorance, for a.
surely as Joseph : dreams were in due time
filled. See lisa. xiv, "a XVI, ., 10; rs. XXNiii,
10, II.
{. For behold, we were binding sheaves
in the field, and, 10, my sheaf arose, and
also stood upright, and behold, your shc3ves
stood round about and made obcisance to
my sheaf." The significance OF the dream
seems simple enough and the brethren evi.
IDENTIFY understood it, but it seemed very
unlikely TO be fulfilled. The sous of Jacob
were doubtless familiar with the fact that
God had spoken to their father and to La
ban in dream and Joseph probably be.
lieved that God had now spoken TO him.
When any word of God takes hold of Us a.
the very voice OF God TO our souls we are
not apt either TO forget or Keep sun about 1t.
8. ana his brethren sad to nm, Snalt
thou indeed reign over usF or shalt thou
indeed nave DOMINION over usF Ana they
hated MIN yet the more lur ms dreams and
Tor ms words !heir hatre" ana not Affect
the dream nor us Imminent, o4t only
themselves nelIher mas Ihe hatred OF the
Jews TO thelr Dro'her Jesus affected tht
Imminent OF Tue sure Woru OF uod that lie
shail slI on DaViu throne ana reign over
tne mouse OF jacob forever klSl TX, I. LUXE