Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-05-04

DRY Verses, 24-2G-Golden Text, Prov.
Nv, 1s-Commentary by the Rev. d. NJ
Stearns.
IA. "And Joseph returned into Egypt,
he and his brethren and all that went up
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, PSI and died at the
age of Ia, having first blessed all his SONS
and charged them to bury him beside Leah
in the cave of Machpelah, where Abraham
and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, 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 out
of Egypt (leb. ri, 81: Gen. Xviii. 2D.
Is. "And when Joseph's brethren saw
that their father was dead they said, Jo-
seph will peradventure hate us and will
certainly requite us all the evil which we
did unto him =" That looks like very
mean estimate of their brother, who had
so freely and fully forgiven them and had
so abundantly cared for them for so many
years. One cannot read chapter xiv, 1-15,
without seeing that it was pure unbelief
and actually made Joseph liar. But it
is just the way that many Christians treat
the Lord. They cannot believe that He
has nothing against them and that He will
never mention their sins, and so they make
Him liar Il John V, 10)
IL. "And they sent "A messenger unto
Joseph, saying, Thy father did command
before he died, saying A messengers
only responsibility is to receive and deliver
his message correctly and promptly Hag-
gal was the Lord S messenger with the
Lords message dag. i, 49,, and the mes
sage accomplished the work. 1t is pleas
nre to be the Lord s messenger and is the
highest honor mortal can here enjoy
But this messenger was in poor employ
and on very poor errand.
II. $50 shall We say unto Joseph, For
give, pray thee now, the trespass of thy
brethren and their sin" This was no
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 his
sons thus to appeal to Joseph If he did,
he was as bad as they. Yet there are
Christians who, being assured of forgive
ness (Eph. i, I: I John ii, 12). 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 unbelievingly
regarded.
Is. "And his brethren also went and
fell down before his face, and they said,
Behold, we be thy servants" 1t was in
fear they came heguing for that which had
long ago been given them. This is not the
kind of servant Jesus expects to find in
those who have been made nigh by His
precious blood CEph. /, 49,. Not serving
to obtain forgiveness, but serving because
forgiven, is the right way. Serve the Lord
with Eladness.
49, "And Joseph said unto them. Fear
not for am ! in the place of God?" 1t WAS
against God they had siuned, and from
Him first they should have sought forgive
ness. David recognized this when he said,
against thee. thee only, have sinned and
done this evil in thy sight (ps. Ii. A.. We
must seek forgiveness from God, for all
sin is against Him Il Cor. viii, l2), and
then from those against whom we have
offended.
90. but as for you, We thought evil
against me, but God meant it unto good
to bring it to pass, as it is this day, to save
much people alive" In almost the very
same words had he spoken to them of this
matter Z years before He reminds us of
Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today
and forever (IIeb xiii, 81 of Jehovah, who
says. 81 am the Lord, change not' (Nlal.
iii, g..
81. "Now therefore fear We not. | will
nourish you and your little ones. And be
comforted them and spake kindly unto
them" This is at least the fourth fear
not in this story (Xliii, 23 XVII, 3; |, 100.
The first in the Bible is in Gen. XIV, l, and
the last is Rev. i. II, or ii, TO- hut how
many heart comforting ones there are
throughout the book find constant com
fort and strength in such as | Sam. xxi,
%; lisa. xii, 10, l3; Joel ii, 2l; Mark V,
80. We are to comfort others with the
comfort wherewth we ourselves are com
forted of God (II Cor. i, A.; therefore
pass them on.
%. "And Joseph dwet in Egypt, he
and his fathers house. and Joseph lived
an hundred and ten years" He was 80
when he first stood before Pharaoh (xli,
46l, so that he had so years of prosperity
and honor 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.
%. "And Joseph saw Ephraim's chill
dren of the third generation. The children
also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were
brought up upon Joseph s knees" Alter
Jobs affliction he saw his son 5 sons, even
four generations dob xiii, lG). 1t is one
If the blessings of the righteous to see
hildren's children and peace Herewith
Ps. cxXviii, 81.
pa. "And Joseph said unto his breth-
rem, | die and God will surely visit you
and bring you out of this land unto the
land which He sware to A Abraham, to Isaac
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 (IIeb. Xi, 22).
25. "And 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 Israe
out of Egypt he took the bones of Jose"h
and when their wanderings all had ceased
they were buried in Shechem (Ex. xiii, 49,
Joshua xxi 32). Joseph might have de
sired such 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
:. | amonp them as token of their coming