The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-04-26
The SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson for April go, 1894
Joseph Forgiving His Brethren-saen
as. 1.16.


GOLDEN TExT-n thy brother trespass
against thee, rebuke him; and II he repent fo1
give him. Luke II.
TME-B G l707. The second year Of the
famine Nine years after the last lesson, and
twenty.two after the sale Of Joseph by his
brothers.
PLAcR-Heliopolis, IN Egypt; situated on
the Mile near the head Of the Delta; or Zoan
(Tanis), neaf the outlet Of the Tanitic mouth
Of the Nile 1t was about two hundred and
fifty miles from Hebron, Jacobs home.
JAcoR-About one hundred and thirty years
old Still living ct Hebron, with eleven Of his
sons
JOSEPH Thirty nine years old, OF which he
has spent twenty-five In Egypt, thirteen Of
them as q slave and nine az governor. He has
q wife and two, children. Benjamin must be
twenty-four or twenty-five years old.
LESSON NOTES.
The Famine. After the seven years
of rare plenty there followed seven
years of bitter famine. There Is an
ancient legend that once Joseph scat
tered few kernels of grain from his
full garners in Goshen upon the Nile,
flowing steadily on into the Mediter-
ranean. These were waited along by
winds and currents till they lodged
upon the shore of distant Palestine.
So they say that the words are to be
taken literally: Jacob saw that there
was corn in Egypt. &C S. Robinson.
have read somewhere that the Egyp-
tians cast their chaff upon the Nile,
and this. flowing on the tide, went to
every land and told them of the plenty
there was in Egypt.
A Panorama.-The story that fol-
lows is touching series of pictures
IL &c
and instruction.
The Famine in Hebron. - Jacobs
family of eleven sons and many serv-
ants, on the borders of starvation.
Consultation.
The Caravan to Egypt.-Ten broth
ers go Benjamin at home. There
were probably many beasts of burden
besides those the brothers rode. There
would be servants and each one could
drive several asses, as now in the east.
Joseph's Rough Treatment of His
Brothers.-Denounced as spies, i'm
prisoned. Partly in order that Joseph
might have occasion to learn about his
father and Benjamin without betray-
ing himself.
The Ghost of the Past.--In their
LTOuDle UDcN IeultIlDtI NJldJ lilty ldIi
done to Joseph. The past confronts
them. 1t is not dead. Reuben re-
counts how he had tried to save Jo-
seph. Joseph himself overhears and
understands all this, although they
think they are talking in a tongue un-
known to him. Reuben's character
and action are thus revealed to him,
and he knows how to treat him.
Simeon, whom his father calls self
willed, cruel, fierce in anger (49:5-O,
was kept in prison, as the one who
most needed discipline, as doubtless
the fiercest toward Joseph. The others
are released after three days, and re-
turn home with provisions.
The Second Caravan.-They cannot
go back to Egypt without Benjamin.
The father refuses, starvation is at
hand. Jacob consents with sad reluc-
tance. Benjamin goes.
The Second Reception.-Thet touch
ing scene at feast. Joseph sees his
own brother once more. Benjamin's s
fivefold portion. Joseph must express
his feelings in some way.
The silver cup, put in Benjamin. s
sack, so as to be sure and bring him
back, and SO as to make no distinction
between the brothers who had sold
him. The return to the capitol!
Why did not Joseph's brethren REQ
! ognize him, while he recognized them?
a. The change in appearance was
much less in them than in him. They
were grown up when he left them; but
| Joseph left them aS beardless boy of
seventeen, and he was now a man of
forty. (2.) They were in the shepherd
dress in which he knew them, while he
was robed in the magnificence Of roy
atty. (3.) They spoke in his native
tongue, while he spoke in Egyptian,
and to them only through an inter
prefer. a. They had no expectation
of seeing him in such n position, while
he knew the country from which they
came. o. Joseph's name had been
changed.
| Joseph's treatment of his brothers
seems at first to be strange, but the
reasons appear to be in order a. To
learn all about them and their circum-
stances, SO as to know what course to
take. (2.) To awaken their memories
of the past, and stimulate their con-
| science toward repentance, III tney nau
not repented before. (3.) To render
his forgiveness of the past more com.
plete, since they would know that it was
in full view Of all they had done. (4.)
To test his brothers, to see how worthy
they were of the benefits he could
now confer, and confer in proportion
to their fitness to receive. He learned
how they now treated their father
how they loved Benjamin, how kindly
their feelings were toward one another
Their trials had greatly improved theii
character. (5.) To show them tina,
God had fulfilled his early dreams
(42:9); and, therefore, his interpreta
tion OF Pharaoh's dreams was correct
and God had been in all his life.
Joseph Reveals Himself. = Wher
Joseph had sufficiently tested his broth
ers, and found them tender of heart
repentant, full of kindness to Benjamin
and his father, Judah being willing t.
become slave to save his brother, thai
they had ''got rid of the evil passion