Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-10-26
5nternatiunal gessol1.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON v, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, NOV. 8.
Text of the Lesson, Gen. I, 1875.
Memory Verses, 1S-21-Golden Text,
Ps. &c, 12-Commentary Prepared
by the Rev, D. NJ. Stearns.

Memory Verses, 1S-21-Golden Text
Ps. &c, documentary Prepared
by the Rev, d. NJ. Stearns.
copyright, 1901, by American Press Association
Again we are called to pass over many
most interesting and profitable items, but
we trust that all teachers will note at
least the following: Gods gracious and
comforting interview with Jacob at Beer
sheba as he was about to leave Canaan,
the meeting Of Joseph and his father,
Jacobs interview with Pharaoh. Jacob
blessing Joseph and his two sons, his
parting words to all his sons, his death
and his burial at Hebron.
Is. Joseph will peradventure hate US,
and will certainly requite US oil the evil
which we did unto him." One Of the
hardest things on earth to bear is to be
misunderstood. misjudged. slandered
without cause, to he falsely accused by
those to whom you have shown only low
ing kindness and for whom you have IN
your heart nothing but good will. Joseph
had given these men every evidence OF
his forgiveness, he had wcpt over them
and kissed them xiv, 15) and had done
all that love could do for them, but they
did not believe that he really meant it,
after all. What manner Of men are these
who cannot trust such brother? Do we
act like this toward the Lord Jesus! lie
came unto His own and His own received
Him not, but they hated Him and called
Him a devil and would not believe that
He was their own Messiah.
16, II. Joseph wept when they spake
unto him." The treatment of his breth-
rem was enough to make him weep. II his
father told them to say what they said be
did, to ask Joseph to forgive what he had
already so manifestly forgiven. that
would be q cause for weeping: If his
brethren were lying to him concerning
their father, that would be sufficient to
make him weep. Let us lay it to heart;
il we have truly received and do put all
our trust in the precious blood Of Christ
for our salvation, then such words as
John vi, 81; i, IL; John ii. ~; lisa. xiii,
25; Acts xiii. 3S. 80. should give us per-
feet rest concerning the forgiveness of all
our sins and our relationship to God; but
how many believers, just like the breth-
rem of Joseph. are ever questioning their
relationship to God and wondering If
their sins are really forgiven. This is un-
grateful belief and grieves the Holy
Spirit and our blessed Lord.
IS. Behold, we be thy servants" This
they said as they fell down before his
face. This was not gratitude for his
love, but seeking thus to obtain that fa-
vor which he had already freely bestowed
ha N
Joseph had enjoyed his favor txlvii. ~
and loving kindness. yet now they come
abjectly before him to obtain that which
had been theirs fully all these years.
There are Christians who Is or 20 or 30
or 40 years ago received through Christ
the forgiveness Of sins and were made
children of God and joint heirs with
Christ, yet are never sure that they are
saved. never rejoicing in Him. but hope
some day to be good enough for heaven
II they can only prove faithful.
10, 20. Fear not. for am | in the place
OF God?" What they needed was true
penitence before God. against whom they
had so grievously sinned and to whom
perhaps they had never vet truly turned.
There can be no peace Of mind until we
are sure that all that was against US be-
fore God has been put away tCol. ii, l3,
14). Covering sin from God never pros
pers, but confessing and forsaking 1t al.
ways bring mercy prov. xviii. 13).
21. "He comforted them and spake
kindly unto them" Another "fear not"
and assurance of continued care and more
kind words and no upbraiding. How mani
festly the spirit Of Christ was in Joseph.
for only the great grace Of God, such as
we read Of in II Cor. viii. 9; *. 8: Tim.
|, II, could enable man to act as Joseph
did toward these brethren. He Of whom
Joseph was a wondrous type will comfort
you and speak kindly to you. whoever
you may be. il you will only come to
Him, for He Is the Father of mercies and
the God of all comfort III Cor. |. 81.
Here we have the last two Of these pre-
cious "fear nots" in this book; others are
found in chapters xv, xxi. XVI. xiii, XVI.
%, %. "And Joseph lived an hundred
and ten years." See also verse 26. Since
he was 80, when he first stood before
Pharaoh (xli. 49,, he had 80 years Of
prosperity in Egypt; enough to make him
forget the few years Of slavery and i'm.
prisonment, and We know that the suffer
ings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory that awaits
US Rom. viii. 19). Jacob lived 147 years,
Isaac 1SO. Abraham It's. so that Joseph's
life was comparatively short. but how
much of blessing for thousands and tens
Of thousands there was in it, and what
an amount Of fellowship with Christ! II
we are here for Christ. He will see to it
that we abide His appointed time, then
we shall rest and shall stand in our lot at
the end Of the days (Dan. xii, 13).
"a, 25. "God will surely visit you and
bring you out of this land" God had
told Abram that He would. and Joseph,
like Abram. believed God tchapter XIV,
14) and took an oath of his brethren that
when they went they would take his
bones along. This they did as they had
promised and buried them in Shechem
(Joshua xiv. 32). This is the one thing
mentioned of Joseph in Heb. Il, q, "By
faith Joseph when he died made mention
of the departing Of the children OF Israel
and gave commandment concerning his
bones" Joseph was sure that however
long the waiting time might be the prom
ises Of God would be fulfilled. This he
had learned In his own experience. We
are reminded Of II Sam. xiii, 5. Those
who have like faith with Joseph and Da.
rid expect to see all the unful6lled prom
ises concerning Israel yet literally full
filled. See lisa. ix.. 6, Z; Jelt iii, II: xiii.
s, 6; Ezek. xxxvii. 21-2S. and all others
according to Acts ill, 1921.
26. "They embalmed him. and he was
put in q coffin in Egypt" What a
strange ending to this first book in the
Bible! 1t begins with life, but ends with
death. but the Bible ends with life every
where on earth and death destroyed by
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rev.
xii, 3-21; xxi, 4. 81, who because Of sin
became a sin offering, sacrifice for sin