The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-10-25

Lesson In the international series So0
October ~, 1OOi-J0seph and
His Brethren.
prepared by II. e. Lenington.l
THE LESSON TEXT.

Ineh Joseph could not REFRAIN himself
before all them that stood by him: and
he cried Cause every man to 20 out from
me. And there stood no man with him.
while Joseph made himself known unto
his brethren.
2. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians
and the house OF Pharoah heard.
.. And Joseph said unto his brethren.
am Joseph doth my father yet Nvey And
his brethren could not answer him; for
they were troubled at his presence.
T. And Joseph said unto his brethren,
Come near TO me. | pray you. And they
came near. And he said. am Joseph your
Brother, whom ye sold into Egypt
B. Now therefore be not grieyed, nor an
cry with yourselves. that sc sold me hlther:
for God did send me before you 10 preserve
life.
9. For these two years hath the famine
been In the land; and yet there are five
years. In the which there shall neither be
caring nor harvest
Z. And God sent me before you TO pre-
serve voc a posterity In the earth. and TO
save your lives by great deliverance
g. So now IL was not you that sent me
hlther, but God. and ne hath made me
father to Pharaoh ard lord OF all his
house. and a ruler throughout all the land
OF Egypt.
.. Haste ye. and go up to my father and
say unto him. Thus saith thy son Joseph.
God hath made me lord OF all Egypt. come
down unto me, tarry not.
10. And thou shalt dwell In the land OF
Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me.
thou, and thy children. and thy childrens
children, and thy nocks. and thy herds. and
all that thou hast:
ii. And there will nourish thee; for yet
there are five years of famine: lest thou.
and thy household. and all that thou hast.
come 10 poverty.
evil, but overcome evil with good
Rom. 1921.
NOTES AND COMMENTS
The story of the meeting between
Joseph and his brothers in Egypt Is
one Of the quaintest in all Bible his
.ory. 1t has q mingling of humor and
pathos that is truly unique. We see in
it also the fulfllment of his boyhood
dreams of authority. 1t inaugurates,
too, the story of the Israelites in the
land of Egypt. So it is not merely a
story with a moral; the incident leaves
its impression on all subsequent jew
ish history and literature. 1t was a
seemingly small thing-the coming Of
Jacob and his wife and children into
Egypt. but il entailed a series of events
Of gigantic import in the history of the
world.
The pathos creeps out in the at
tempts of Joseph at different time S
to keep back the tears and keep from
revealing himself to his brothers.
There is a vein of humor in the impris-
onment of Simeon to ensure the safe
return of the rest. and in the mysteri-
Gus returning of the money with which
the men had paid for their corn.
A curious thing in the working of
the human mind is shown when he
asks them to return with Ben amin,
their youngest brother, how they are
reminded Gen. 42:21-22) of their
crime against Joseph in whose pres
ence they at that moment were, un
known to themselves.
Altogether it was piece of the ut
most good-natured revenge, and ii.
ike it would be hard to duplicate. 10
seph quietly worked upon their super
stitions, on their guilty conscience
then finally made himself known Z,
them. For the whole story read IL
Genesis. Chapters AZ. 40, A and AS.
The lesson may be made to turn upoi
! two points. The first is the sweet re
I NtnRt tDdl Dt hdu ny
I good for evil. The story can very rea
lily be imagined that would have bee
e written had Joseph returned evil 70
/. evil. His brothers were absolutely il
E his power, their very lives were in hi
| hands. In this connection also it ma,
o be noted that in these years he ha
learned the wisdom of humility. II
d said nothing to remind them that h.
had dreamed Of his future ascendancy
!, he did nothing to keep them in mind 0
their dependence upon him.
s The other lesson is that of the provi
IS dence of God. To Joseph God was al
ways very real. Everything was du
to God, God was in everything, ruin,
o and overruling in accordance wit
Divine plans for the good of His chi
| dren il only they would serve Him.
I was God (Gen. 45:O who sent JOSEPH
y into Egypt for the purpose Of savini
their ELVES by great deliverance."
was God who had given him his position
Z of prominence in Egypt. 1t is lessoI
that would make the lot of every mar
e woman and child easier to-day il
" were needed. God rules. and all thing
d work together for good to those VIII
e love God and seek to do His command
z ments. If God governs the affairs o
men. why should man worry about tn
n outcome of his little plans? The pur
u poses Of God will be worked out n
matter what we do, and all will be we
a with us IL we will but work in accor
with His evident purpose. II your 10
Is hard, It Is for the best, make tn
= most Of ii.
righteousness shall finally trl
) umph. Truth may be in dungeon an
iniquity upon the throne for time
but not always. Joseph may be sol
as a slave and subsequently impri'
oned, but one day he will come to hi
proper place. One of the most reason
able arguments for the future life
= found in that sense Of justice With