The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-10-18
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
international Sunday School Lesson
for October 20. 1901.
BY REV. FRANKLIN B. DWIGHT.

There is a great change from the
last lesson to this. Joseph was in
prison when we last saw him now he
is prime minister, the greatest man
in Egypt next to the King.
How came this wonderful change
Two years passed after the chief but
Ter was released before he thought of
Joseph. Then a strange thing hap
pened. Pharaoh had two very vivid
dreams in one night, dreams that he
was very certain had a meaning and
contained an important intimation of
future events. In the first dream
seven fat cattle are consumed by
seven that are very lean, and in the
second dream, seven good ears of corn
are swallowed up by seven ears that
are thin and blasted. The magicians
can not explain this, and so Joseph is
sent for, because the ungrateful chef
butler is at last forced to think of
him, as the only man to whom the
King could look with hope that the
message in his dreams would be
made plain to him.
| There are many ways of regarding
dreams, but they may be reduced in
general way to the following. First,
there is the SUPERSTITIOUS WAY.
| This is common among savage peoples,
who see hidden meanings constantly
in their dreams, sand who build up
strange and fantastic beliefs upon the
interpretations made by their So
called wise men. 1t was against such
interpretations that Israel was repea-
redly warned.
Second, there is the NATURALIS-
TIC WAY: This explains all dreams
by certain physical and mental laws,
better understood now than formerly,
but some of which are still mystery
as they will probably remain. This
| theory rules out the idea of there ever
being or ever having been in the
dream special message from God to
| the dreamer. This view is, of course,
| to be rejected.
| Third, there is the SCRIPTURAL
WAY: This does not rule out the
operation of what we call natural
laws, but teaches that God often used
these laws in ancient times to
fulfill His own purposes in
ways that we cannot understand
in the Bible as vehicles of divine rev.
citation. God may have used Pharaoh S
previous knowledge of the absolute
| ilzing life of the river Nile and his
fear of possible famine should the
river cease to flood the plains at the
proper season, to cause, in part at least,
his strange and vivid dreams. But
these dreams were none the less sent
by God, and they contained message
which only divinely inspired man
could read Alright "a man in who the
Spirit of God was. "
Such man was Joseph Pharaoh
perceived this and probably guided in
part by the light OF natural religion
| as we'll as by some remnant of the
original tradition which was tho COM
| mon possession of all the peoples of
the earth at this early day, he confesses
his faith, such as it was, in God, and
in Joseph, as man who possessed
| Gods spirit. Probably he was led to
| this conclusion not only by Joseph S
| Interpretation, but by the obviously
wise recommendation that followed,
J that the storehouses be filed with
grain during the seven plenteous
years, so..that there would be food for
the people during the years of fam
inc. OF course the success of this plan,
like the success of all great under
! takings depended entirely upon the
man at the head of the work. He must
be, said Joseph, discreet and wise.
Herein he unconsciously described
himself, but it is to Pharoah's credit
that he perceived that Jospeh was the
very man for the place, and so it comes
about that we find the man who had
been a shepherd, then a slave, and
then a prisoner, riding in chariot of
state and ruling the whole land of
Egypt.
We may learn some important les
sons from Joseph's character as set
forth in this narrative not only as a
prince but as man.
First: He was discreet - AS has
been we'll said she perceived a great
advantage and lost no part of it. !" He
made the most of his opportunities,
and having been given special di-
vine insight into the future he recog
nized it as a call to present duty. We
are not inspired as was Jospeh, but to
the discreet man everywhere and at
all times it may truly be said that
Coming events cast their shadows
before" and such man Will prepare
for difficulties when he can. Religion
should not be made an excuse for
neglecting the future.
Christianity should not forbid the
use of common sense, and if the Spirit
of God is in you, as it was in Joseph,
you will show forth that Spirit in
part by being discreet in the concerns
of daily life. You will show your faith
by your works. You will read Alright
"the signs of the times" and see a
call from God for earnest action when
ever He sends it to you.
Then again, Joseph was "wise. y
Pharaoh saw this also, and the course
which Joseph took proved that it
was true. He provided for the wants
of the people of the land ia time OF
need. He then sold them corn, taking
first their money. then their cattle and
then their persons. This last step
might seem oppressive, if we did not
remember that it was in accord with
the craftsmanship of the time, and il
had this advantage, that it bound the
people to the throne. IL made the
lands into crown lands, and must have
established Pharaoh's government on
q sure and strong basis. Joseph Is
methods will not stand comparison
with the standard of Him who said,
"Give to him that asketh of thee, y
but neither will many modern me-
thods in Christian states. We must
Judge him according to what light he
had and not according to what he had
not, and so judged, his character is
certainly wise. The people said to