The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-05
THE sUNDAY-sCHOOL LESSON.
Fourth Quarter; Joseph Sold Into
Egypt-Genesis xvii, 1926.

Fourth Quarter; Joseph Sold Into
Egypt-Genesis x~xxvii, 1926.
The inevitable ard grievous consequences OF
polygamy were upon Jacob. Even the blessing
at Jabbok could not avert, though 1t may have
mitigated them. That experience. no doubt.
made the patriarch more patient and just under
his extremely trying circumstances. But his
home. IL it deserved the name OF home at all.
was rent with jealousy. -Four wives and four
sets Of children kept the camp in pandemonium.
Under the most favorable circumstances
the rearing Of twelve sons is an operose task.
a the very time Jacob should have been giving
his undivided attention and strength to it, he
seems TO have Teen chiefly engaged in outwit-
ting Laban and accommodating a fortune. The
result was. he mad a lot Of unruly. wicked boys
on his hands, who made his name unsavOry
among the Inhabitants Of the land. . On
the dark background OF this polygamous house
hold the pure and artless character Of Joseph
energies with most pleasing effect. He was the
son of Jacobs later and better days. He was
taken away soonest from the degrading in
huences Of Padanaram. He was chastened by
the greatest grief that can befall a young heart,
a mothers death. The very frequency and com-
p~leteness with which his surroundings changed
was calculated to cultivate the devout and de-
pendent spirit . = From the thorny and
thistly sons Of Jacob grapes and figs could not
be expected. The extreme cruelty, especially Of
Simeon and Levi. had already shown itself in
the case Of the Shechemites. All were rude,
treacherous Bedouin. The gentel and pure char
acter Of Joseph was a standing structure upon
them. They were envious of his impending honor;
ready to cry as their descendants afterwards
did: I'VE will not have this man to reign over
U.S." They nursed their jealousy until it reached
the size of murder. . Joseph had come TO
them on an Grand of love from his father II
was a long and lerilous journey from Hebron to
Dothan. There were Bedouin and bears In the
way. He had brought his brothers goodly
viands. II there was to be any criticism Of their
conduct on his part, direct or indirect, 1t would
be just and for their real advantage. But they
allowed themselves to be moved with envy.
Their utter heartlessness is shown In that they
could sit down to the very banquet he had
brought them and eat IT in sound Of his wailing
voice. Amos compasslonately refers to
the "sufferings Of Joseph" They were pitifuI.
unparalleled. He was treated with indignity;
stripped Of his robe of state; tainted with his
dreams; cast into a demijohn-shaped ~cistern.
from which escape was impossible. There, I'm
the mire and clay OF a horrible pit. he shivered
for want Of his cloak. He was a-hungered and
weary, with no place to lay his head. He was
treading the wine press OF sorrow alone, and OF
his brothers there was none to help him. AT
A~Ho - IL 10 1T AAOAA Nv Gll "a Only 70
suffer a worse fate. There is an ex-
pulsive power in a new vice as we'll as in a
new virtue. Murder is ousted by avarice. The
sight Of the approaching trading caravan sug-
gests the possibility OF making merchandise or
this obnoxious brother. A moment later they
gloat over their two silver shekels apiece. and
see their kinsman according to the flesh depart
to ignominious and hopeless servitude. . .
Naked and under a burning sun. with an iron
roI-r obnnf a. 80 a.a m lei, - - -,
the heir of all the promises departs from the
very land he was to have inherited. The prince
is metamorphosed into the slave, Canaan ex-
changed for Egypt. From the human angle all
is lost; but
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to PERFORM"
THE
This fascinating story is a thin veil through
which the most cursory reader must catch a
glimpse Of the atonement. 4 greater Father
sends His greater Son. 1t il an errand OF love
and mercy. He brings bread and wine, emblems
OF His own sacrifice and oblatiOn. He comes to
His own. but His own receive Him not. He is
sold at the price Of a slave. He is shockingly
Inundated. smitten and Knocked. stripped Of His
robe, put to a slaves death, entombed; but now
He appears upon a throne of glory to give re-
demption to alias many as will believe upon
His name. Thus is Joseph one Of the most strik-
would have been the greatest possible misfor-
tune. For himself: To have been reared in
Canaan by his fond father would have made a
luliputian OF him. For his nation: Egypt was
to be their schoolhouse, and Joseph's captivity
was the means OF bringing them there. This
does not discount the brothers crime. God
made their wrath to praise Him, and the excess
of it, which would have murdered the heir OF
the promises He restrained. 9 A reverse!
So 1t seemed when the heir-apparent to Israels
throne became a slave. But whether an event
is a reverse or not depends upon what God
means by Il and the use man makes Of 1t. IL JOS
eph had become a man hater and spent his
time bewailing his hard lot his going a slave to
Esypt would have been a reverse. On the con-
trary. he triumphed over untoward circumstances.
Bv his industry and fidelity he made himself
Indispensable to PotiphaT, the prison keeper, and
finally TO Pharaoh himself. . . Types Of Je-
aus are cumulative. One alone might be dis
rnissed nonchalantly as a mere coincidence. but
when they number scores, each clear and beau
,tfrl n 9 that of Joseph, their divinity Is borne