The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-10-18
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ~, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. 90.
Text Of the Lesson, Gen. XII, 3S-40.
Memory Verses, 30-41-GO1den Text,
Sam. n, 3O-Commentary Prepared
by the Rev. ID. M. stearns.

Sam. "A, 3O-Commentary Prepared
by the Rev. ID. M. stearns.
copyright, 1901. by American Press Association
Patiently continuing in well doing In
his prison life. the time came when he
should be delivered, Gods time, and
therefore the best. The king OF Egypt
dreamed two dreams, or dream that
was doubled TO him in little different
form, hut none of his magicians or wise
men could interpret for him the dream.
How like the story in Dan. ii, 1927;
| iv, Z; V, s. for the wisdom of this world
| is utterly at fault in the things Of God;
only the Spirit of God can tell us the
thugs OF God Il Cor. Ii, lilo. The
chief butler, learning of the kings diff
Guilty, remembered his ingratitude to his
prison friend and told the king how Jo-
seph had interpreted their dreams in the
prison. Joseph, the young Hebrew, was
hastily sent for, and, giving God all the
glory Verse 16), interpreted the dream,
assuring Pharaoh that God had by those
dreams shown him what He was about
TO do that the events would shortly come
to pass and that Pharaoh would do well
! 10 profit by the revelation verses 2S-3O.
80. "Can we find such q one as this,
man in whom the Spirit OF God isl"
Thus spake the king to his servants when
| he had heard the words of Joseph. The
man who could interpret such dreams and
give such advice must be the man for the
occasion God had been all the while
| preparing Joseph for this occasion and
this occasion for Joseph He purposes in
| Himself that which He works out accord
ing to the counsel Of His own will (Eph.
|, Old, and happy are those who are in
His will.
80, 40. "Only in the throne will | be
greater than thou" From a prison TO
! throne, and so suddenly, and what won
derful words from Pharaoh, Thou shalt
be over my house. and according unto thy
word shall all my people be ruled" the
second ruler in all Egypt, and because
God had spoken through him. According
to the golden text, God honored Joseph
because Joseph had honored Him. PRO
motion cometh neither from the east nor
from the west, nor from the south; but
God is the judge. He putteth down one
and settcth up another" Ops. lxxv, 60.
41-43. "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,
See, have set thee over all the land OF
Egypt" He confirmed it by transferring
the ring upon his hand TO Joseph's hand,
by the vestures and the gold chain and
place in the second chariot in the land.
1t seemed to Pharaoh that he did H. but
il was the Lords doing. He permitted
Pharaoh to do it and thus accomplish
His pleasure. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS probably
thought that he took Jehoiakim captive,
and to human vision he did, but it was
the Lord who gave Jehoiakim into his
hand dan. j, l, y.
Al, 40. Joseph went out over all the land
of Egypt" No one might do aught with
out him; as in the prison so now in all the
land it might be said of him, "Whatso-
ever they did there he was the doer Of it"
(chapter xxx. 22). There is no believer
who may not be so yielded to Christ that
what is done in or through them He will
be the doer of it, as Paul said concerning
himself, 81 live, yet not l. but Christ,
liveth in me" (Gal. H. POI. Since our Lord
Jesus has said. without Me ye can do
nothing" John XIV, -, why should we
think Of doing anything apart from Him,
because however il may look acceptable
in the eyes of others, it is nothing" I'M
less He does it?
His new name signifies, according to
the margin, "revealer OF secrets" and he
receives as his wife the daughter of the
priest of On; here again we have a two
fold suggestion OF our Lord Jesus, for
He is the great revealer OF secrets, max
ing known TO us the great mystery of god
Illness, and of the church, and OF IsraePs
blindness, and OF the kingdom; for the
Father loveth the Son and sheweth Him
all things that Himself doeth John v,
2O).
46. "And Joseph was 30 years old
when he stood before Pharaoh, king OF
Egypt" Our Lord was 80 years old
when He began His public ministry luke
Iii, 23); so likewise was John the Baptist
and Ezekiel, and this was the age when
the priests began their ministry (Ezek. 4,
!; Mum. iv, 3. Joseph began to rule at
the age Of 80, but our Lord began His
public humiliation. for while He went
about doing good, anointed with the Holy
Ghost. it was to be despised and rejected
and crucifed as an evildoer, and He still
waits for His kingdom.
47-49. and Joseph gathered corn as
the sands Of the sea, very much, until he
left numbering; for it was without num-
ber." This he did during the seven plen-
teous years, for the earth brought forth
by handfus, and Joseph diligently made
provision for the time to come when
| tnere would De great distress. Il he
phrase "as the sand of the sea-" or, as 1t
is sometimes, "as the dust Of the EARTH"
Is figure signifying that which cannot
be counted. See l Kings iii, 8; iv, 20-29;
III Chron. /, 8; then see also Gen. xxi,
II; Judg. vii. II; | Sam. xiii, 5; Ps.
xviii, 81. How great is our God that
He can multiply things and people after
this fashion!
%. In due time the famine came. Then
all Egypt cried TO Pharaoh, and he said,
"Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you,
do" This reminds us of the saying Of
Jacobs wives, "Now, then, whatsoever
God hath said unto thee, do" (Gen. XXI,
49,: also Of the saying of Mary to the
servants at the marriage in Cana, "What-
soever He saith unto you, do it" John IL,
b.. Out great and only question concern
ing the things which are eternal, the
things of the kingdom, should be What
hath the Lord spoken?' for He only has
the bread Of life and all must come to
Him who would have life. Not only all
Egypt had to come to Joseph, but all
countries go, and. we shall see In the