The Montgomery tribune., 1907-04-26
JOSEPH FAITHFUL
in PRISON
Sunday School Lesson for April 28, 1907
Specially prepared for this paper.

| to death, and will give thee a crown Of
life"--Rev. 2:10.
TIME.-Thirteen years b. c. 1129-1716'
| Ussher). Ten In slavery and three in
| prison.
PLACE.-"It is not certainly known In
what city Of Egypt Potiphar dwelt. Ira
| dition has nxed on On, called by tho
Greeks Heliopos Uhe City Of the SUM
as the scene alike Of Abrahams visit to-
| Egypt. of Joseph's captivity and of the
| education II not the birth of Moses. 9th
| ers, and with more apparent probability.
| regard Zoan or Tanis, near the land or
| Goshen. as the abode OF Pharaoh. -
| Blaikie.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Dark Cloud of slavery.-Gen-
] 39:1-6. In the anguish of his soul,
| Joseph was carried away past his fa-
theirs green valley and deep WELL past
his mothers grave. past the very
home at Hebron, on the distant
heights. The lad must
have Thought. with keen grief. of his
father and Leah and Dinah, In their
dark, shady tents behind those hills,
and of the little red-cheeked, laugh
| ing Benjamin running out and in
Bird. Put yourself in Joseph's
place. The fondling Of his father;
with servants to wait on his every
wish and now, lashed to the side or
a wagon in a slave caravan, and with
the whistling whip Of his Ishmaellte
owner laid on his der."--Whyte.
The Dark Cloud of Temptation.-
Gen. 39:7-12. In Potiphars house Jo-'
seph was exposed to 'the sorest
temptation that can befall any one
to sin and prosper rather than resist
and suffer."-Geikie. Joseph's Is the
history of man who kept his heart
pure and tender, and who thereby
gained that wisdom which comes only
to the pure in heart."-Charles Kings
ley.
Light from the Cloud.-1. How
brightly shone Joseph's character in
the presence of this shameful propos-
al His answer at once took tho
highest ground: (D recognizing the
fact that the deed would be sin
against God, and (2) that it would
be base treachery toward his kind
master And so he did the best thing
possible, he ran away from the tempt
ress, though he must leave his
coat in her hands. 1T is better to-
lose a good coat than good con-
science. ce.'-Matthew Henry.
The Dark Cloud of slander.-Gen-
80: 1919. On Joseph's refusal of Poti-
phar's wife, "the rapid change in her
feeling illustrates Millions keen OBJ
servation that lust dwells hard by
hate '"-Dods Her shameless ac-
cusation Of Joseph to her husband was.
the harder for him to bear because
she accused him with the very sin
that he had refused to commit. This
abominable Misrepresentation, to the
master who had trusted him SO i'm
plicitly, was the darkest cloud that,
ever hung over Joseph.
Light from the cIoud.-It is most
striking to see how Joseph, out OF
pity for his master, refrained from ac-
cusing the wicked woman. More
men could be found who could. thus:
have spoken to Potiphar's wife than
who could have kept silent when ac
cused by Potiphar. For his purity you
will find his equal. one among thou
sand; for his mercy, scarcely one."-
Expositor's Bible.
/ The Dark Cloud of imprisonment
v. 20. "And Joseph's master :. put
him into prison" THAT he did not
at once order him to a capital pun
ishment could only be because he
had not the power Of putting slaves
to death. h."-Blaikie. Or. perhaps Poti-
phar did not really believe his wifes
accusations. But, at any rate, Jo-
seph's lot was terrible. Psa. 1851 1S
speaks of the fetters and chains, en-
tering into his flesh. In Gen. 40:15
Joseph speaks of the prison, literally,
as q "hole."
The Dark Cloud Of NegIect.-vs..
5-15. v. s. "They dreamed atiream bol::
of them" 1T is not surprising that
three nights before Pharaoh's birth
day these functionaries of the court
should have recalled in sleep the
, parts they themselves used to play
in the festival Bible.
, v. s. There Is no interpreter" "In
Egypt 1t Was the business of men
trained for the purpose, called in Gen.
41:8 magicians and wise men, to In
terpret dreams, and to such the butler
: and the baker could have no access
from their rison."-Ellicott. do not
: interpretations belong to God?" A
glimpse Of Josephs real humility
Loyalty to Jehovah In that heathen
land, he made essentially the same re-.
ply when asked by Pharaoh to il-
: terpret his dream two years later.
(Gen. 4i:16).
. Note that "Joseph's willingness to
! interpret the dreams of his fellow
prisoners proves that he still believed
, in his own, that among his other quail
j tiles he had this characteristic also OF
, a steadfast and profound soul, that he
!. 'reverenced as man the dreams or
his youth. '"--Dods.
"The ingratitude' Of the butler, mex
cusable as It was. left Joseph In the
!. prison until the moment came when