The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1907-04-19
JOSEPH SOLD BY
HIS BROTHERS
Sunday School Lesson for April Fl, 1907
prepared for this paper.

LESSON TENT-Gen. oi:o-2S; memory
verses, 1928.
GOLDEN TExT.-"For where envying
and strife is, there is confusion and every
evil work Jas. 3:16.
T1ME.-If Jacob remained in Padan-
aram 40 years, Joseph's capture would be
about b. c. l729, IL years after Jacobs re-
turn.
PLACE.-Hebron, the home of Isaac
and Jacob, 20 miles south of Jerusalem.
Shechem, in Samaria. 80 miles north of
Hebron. Dothan, l. miles north of She
chem.
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES.-Study
some of the points of comparison between
Joseph and Christ: John 5:iS; S:54; 1917;
III; Matt. 21:3I-42; 2O:19; 27:1S; 26:SS; lisa.
l2:lS; Matt. 2G!l4-l6.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Fathers Partiality.-Gen. 1913.
After his reconciliation with Esau, ia.
cob moved on alone, with his family.
He finally settled in Hebron, south of
Jerusalem, where Isaac died at the
age of $50. On the journey thither
Rachel, the beloved, passed away in
giving birth to Benjamin, and the
cloud of that grief never lifted from
Jacobs life. But another heavy grief
was added, a family torn by dissen-
sion. the hatred of Joseph's brothers
toward that bestowed son, Joseph,
from this point, occupies the center
of the stage.
Joseph, whose name means May
God add" was born in Padan-aram
II years before the time of this lesson.
He was Rachel's eldest son, and in
herited from her a beauty of face. of
manner, and of character which had
the profoundest influence upon his
fortunes. At the same time, from his
father Jacob and his grandmother Re-
bekah the lad inherited Quickness of
intellect, readiness to grasp advant-
ages, the marked ability to get on in
the world.
But the feature of Joseph's boyhood
that had the strongest influence Upon
his future was his fathers manifest
partialitx for him. Joseph was the
son of his old age" born when Jacob
was over 90.
The Brothers Hatred.-Gen. 37:4.
"~Joseph's Goa of many colors was
like to have been a winding sheet
Whyte. 1T should be borne in mind
that Jacob was a ~polygamist, and that
his children were by different moth.
e's, who, although living under the
same roof, and thus compelled to
maintain a semblance of harmony,
must have often come into collision
through their over-anxiety to promote
the interests Of their own offspring
Principal Rowlands. One of the
many sad evils of polygamy is the
family jealousy that it causes
The Young Reformer.-Gen. 1872.
AS Joseph was the youngest son. it
was his duty to wait upon his broth
ers. and especially upon the sons of
Bilhah, his mothers handmade, with
whom he would naturally be brought
up. While he was in the field with
them and with the sons of Zilpah they
did something so wrong that he was
obliged to tell his father; and thus his
brothers became still more embittered
against him. IF there was a deep
sympathy between Joseph and his
father, it would have been impossible
for him to keep back anything in
which he was deeply Interested
Blake. Some commentators think
that Joseph was made an overseer of
these brothers, and was thus obliged
to report their misconduct.
When to Report Wrong-D DOING
Tale-bearing is reporting the wrong
deeds of others in a c%ensorious, self.
righteous way, taking pleasure in
them, or wishing to injure the wrong
doors, or in a careless and gossiping
fashion. Joseph's life shows that he
was too manly to do such q thing.
The Prophetic Dreams.-Vs. sill.
Joseph's life, beyond all other lives in
the Bible, ven Jacobs and Daniels,
vas bound up with dreams. His work
in Egypt proved that he was practical
and wide awake. To men of that very
character-for instance, Paul-God
has often disclosed the future in WIS.,
ions.
The Use Of Dreams.-"Joseph's two
dreams were evidently intended to be
signs of the steadfastness of the d.
vine purpose towards him, by possess
ing the clearness of special prophecy;
yet were couched in such imagery as
not to inform him prematurely of his
destiny, and only to be understood af-
ter their fulflment."-Ruskin, in
Stones of Venice. .
The Lad at Work.-Vs. 1917. Jos.
eph, though his fathers favorite, was
not a spoiled home pet, but he was
trusted with important commissions,
thrust out upon his W resources
put to work. That is best for any boy.
The Murderous Plot.-Vs. 1922. W
IS. And when they saw him afar off. "
AS Joseph descended the ridge which
bounds the Plain of Dothan on the
south (Harper), his figure would stand
q out against the skyline, and would be
marked by the keen eyes of the shep
herds. ."They conspired against him
10, slay. him Evil thoughts in the
heart takelathe first opportunity to gel
themselves in action.