The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-04-24
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR APRIL %. BY
THE REV. ]. ". HENDERSON.
Subject: Joseph Faithful in Prison,
Gen. STANDARDIZATION Text:
Rev. 2:1O - Memory Verses,
Fl. %.

The Midianites take joseph with
them into Egypt. He is sold to a new
master, Potiphar. the captain of the
guard of Pharaoh. God wonderfully
blesses all the work to which he lays
his hands. He gains the confidence
and the esteem OF Potiphar. He is
made the head servant in the zap
tain's household. Fidelity to his
trust in the face Of opportunities for
evil against which few men in a like
capacity would have been proof lands
him in prison. There is no justice in
his condemnation. But into the dun
geon they send him upon the unsup-
ported testimony Of an unworthy
woman.
In the prison the greatness Of
Gods providence and of Joseph's
character receive further demonstra-
ton. Joseph is supremely blessed.
God prospers whatever he under
takes to accomplish. AS for Joseph
he wastes no time in idle condemna-
ton of the hardness of his lot. He
wastes no time cursing God for allow
ing him to become enmeshed in such
a terrible net. The dream in which
he had as a boy found an egotistic
delight %sustains him and comforts
him as a a He is confident Of the
blessing and the providence of God in
the face of this ~severest trial. God
had delivered him out Of the hands
Of intending murderers and had
spared his life. He had raised him to
a position of power in the household
Of a captain of an Egyptian guard.
The God who had delivered him be-
fore and had endowed him with sue
Tess still lived. Why should he mourn
Dr. berate?
Joseph played the man. He was
faithful to God. He retained a'lively
consciousness of Gods fidelity to him.
He never r%elinquished his belief in
the divine leading and the divine
providence. And his rectitude was
recognized. He became as powerful
in the prison as he had been in the
home. His integrity was taken for
granted. In all likelihood his inno-
cence was assumed though he was
not released.
FaithfuIness to God made all this
possible. God blessed him because
be was worthy Of the blessing.
Joseph was able to resist the wiles of
Potiphar's wife because he had a re-
alization of the duty he owed to God
and to Potiphar. He was able to be
cheerful and obedient and tactful in
prison because he had faith in God
| and was faithful to Him.
1t takes a man to be faithful to
God in the face of the difficulties that
confronted Joseph. But it is the man
who is faithful in the midst of the
shadows of life who is worthiest of
the blessings that come when sun
shine floods the soul. Joseph had
ample excuse, if he had been anxious
for any, to find fault. He was not to
blame for the unwise love that his
father showed him. He had done
nothing particularly criminal, though
he may have been a bit foolish, to
warrant the slavery into which he
had been sold. He might have re-
viled the character of that justice
that would Jail a man for desiring to
be pure in life. He might have torn
his hair and beaten his head against
the walls of his cell as he contem-
plated his predicament. But he did
nothing of the sort. He did none of
those things that naturally we should
have expected a man in his condition
to do. He was simply faithful.
And his faithfulness is the lesson
we had best learn. The Golden Text
says: BE thou faithful unto death
and I will give thee a crown of life"
That is an invitation and a promise.
1t is an invitation to the exercise Of
those qualities of manhood that are
noblest and truest and best. Without
faithfulness we should be a sorry peo-
pie. Without faithfulness, fidelity,
constancy to purpose and responsible
ity the world would cease to pro-
gress. Faithfulness is at the bottom
of all human progress, just as truly
as it is an element in the divine char
acter. Eliminate faithfulness from
the human character and commerce
will cease, knowledge will vanish
away, morality will be destroyed, re-
ligion will be no mor With faith
fulness as a motive in the lives of
men and of nations, humanity will
prosper, and it will go from glory
unto glory in every sphere of its ac-
tivity.
Further, we are invited to the ex-
ercise of our capacity for faithfulness
In our relations with God. Faithful
ness not only for the moments and
the days, but faithfulness for the
! span Of the life that God in His provi-
dence permits to US upon the earth.
God wants us to be continuously, not
internationally, faithful. He desires
constancy.
The Golden Text also offers us a
promise, the most precious promise
that a loving God can make to men.
II will give thee a crown of life"
That is the reward for continuous
f%aithfulness in relationships in
this life. 1t should be the endeavor
of every soul to attain it. The God
who inspired Joseph is the same God
who makes this gracious promise to
us. The God who rewarded the faith
fulness of Joseph in this life is the
God who promises that the result of
our faithfulness here shall not fail US
hereafter. Shall. we not trust Him?
| Shall we not be faithful to Him and
to His children, our brethren? Faith
full in shadow as in brightness, in the
evil days as in our hours Of prosper
ity? Shall we not be as faithful to
Him as He is to US?
ro,v:c MILF Coucec TuherculoSfS.