The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-20
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL
 LESSON
conA Quarter. Lesson HI. Gen' sis xxxvfi, 6-30 April s1, 1907.
 Joeeph SoId hy His Brothers.

Even the blessing at Jaobok coulu not avert, though it may have mitigated them. That experience, no doubt. made the partriach more patient and just under his extremely trying circum- stances. But his home, if 1t deserved the name of home at all, was rent with Jealousy. Four wives and four sets of children kept the camp in pande- monium. - Under the most favor- able circumstances the rearing of twelve sons Is an operose task. At the very time Jacob should have been giving his undivided attention and strength to 1t, he seems to have been chiefly engaged in outwitting Laban and accommodating . fortune. The re- suit was, he had a lot of unruly. wicked boys on his hands. who made his hame hs ans dsn 9e rns of this polygamous household the pure and artless character of Joseph emerges with most pleasing effect. He was the son of Jacobs later days. He was taken away soonest from the degrading influences of Padanaram. He was chastened by the greatest grief mothers death. The very frequency and completeness with which his sur roundings changed was calculated to cultivate the devout and dependent spirits sss From the thorny and thistly sons of Jacob grapes and Figs could not be expected. The extreme had already shown itself in the case of the 6hechemites. All were rude, treacherous Bedouin. The gentle end pure character of Joseph was a standing stricture upon them. They were en- vious of his impending honor; ready to cry as their descendants afterwards did: We will not have this man to reign over us." They nursed their jealousy until 1t reached the size of murders sss Joseph had come to them on an errand of love from his father. It was q long and perilous journey from Hebron to Dothan. There were Bedouin and bears in the way. He had brought his brothers goodly viands. If there was to be any criti- cisn of their conduct on his part, direct or indirect. 1t would be just, and for their real advantage. But they al- lowed 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 1t in sound of his wailing voice s"s : Amos compassionately refers to the "sufferings of Joseph" They were pitnul. unparalleled. He was treated with indignity; cast into demijohn shaped ctstern. from which escape was impossible. There. in 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 tread ing the wine-press of sorrow alone, and of his brothers there was hone to help him. At length he Is lifted from the pit, but only to suffer Q worse fate There Is an expulsive power In a new vice as well as in new virtue. Murder is busted by avarice. The oNl,t tra Afna F0. van suggests the possibility of making merchandise of 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 burning sun, with an iron collar about his neck and a lash upon his back, the heir of all the promises depart From the very land he was to have inherited The prince is metamorphosed into the slave. Canaan exchanged for Egypt. From the human angle all is lost; but
 God moves in mysterious way,
 His wonders to perform"
 Analysis and Key.
 l. Evil of polygamy illustrated in
 2. Jacob busy gete-ng a fortune sons neglected-result.
 8. Joseph on background of polyga- nous household. Son of Jacobs bet ter days. Soonest removed form pagan environment. Chastened by mothers death.
 4. Character of Joseph standing re- buke to his brothers. Nursed their jealousy.
 5. Opportunity afforded by Joseph's visit to camp. Expulsive power of new vice. Murder vs. avarice. Joseph sold a slave.
 6. Defeat in appearance only.
 The Teachers Lantern.
 This fascinating story is a thin veil through which the most cursory reader must catch a glimpse of the character sends his greater Son. It is 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 slave. He Is mocked; stripped of his robe; put to a slaves death; entombed; but now He redemption to alias many as will believe upon His name. Thus is Joseph one of the most striking types of Jesus.
 Josephs rescue would have been the greatest possible misfortune. For himself; to have been reared in Canaan by his fond father would have made a Lilliputian of him. For his nation: Egypt was to be their schoolhouse. and Josephs captivity was the means of bringing him there. This does not discount the brothers crime. God made their wrath to praise him, and the excess of 1t, which would have murdered the heir of the promises, he restrained.
 A reverse! so 1t seemed when the heir-apparent to Israels throne be- came a slave. But whether an event is a reverse or not depends upon what God means by 1t, and the use man makes of 1t. If Joseph had become a man -hater. and spent his time be- wailing his confessedly hard lot, his going a slave to Egypt would have been a reverse. On the contrary he triumphed over untoward circumstan- ces By his industry and fidelity he made himself Indispensable to Potiphar, the prison-keeper. and finally to Phara- oh himself.
 A little span the triumph of evil covers at best. The malignant brothers are in fine feather over making away with the object of their enmity. They are glad they will see the face of the dreamer and reporter no more. But in a score of years they are fulfilling the dream. and lowing timsrously before his blazing throne. The wicked spread themselves like the bay, but suddenly they are not. Malice is Im- potent when it rears itself against Providence.