The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-04-18
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
NENTS FOR APRIL Fl, BY
THE REv.I. w. HENDERSON.
Subject: Joseph Sold by His Brother.
Gen. 87:5-28 - Golden Text:
James 3:16 - Memory Verses,


James 3:16 - Memory Verses,
2O-28.
One OF the most fascinating char
acters Of Old Testament history is
Joseph, the beloved son of the old
age OF Israel. localized, to be sure.
IN some measure, the character of
Joseph Is yet one to be made a pat
tern In many respects. The story Of
MS virtues must have had a remark
abe influence upon the hearts and
minds OF the youth of Israel through
out the centuries. And we NAV de-
clare hJm a model m many respects
for the children of this age.
This lesson shows us the incident
In the life Of Joseph when HIS jealous
brethren rid themselves OF his pres
ence. 1t shows what are the newt
able consequences of favoritism upon
the part OF parents, what was the
youthful unwisdom of Joseph, what
was the progress and the elimination
OF the hatred that the brothers held
toward Joseph, what was the further
ance they gave, unwittingly, to the
plans and purposes of God in their
very sin. The lesson shows us many
other minor lessons also but we shall
be content to consider those outlined
above.
Joseph was the beloved of Israel.
This was his joy; it was also his mis-
fortune, so far as immediate conse-
| qcences were concerned. 1t was the
highest happiness of the life of Israel
to- pour out on Joseph without stint
the fulness of his hearts affection.
but his very pleasure in his beloved
| syn became the cause of some of the
bItterest hours in the life of Israel.
| The love that Israel bore Joseph was
n1tural; its demonstration was un-
| wise. However his heart may have
delighted in the winsomeness of the
st<ipling he should have had the wis
| dem, commensurate with his years.
net to publish the fact too largely in
the family circle. Joseph had no
more claim on the affection of Jacob
than any of the rest of his fathers
children. Israel was primarily re-
sponsible for the rising of the unho1y
Lassions that swept Joseph into
Egypt. And the household of Israel
was not the only one in which this
particular unwisdom has been dis
played. This is lesson for parents.
Then, too, Joseph was not wise
With his brethren, however natural to
youth his action may have been. He
| must have been conscious, in some
| measure at least, of the enmity that
was aroused in their hearts. They
had eyes to see and ears to hear and
| spirits that could resent unfairness.
| We are led to believe that bad feeling
had been manifest in the family life
| before this overt sin was committed
w
| Joseph could not have done a more
| foolish thing than to tell his brethren
| of the dream of his own preferment
| that had come to him of God. 1t was
natural. 1t was boyish. We cannot
say that it was told with the desire to
evoke resentment. But that it was a
provocation none may question. 1t
was maladroit, to say the least.
There are many youths to whom
Jcseph'S example might be salutary
lesson. Nothing is to be gained by
Informing people of the fact that we
| mean to outstrip them in the human
race for preferment and success. The
man who has a vision of his future
| greatness will be wiser man if he
keeps the vision secret with his God.
| Jealousy is desperate sin. No
| man is quite so cursed as the man
with the jealous disposition. OF all
the sins against humanity there is
none SO vicious and distressing as that
OF jealousy. For jealousy is akin to
covetousneSs, and covetousness is at
the very base of all human misery.
At bottom Joseph's brethren were
covetous. For they desired the af-
| lection of their father in the measure
| that Israel loved Joseph If they had
| been satisfied with the sort of treat
ment Israel dispensed there would
have been no trouble. But they
weren't. And jealousy, surging and
rushing through their, hearts, led
them to increasing manifestations of
their resentment. Anger leads to
conspiracy. Conspiracy has it's fruit
! age in premeditated fratricide. Only
| the good sense of Rueben saved
sJoseph's life. AS for his other breth-
| rem, they were no doubt congratulate
! ing themselves upon the effectiveness
and the awfulness of the death to
which they had finally consigned
| Joseph. A death in dry well in
desert country. 1t was CHASTITY to-
contemplate. In the providence of
God the Midianite merchantmen
came their way. And so their hands
were saved from bloodguiltiness. We
cannot say the same for their hearts.
They saved their house from the
stain of murder by despicably selling
their brother to a foreign people for
less than the price of a slave. And
they thought doubtless they had done
away with him none the less effectu-
ally.
But this very action was a further
ance of the divine plans. The very
wickedness of his brethren was the
means God used to exalt Joseph. 1t
was hard way to use to get Joseph
to Egypt. But it was efficient. And
what were the hours of ignominy to
the years of power with which God
requited Joseph. The dream came
true. The jealous brothers lived to
see Joseph ruling with viceregal
splendor in the land of the Pharaohs.
They lived to discern, what many an
other evil man has seen. that the
wickedness of humanity is the OPP
portunity Of God.