The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-04

JOSEPH.
A good man obtaineth favour of the
Lord: but a man of wicked devices VIII ne
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 1872.
One Of the greatest characters in
the worlds history is Joseph. Except
the Savior of men, none other sur
passes him and few even approach his
character in those elements that make
for true greatness. One of the few
was Daniel, who, centuries afterward,
attained to honors among the Chal-
deans, much as Joseph did among the
Egyptians. Both Joseph and Daniel
became great rulers after passing
through severe troubles and trials, and
all because of their fidelity and truth
There is a remarkable parallel be-
tween the lives of Joseph and Daniel
Joseph certainly had a hard time OF
1t in his young manhood. His mother
must have instilled in him splendid
principles of truth and honor in his
boyhood, or he would have yielded to
the temptations that overlook him as
a young man. Many an older, stronger
man would have given up his faith and
compromised his principles. When
thrown into prison as the result of
wicked conspiracy for refusing the ad-
vances of his employers wife. most
young men would have said, Whats
the use of trying to be decent?" and
they would have plunged into dissipa-
ton. What temptation could be more
insidious than that which came TO
Joseph? Yet fidelity to his employer,
his Maker and himself caused him to
resist It, and because he resisted 1t he
was thrown into prison.
Yet the very fact of his imprison-
ment caused him to be made ruler over
all of Egypt, one of the greatest ma
tons of antiquity 1t brought to him
the opportunity for greatness, but 1t
must have been discouraging. For
over three years he lay in prison, false
" charged with an offense that must
have been extremely agonizing to a
young man of Joseph's high sense of
honor. 1t would have destroyed the
faith of most men in the ruling power
OF justice.
But these troubles of Joseph-f1rst,
when he was sold into slavery by his
brothers, and afterwards when he was
thrown into prison on a false charge
these troubles brought to him his final
elevation to the post of prime minister
of Egypt, next to the Pharaoh himself
in power And in that high post Joseph
proved his craftsmanship and his ability.
His foresight enabled him to make
Egypt q prosperous nation when the
rest of the world was starving. He
who conquers himself proves his fit
ness to rule others.
1t is noticeable that Joseph's rise in
Egyptian politics was not due to any
political scheming on his part He did
not make Egypt's Copeland county his
headquarters nor loaf around there of
evenings. Neither did he fix UP a deal
with the machine to capture the delega-
ton from Goshen to the state conven-
ton, nor did he help Jump up local
candidates in On and Thebes and
Memphis in order to control the conven-
ton for the transportation companies
that traversed the Nile. He did r1)t
start any boss buster movement to
GUST Pharaoh, nor did he participate in
any five million dollar conspiracy In
fact, Joseph doesn't seem to have been |
much of a politician. He depended on |
his integrity and ability for promotion.
Yet Joseph was a good advertiser. |
Having demonstrated his wisdom and |
ability to the chief butler of the royal !
house. he asked that worthy to give |
publicity to his cause when occasion |
presented, emphasizing the fact that he |
was in prison on a false charge. He |
was unfortunate because the chief but !
ler's faulty memory caused his adver-
Using matter to be laid aside for three |
years without due circulation, but when
It finally reached those for whom it
was intended it did the work.
The story Of Joseph is extremely en-
to young men to be decent
and clean in their lives and to maintain
their integrity and honor, even though
n doing it their regulations are be-
smirched. That is what made it espec-
ally hard on Joseph. Though he kept
MS character spotless, his reputation
was blackened by that very act. The
thing that carried Joseph through was
his faith in God. Without
that faith he would doubtless have
broken down before the temptation and
trouble that assailed him.