The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-04-16
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON III. SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL n.


Memory Verses, 26-2s-GoIden Text,
Jas. iii, documentary Prepared
by Rev. ID. NJ. stearns.
copyright. 1907, by American Press Association
In chapter xxxiii we see Jacobs fears
all dispelled by the good hand OF God
upon him in his meeting with Esau, his
brother. We have also the record OF
the purchase of the field where Jo-
seph's body was afterward buried ana
where Jesus talked with the woman
Of Samara ((Josh. xiv, 50; John iy, Z,
and for the first time the name FL
elohe-Israel. God the God Of isracD.
The next chapter is a record OF the
devils work, for he Is ever going about
seeking whom he may devour. Ps.
xviii. 80. is a good verse for every day.
AS for God, His way is perfect"
In the first verse of our lesson chap
ter the promised land is called the land
of sojaurnings (see margin), and we
are reminded by Stephen that God
gave Abraham none Inheritance in it,
though He said that He would (Acts
vii, ~, and in Heb II. 0, 10, that he
sojourned in the land Of promise as In
strange country, dwelling in taber-
nacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs
with him Of the same promise, for he
looked for a city which hath founda-
| tons"
Believing the promises of God makes
us strangers and pilgrims ON the earth
(Heb. Xxi. Is; Pet. H. III waiting for
| the kingdom when we shall share Ills
glory and reign with Him. or all the
typical persons who in their lives fore
shadow the Messiah of Israel. Joseph
I is one Of the most remarkable and in
| this and the next lesson illustrates the
suffer.ngs OF Christ-loved by his IA
| Their. but hated, enyied and prosecuted
| by his brethren because he testified or
their evil deeds. See John vii, 7; XIV,
1921. In all the sufferings Of Joseph
God was working out Ills eternal pur-
pose, overruling the wrath OF his breth-
rem, but yet allowing the innocent one
TO suffer and the father to suffer also.
| wonder haw many give much thought
TO the suffering of God the Father In
giving up His beloved Son to die for
our sins, and do we in any sense seek
TO enter into the sufferings Of Christ as
our sin bearer. or can we?
God has a way OF strengthening His
people to endure suffering and he pa
tent, as when lie sustained Abraham
by the glory of the city. Moses by the
recOmpense Of the reward, and in this
case He sustains Joseph by the
thoughts OF future pre-eminence and
glory which lie presented TO him in his
dreams. While neither his brethren
nor his father took any stock las we
say In his dreams. yet he could moi
forget them and must have been many
time sustained by them in his sor
rows.
Any talk even now concerning the
glory Of the kingdom and our reign
with Christ In bodies like His glorified
body too often provokes smile Of
pity for the simpIetOn who believes
! such things and even produces In SONS
believers that which looks like hatred.
When one day Jacob called his be
loved Joseph to send him to find hi
brethren and see II II was we'll witt
them. how promptly he said. Here an
: r. verses 12-1D reminding US wit
have the finished story Of I Sam. I'll. 4
6. s: lisa. vi. s. and leading us to tn
question. Am / saying that 10. God? Il
not, why not: Why unwilling 10 seel
the welfare Of those who know Hin
: not? IL IL nothing to me? liam. !. l..
; Joseph perseveringiy sought his breth
: rem till ne found them Oslo. So ais
the shepherd and the woman Of LUX
". Those whom the Spirit Of Chris
: fills are not discouraged lisa. Kill. Il.
See the conspiracy and unbelievln
mockery Of verses 1920 and compar
Matt. XVII. /. 1912: xxi. ~. 80. an
be their own brother. their fathers sor
So the learned unbelief Of today scoff
J at prophecy and nc those who believ
IL. but He that stitch In the heaven
, shall laugh. the Lord shall have theT
In derision. aud He shall yet set Iii
: king upon His holy hill Of Zion FPS. /
u 4, 81. Reuben, the oldest brother. has
softer heart and plan for Joseph's d,
:. liverance. Ills name, which mean
2 ''see a son" xxx, ~ margin). may POI
q slbly suggest that he saw something q
y the future In Josepl's dreams. Ho'
- terrified Joseph must have been at III
" faces Of his cruel brethren and the
Z, treatment Of him, their rough handln,
u stripping him Of his beautiful coat an
"a casting him into the pit! The angus
r Of his soul and his earnest entreatis
Is they remembered for twenty year
IL xiii, q. %. The saying stands an
20 has many an application. BE sure yot
or sin will find YOU OUT (Num. xxi. q
a Study the referenee.in Zech. tx, II, to
Ia pit without water and consider aga
4. the unity Of Scripture.
With the anguish Of his entreatIl
10 ringing in their ears and the agony
4. his face still before their eyes. they 4
10 down to eat bread as II Il was nothir
TO them. Compare Matt. xvii, 30.
Next Judah's heart Is touched 4
him, he who twenty years later
came surety for Benjamin, and fearf
lest Joseph should be slain he propos
,s that they sell him as q slave 10 pas
II a