The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-04-23
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson lv.-Second Quarter, For
April 28. 1907.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Gen. xxx, 20.
TO xl, t5--Memory Verses, 81, %.
Golden Text. Rev. Il, 1o--commentary
Prepared by Rev. o. M. stearns.

i ~SAASf 49, 49, NS"Nt"SbA~fy
Prepared by Rev. o. M. stearns.
Copyright. 1907. by American Press Association.
Ii will help us to ever keep In mind
| That from Gen. iii to Rev. Xxx the con.
dict Is ON between God and the devil
for man and his Inheritance. the earth.
The righteous Lord loveth righteous.
ness" (Ps.e Il. y. but this the devil
hates. His work Is sin and unclean-
hess and lust and murder, and he is
always after the people of God TO take
them in his net. Too often he captures
them. and the name Of the Lord is
dishonored, but when the righteous
are overcomers God is gloritied. In
chapters xXxviil and xxx we have
an example of each, and in the former
it Is the, tribe from which our Lord
came that we see involved in the sin,
for "our Lord sprang out of Judah
(Ieb. vii. III. and yet both Judah and
Tamal are mentioned In the ancestry
In Matt. /, 8. When we have clearer
light it will be one of the surprises to
see how fully the Holy One of God
identified Himself with sinners that
He might save them by the sacrifice
of Himself. Reuben, the firstborn Of
Israel. forfeited the blrthright. and.
though Judah prevailed above his
brethren anu Of him came the chief
ruler Tor princei. the blrthright was
InSophia n rbFnn y 4 o.,
We turn to the attractive story Of
Joseph and see him first as slave in
Egypt In the house OF Potiphar, an
officer Of Pharaoh, and we read. The
Lord was with him, and he was a
prosperous man" (xxxix, .. 81. What
different thing prosperity is in the
sight Of God and OF man! oh. that
we might see things as God sees them
and glorify Him! Notice how Potiphar
so trusted him that he unreservedly
put "all that he had' into Joseph's
hands. and this fact Is stated five
times In verses to 8. with the COM
ment that from the time Potiphar did
this the blessing OF the Lord was up
on his house and all that he had.
There Is nothing that can compare
with the blessing OF the Lord. which
maketh rich and TO which our toll
addeth nothing prov. X. %. II. v.
margin. and perhaps there il nothing
which the devil hates more. for see
now his anger at Joseph. through
whom all this blessing came. IL he
cannot lead him into sin and thus
break his fellowship with God. he will
prosecute him for righteousness sake.
and this be does and lands him In
prison branded as vile man. From
being Potlphar's chief steward TO a
prison 49, what a seeming downfall!
But read verses 21-23-''Ihe Lord was
with Joseph. -" and that which be
did the Lord made Il 10 prosper"
Prosperous as a slave and also as
man wrongfully imprisoned!
In verse 30 we read that whatever
was done In the prison he was the
doer Of II. and. being faithful TO God
there, tie same thing was afterward
true Of him In all Egypt xii. 5Jl.
Happy are we II our lives are so yield
ed 10 Him that whatever Is done in or
through Us lie Ii the doer OF II. Let
US yield fully 10 Him. as those who
are alive from the dead (Rom. vi, i3l,
and lie will not fail to work In us
both to viii and to do all Ills good
pleasure phil. q. Is: II Thess. 1, II.
II: Heb. xiii. 2lb. When we yield and
trust Him 20 work. we must believe
that lie IL working. no matter how
things seem and even though every
thing seems 20 be against rs. Years
are passing with Joseph. and II fl not
unlikely that the taunt Of his brethren
often came TO him from the great ad.
yersary.
Now. mark the steps In the working
out Of Gods plan and His using and
overrullng the most ordinary events
aud His making the sin and wrath
and even unkindness OF man 10 work
out His purposes. The offenses Of the
chief butler and the chief baker Of
the king Of Egypt cause them TO be
sent TO prison. and they nre given in
charge Of Joseph as their keeper. On
the same night each Of them dreams
a dream which makes him sad, and
Joseph, noticing their sadness. In.
qulres the cause, and on being told
that Il was because no one could In.
terpret the dream he said: do not
interpretations belong 10 God? Tell
me your dreams" (verse 81. This they
did. The chief butler telling his FIRST
and receiving from Joseph a favorable
Interpretation. the chief baker In en-.
couraged 10 tell his also. When 10.
seph saw the evil In store for the
baker, he did not In any way deceive
him, but told him faithfully the inter.
probation. Any one who walks with
the God Of Truth cannot but speak the
truth under all circumstances without
respect OF persons.
The closing verses Of our lesson con.
tain n pltIfuI plea from Joseph TO the
chief butler showing how keenIy be
felt the situation. though bravely max.
ing the best Of IL and seeking 70 gIorl.
~ God In II. II seems almost Incred.
ible TINT for two full years this man
gave Joseph no thought txl, "a; I'll, n.
yet such II man. Compare Eccles. In,
"a, ~, and say honestly before God In