Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-05-05
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson V.-Second Quarter, Fol
May 8, 1907.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text of the Lesson, Gen. xii, 33-4o.
Memory Verses, 38-4o-Go!den Text,
Jas. 1-5-Commentary Prepared by
Rev. .. M. stearns.
copyright, 1907, by American Press Association
One of the greatest lessons for the
redeemed Of the Lord to learn is that
God has a set time for everything and
does everything at the appointed time.
That which seems to us like delay or
even denial is simply His waiting time
for us while He is surely working out
| His purpose. He always waits to be
| gracious and merciful beyond our ask
| ing and is too wise and kind to be ell
Their too soon or too late in His deal
| ings with His own. Blessed are all
they that wait for Him Qsa. xxx, 18).
Happy are all who leave all their af-
fairs with Him, with the utmost conf
dence in Him, and say gladly, "My
times are in Thy hand" Cps. XXI, 80.
The full time had now come for Jo-
seph's deliverance, and 1t delights the
| trustful child to watch his Father at
work That the butler may remember
his faults and think upon his prison
friend of two years before, Pharaoh is
given two dreams in one night, which
| trouble him, but which none of the
wise men of Egypt can interpret (verse
| 8. 1t was just so with the king Of
| Babylon and his wise men long after
ward dan. ii and tv), for all the wis
| dom of this world cannot interpret the
things of God. The natural man re-
ceiveth them not.
| In Pharaoh's trouble because of his
uninterrupted dreams the chief butler
recalls his prison experience and tells
| the king how he and the chief baker,
| having dreams which troubled them
while in prison, had them interpreted
by fellow prisoner, a young Hebrew,
| and each Interpretation was literally
| fulfilled. On hearing this Pharaoh
| brought Joseph hastily out of the dun
| geon the margin says ''made him
| rum. Joseph, being summoned to
meet the king, shaved himself, changed
his raiment and was soon in the pres
ence of the king. On hearing why the
king sent for him he replied: cit is not
in me. God shall give Pharaoh an an
swer of peace oversees IA, 16). Having
| heard the dreams, he readily interprets
| them, prefacing his Interpretation by
the remark, "What God is about to do
| He sheweth unto Pharaoh" and add
ing that the doubling of the dream in
dicated that the thing was established
by God, and He would shortly bring 1t
/ 10 hn
gests that Pharaoh appoint a proper
person to lay up corn during the years
of plenty.
The time of Joseph's deliverance has
come. From this on it Is rise and
progress, and the dreams of his youth
have literal fulfllment. If from be-
ing the overseer of Potiphar's house to
dungeon was great fall and a seem
ing calamity, what shall we say of this
| change from the dungeon to the throne
or next to it? For Pharaoh's word was
"Only in the throne will l be greater
| than thou" Verse 40). When Gods
| appointed time comes, how suddenly
He works. The same day that Lot
went out of Sodom the cities of the
| plain ceased to exist on earth duke
xvii. 29l:
1t is fascinating to read or Josepn's
| promotion and Pharaoh's words to
him: "See have set thee over all the
land of Egypt. According unto thy
word shall all my people be ruled.
| Without thee shall no man lift up his
| hand or foot in all the land of Egypt"
Then see the royal raiment, the ring,
| the gold chain the chariot and all the
1 people bowling before him and saying,
'Tender father" Then note his mar
rage to Asenath, daughter of the
prince of On oversees 38-45).
| Let me remind every true believer in
Christ, however poor or afflicted or
discouraged, that if Jesus should come
| ian event always possible) we would in
moment change our mortal for i'm
mortal bodies, our present weakness
| for eternal youth and perfect health,
| and instead of our present circum-
stances reign with Christ on His
throne Il Cor. XIV, 81; Phil Ill, 20, 81;
| Thess. ", 1918; Rev. Ill, 21)
Think also of the new name and all
its significance! Verse As; Rev. ii, I'D
4 OOOCphI ~ IhC D1Coo1A5 hnu
Of God, wrought wisely and diligently
during all the seven plenteous years
and laid up an abundance for the COM
ing years. Our blessed Lord at the
same age, thirty Verse 46; Luke Ill,
23), entered upon His public ministry
and the special phase of preparing
bread and life for the perishing mil
lions of earth. Think of those in the
famine days in Egypt and other lands
who knew that corn could be had from
Josenh and never telling it! It is nm