Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-11


JOSEPH FoRGIvEs HIS BRoTI
CONNECTING WORDS. In last les
son we considered Joseph in the zenith OF
his honor as ruler of Egypt. The Scripture
| story continues with an account Of Jacob,
who in the time Of famine sent his sons
to Egypt to buy corn. At their first visit
they were recognized by Joseph, who re-
stored their money with which they came
to purchase. A second trip for corn was
made upon stipulated conditions involving
the presentation OF Benjamin, the youngest
child, who was very dear to the heart of
his father. After the departure of the COM
pany for home a courier was sent In pur-
suit charging that his masters cup had
quickly made that he in whose possession
the cup might be found should be made a
slave. On examination Of the sacks the
cup was found with Benjamin, who was
forward and offered himself ransom for
the lad Our lesson describes the scene
that followed.
JOSEPH DISCLOSED oversees 1. 2.
-. Up to this point the interview between
Joseph and the brethren had been conducted
on terms Of formally such as might have
been expected between a prince of the
land and company of foreigners. The
men who came for corn knew not that
lost brother. but he had recognized them.
Unable to longer conceal himself and to
conduct conversation by an interpreter, his
feelings having overcome him. Joseph Or
dered all Egyptians to leave the apartment,
and when he was thus left without at
tendants he burst into flood of tears. The
noise of weeping was heard by the Egyp-
tians. Recovering somewhat from his
emotions he said, II am Joseph. And
then, true to his filial spirit, he inquired
whether the aged father yet lived. And
the men who gathered about him, hearing
the words In their own language were
speeches. with wonder, troubled by the
presence The years, of their former lives
were recalled. and they saw the great
sin committed by them. Gen. xxxvii:26)
BRETHREN ASSURED oversees 4. s,
o.. Their bearing betrayed their thoughts
and feelings 1t was evident that they re-
preached themselves for their wickedness.
and they saw also that they were at the
mercy. Of him whom they had so greatly
wronged What might befan them not one
could predict, but all might justly realize
their great peril. With much generosity
Joseph sought to remove the fears of the
brethren. He declared that while they
had sold him into slavery God had over
ruled for the good of the family. that he
had been providentialfy sent in advance to
save the lives of all during the famine.
Two years only had passed and there were
to be five years more, seven years in all,
with neither earning nor harvest. The
discomfort of his fathers house, therefore,
had but Just begun. and Joseph, slave,
had been made ruler at a time when he
might afford relief. With these facts he
assured the astonished men.
EVIL PERMITTED oversees and 81.
Joseph next opened up the subject philo-
sophically, showing his mental habit and
his trust in God. There are two sides of
all actions, the human and the divine.
Much has been said concerning the freedom
Of man. 1t has been claimed that man
may do according to his pleasure and that
he Is to be held accountable for all his
conduct. In civil government this principle
is constantly applied. For the violation of
statutes punishments are inflicted, and
crimes are detested by the great body Of
the people. While this is proper, it is also
true that there is power working con-
stantly toward the good of society and of
the individual, proposing ultimately to set
UP the kingdom Of heaven. In this in
stance Joseph had supreme respect to this
fact, declaring that God permitted the evil
done by the brothers and that he had used
1t for good. He seems well-nigh to con-
done their onense in order to emphasize the
divine work, and to rejoice with them in
what he believed to be the outcome of
the work.
FATHER INVITED oversees 9, 10, 1).
On the basis Of what had already been
safd-the prospect of five more years of
famine and the divine purpose in the
Egyptian slavery-Joseph proceeds at once
like true son, like a dutiful steward of
God, to provide for his father and his en-
tire family. He directed the brothers to
hasten home and to bear a message to the
old father, virtually in accord with all
that he had rehearsed in their hearing
They were to tell him that his lost son
still lived, that he had been elevated to
high station in Egypt; that he was a father
to Pharaoh and ruler over all the land;
that all this had come to him through the
kindness of the Lord and not through any
wisdom of his own. This last thought
would appeal strongly to an old man who
trusted in God. They were to tell the
father that he should come to Egypt;
that he should abide in the land of Goshen.
a most favorable section, where he would
be nourished in his old age.
JOSEPH IDENTIFIED Oversees IL,
10, IA, 15). All this was really too good
to be true An apparently Egyptian
ruler coming down to the level of a
company Of Hebrews, visitors from a
foreign land, might, well awaken not sur
prise only but doubt as we'll Could
this be a mere pretense with some evil
design behind it all? Would the vener-
able Jacob so declare when he heard the
story on the return Of hia sons wto bod