The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-05-15
TEE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTS FOR MAY ) BY THE
REV. /. W. HENDERSON.

Text, James 1:o - Memory
Verses, $40.
Two years have passed, as We are
told in Gen. All, between the events
which are chronicled in the Scripture
that we studied last week and those
that are recorded in u lesson for
to-day. With Joseph they have been
years of confinement in an Egyptian
prison. To be sure, he was a man OF
Importance above the men who were
jailed with him, he was a favorite
and trusted lieutenant of the waraers
Of the dungeons; but he was never.
theless a prisoner. A good life in a
prison is still a prison life. Joseph
was a prisoner under the dominion OF
Pharaoh. He was also a prisoner for
God. He could unite to-day with
Paul in the declaration, II am in
chains for God" Joseph's only crime
had been his desire to serve God and
be faithful to the social obligations
of his surroundings and his man.
hood. He went to prison because he
would rather be obedient to the vision
and the call of God than to barter
his character and the favor Of the
Almighty for a mess of pottageJ
That which appeared to man, per.
haps, to be disadyantageous to the
future success and prosperity Of JOS
eph, however, in the providence Of
God was working and did work out
most splendidly and marvellously for
his enduring fame. His wisdom as a
diviner to the baker and the butler OF
Pharaoh in the prison leads him di.
rectly into the court Of the emperor.
His explanation of the meaning and
application of the queer dreams the
Pharaoh had had about the COWS and
the Ears made him a marked man in
the estimation of the king. 1t was
the means, for him, Of entrance into
vice-regal power.
s One thing noticeable about Joseph,
first, is this, that he gave substantial
evidence of his nearness to God. OF
course in those days. among the
mobiles. of the Egyptian court a man
would perhaps be noted as a COM
panion Of God for different reasons,
so far as outward expression Is con-
cerned, than would impress US OF
this day and generation. The court
and the emperor were impressed with
the goodness of Joseph because he
was an informing oracle Of God.
"Can we," says Pharaoh, find such
a one as this is, a man in whom the
Spirit of God isl" Pharaoh saw in
Joseph the lineaments and the o
ings of the Spirit of God because
Joseph declared the implications OF
his dreams with courage, with sense,
with conviction. He was impressed
with the soothsaying powers Of JOS
eph. His gift for accurate divinati9n
caught his fancy and fixed his atten-
ton.
That which Pharaoh saw in Joseph
and honored with %vice-regal favor
the captain of the guard had dis
cerned from quite another point OF
view. That which attracted the at
tention Of Potiphar and gave him
confidence in Joseph also Influenced
the minds of the keepers of the prison
and led them tighten the burdens OF
Joseph and to install him in a place
of responsibility and authority among
the men with whom he was incarccr-
ated. And that which they all saw
we, too, see. to-day Is we gaze down
the perspective of the centuries.
joseph was faithful to Potiphar be-
cause he was the child of God. He
was trustworthy in prison because
he was in right relations constantly
with God. He was able to interpret
dreams and to unfold them with
prophetic power and more than COM
mon accuracy because he kept his
senses alert and his whole manhood
alive to the ministrations OF the lily
ing God. Pharaoh was right. JOS
eph was a man In whom the Spirit of
God abode with power. If God had
not been with him he would have
been overwhelmed with the insistency
of the importunate invitations Of Pot
iphar's wife. If God had not given
him grace he might have used his lib.
erty in the prison to have escaped to
a more hospitable soil. If Jehovah
had not v%ouchsafed to him a more
than common ability to understand
the mind of God he would have
been'able to have predicted the fam
inc that with such eXactness came to
pass. 80.
The power that came to Joseph in
a material way was a tribute not to
him, but to the God through whom
he was strengthened and his vision
was clarified. Pharaoh was no fool.
He saw with precision the God behind
the man. And SO he says, with a
philosophy that is beyond question
and an insight that is altogether COM
mendable, None so discreet and wise
as thou" For God had given Joseph
the vision.
Another thing that is noticeable is
that Joseph was not unduly pufred
I'D by the unexpected and unprece-
dented influence that was so suddenly
thrust into his grasp. 1t might easily
have turned his head But the i'm
petuous dreamy youth OF yesterday
is now a man. He has seen much
of the world and he is cautious
Called to a special work he keeps to
that work. He ofends none by any
exhibition of pride of position. ne
uses his immense authority for the
future welfare of the people. In the
days of prosperity he prepares for the
coming days of adversely. He shep'
herds, as God would have him to 90;
the people under his rule.
The lesson ought to teach US tina
nothing is impossible to the man who
lives near to God. 1t should make us
humble, regardless of the heights to
which we may gradually or suddenl!
attain.