The Tupelo journal., 1907-04-19

JOSEPH SOLD BY
HIS BROTHERS
I Sunday School Lesson for April Il, 1907 !;
Z Spen;allv nrenared for this paner. !
Specially prepared for this paper.

and strife is, there is CONFUSION ana every
evil work."-Jas. 3:16.
TIME.-If Jacob remained in Padan-
aram 40 years, Joseph's capture would be
about b. c. 1929. II years after Jacobs re-
turn.
PLACE.-Hebron, the home of Isaac
and Jacob, 20 miles south of Jerusalem.
Shechem, in Samaria, so miles north OF
Hebron. Dothan, Il miles north of She
chem.
SCRIPTuRAL REFERENCES.-study
some of the points of comparison between
Joseph and Christ: John SAB; S:54; l0;lG
I'll; Matt. q 1874; 20:19; 27.1S; 26:3S; lsa.
52:13; Matt. 26:14-16.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Fathers PartiaIity.-Gen. 1913.
After his reconciliation with Esau, ia
cob moved on alone, with his family.
He finally settled in Hebron, south OF
Jerusalem, where Isaac died at the
age of $50. On the journey thither
Rachel, the beloved, passed away in
giving birth to Benjamin, and the
cloud of that grief never lifted from
Jacobs life. But another heavy grief
was added, a family torn by dissen-
sion, the hatred of Joseph's brothers
toward that bestowed son, Joseph,
from this point, occupies the center
of the stage.
Joseph, whose name means May
God add" was born in Padan-aram
II years before the time of this lesson.
He was Rachels eldest son, and in
herited from her a beauty of face, OF
manner, and of character which had
the profoundest influence upon his
fortunes. At the same time, from his
father Jacob and his grandmother he
bekah the lad inherited quickness of
intellect, readiness to grasp advant-
ages, the marked ability to get on in
the world.
But the feature of Joseph's boyhood
that had the strongest influence upon
his future was his fathers manifest
partially for him Joseph was the
son of his old age," born when Jacob
was over 80.
The Brothers Hatred.-Gen. 37:4.
"Joseph's coat of many colors was
like to have been a winding sheet
Whyte. 1T should be borne in mind
that Jacob was a polygamist, and that
his children were by different moth
ers, who, although living under the
same roof, and thus compelled to
maintain a semblance of harmony,
must have often come into collision
through their ov~er-anxiety to promote
the interests of their WI offspring"
Principal Rowlands. One of the
many sad evils of polygamy is the
family jealousy that it causes.
The Young RECOMMENDATION. 1872.
AS Joseph was the youngest son, it
was his duty to wait upon his broth
ers, and especially upon the sons of
Bilhah, his mothers handmade, with
whom he would naturally be brought
up. While he was in the field with
them and with the sons of Zilpah they
did something so wrong that he was
obliged to tell his father; and thus his
brothers became still more embittered
against him. "If there was a deep
sympathy between Joseph and his
father, it would have been impossible
for him to keep back anything in
which he vas deeply Interested
Blake. Some commentators think
that Joseph was made an overseer of
these brothers, and was thus obliged
to report their misconduct.
When to Report Wrong-Doing.-
Tale-bearing is reporting the wrong
deeds of others in a ~censorious, self
righteous way, taking pleasure in
them, or wishing to injure the wrong
doors, or in a careless and gossiping
fashion. Joseph's life shows that he
was too manly to do such a thing.
The Prophetic Dreams.-Vs. 5-11.
Joseph's life, beyond all other lives in
the Bible, even Jacobs and Daniels,
was bound up with dreams. His work
in Egypt proved that he was practical
and wide awake. To lei of that very
character-for instance, Paul-God
has often disclosed the future in Wis
ions.
The Use of Dreams.-"Joseph's two
dreams were evidently intended to be
signs of the steadfastness of the di-
vine purpose towards him, by possess
ing the clearness of special prophecy;
yet were couched in such imagery as
uOI W lllOl III Hill plCIldIulCIy VI LIS
destiny, and only to be understood af-
ter their fulfilment."-Ruskin, in
Stones of Venice.
The Lad at Work.-Vs. 1917. JOS
eph, though his fathers favorite, was
not a spoiled home pet, but he was
trusted with important commissions,
thrust out upon his own resources,
put to work. That is best for any boy.
The Murderous PIot.-Vs. 1922. V.
IS. "And when they saw him afar Off"
AS Joseph descended the ridge which
bounds the Plain of Dothan on the
south (Harper), his figure would stand
out against the skyline, and would be
marked by the keen eyes of the shep-
herds. "They conspired against him
to STAY him." Evil thoughts in the
heart take the first opportunity to get
themselves in action.
The SorrowfuI Father.-Gen. 1929
SO. Reuben was not present during
this sale of Joseph. When he learned
what had been done his grief was
great.
The artifce by which the brothers
successfully sought to deceive their
father as to the cause of Joseph's non
appearance was just such a trick as
Jacob himself had played on his faith
err in the matter of the birthright. 1t
was completely successful, and the
wretched men were compelled to wit
ness for years the heavy sorrow of the
| hereaved uarent. That sight must
have touched their savage natures.