The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1907-04-18
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JOSEPH SOLD BY
HIS BROTHERS
Sunday School Lesson for April Il, 1907
Specially prepared for this paper.
Specially prepared for this paper.


LESSON TExT-Gen. 1883; memory
verses, 26-2s.
GOLDEN TExT.-"For where envying
and strife is, there is confusion and every
evil work."--Jas. 3:16.
TIME.-If Jacob remained in Padan-
aram 40 years. Joseph's capture would be
about B. c. 172e. IL years after Jacobs re-
turn.
PLACE.-Hebron, the home Of Isaac
and Jacob, 20 miles south of Jerusalem.
Shechem. In Samaria, 80 miles north OF
Hebron. Dothan. IL miles north Of She
chem.
sCRIPTURAL REFERENCEs.--stud
some of the points of comparison between
Joseph and Christ: John 5:43: s:a; 1911;
1:11; Matt. 2:37-42; 20:19: 27:1s; 2e:3s: Isa-
62:13; Matt. 26:14-16
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Fathers Partiailty.--Gen. 1873.
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 1870. 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 best.loved 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 Rachel's 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 Re-
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
partiality for him. Joseph was the
son of his old age" born when Jacob
was over 30.
The Brothers Hatred.--Gen. 1874.
"Joseph's coat Of many colors was
like to have been 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 semblance of harmony,
must have often come into collision
through their over-anxiety to promote
the interests Of their own offspring.
Principal Rowlands. One of the
many sad evils of polygamy is the
family jealousy that 1t causes.
The Young Reformer.-Gen. 37:2
AS Joseph was the youngest son, II
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 deer
sympathy between Joseph and his
father. 1t would have been impossible
for him to keep back anything IL
which he was deeply interested."-
Blaikie. Some commentators thinl
that Joseph was made an overseer o.
these brothers, and was thus obliged
to report their misconduct.
When to Report Wrong Doing.-
Tale.bearing is reporting the wront
deeds of others in a censorious, self
righteous way, taking pleasure IL
them. or wishing to injure the wrong
doers, or in a careless and gossipinl
fashion. Joseph's life shows that h,
was too manly to do such a thing
The Prophetic Dreams.-vs. ell
Joseph's life, beyond all other lives IL
the Bible, even Jacobs and Daniels
was bound up with dreams. His worl
in Egypt proved that he was practica
and wide awake. To men of that yer,
character-for instance, Paul-Go,
has often disclosed the future In Wis
ions.
The Use of Dreams.-"Joseph' tw,
dreams were evidently intended to b.
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 a
not to inform him prematurely of hi
destiny. and only to be understood al
ter their fulfilment. t."-Ruskin, Il
Stones of Venice.
The Lad at Work.-Vs. 1917. Jos
eph, though his fathers favorite, wa
not a spoiled home pet, but he wa
trusted with important commissions
thrust out upon his own resources
put 10 work. That is best for any boy
The Murderous PIot.-Vs. 1922. v
IS. "And when they saw him afar of
AS Joseph descended the ridge whicl
bounds the Plain of Dothan on tn
south (Harper), his figure would stan,
out against the skyline, and would b.
marked by the keen eyes of the sher
herds. They eonspired against hin