The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-05-29
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDNSQ1OOL
LESSON
LESSON FOR JUNE I.
JOSEPH TESTS HIS BRETHREN.
ing Department The Moody Bible In
stituts Of ChicaGo)

JOSEPH TESTS HIS BRETHREN.
LESSON TExT-Gen utu.
GOLDEN TExT-"Confcss therefore
your sins one 20 another. and pray one
for another. that ye may be healed"
James B:s, nv.
Last week we beheld Joseph casing
for the nrst time upon his brothers.
While we Witnessed his Joy. at the
same time we noted another strong
trait OF character, Wis, that OF self
restraint In that lesson We studied
briefly the fear and the suspicion OF
the guilty brothers and at the close
We left them with feigned merriment
(for their hearts were at unrest) seek
Ing to put on q bold front, 10 perchancs
their fears were groundless II was
doubtless Joseph's plan to retain pos
session OF his brother BENJAMIN and
let the others go ". ~. In his present
seems TO have forgotten for . moment
the aged father.
Giadness Shattered.
As soon as the morning Was light"
the very earliest possible moment. the
brothers departed. and who can say
but that II was with . sense OF relief
that they were once more well out OF
the city and on the road homewardf
!. The Plotting. w. 4ta However.
all OF their Eladness and eIultation
was shattered swiftly and suddenly
when Joseph's steward overlook them
and charged them not only with In
gratitude. but worse still OF purloining
the cup OF Joseph, who was even a.
Pharaoh" ~ 49,. II 10 easy for us to
picture the CONSERVATION that filled
them when after their protested limo
cence the cup was discovered In Ben
jamin's sack. and with what shame
and fear they must have retraced
their steps. We cannot read into this
story any idea that the brothers had
any knowledge OF the cup being II
Benjamins sack. and therefore they
must have considered him. upon cir
evidence. as being guilty.
and having made such a strong pro-
hesitation ~ 81 that they were In
volved In his guilt. They were. there
fore. In q place OF great danger and
difficulty
Involved In Web.
blink at Joseph's deception and We
need to remember that divination
tvv. 8. 1< was later strictly forbidden
In the law, Deut. is:l0i2. II In prob
able however. that Joseph did not
practice that art. The profuse self
defense OF these brothers ". 81 In en-
phasizins their honesty may. In the 4
light OF their history. be questioned.
The return OF the money was more to
avoid trouble than because OF con-
scientious scruples. A proper regard
for the events OF their former visit
ought to have cautioned them against
undue protestations or any thought
less promises In this instance As Il
was. they involved themselves In Q
web from which they were unable to
eItricate themselves
or course the steward knew OF their
but notice how he prolonEs
their anxiety by beginning with the
eldest and going through each sack
till he reaches that OF BENJAMIN ".
1D. Now Il was their turn to rend
their clothes ". l0; deception has
been practiced upon them even a. they
had practiced II upon Jacob.
10. Pleading. w. t<-t7, and the bal
ance OF tho chapter. Whether or not
Joseph foresaw the result OF his plan.
q remarkable thing happened. Though
In all probability these men judged
Benjamin guilty yet they at once do
cided to stand by him. both for his
own and for Jacobs sake. They there
by revealed the fact that change had
taken place or else was beginning TO
work itself out In their lives. Joseph
was waiting for them ~ though In the
main he had all the details worked out
In his own mind. Yesterday fsasttns
and making merry. today with abjsct,
ssrvile fear they Are on their faoes
before Joseph protesting their inno-
osnos and through the mouth Of judah
pleading for BENJAMIN. We need 70
saes ~ w. sooa4 " ~ ~
"a the life Of Joseph BY advising his
sals into slavery. and Il was judah
who undertook 10 BE- responsible for
BENJAMIN when they began this pres
int journey. This 10 not the last tine
hey were on their faces before yo-
ssph (6o:is). even 20 the day Of ooar
lsssion before our Joseph 10 oominG
Phil. $40. IL. They are called upoa
10 give an account Of their deeds. svsa
70 must We give an account Of 90
and Of our acts. . OR.
$40. Judah's plea 10 nns BIT OF
osio and an appeal to compassion. HI
words indicate that he knew that al
" the dincultiss we're the outcome %
heir own sin. W. 10. 10 and ts:S1. %.
God always nnds out our iniQuitiss.
but blessed II that man whose sin u
covered By the robe Of hh rishesess-
Tess" This new attitude Of thsss