The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-05-27
LESSON FOR JUNE I.
JOSEPH TESTS HIS BRETHREN.

JOSEPH TESTS HIS BRETHREN.
LESSON TEXTLGen. H:4-n.
GOLDEN TExT-"Confess therefore
your sins TO another and pray one
for another, that we may be healed"
James 5:16, R v.
Last week we beheld Joseph gazing
for the first time upon his brothers
While we witnessed his joy, at the
same time we, noted another strong
trait of character, viz, 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 unresD seek
| ing to put on bold front, If perchance
| their fears were groundless. 1t was
doubtless Joseph's plan to retain pos
session of his brother Benjamin and
let the others go ". p. In his present
! Joy and love for his brother Joseph
seems to have forgotten for moment
| the aged father
GIadness Shattered.
"As soon as the morning was light"
| &ae very earliest possible moment, the
/ brothers departed, and who can say
| but that it was with a sense of relief
that they were once more we'll out of
the city and on the road homeward?
| !. The Plotting, Wv. 4-13. However,
ali of their gladness and exultation
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 as
! Pharaoh" ". 49,. It is easy for us to
! picture the CONSERVATION that filed
them when after their protested inno-
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 In
| Benjamin's sack, and therefore they
must have considered him, upon cir
cumstantial evidence, as being guilty,
and having made such a strong pro-
testation ". 81 that they were in
volved in his guilt. They were, there
fore, in place Of great danger and
difficulty
Involved in Web.
Again, as last week, we do not
blink at Joseph's deception and we
need to remember that divination
| (vv. 5, 14) was later strictly forbidden
in the law, Deut 18:10-12. 1t is prob
able, however, that Joseph did not
practice that art. The profuse self
defense of these brothers (v. 81 in en-
phasizing their honesty may, in the
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 1t
was, they involved themselves in a
web from which they were unable to
extricate themselves.
OF course the steward knew of their
Innocence, but notice how he prolongs
their anxiety by beginning with the
eldest and going through each sack
till he reaches that of Benjamin ".
12). Now it was their turn to rend
their clothes ". 49,; deception has
been practiced upon them even as they
had practiced it upon Jacob.
| II. Pleading, Wv. 14-17, and the bal
| ance of the chapter. Whether or not
Joseph foresaw the result of his plan,
a remarkable thing happened Though
| in all probability these men judged
[ 10 win A.
cided to stand by him, both for his
own and for Jacobs sake. They there
! by revealed the fact that a change had
taken place or else was beginning to
work itself out in their lives. Joseph
was waiting for them as though in the
main he had all the details worked out
in his own mind. Yesterday feasting
and making merry, today with abject,
servile fear they are on their faces
before Joseph protesting their inno-
cence and through the mouth of Judah
pleading for Benjamin. We need to
remember that it was Judah who saw
ed the life of Joseph by advising his
sale into slavery, and it was Judah
who undertook to be responsible fol
BENJAMIN when they began this pres
ent journey. This is not the last time
they were on their faces before Jo-
seph (50:1S), even so the day of CON
Ression before our Joseph is coming,
Phil, 2:10, IL. They are called upon
to give an account of their deeds, even
so must we give an account of our
stewardship and of our acts, 2 Cor.
$40. Judah's plea is fine bit OF
logic and an appeal to compassion. His
words indicate that he knew that all
Of the difficulties were the outcome OF
their own sin, Wv. Is, 20 and 1921, %
God always finds out our iniquities,
but blessed is that man whose sin is
covered by the robe of his righteous
ness" This new attitude of these
men as voiced by Judah is remark
able illustration OF what the grace of
God can do in the character of man.
Y 1Udah,g sin 0honfox 4xvra Qf