The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1913-05-16

Joseph was thirty years OF age when
he reached his position of supreme au
th0rity. but we ought not TO allow our
selves to forget those thirteen years
OF humiliation. during which he was
betrayed. sold into slavery and neg
lected by those whom he bcfricnded
Yet those were days of fidelity In his
service, OF victory over fierce tempta.
ton, OF enduring unjust Imprisonment
"a long period Of patient waiting but
a valuable period In that now ut thirty
years of age he comes To this position
of power fully equipped with that
knowledge OF men. control of himself
and faith In God as To be properly III.
ted for the burden of responsibility
thrust upon him
Did Not Forget.
I. The Brothers Need, w. SO. The
famine was not confined 20 Egypt. but
reached over Ia Canaan. whore Jacob
and his sons lived Tho desperate.
ness OF the famine Is indicated by ia.
cob's command to buy. that We may
live. and not die" Hut Jacob Is too
old to travel. hence the brothers un.
dcrtakc the journey. Twenty-Five
years have passed since that expert.
cuce wien Joseph's brethren cast him
toto the pit. They have been years
iilled with wonderful experiences for
Joseph. Now their attitude is changed,
instead Of being his tormentors they
are suprliants at his feet. During
these seven years OF garncring Joseph
had set up his own family and two
sons were born, the names of whom
were significant.
would naturally Quicken his Inquiries
as to his fathers household. for he
assumed that In the order of events
his father must be dead.
u. A Brothers Memory, w. III. 10.
scph at once recognized his brothers.
but treated them brusluely. demand.
ing from whence they came and the
purpose that brought them hither
". ~. Again wv. s. o. the text ~.
minds us that Joseph remembered.
Only God can forgive and forget. ''ut
Joseph IL an inspiration to us that
though We may not be- able to forge,
We can forgive. The question might
BE- raised why then did Joseph dis.
simulate?" The answer II threefold;
81 Joseph desired to ascertain IN"
characters OF his brothers. Did they
remember? Yes. for they replied that
they wcr. twelve brethren" Ton
were before him one at home and
"one Ia not" That their character
were not entirely changed IL syi.
deuccd by their words. Eve are true
men" ". IL. which Of course was not
the truth. (2) Joseph desired TO know
of his father and of their home liln.
Tho accusation that the brothers arr
spies called forth the statement that
III" father, Jacob, Is still alive. The
third reason for this treatment Gcvol.
opcd out of these first two. viz, Io.
s"ph desired Ia reach his father and
benjamin, whom hr had never seen.
We do not commend ,Ioseph's method
as being of the highest ethical value,
for his standard was not the STANDARD
of the man who knows Christ. Joscp.
Is "a type; there IL only one perfcci
man, Jesus Christ. and Joseph point
toward that promised Saviour.
Guilty Corsciences.
Joseph knew his brothers told thu
truth about their not being spies, bu
he also knew that they lied when TIE.
asserted themselves 10 be- true NOV
and that one brother rs not" Hrre
Is the lesson of mistaken estimates Of
ones self and thai a mans true valu'
II known and appreciated. Little dil
they realize. however, that their false
hood was being read Al IT, was uttered
and that the man before whom they
were standing was this same brother
Joseph affected not to believe any OF
their story and demanded proof wv.
Is. 16) OF their assertions. After three
days In Jail he appeared to relent and
ordered that only one of their number
should remain as hostage. Tho result
OF all IL shown In V. 81. After inyol.
unfairly leaving Simeon shut up In the
Egyptian prison their minds Travelled
back to that time twenty years before
and they remembered Joseph's an.
guish and distress when they would
not hear. therefore Is this distress
come upon U.S." Their guilty con-
sciences are aroused.
Jacobs cry, "All things are against
me-" v. SO, was a mistake. Joseph
was alive and exalted that no might
save the life of Jacob and his chill
dren. Simeon was alive and drawing
his brothers back to Egypt. BENJAMIN
would come back safely.
Emphasize the fact that we cannot
forget our wrong acts and that Joseph
was not troubled by any such men,
cries. Also emphasize the return Of
good for evil. Rom. 1890. n. Joseph's
brethren were sowing tho fruit OF the
seeds OF envy and malice they had
sowu twenty years previously. 30 also
was jacob reaping the SEEDS Of bis
deceit. for In spite Of Id great ma,