Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-26

brothers naturally thought that thov
were destined to be disinherited by their
and that they would be compelled To
serve their younger brother. IT was this
feeling that was the basis Of their In
depreciation Of his dreams.
Consequence of Hatred.
When his father, fearing some danger
might have happened to his brothers.
who had been feeding the fiocks near
Shechem. where the family had passed
through some bitter experiences that
rightly caused Israel to wonder IL they
were safe. sent Joseph upon mission
of inquiry to the place where he had
buried the idols which Rachel had stolen
from her old home. Jacob, or Israel. never
dreamed Of his favorite sons danger.
Arriving at the pastures about Shechem.
Joseph learned that the fiocks had been
taken to Dothan, whose pasturage was
very fine.
when Joseph drew near his brethren.
filled with hatred because he had re-
ported their SINS not as a tattler. but
with a heart full of love. being desirous
that they should be reclaimed by his
father. he reported their folly. failure
and farawayedness of life: filled with
envy because his long robe recalled his
dreams of supremacy. despising him Tor
his character, they formed diaboiicai
conspiracy to murder him. 1t was, only
by the Intervention OF Reuben, the eldest
son, who had the most cause for loving
the least. that their policy was changed
to that of slow starvation. They accepted
his proposal, thinking ii would save them
from his blood, while in reality 1t wouio
have been a more cruel death, Yet ReL-
ben evidently was seeking simply delay
SO as to save his life
Leaving their meal. which they prob
ably We're eating when Joseph came IN
sight, the ten quickly seized their brother.
who came bearing greetings from home:
Inundated him by violently stripping him
of the robe that was the sign OF author
ity and evidence of the fathers affection.
and then cast him into one Of the many
rock-hewn cisterns that are found every
where In that land. These cisterns. which
are narrow at the top and shaped like a
bottle. made Ii almost impossible for one
to get out of the pit when IL was GOV.
cred by a stone.
Twenty three years later these same
brothers call to one another's attention
his soul. when he besought" them, and
they refused to hear his cries, but went
on eating their bread.
One of the difficulties presented in this
lesson is found in the translation of the
twenty-eighth verse. that implies that his
brothers sold Joseph into slavery. DR..
Ramsays translation-"But there passed
by some Midianite merchants and pulled
Joseph up - and sold him TO the lsh-
only translates the Hebrew
correctly, but removes some of the prob
lens OF The passage. According to this
view, the brothers did not carry out the
plan to sell Joseph, but went away 10
care for the cattle, leaving him sinking
In the mire of the pit, crying for relief.
so that he attracted the Midianites, who
pulled him oLt and sold him for the
price that later We find slaves were val
ued at by the law. This removes the dfti-
Guilty of Reuben's grief at not finding Jo-
seph. explains why the Midianites are
corroborates Joseph's state
ment that he was stolen out OF the coun-
try and Judahs speech, that has all the
earmarks of sincerity. when he declared
In 44:2o that Joseph was dead
The degradation into the pit and the
way or slavery was the path TO power
God used to fulfill the visions that He
mad given Joseph. God works I'm a mys-
FERROUS way His wonders to perform even
today. Just as he did when by the sale OF
Joseph He brought about the introduction
or the chosen family into Egypt the most
cultured center of that period in the
world, to develop IL into a great ma
tion The brothers envy that shortened
the life OF their father and sent his ia
vorlte into slavery became the avenue
that God used to teach Joseph the lesson
needed so as to I'LL his heart with love
mat envieth not. That day of sorrow,
shadow and suffering was not only the
most gracious link in a chain of provi-
1ences. but il made possible that his life
might become perfect type of Christ
who. coming to his brethren with mes
sages of the Fathers love, WIS received
With envy by those he tris6 % bless and
lelp.