The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1913-05-16


So.
Joseph was thirty years Of age when
he reached his position of supreme au'
thority, 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 befriended.
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
4 valuable period in that now at 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 fit
ted for the burden of responsibility
thrust upon him.
Did Not Forget.
I. The Brothers Need, wv. So. The
famine was not confined to Egypt, but
reached over to Canaan, where Jacob
and his sons lived. The desperate
ness of the famine is indicated by ia
cob's command to buy. that we may
live, and not die" But Jacob is too
Did to travel, hence the brothers I'M
dertake the journey. Twenty-Five
years have passed since that expert
snce when Joseph's brethren cast him
into the pit. They have been years
allied with wonderful experiences for
Joseph. Now their attitude is changed;
instead Of being his tormentors they
are suppliants at his feet. During
these seven years of garnering Joseph
had set up his own family and two
sons were born, the names Of whom
were significant.
The possession of child of his own
would naturally quicken his inquiries
AS to his fathers household, for he
assumed that in the order of events
his father must be dead.
N. A Brothers Memory, w. 7-17. Jo-
seph at once recognized his brothers,
but treated them brusquely, demand
Ing from whence they came and the
purpose that brought them hither
". y. Again Wv. S, 81 the text re-
minds us that Joseph remembered.
Only God can forgive and forget. But
Joseph is an inspiration to US that
though we may not be able to forget
we can forgive. The question might
| be raised, "Why then did Joseph dis
simulate?" The answer is threefold:
| ID Joseph desired to ascertain the
characters of his brothers. Did they
remember? Yes. for they replied that
they were twelve brethren" Ten
were before him. one at home and
"one is not" That their characters
we're not entirely changed is evil
denced by their words, I'VE are true
men" ". IL, which of course was moi
the truth. (2) Joseph desired to know
OF his father and of their home life
The accusation that the brothers arc
spies called forth the statement that
the father, Jacob, is still alive. The
third reason for this treatment Gevei
oped out of these first two. viz, 10
seph desired to reach mis- father and
Benjamin, whom he had never seen
We do not commend Joseph's method
as being of the highest ethical value.
for his standard was not the standard
OF the man who knows Christ. Joseph
is type; there is only one perfect
man, Jesus Christ. and Joseph points
toward that promised Saviour.
Guilty Consciences.
Joseph knew his brothers told the
truth about their not being spies, but
he also knew that they lied when they
asserted themselves to be true men
and that one brother "is not" Here
Is the lesson OF mistaken estimates OF
ones self and that a mans true value
Is known and appreciated. Little did
they realize, however, that their false
hood was being read as 1t was uttered
and that the man before whom they
were standing was this same brother
Joseph affected not to. believe any oil
their story and demanded proof (yv.
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. The result
of all is shown in v. Il. After invol.
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 he 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 mem
cries. Also emphasize the return OF
good for evil, Rom. 1920, 81. Joseph's
brethren were sowing the fruit of the
seeds of envy and malice they had
sown twenty years previously. So also
was Jacob reaping the seeds of bis
deceit, for In spite Of his great ma
terial prosperity he has great anguish