The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-25
The Sunday School
By REV. EUGENE P. NICKEL D, D.

| w. TIC SSCTCl VI hdtpo baNSCSS
and spiritual growth had not been
his own cunning and Righteousness.
but his faithful dependence on the
| Lord. From the time OF the vision
! Of the angels on the stairway to
heaven, when he was leaving his boy
hood home, he had trusted God.
Now in his old age the path OF life
had brought him very near to heaven.
He now trusted not in chance nor In
the gift he sent to Egypt, but In God
alone, to give favor and blessing.
Bring these men home. THE
journey Of the ten brothers had been
made in faith; their reception was
the welcome Of love. 1t was in his
own house that the ruler of Egypt
was to meet them and not in the pub
lie court or market-place- They were
taken in, not as strangers, but as
guests to sit at a sumptuous feast
receives all who come to him through
faith in his Son, a gracious welcome
to his own home.
THE men were afraid. They
thought the invitation was but a trap
to get them out of the public highway
land into prison or slavery. They were
! fearful that there was some scheme
about the money found in their sacks
and which they now brought back.
I
chief officer of the great Pharaoh
could invite needy, uncultured for
! eigners to his own house. So the
sinner cannot understand why God
would bring us close TO himself with
words of grace and peace The evil
heart and conscience fear and shrink
back from coming close to God. They
did not know Josephs love for them.
nor can we know how great is the
love of God.1
They came near to the steward
| Of Joseph's house. 1t was easier
for them to speak to this servant than
to wait and talk to the great officer
over him. Sometimes people who are
not ready to tell their fears and sins
to God will talk to some Christian
friend In whom they have confidence.
| They told about the money found in
their sacks; the great sin of their
lives they thought not known in
Egypt. So sinners often talk of their
lack and mistakes in things where
they have been little to blame instead
of coming to the great sins of their
past and present. But even this
brought them nearer TO the coming
audience with Joseph. When sinners
are willing to talk about their needs,
1t is the opportunity to bring them to
their Saviour.
! SdCS bo W tVu, lear HUI. - Hty
were assured of peace and exhorted
not to fear; they were told of love and
not of punishment, even If merited.
They were left in ignorance as to the
money for doubtless the steward had
no orders from Joseph to reveal any
thing. They were told that the stew
ard had the money and that God had
given the treasure in the sacks; indi-
rectly this was true. All that we have
{c Hnf fnr ftar l.t
sess we have received from the Lord.
And he brought Simeon out to
them. Words of peace and assur-
ance were Immediately followed by
acts of friendship. First and greatest,
their brother. about whom they had
so often wondered and been sorely
anxious, was restored to their COM
pany in health and liberty. They had
brought Benjamin as they had been
commanded and there was no delay in
setting free the one left as a hostage.
What he had to tell of kind treatme mt
must also have served to allay their
fears. Those who come in trust and
obey as the Lord requires. soon re-
joice in growing light and receive
manifold tokens of his loving grace.
/ Brought the men into Joseph
house. This as befitted his rank and
station was a great and luxuriously
furnished palace, silk curtains at doors
and windows, heavy rugs upon the
floors elegant furniture, and the air
laden with the rich perfume of burn
ing incense and fragrant flowers. Be-
fore entering the inner apartments.
they were given the welcome of water
for hands and feet and their beasts
of burden were fed, for 1t was now
nearly noon.
When Joseph came home. they
brought him the present. This had
been prepared in care, and perhaps
each one brought a portion as they
bowed themselves to him to the earth"
/ The gifts must have carried Joseph to
the days of hoyhood in Hebron. but
for the time he put aside memories
of the past the better to perform the
duties of the present. He asks such
questions as might be of usual cour-
tesy. but to him they are real inquiries
and he was deeply concerned in the
| answers. is your father we'll? Is he
alve?" We would ask the second
question first, and so would a Hebrew,
but the order above is that of ancient
Egyptian fdiom as seen in letters dis
covered of the time of Moses. This
is little thing, but 1t becomes a strong
evidence that we are reading actual
history and not a Jewish legend of
later centuries.
/ rs this your younger brother ?"---
Joseph makes sure by their answer
that this man of over thirty was in
deed as he supposed his own full
brother. but eleven years old. when he
was sold into Egypt.
And Joseph made haste. His
rheart was overcome by the rising emo
tons of brotherly love. Memories Of
the past rushed upon his mind. He
was not yet sure of his brothers real
unrightness and change from selfish
cruelty to loving kindness; he could
1 not yet dare to make himself known
to them until he has further tested
them. So he hastily withdrew that he
might unseen by them shed the tears
that rushed forth beyond his control
All truly great men have been men of
great feeling as well as of great mind :;
they have been men of loving souls
and deep sympathy.
Set on bread."--Bread, the COM
mon staff of life in all ages has been
used as the collective name for all
necessary food, We are taught to
pray, Give us this day our daily
bread" Doubtless this was feast fit
! for Pharaoh with many rich and de-
licious foods tsee verse 34.) The ia
bles were small and low and the guests
were grouped around them. There
were three sets of diners that day, Jo-
seph by himself. his brothers and his
officers. This was on account of the
Egyptian laws of caste, which. like