The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-05-09
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson VI.-Second Quarter, For
May II, 1913. ~ a.!
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

vi 'SS -
Pet: v, documentary Prepared by
Rev. D., M. S&earns.
Pharaoh's third day birthday party
Of last lesson (xl, 20-23) suggests other
third day incidents. and there are
many, all pointing anointed eyes to the
greatest of all third day events, His
resurrection from the dead with all its
benefits to believers to be fully enjoyed
at our resurrection from the dead,
Now we have q third year story of
sudden and marvellous exaltation from
a dungeon to a throne. from a place Of
darkness and suffering to the most
prominent place in the power Of Pha-
raoh to grant. for we read, lit came
to pass at the end of two full years"
(xli, y. Two years Of forgetfulness on
the part of the butler, two years OF
continued humiliation for Joseph, and
then ut was enough" Gods time Of
deliverance for His faithful servant
had come.
Pharaoh's dreams. which all the wise
men Of Egypt could not interpret, led
the butler to remember his faults and
to speak to Pharaoh Of the prisoner,
the young Hebrew who was servant to
the captain of the guard and who could
and did correctly interpret dreams (xli,
9-13). Then was Joseph made to run
out Of the dungeon. having shaved him
self and changed his raiment probably
r-rsAL, roo-o bc.+o +hnr, hn hoI 0unp Gnnn
in his life before (verse IA margin).
If the messenger told Joseph why he
was wanted we may imagine that pos
sibly Joseph had visions OF deliverance
near at hand. AS he stood before Pha-
raoh the king said that he had dream
ed a dream which no one could inter
pref, but he had heard that Joseph
could understand and interpret dreams.
In his reply Joseph acknowledged
God, saying: sit is not in me. God
shall give Pharaoh an answer Of
peace, oversees Is. 16). Pharaoh then
81 told this unto the magicians, but
there was none that could declare it
unto me" (verse 24). We may easily
imagine Joseph lifting up his heart to
God as he listened to the kings recital
of his dreams.
What a p~icture-a man who had been
shut away from the world and all the
wisdom Of the world for years in the
presence Of a great king, but more con-
sciously in the presence of the King Of
kings and in communion with Him and
therefore knowing what all the wis
dom Of this world could not teach him!
We see the same great lesson in the
case Of Daniel and his friends, for
when all the wisdom Of Babylon could
neither tell the king his dream nor in
.terpret the dream when he told 1t nor
read even four words written by God
Daniel by the Spirit Of God could do
all. The modern scholarship: so called
or the wisdom Of this world is just as
helpless today to understand the things
Of God. for they can only be known by
the Spirit Of God Il Cor. ii, 11). Jo-
seph being a man in whom the Spirit
of God was. he could by the Spirit in.
terpret the dream to the king and saw
as he told the king that God was show
ing Pharaoh what He was about to do.
He also told Pharaoh that inasmuch
as the dream was doubled it was be.
cause the thing was established by God
and that He would shortly bring it to
pass (verse 32). The king was so i'm
pressed by the supernatural power in
this man that he at nee promoted him
to the highest place Of power, saying
"Only in the throne will l be greater
than thou" oversees 80, 40). Could any
thing be more thrilling than such words
as those Of verses Il to As addressed
by such a king to a, man just out OF
prison? Read carefully and try and
grasp the situation-yesterday in the
dungeon, where he had been foryears
today next to the king. ruler owe all
Egypt, clothed with royal apparel, rid
ing in the second, chariot, every knee
bowling to him. and no one able to- de
anything without his permission! Con
slider his new name signifying '"The
man to whom secrets are revealed
and see him married to a princess
(verse IS, margin). ~ -. e..
Is it any wonder that he called his
first son Manasseh, saying,"God haiti
made me forget all my toll" and hi
second Ephraim, saying, God haiti
caused me to be fruitful in the land Q:
my afiiction?' VERSES 81, 52.J And ht
was an 1sraelite! Oh. how the sugges
lions crowd in concerning Him tt
whom Nathaniel sale. Rabbi. thou ar
the Son of God. Thou art the King o
Israel" (John i. 49). Then how won
derful that Joseph was just thirt.
years old! Verse 46. Compare Lux
iii. 23) He was seventeen when hi
brethren sold him (xxxvii, 81, SO ht
had thirteen years OF suffering. But b,
lived to be 10 q. 26l. SO he had eight,
years Of exaltation. long enough to for
get a lot of hard things. What will al
eternity of glory mean compared witt
our brief time Of trial here!
Some Of Miss Habershon's typica
suggestions on this chapter are bis be
ing raised up from the prison. his be
ing filed with the Spirit, his depend
enc upon God. his wisdom. his author
ity, every knee bowling to him; hi
glory, his fruitfulness (Eccl. ~. Il
John v, 10, 20; XIV, $; XII, "a; Acts il. "a