The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-05-31

Lesson IX.--Second Quarter, For
s.A Je June I, 1913. w.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, Gen. xiv, On.
Memory Verses, rs, 17-GoIden Texs,
Jas. v, documentary Prepared by
Rev. .. M. Stearns.

rev. ~ NJ STearnSs
1nasmuch as Judah, the surety brgeh-
er, plays a prominent part in todaytG
lesson, it may be helpful to recall some
Of the incidents of chapter xxxvil and
Of that day when these men disposed
of their brother Joseph, q lad seventeen
years old and OF whom they had SEEM
ingly heard nothing all those twenty
years since.
They hated him because of his
dreams in which his future pre-emf-
hence was foreshadowed, but now, aft
er those many years. his dreams are
being fulfilled and their guilt Is being
remembered. -
In last weeks lesson we saw them
all happy In his presence, but it was
because Of their surroundings, the hon
or conferred upon them and because
they knew him not. He had forgive
ness in his heart for them, but they
were not yet In a condition to receive
or appreciate 1t. There must be a con-
v1ction Of sin, and the deeper the bet
ter. Many do not know Jesus Christ
as their Saviour because they do not
know themselves as sinners, for He
came to save sinners, to seek and save
the lost.
He came not to save those who are
righteous in their own estimation. For
such there is 10 Saviour. When He
told any one to keep the command
ments it was that by bringing them
face to face with the holy law He
might convict them Of sin Rom. iii, 19).
When He told the rich young ruler
who thought that he had kept all the
commandments to sell all that he had
and give it away He was showing him
that he was breaking the very first
command by having another god, ever
his wealth.
The publican who with downcast
eyes cried, God be merciful to me, a
sinner" and the penitent woman whose
tears were sufficient to wash the Saw
tours feet were quickly forgiven. All
Gods dealings with the impenitent are
intended to convict of sin and lead to
repentance. We see this in Job xxxiii,
SOs OO3 "AGLS We ESdu LhuL vi LAS ASdA~
ings Of God with men which are men
toned in that chapter are intended to
turn men from death to life, from dark
ness to light. So also we gather from
Rev. tx, 81; xvi, g., that the fearful
judgments Of the day Of the Lords
wrath after the church shall have
been taken away will be intended to
lead some. II possible. to repentance.
In the light of these truths we may
better understand Joseph's seemingly
harsh dealings with his brethren and
his object in centering the matter upon
Benjamin, his own peculiar brother,
the son of his mother. Nothing would
break them up like touching Benja-
min. It is so now, and has always
been so, that the seemingly most severe
of Gods dealings are all in love and
the only way to reach hardened hearts.
If it works as God desires and there
comes deep conviction and real peni-
tence all is we'll. But "He that being
often reproved hardeneth his neck shall
suddenly be destroyed, and that with
out remedy" prov. xxx, y. See Jo-
seph's kindness in giving them all the
corn they could carry and in restoring
every man his money verse y. The
silver cup scheme was to touch them
through Benjamin as nothing else
would, and SO 1t worked as we shall see.
They were not merry any longer
when they were overtaken the next
morning and each mans sack search
ed for the missing cup. Although each
mans money was in his sacks mouth,
they do not seem to have noticed that
in their eagerness to show the impos-
sibility Of any Of them stealing silver
or gold from one who had been so kind
to them oversees 8, 81. The search con
tinued from the eldest to the youngest
"And the cup was found in Benjamin's
sack (verse 12). They rent their
clothes and returned to the city and
to the house of Joseph, for he was still
there. and they fell before him on the
ground oversees 10, 14). Thus for the
third time they fulfilled the dream fol
which they had hated their brother
(xlii, 6; xliii, 26. 28).
Yet to this very day there are many
who hate the predictions concerning
the return Of Christ in His glory anG
laugh ut those who believe such things
But the word stands concerning Hi
return and His kingdom, that to Hin
every knee shall bow Ops. lxxii IL; lisa
xiv, %; Phil. ii. 10, III, and We are alb
solutely certain that so it shall be, 70
the Bible is a book of ce~rtainties prov
xxii, 81; Luke /, 3, A.. All that hay'
ever lived shall bow to Him either II
loving and reverent submission or al
they are forever cast out of His pres
ence because of their rejection Of Him
Now, indeed, they are In sore trouble
and Judah, the surety. exclaims: .'Wha
shall we say? What shall we speak
How shall we clear ourselves? Co
hath found out the iniquity of tn.
servants" (verse 16,. OF what Is b
thinking? The cup in Benjamin's sac
or the iniquity of twenty years before
Judging from his plea for Ben5ami
In verses 1884. his reference to hi
father and Benjamin, the child OF hi
old age, and his brother, referred to a
dead verse 20), and also his father
agonizing words when the blood stair
! ed coat was brought to him, stsurel
he is torn in pieces tverse 2Sl,
] seems as lie the conviction OF the 81
against their brother was nov re-
: enough to be forgiven "a Il
\