The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-05-23

Lesson VIM. Second Quarter
For May rs, 1918. ]
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

34--M emory Verses, 29, 3O-GoldeEa
Text, | John 2-10-Commentary Pres
pared by Rev. .. M. Stearns.
Because Of Jacobs determination not
to let Benjamin go to Egypt and the
determination Of the ons not to go
without him they tarried till the corn
they had brought vas consumed. Then
when they had to go or starve Judah
pleaded with his father, saying: "Send
the lad with me, and we will arise and
go. Il y Is / will be surety for him"
(verses $40. This is all so suggestive,
for the great and only surety, the Lord
Jesus, came from the tribe, Of Judah
(Heb. vii, ~, and in one of the great
"Who is this?" verses concerning Him
1t is written, "Who is He that hath
been surety for his heart to approach
unto me?" Ger. XXX, 81, r. V. NJ l
still believe, as I have long believed,
that anointed eyes may see Jesus
Christ on every page. of, Scripture, but
he must be blind indeed who cannot
see Him in this wonderful story.
AS Jacob sent away his sons with a
present for the ruler in Egypt who con-
trolled the corn and double money to
pay for the first corr and the next and
Benjamimhe said, "God Almighty give
you mercy before the man (verse 14).
This is one of the most wonderful
names Of God in the Bible, and it is
found t~hirty-one times in the book of
Job and only twenty-six times in all
the rest of the Bible.
1t is "El-shaddai,' which may signi.
fy "the Mighty God, who is all sufi-
CENT. To know the suficiency& oe
God we must know our own INSULT
cheney and become, like Job, thorough
ly emptied Of self Job xiii, s, g.. ia
cob was now thoroughly emptied, even
Of his last loved son, Joseph's own
brother, and was very near the time
of fullness of blessing.
We may not attempt to describe the
feelings of Joseph as he looked upon
the face of his own brother and gave
orders to the ruler of his house to
make ready to have those men dine
with him, nor can we imagine their
surprise as, Simeon having Joined
them, those eleven men sat before him
In the order Of their ages-Reuben,
Simeon, Levi, Judah and so \ to the
youngest, Benjamin oversees %, 33).
We think of how thoroughly we are
known by Him whom we know not as
we might and will some day, and we
cannot but think of another gathering
of twelve when He sat with the eleven
at the passover, Judas having gone.
Their fear and the peace be to you,
fear not" Of verses Is, %, make us
think Of His peace be unto you. y = !"
Why are We troubled?" to the ten, and
a'week later His peace be unto you'
to the eleven duke xiv, 1888; John
Xxx, 26). The great adversary ia $ de.
light in filing us with thoughts UR fear
and unrest, but the Lords thoughts to
us are always thoughts Of peace DER,
xxx, II; Ps. xxx, Ii; lxxxv, s; John
xiv. /; Matt. xiv, g.. The steward Of
Joseph's house seems to have known
the God Of Israel (verse 23), and we
are not surprised, being in the service
vi ouSA q AloA oS OSSSpI. AA4o "ShN
must have comforted the brethren and
specially when he restored Simeon to
them, no doubt in good condition.
The water for their feet (verse 24)
takes us back to xviii, 4, and IN, to
Luke vii, John xiii. When Joseph came
home at noon they had the present
ready and bowed themselves to him TO
the earth with probably never a
thought of a dream they had heard
twenty years before. There should be
great comfort to every believer in "the
eternal purpose of God" and in the as
surance that "every purpose Of the
Lord shall be performed" Eph. Ill. IL;
quiet as we look On this scene and
hear Joseph say to them: "Is your ia
Their we'll, the old man Of whom We
spake? . % q Is this your younger
brother of whom We spake untorme?
God be gracious unto thee, my son."
We do not wonder that Joseph could
not restrain his feelings and that he
had to hurry to his chamber to weep.
How natural to read that after weep
ing he washed his face before he could
be calm enough to go out to them again
verses 80, 81. Did you v do it
after those tears had cone that you
could not restrain and your eyes were
red with weeping. but a plentiful sup
ply Of water helped, al you looked
like yourself again?
I do not quite see how they could be
merry with him. They did not know
him except as the ruler Of Egypt, and
their guilt concerning their brother, Of
whom they said. zone is not could
not altogether fade from { cir minds,
but it is wonderful how pl ,asant sur
roundings car make us forget for a
time. They were certainly highly hon
ored to be thus invited to d. e with SO
great a man, and for the tlr being
seemed to forget all else. They need
ed, however, more humiliation and a
deeper conviction of sin. and 1t had to
come
There can be no lasting peace until
we have learned that we are sinners
and nothing but sinners an1 that in
us-that is, in u fesh-dwelleth no
good thing (Rom. vii. 1S). M S Haber-
shon's suggestive typical lie rs from
this chapter are concerning Lne feast
made ready and the perfect love OF
Him who makes the feast casting out
EA .H T<A- A - "a. NA ~ G&M EEG A.At