The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-25
LESSON COMMENTARY.

/ THE famine was sore in the land"
The first year of drought passed.
/ but the 1f~gt was no better. Still no
rain fell and there was no harvest
/ to be gathered. In Canaan asN in
Egypt the fields were parched and
barren. The only hope against star
walton was the grain which Joseph
had stored up in the years Of plenty.
! Go again, buy us a little food -
What the brothers Of Joseph had
brought home on their first journey
was used up. The want was as bad
as before. Jacob had refused to send
Benjamin that Simeon might be re-
leased, but he now directs his sons
TO make another journey to buy food.
And Judah spake unto him. -
Reuben was the oldest son, but Judah
appears to have been more energetic
and outspoken. He believed It useless
and dangerous for them to return to
Egypt without their youngest brother
to prove the truth of their assertions
to the ruler of that land who had kept
Simeon as surety that they were not
spies. So for himself and the others
he refused to go back unless Ben
tamin accompanied them.
Wherefore dealt we so Ill with
me?" Jacob in the weakness of age
accuses his sons of dealing unkindly
with him in telling anything about
ptiiltitiii nut Llley lciu HlHl IHdI
the ruler had inquired, Have We an
other .brother?" This is not men,
toned In the chapter before, but it
is not likely that everything said is
recorded. and one of the things which
Joseph would have been sure to ask
was about his younger brother.
Send the lad with me."--Judah as
sumes full responsibility for the safety
Of Benjamin and urges his father to
han
necessity compels us to take upon
ourselves more than our usual bur
denS of toll and care. 1t was not
alone for himself that Judah spoke.
but for saving the lives of all his faith
er's household. He points out that
but for the delay coming from his
fathers persistent refusal, they would
now have returned from their second
journey. Fear often makes us lose
time and opportunity, when in the
end we must still face the same OBJ
stacles and dangers as at first
Garry down the man a present -
This was customary honor in ap-
preaching any ruler in the East. 1t
had not been done in the first Jour
ney for there had been. no idea that
in buying grain they would be called
before Pharaoh or his chief officer.
Perhaps Jacob remembered how years
before, when he was coming from
Haran, he had sent presents before
him to meet Esau, and the happy
ending of his fears about his broth
ers vengeance. so now he sends such
a present as ean be carried to the.
great man in Egypt whom he feared.
Take of the best fruits in the land"
the best of such things as the land
produced, and which were sometimes
exported. These Jacob named, max
ing the selection himself. Balm;
this was probably the balsam of the
mastic, an evergreen shrub OF twelve
feet in height a yellow. fragrant gum.
used for insense, and when dissolved
in water also as an ointment.
Honey" was either that of the wild
bees or grape juice dried down and
used for a drink when diluted with
water; the last is still a product of
Hebron and sometimes sent in great
camel loads to Egypt Spices;
probably gum tragacanth, for incense
and medicine; sold in our modern
drug stores. "Myrrh"; this was not
the myrrh of Eek. 80; 23 and Matt 2:
IL. but '1adanum" a highly fragrant
gum forming on the leaves of shrub
called the rock rose Nuts and al
monds': that is "Pistachio nuts and
almonds; the first are about an inch
long with thin, brittle shell. and the
almonds are the same as those sold
in our own land, All these may have
been fresh and of the preceding year.
-sRan --H=therss had not been enough
rain to mature the grain.
And God Almighty give you .mer-