The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-13

INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON
BY WILLIAM L. ELLIS.
For December Is is Joseph Forgives
His Brothers''-Gen. 45:1-15.

For December Is is Joseph Forgives
His Brothers"-Gen. 45:1-15.
How Shall We Treat Our Enemies?
1t was a long way from cIstern in
Dothan to the prime minister's throne
in Egypt; just as it has been long
way from Liege to Versailles; but the
end OF the road was sure In both cases.
Truth always reaches her goal, tho
her pathway may be long and devious.
justice regnant in the universe. then
there is no God. The faith that kept
Joseph going was the same faith that
sustained the allied nations to the end.
| basic belief in God and in his care
| for Righteousness. Joseph's story is
no more romantic a vindication of
the ways Of Jehovah than many Incl
dents in this world war.
All the world rang with the atroci
| ties committed upon the Armenians
by the German directed Turks; yet.
| within four years, for the million Ar
menians who persisted, there We're two
and a half million Turks who suffered
a like fate! Three years ago the
| Kurds revealed in blood-bought pros
perity, the loot of Syrians and Armen-
ians. Now, the Kurds are dying in
| destitution far exceeding that of their
victims. Sure is the wheels! God S
retribution is as certain as the sun.
| Germany Wanted her civilization, her
ity of other nations; but, 10, after a
| collapse and humiliation unmatched
in history, she shows the cravenness
and ignobility of her soul by whining
and whimpering and yelping like a
| whipped dog. 1t seems as II Eternal
Justice, having a fine sense of what is
fit. >repays in kind; the proud become
shameful, the arrogant. servile; the
violent, abject.
Nothing invented ever matches real
life ThiS is tho of mr. 90
from tho story of Joseph's dealings
with his brothers which the Sunday
schools are studying this week. Fic-
ton and the drama have no rival for
the true tale of this Hebrew lad, sold
into slavery by his cruel and unnat-
beyond ina gination. walked In his in
tegrity to the highest post within the
gift of Pharaoh, as the ruler of Egypt
and as almoner of all his world.
Eyes should be opened to the won
ders of the living present by this page
from the real life of a long distant
past. Every day holds great stories
before our vision: behold what God IS
doing in our own time in our very
presence! If we had but the eyes to
see, we could read in the life about us
more beautiful love stories than the
books portray; nobler deeds of chiv-
airy than have come down from the
Middle Ages: spectacular successes
like chapters from fairy lore; and d.
vine providences resembling the rec
ords of Holy Writ. Blind spirits
aplenty are pining for the painted life
Of the great cities. and missing the
romances of their own neighbor-
hoods.
Cream Comes to the Top.
Next to Pharaoh. Joseph is supreme
in Egypt. in this Lesson. After all
the best have a way of rising highest
A rascal may become an alderman
but he is not likely to be sent to his
skite may get On. but the ideaIist is
usually his superior officer. More and
more. as the world grows better. the
righteous have a way of coming to
the top. The younger generation
should not be allowed to lose sight Of
the fact that in this present war the
great words of righteousness and re-
1igion have been spoken by President
Wilson. King George. Marshal Foch
Lloyd George. General Pershing. Ad
miral Beatty. and the other first fig
ures in the struggle.
This Joseph-lesson Is written large
in our time. EVIL does bend the knee
ultimately. to good, tho 1t may seem
long while about it, as in the case
Of the Central Powers and of Joseph's
brethren: The sons of Jacob who
had foully dealt with their brother
were many years in learning that his
dreams had come true; and that theil
wfckedness was being punished. Over
and over again, as we recall the col
| lapse of German arms the shameful
fate of the German fleet, the com
plete disintegration Of proud Austria
the utter fall of murderous Turkey
and the fate Of Russia's autocrats and
traitors we need to drive home to ouI
hearts the truth that Gods mills may
grind slowly, but that they never
cease to grind. Every page of the
daily paper nowadays seems to CRY
aloud the homely, old shioned mes
sage that wrong does not pay; and
, that righteousness exalteth a nation
and a man.
Short cuts to goals usually run
across concealed bitches. Interior
ence with the lawful and orderly pro-
interferer. Crooks commonly get
their ''come.uppers" The Bolshe-
vik trick which the Jealous brothers
played upon Joseph was no more
clearly nullified by time than the
goddess program OF those who have
wrought red ruin in Russia. JUS
tice does not come by way Of in1us-
tice; and an era of brotherhood can
not be introduced by fraticidal strife
The brothers suffered from young
Joserh's inconsiderateness. it is true:
but they, Bolshevik fashion, thought
to set matters square by transgress-
ing the laws OF man and God. There
is way that seemeth right to man.
but the end thereof are the ways of
DEATH" History has yet to show the
first authentic instance Of a man 8
getting ahead of God. Josephs ulti-
mate1y come to thrones and crimi-
mails come TO chains.
When a Man Acts Big.
When the sons of Jacob were forced