Evening star., 1923-04-14
Sunday School Lesson

did not undo the man. He continued
to resist all infectious influences. He
was enabled to preserve himself from
morbid attitude toward life because
of his constant fellowship with Je-
hovah. We are taught, that we are
made perfect by suffering. Joseph
needed some rough experiences to
bring out the best that was in his
character. His foolish self -conceit
and vanity were removed. The self
ishness that was being developed as
the fathers favorite son was checked,
curbed and corrected. Discipline
made a man out of him. 1t brought
out the qualities of strength, endur-
ance, pluck, courage and faith. which
would have perished in world Of
caresses and elf-indulgence.
Prisoners for principle have played
an important part in molding the
history of the world. Prison life in
fiuenced the prophecies of the cap
tivity, the meditation of the martyrs,
the prison epistles of Paul and the
work Of Bunyan. Luther and Tydale
translated the Bible within prison
walls. Under the influence Of Je-
hovah Joseph commenced to minister
to others in the prison lie never
dreamt that his sympathetic inter
est in the welfare of the royal cup
bearer and the chief baker, who
were worried by their dreams, would
lead him from the prison To the pre-
miership of Egypt. While he gave
the credit of Interpretation to God.
Joseph removed the worry from both
dreamers by telling them the signifi-
canoe of their midnight visions.
Years later the remembrance OF that
Interpretation resulted in Joseph
passing from prison to the premier
ship of Egypt.
Summoned into the palace Of tho
pharaohs, Joseph announced that God
gave the interpretation. He did not
hasten to enter the court. lie iol-
lowed the requirements of the court.
He quickly solved the problem pre-
sented by the rulers dream, out
lined a program that revealed his
constructive stateSmanShip and that
was approved by the ruler. Critics
who have Scoffed at the idea of Il
famine in Egypt have been silcnced
by the discovery OF inscriptions that
record the presence of falnIneS III the
land, one of seven years when the
Nile failed to overflow. Another in
tereSting Sidelight comes from the
monuments that speaks of the drastic
change through which the control Of
the land passed into the hands of the
government.
When the famine reached out be
yond the borders Of Egypt 50 that il
affected Palestine. then Joseph com
menced to see how God had prepared
him through the disciplinary tests
y
The names given to his children re
yeals his heart Manasseh fmeauing
to forget), the name given to his
first born. shows how he wanted to
forget the quarrels and trials OF his
old home. and the name Of his second
child, Ephraim Gruitful), is q con
fession that in his prosperity. pres
tige and power he had not forgotten
his father and brethren. whom the
suffering of famine forced to come
into Egypt.
When he saw them he did not eX-
hibit any trace Of Il spirit Of re-
taliation, but one of forgiveness.
The philanthropic statesman, whose
genius had saved the nation, after 4
series of trials that proved that his
brothers had become changed by the
sorrow through which they passed.
revealed himself to them and pro-
vided a place for his father and his
| flocks in the best part of the country.
He acknowledged that God had guid
ed him and used their hatred to en-
able him to be the prescrVer of His
people. There was no rejoicing over
| the literal fulfillment of carly boy
| hood dreams. but there WAS exhibited
| the spirit of true brotherhood that
! enables one to look over the sins and
! mistakes that filled his life with sur-
| row and suffering, seeing in the same
! the hand of God molding his charac,
! ter and shaping his destiny. Let u
| exhibit the same spirit in this hour
| toward all who have MronEed us
| seek to glorify God by helping others
| and in His time Will reap. as 10.
! seph did. life's reward.