Evening star., 1932-06-18
JACOB THE AGED FATHER.
Genesis, xviii, xxviii.30, XVIII.
Golden text: Honor thy father
and thy motheg.-Exodus, x.12.

hearts like the observance of Mothers
day. Our indebtedness to the head OF
the family ought to be considered
The mission and obligation of fathers
need to be stressed in this hour, when the
sacredness of home life Is not as strong
as in former days. No better study
could be assigned for our considera-
ton upon Fathers day than this les
son about Jacob, the aged father, thai
brings home to us "our obligation tc
our parents" especially our fathers.
In our lesson last week We learned Of
the dramatic reunion of Joseph with
his brethen and his reconciliation with
them. When they returned to Palestine
they carried messages. from Joseph, the
prime minister of Egypt, and also from
Pharaoh, the ruler, inviting Jacob to
bring his family and all his relatives
into Egypt. Joseph provided the food
to supply their needs and number OF
two-wheel carts to convey his father
and his possessions into Goshen. When
the IL brothers reached their home and
informed their father that the son
whom he had mourned as dead for 20
years was alive and virtually ruled
Egypt the good news was too much for
evidence in the presents and examined
the wagons, which were novelty in
that land, he was convinced that Joseph
lived. He decided to see him before
he died
When Israel reached Beersheba, the
old ancestral headquarters of his father
Isaac, he ordered the caravan to rest
1t was a trying hour for him to leave
the land that had been given unto
Abraham by Jehovah. The strong
spiritual tie of his faith united him to
the promised land, because at that
moment Jacob evidently considered
that Jehovah was local God. There,
upon the site of the old altar that
Isaac had erected, J9cob worshiped the
Lord, who had mastered him at Peniel.
We do not read of any more worship
until centuries later 1t is always diff
ficult for one to leave his native land.
Many an emigrant has wept tears as he
sailed away from the old country toward
his new home. 1t was a great encourage
ment for Jacob to have given unto him
that night the assurance Of Jehovah
that he should not fear to 60 down to
Egypt because Jehovah would be with
him and make'a great nation out Of
his family. The repetition of Gods
promise to make out Of that family a
great nation strengthened his faith and
encouraged him to cross the sand
waste which lay between" Beersheba
and Egypt. Jacob had seen the evidence
Of Gods power SO that although it ap-
peared to be remote he believed the
word Of the Lord and moved on with
his family toward the land where his
son, the prime minister, awaited his
arrival.
Joseph Welcomes Jacob.
Arriving in Goshen. Jacob was well
coined by Joseph. who had overlooked
the brothers iniquitous disposal Of him
to the travelling Midianites. because he
could look back and see how the hand
Of God had nodded his destiny. If they
had not sold him, then he would not
have been in the position where he
could aid his father and brethren when
famine and want threatened their de-
struction. Josephs career teaches us
how every mans life is In the hands of
God. Joseph rejoiced that the Lord
had placed him in a position where he
could save his father and the other
members Of his family In this he
was a type Of Christ Jesus, who re-
joiced in His mission of saving the lost.
Goshen occupied part of Egypt that
furnished the opportunity for the de-
velopment of Jacob and his family.
They came expecting probably that they
would return in few years after the
famine was over to Palestine, that God
had given to them. A new chapter in
history opens with their entrance into
Egypt. They had lived the life Of wan
dering Shepherds, moving from pasture
to pasture, making their stopping place
wherever their focks and herds might
be best fed and watered. Henceforth
they were to enjoy permanent homes
located in higher civilization, and rich
possessions. Here during the coming
hundreds Of years (some say 430, others
2l5), in a section of Egypt adapted to
cattle raising, they would have the op-
portunity to be nodded by Egyptian
civilization that would help fit them to
become the pioneers in building a
mighty nation that was destined to cul-
inmate in introducing the Kingdom of
God among men.
Joseph knew how the Egyptians de-
tested shepherds and all persons who
would kill cattle. Pharaoh was Hyk-
SOS. or shepherd. king, who had con-
quered the Egyptians He was free
from the national prejudice, and as
signed Goshen to the family of Jacob
upon the suggestion of Joseph. The
prime minister did not hesitate to well
come his aged father and his brethren,
although the Egyptian society folks
would question his action Immediately
upon learning of the arrival of his
father and the other members of his
family he had hastened to Goshen to
welcome his folks. The prime minister
wept like child when he saw his aged
father. who had mourned for Joseph
for about % years as being dead. The