The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-09-17
Sunday School
Lesson In Brief
BY REV. B. A. MEEKS

Subject:- Judah: an Example
of Self-Sacrifice".
Bible Passage: Genesis 44:18-34
Golden Text: Hereby perceive
we the love of God, because He
laid down His life for us: and we
ought to lay down our lives for
the brethren"-I John 3:16.
At least twenty years or more
had passed between the lesson of
last week concerning the selling
of Joseph into Egyptian slavery
and our present lesson of Judah
as an example of self-sacrifice.
Joseph had risen from the low
est position as a slave in Poti-
phar's house to the most exalted
position of power and trust which
Pharaoh was able to bestow on
him. He had married into one
of the great and influential fam
lilies of Egypt and had become
rich, powerful and loved by all
the inhabitants of the land. 9th
er changes had taken place in the
life of this clear-headed, God
fearing youth. Through the
trials and disappointments that
God had permitted to come his
way, Joseph had not only increas-
ed in wisdom and stature but
had grown in grace and in favor
with God and man. Under the
providence of God these great
afflictions had turned to blessings
both for himself and to the whole
family of Jacob.
During these intervening years
changes had taken place in Ca
naan also. A great moral and
spiritual change had been
wrought in the life of Jacob and
the ten sons remaining with him.
The loss of Joseph and the fac
ing of starvation by his whole
family was unto Jacob the fire of
publication. No doubt, this
great sorrow and the famine was
part of his spiritual discipline
and played an important roll in
molding the character of this
man of God into such spiritual
greatness in the evening of his
life.
These years in the presence of
their distressed and grieving ia
Their, who would not be comforted
brought about a marked change
IN the moral character of these
sons and in their attitude toward
one another. The terrible effect
of their shameful deed ION their
father was daily reminder of
their sin. A sense of guilt and
retribution rested continually
upon these men as is clearly
shown years later when they fac
ed Joseph, unknown to them, as
governor of Egypt. "And they
said one to another we are gull
ty concerning our brother, in that
we saw the anguish of his soul,
when he 'besought us, and we
would not hear, therefore is this
distress come upon U.S." Genesis
42.2D. They were no longer the
rude, selfish, jealous men who in
their hate and envy sold their
brother into Egyptian slavery.
Instead of being torn asunder by
fear, distrust and envy they were
drawn together and united in the
bond of love, brotherhood and
self-sacrifice.
The complete unity of this fam
lily is clearly seen in the impas-
stoned plea Judah makes before
Joseph as he pleads for Benja
minis release. AS spokesman for
his brethren Judah rises to the
supreme heights of greatness
when in his plea says, "Now
therefore, I pray thee, let Thy
servant abide instead of the lad
a bondman to my Lord; and let
the lad 60 up with his. brethren"
Here we behold the humility, the
utter simplicity and the absolute
sincerity of simple and noble
soul. His willing sacrifice of
himself, the love for an aged ia
Their and loyalty to SHINING
brother (they believed him to be
guilty. are clearly marked in this
imprisoned speech.
This crisis was deliberately
planned by Joseph to test these