THE K I N G ' S BUS I NES S
May, 1937
172
Joseph a coat? If I were making a coat of many colors for one of my children, I would want to make it like this one, because its colors tell the most wonderful story in al( the world. The left sleeve is black, reminding us that God has said: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Black is not pretty, but we need to have it remind us that all have sinned. The second thing to notice is the red collar, which speaks to us of the blood of Jesus Christ. “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7). When we realize that we have sinned,-, the first thing we should do is to ask God to cleanse us with the precious blood of Christ who died for us. The right sleeve is white, and it shows how the soul looks in the sight of God after it has been cleansed by Christ’s blood. Hyssop was the plant used in Old Testa ment times to sprinkle the blood of the sacrificed Passover lamb which represented Christ, the Saviour. David said: “ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psa. 51:7). The left side of the coat is green, suggest ing growth and fruitfulness. God wants those who have been cleansed to grow in their Christian lives and to be fruitful for the Lord Jesus. There is a blue border on the bottom of this coat. When the children of Israel were going into the wilderness, God commanded them to sew a border of blue on the hem of their garments, so that whenever they
Joseph’s Errand G enesis 37 Memory Verse: “Even a child is known by his doings” (Prov. 20:11). Approach: In our story last week, we found Jacob, a young man, starting out from home and raising an altar to the Lord
BLACKBOARD LESSON
" seist thou o mnn diugôïï in his busintss? -« s mast«,saw ■PHmnoHyw>- JOSEPH P a mon in uioom T44C 5MHITOFCOD1ST ûtn.4i:5b HESURLL 5 TnnD feCEOBE KinGS.-moim» studied the science of economics in any uni versity, but he knew that food surpluses should be saved if possible, riot wasted or destroyed. Even our modern experts are slowly learning this lesson. 2. The critics of the Bible used to say that it was unreasonable to believe that ah unimportant Jewish slave would be exalted suddenly to rulership of a mighty empire like Egypt. But archeological research has proved the critics wrong. In the first place, research has shown that it was not unusual for kings to give exalted positions to favorite slaves. And again, it is fairly certain that in Joseph’s day Egypt was being ruled by a foreign dynasty of kings called “The Shepherd Kings.” These kings were desert princes who invaded Egypt from the east. Their ascendancy at this particular period accounts in part for the extraordinary favor shown to Joseph’s father and family when they came to Egypt. Jacob, in a sense, was one of these shepherd princes. The native Egyptians hated them (cf. 46:34). 3. As to the great seven-year famine, history reveals that such famines as this have occurred more than once. An inscrip tion on a iomb at El Kab contains a re markable reference to an official who lived under the very king Apepi that many scholars suppose to have been the Pharaoh of Joseph’s day. Part of the inscription is startling: “ I collected the harvest,” the writer says. “ I was watchful at the time of sowing. And now when a famine arose, lasting many years, I issued out corn to the city each year of the famine.” It is alto gether possible that this official, whose name was Baba, may have been one of the very “officers” who worked under Joseph during the great famine (41:34). An insurance company called a large number of its agents from over the country to New York for a consultation which lasted several days. The last day there was an excursion “ down the bay,” given by the company to its agents. On the return trip, one of the insurance officials noticed that an agent, a young man from the West, was talking earnestly with one of the offi cers of the boat. The official’s curiosity was aroused, and a conversation with the young man disclosed that he had thought he “might as well be busy while in New York.” The result of his activity was that he suc ceeded in writing a policy for the clerk of the hotel where they stayed, for an elevator man in the building where the insurance offices were located, and for one of the mates of the excursion boat. Dili gence knows no holiday.— Selected. TUETTW£ LOfcD UJRSUJITHWim''oin.S96 Golden Text Illustration P roverbs 22:29
who was protecting him. Today we find him a middle-aged man back home again and settled down with his family of twelve sons. Much has happened to him since our story of last week, and much more is to happen in his life b e fo re he
dies, an old man.
Lesson Story: Among all of his twelve sons, Jacob had a favorite. It was Joseph, the next to the youngest. The other brothers knew that Joseph was their father’s favor ite, and they were jealous. Jacob gave Joseph a beautiful coat of many colors. Whoever wore a coat of this kind need not work for his living as the others must. This made the brothers still more angry. And when Joseph told them some dreams that he had, they were angrier than ever, for in the dreams he was great and power ful and all of his brothers had to bow down before him. One day, all of the brothers except Joseph and the youngest brother, Benjamin, were in the country watching the sheep. They had been gone for some time. The father, Jacob, was a little worried about them, and he told Joseph to go to find out whether all was well with them. Now Joseph was only a boy of seventeen. It was a dangerous road he had to travel. He knew, too, that his brothers probably would not give him a good welcome. But his father had asked him to go, and he went. And although much sorrow and trouble followed, he received much honor, too, and we shall see that later he was able to save the lives of his father and brothers. Don’t you think Joseph was glad he had obeyed ?
looked toward the earth, the blue would re mind them that they were God’s people. The right side of the coat is yellow, representing the streets of gold. If we accept Christ as Saviour, we will some day walk on the streets of gold. Doesn’t this coat seem more beautiful when we under stand what the colors mean ?
Object Lesson J oseph ’ s C oat of M any C olors
Objects: A miniature coat, as described. Lesson: Do you remember the story in the Bible about a father who made his son
JUNE 13, 1937 THE BROTHERLY LOVE OF JUDAH G enesis 42:1 to 45:15
Lesson Text: Genesis 44:18-34. Golden Text: “Let brotherly love con tinue” (Heb. 13:1). Outline and Exposition I. A pprehension for H is F ather (18-22) E ndeavoring to lead his brethren to repent of their injustice to himself, Joseph arranged that they should be arrested for stealing his silver cup. As they journeyed, they were overtaken by a servant sent by Joseph, and their possessions
were searched. The cup was found in Ben jamin’s sack, making it appear that Ben jamin had stolen it. The brothers, charged with this theft, “ rent their clothes, and . . . came to Joseph’s house” (vs. 13, 14). There Judah, acting as spokesman, proposed that the whole party become the slaves of Joseph (v. 16). This offer was declined. “ The man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant” (v. 17), commanded Joseph, as he released all the other brothers. Fearing for the welfare of his father, Judah made a heart-moving plea. He ex-
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