T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
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APR IL 15, 1923 JOSEPH, THE PRESERVER OF HIS PEOPLE Golden Text: Honor th y fath e r and thy mother, th a t thy days may be long in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee. Ex. 20:12. LESSON TEXT Ge. 45:3-15. (Read Josh. 24:32; Ps. 105:16-22;; Jn. 4 :5 ; Ac. 7:9-14; He. 11:21, 22.) Devotional Reading.--—Ps. 20:1-9. Gen, 45:3-15. Outline :
suffering, th a t needed lesson which would b e tte r prepare them , as th e p a tri archs, for the foundation of th a t na tional life which they were to live in Egypt and which was to affect the fu tu re generations of Israel. (1) JOSEPH REVEALING HIMSELF, . v. 3 .' “ I am Joseph.” The picture before us is* of the in- tensest interest. The ru ler of Egypt stands in the presence of the eleven sons of Jacob who, w ith bowed heads, aw ait th e verdict. The silver cup, found ' in th e sack of Benjam in, is th e w itness against them. They have forfeited the life- of Benjam in, by th eir own agree m en t,' Judah stands and plads for the life of his younger brother, telling, in a most pathetic way, th e story of. Jacob’s fear, of his grief and of th e pos sible catastrophe should they retu rn to th e ir fath er w ithout th e so n .of his old age. Joseph is moved in his inmost soul and causes th e room to be cleared when, alone w ith his breth ren , he reveals .him self to them. No doubt th e words, “ I am Joseph” fell on th e ir ears as the verdict of the ju ry falls on the ears of a condemned crim inal. Twenty years, or more, have passed but before them* rises the picture of a young lad, pleading— w ith tearfu l , eyes— for his life, while they sit down quietly and indifferently to eat, un moved by his distress. Now, he stands before them , ru ler of the g reat Egyptian nation, w ith power and au tho rity equal to th a t of a king (Gen. 41 :40 );
(1 ) Joseph Revealing Himself, v. 3. (2) Joseph R eassuring His B reth ren, vs. 4, 5. (3) Joseph Reasoning on God’s Providence, vs. 6-8. (4) ' Joseph Rescuing His F ath er, vs. 9-13. (5) Joseph Reconciled to His B rethren, vs. 14, 15. In troduction: While Joseph ru les upon th e throne, th e predicted famine begins to work its ru in upon Egypt and the surrounding countries. Jacob and his family begin to feel the pinch of EXPOSITION need. They have LESSON flocks and herds, they T. CL H orton have money, bu t they have no bread. All countries are now going to Egypt for bread. When Jacob sent liis sons down to Egypt to buy c'orn, Joseph was super intending th e sale, not by chance, but perhaps because he anticipated th at, sooner or later, some one from his own country would come who could tell him something of his own people. We do not know why he had not before th is undertaken to communicate w ith his old father, but th ere was doub tless-som e good reason, for his h eart was full of tenderness toward his kinsfolk, even his b reth ren who had been so hard and unloving to him. We do not know, either, why Joseph adopted th e means he did to reveal him self to lÿs breth ren , bu t perhaps because he did not fully tru s t them ; perhaps be cause he wanted to teach them , through th e quickening of conscience and mental
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