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3. "And Joseph opened all the store houses» and sold unto the Egyptians" (41:56). Some wonder why Joseph sold the corn to the perishing. Why did he not give it to them? It has been suggested in Joseph’s defense t h a t putting a price on the corn encouraged greater frugality, or that buying the grain was conducive to a greater ap preciation of its worth. Another rea son often overlooked is t h a t what Joseph did in this respect furnishes a greater contrast to his antitype, the Lord Jesus Christ. Whereas Joseph sold b r e a d to the perishing, Jesus gives the Bread of Life to all who will receive it (John 6:51). Oh, the won der of His grace and love! For the Children F ood for H u ng r y P eople G enesis 41:46-48, 55-57 AIM: To teach that experiences which we may think are evil are often used by God for good. MEMORY VERSE: "The Lord is good to all” (Psa. 145:9). APPROACH: Would you like to eat some soda or a cup of flour or drink sour milk? Probably not, but when these and other foods are mixed to gether to make a chocolate cake, Mother may have to say, "You have eaten so much cake that you cannot have another bite today.” God’s Word tells us that “A ll things work to gether for good to them that love G od ...” (Rom. 8:28). Soda, flour, and sour milk are not good to eat, but they can be mixed together to make a delicious chocolate cake. When Joseph was sold by his brothers as a slave and taken into the land of Egypt, and when he was thrown into prison because a woman told a lie about him, he probably wondered why God allowed such things to happen to one of His children. After Pharaoh made Joseph ruler over the land of Egypt, he knew that God had a pur pose in his being there. LESSON STORY: Joseph was thirty years old when Pharaoh made him ruler of the land of Egypt. For seven years there was plenty to eat in the land. The crops were so good that there was more corn than could be eaten. Because God had told Pharaoh through Joseph that there was going to. be a famine in the land for seven years, Joseph built large barns and placed in them the extra food. At first the stored grain was counted, but it increased so rapidly that soon there was too much to be counted. After the seven years of plenty of food, there were seven years when nothing grew. The people became so hungry that they went to Pharaoh and begged him for food. Pharaoh told them to go to Joseph and do whatever he said. Joseph opened the store-houses and sold the grain to the Egyptians. Those
from other lands where food had not been stored, came to Egypt to buy food. Because God sent Joseph to Egypt, many lives were saved. LESSON FOR SEPTEMBER 16 Judah’s Concern for His Family LESSON MATERIAL! Genesis 44:18-34. GOLDEN TEXT: "For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me?" (Gen. 44:34). Outline and Exposition I. J ud ah ' s A n x ie t y for H is F a ther (G en . 44:18-29) In past years, Judah had not con sidered the feelings of his father when
ruler (Joseph) should retain Benjamin and free the others, none of them would be able to face their father’s grief (cf. 44:9). II. J ud ah ' s A pprehension for H is F a th er (44:30-31) Judah declared that Jacob’s life was "bound up in” Benjamin’s life to such an extent that if Benjamin did not return, the old man would die. Years before there had been a .different re action to Jacob’s preference for Joseph; then it aroused a murderous jealousy which brought sorrow to the father’s heart. Now Judah was filled with apprehension for his father. He feared that the blow of Benjamin’s loss might cause his father’s death. He was ready to do anything to pre vent his father’s going through such sorrow. It was Joseph’s harsh treat ment that revealed the happy change in Judah. In like manner, God’s hard dealings with the backslider are aimed at his full restoration. Resto ration is not possible until true re pentance has been wrought in the heart of the backslider. III. J ud ah ' s A ffection for H is F a th er (44:32-34) Should anything happen to Benja min, Judah had agreed to "bear the blame to my father for ever” (v. 32). "Now therefore” he offered himself in the place of Benjamin. He begged that he be taken whatever the cost to him, and "let the lad go up with his brethren.” Self was forgotten; Ju dah was willing to become a slave, or if need be, to die, to make good his pledge to his father. He pleaded: "How shall I go up to my father . . . and see the evil that shall come?” He could say nothing more; if that plea did not move Jo seph, nothing would. Judah’s affec tion for his father transcended all self-consideration; his repentance was full; he could do nothing more. Hence, Joseph was ready to reveal himself and to restore his brethren to their place, and himself to his place with them, and with the father. Here is a picture of our Lord’s breth ren after the flesh, the nation of Israel. One day they, too, w ill come to repent ance for their treatment of their Broth er, the Lord Jesus Christ, and through Him be restored to the Father.
You Who Seek Peace ’’Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). "Thou, O God, hast made us for Thee, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” — Augustine. he reported falsely that Joseph was dead. Now his spirit of jealousy is gone. He pleads on behalf of his father. Joseph, knowing what had transpired, could not reveal himself to his brethren until he was satisfied that they had undergone a change of mind so far as their sin and jealousy were concerned. Joseph rehearsed the history of their migration to Egypt. He related the story of the birth of the two sons of Jacob’s favorite wife and the death of the elder son (Joseph himself). He quoted his father’s warning regarding Benjamin: “If any mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave” (v. 29). With self-forgetfulness, and with out a trace of the old envy, Judah told of his father’s affection for the younger son. He asserted that if the
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