THE KING’S BUSINESS
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IV. P haraoh ' s S atisfaction . 1. It Pleased Pharaoh . Joseph had so pleased him that he was pleased to see Joseph pleased and to please him. What a pleasant story it has come to be! And Pharaoh owed a great debt to Joseph; and he is an example to kings and states, which are proverbially ungrateful to their faithful servants. To illustrate which a famous Greek showed his son an abandoned and rotting galley on the seashore, and said, “See how the State rewards its faithful servants. But Pharaoh was grateful to Joseph for his public acts, and loved him for his private virtues. What a pity that ever there arose a Pharaoh that knew not Joseph (Exod. 1 : 8 ) . 2. Pharaoh’s Generosity. He seconded all Joseph’s plans, and adding favors of his own, sent to Jacob his royal invitation and tenderly thoughtful of the women and little folk he sent the royal wagons. V. J oseph ’ s P resents and C ounsel . 1. See how liberal he was, to “all” the L esson VII— M ay 18, 1913. Golden Text,—Gal. 6:7. Sowing and reaping is the heart of this lesson. Twenty years seems a long time to wait for the fulfilment of a boyish ¿ream. Just to wait and not to attempt to force its fulfilment, just to wait and have all the circumstances of his life seemingly give the lie to the prophecy of his elevation—this was Joseph’s task and now the guilty men are in his presence. They had said, “Shalt thou indeed reign over us,” or “shalt thou indeed have dominion over us” (Gen. 37:8), and afterward they said, “Come let us slay him and cast him into some pit and we will see what will become of his dreams” (Gen. 37:20). Well, now they are to see. They bow before him with their face? to
ten, to Benjamin, to his father (vv. 21-24). 2. His Warning. “See that ye fall not out by the way.” Though Joseph had so fully forgiven, and urged them to forget (v. 5) he feared they would fall to “ac cusing or else excusing one another,” or to disputing who should have the pre-emi nence under Joseph (Luke 22:24). We trust they heeded better than the Church has heeded Paul’s “Be at peace among yourselves” (1 Thess. 5:13). VI. How J acob R eceded the N ews . »1. It Was Too Good To Be True. 2. His Heart Fainted. 3. He Did Not Believe (Luke 24:11). 4. The Gospel Wagons. The royal gifts convinced him (Heb. 2:4). 5. His Satisfaction. “It is enough” ; it surely was. 6. His Conclusion. “Joseph is alive, I will go and see him” (Luke 2:29, 30). 7. A Contrast. Compare chapters 37: 31-35 with 45:25-28. the earth. Once, they ate bread while he languished in the pit. Now they come to him to buy bread to keep themselves from perishing. They sought diligently to make impossible the fulfilment of his dreams, and no doubt often jested together as the days passed and wondered in what position of slavery the dreamer was, and what he thought of his dreams. And yet God had compelled them to help to bring about the realization of his dreams. Joseph was look ed upon as a spy by his brethren and now he is their judge. They did not know him, but he knew them. They stood in his pres ence and claimed to be trice men, and yet in the very same breath they said, “and one is not.” Where was he? And then (heir guilty consciences forced from their
The Heart of the Lesson By T. C. HORTON
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