THE KI NG' S BUS I NESS Joseph has finished his apprentice ship, and now God is glorifying him with kingly honor. “ If any man serve me, him will my Father honor” (John 12:26). Joseph glorified God in the prison, and now God glorifies him on the throne. His brethren despoiled him of his coat of many colors; Potiphar’s wife held fast in her hand the garment he sacrificed for his purity, and now the king invests him with a robe of fine linen, as indication of the spotless char acter of him who wore it. The king did not lay sudden hands upon Joseph simply because of the interpretation of his dream, but because he manifested such wisdom and capacity in managing the affairs of the kingdom. “ Can we find such an one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?” Glory is given where it properly belongs even by Pharaoh. The king was fully justified in his selection. With rare discretion did Joseph manage the affairs of the kingdom. He served his king faithfully and wrought for his best interests, and also ultimately saved the nation and the surrounding peoples from death and starvation. PRACTICAL POINTS (1) The worldly wise have no wisdom from God. (2) The Egyptians worshipped at sac red shrines, but their eyes were not opened to sacred truths. (3) God’s communications now are committed to the Scriptures only. (4) Men of low degree are lifted by the Almighty to mighty heights. (5) No system of philosophy has ever satisfied the dream of the soul. (6) There was a divine arrangement of the butler’s deliverance and Pha raoh’s dream. (7) Great souls are small in their own eyes. “Not I, but Christ.” (8) The king delighted to honor Joseph, but so did the King of kings.
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Many years have passed since thé young Joseph was stirred by those dreams which awakened him to a con sciousness of a great future in store for him, including t h e HEART OF themes “ From Pit to THE LESSON Prison,” “ From Prison PRACTICAL to Palace,” “ Joseph POINTS Remembered,” “ Joseph Rewarded,” “ Joseph Ruling.” For thirteen years he has been sus tained by the consciousness of a great destiny in store for him, aà we should be sustained by the promise of our Lord. There had been the hatred of his brothers, the malice of Potiphar’s wife, and the unconcern of those to whom he had ministered. No ray of hope breaks the monotony of his daily servitude. It is always darkest before daylight. God’s grace had been sufficient. The tempta tions were not beyond his power to endure. God had enabled him to en dure all and yet stand. He had re mained a loyal servant of God and man, for His sake, and proved ,the truth of the Scripture that “ in due time we shall reap if we faint not,” and “ to every purpose theré is a time.” f The scene shifts from the prison to the palace. Again God moves in a mysterious way to accomplish His plan in the life of His chosen one. This time it is the king who dreams a strange, weird, uncanny dream. The conscience of the chief butler knocks at the door of his memory and calls to his mind his sin of ingratitude towards his benefac tor. The way opens for Joseph’s re lease and brings him into court at the psychological moment. Before Pharaoh Joseph stands like a prince and bears testimony to his God. “ It is not in me; God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Calm and confident, the cap tive gives his confession of faith in the Living One: “ God hath shown Pharaoh what He is about to do, and God will shortly bring it to pass,” and He made him ruler over all the land.
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