THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS
1090
permitting strange, hard, long, search ing experiences, giving opportunity for choice and decision, and in it all work ing out in a definite way His own good will. What encouragement for a life of real surrender to the will of God; for faith in the purpose of God to work out through our lives his own pleasure for His own glory. PRACTICAL POINTS (1) Joseph, the slave, became Joseph, the saviour. (2) Contrast Genesis 42:36 with Gener sis 48:11. (3) Joseph combined the sagacity of a sage with. worldly prudence and righteous principle. (4) Joseph had respect to the filial and fraternal obligations imposed upon him. (5) “ Honor thy father and thy mother” is punctuated with a promise. (6) The sojourn in Egypt was essential to the shaping of a nation. (7) The best of the land was bestowed upon the brothers, although they deserved the worst. (8) From a seemingly trivial incident — the selling of a boy— eventuated mighty events. "By far the hardest place to glorify God is in the home, but here is where the truest test of a Christian is found. An enthusiastic Christian worker once asked a little girl if she LESSON was a Christian. The ILLTJSTRA- child hesitated a moment TIONS and then said, “ Will you please ask my mother if I am?” The mother testified to the sweet, loving, dutiful life of the child in the home. Joseph had been away from home long enough to appreciate the home- folks. Home is the place where we are treated best and grumble most. The
in the laid. Every detail of his expe rience is strikingly suggestive of inci dents in the life of Christ. Three heads may be suggested: The Sagacity of Joseph, The Sacredness of Family Life, The Sustaining Grace of Joseph. • “ Having loved His own * * * He loved them to the end.” ‘ Joseph is a true diplomat. His method of handling the question of a place for Israel to dwell in, manifests a sagacity worthy of high commendation. He was unselfish in his desire for his people, as he had no personal aim or end in view. He is a loyal servant of his king, and he is true to God. He was endowed by the Lord with wisdom. He not only had vision in his youth and power to inter pret dreams, hut ability to direct the affairs of a great kingdom, and to man age the king in affairs personal. He was shrewdly politic in the locating of his people, and in it all the hand of the Lord can be easily discerned. Joseph, despite his own suffering for years at the hands of his kindred, recog nized the sacredness of the family tie, and planned for their best welfare. They belonged to a despised class in the sight of Egypt, yet Joseph did not hesi tate to own them. Such a test has been too much for many a son. Joseph re mained true to his own, and confessed them as his own brethren in the midst of the courtiers of the king. There is something splendid in this picture of the old patriarch as he enters the presence of the king of Egypt, not to kiss the sceptre, not to fall at his feet in obeisance, hut to pronounce a blessing upon him. He is a poor old soul, but he is God’s prince, with power to bless, and he takes his place. God’s representative commands God’s blessing upon the king. The over-shadowing hand of God can be easily seen in the lives of Jacob and of Joseph. God testing, trying, chasten ing, subjecting to temptation and trial,
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