Heroes of Israel Part 9

68 (--23C). How did they get Joseph ready to appear before the king? If you look at Egyptian pictures you will see that the great men never wore beards. The Egyptians were also very cleanly and particular about white garments. What did Pharaoh say to Joseph? Note Joseph's modesty.

69 (--23C). Tell Joseph's interpretation of the dreams. Of course we naturally ask how Joseph could know these things. But we can only say that it is part of the story, and our interest is in finding just what these beautiful old tales of the heroes have to say to us. What advice did Joseph give to the king? Famines were rare in Egypt, because the country is not dependent upon rainfall but upon the overflow of the Nile. Occasionally, though very seldom, the water does not come from the upper river in sufficient quant.i.ty; then there is no inundation and the crops fail.

70 (--24A). What did Pharaoh think of Joseph's interpretation? What did he think of his advice? What did he decide to do with him. Note the six distinctions he gave him and explain what they meant? In England one of the highest officers is the Keeper of the Great Seal. And there the aldermen wear gold chains round their necks. It was a notable honor to be married to the daughter of the high priest, who was a great dignitary.

71 (--24B). What did Joseph do during the seven prosperous years? How many sons were born to him? What did he do when the famine came?

72. When Joseph was in the pit in slavery, and in the prison, whom did he trust? Did he ever think the happy dreams of youth were hopeless?

What is the best way to meet bad fortune? Now note how he meets good fortune. Read Rom. 8:28.

WRITTEN REVIEW

Like Joseph, you doubtless have some tasks put upon you that are unpleasant. Note one of those tasks this week. Do it as Joseph would have done. You will feel after you have done your best that it was worth while. Then think again how Joseph behaved. Write out in your notebook why Joseph always did his duty.

VIII. JOSEPH, THE GENEROUS

THE STORY

=--25. Joseph and the Guilty Brothers= (Gen. 42)

A. THE FIRST JOURNEY OF THE BROTHERS

Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons, "Why do ye look one upon another? Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die."

And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, "Lest peradventure mischief befall him."

B. JOSEPH'S TREATMENT OF HIS BROTHERS

And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly with them; and he said unto them, "Whence come ye?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food."

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, "Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come."

And they said unto him, "Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies."

And he said unto them, "Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come."

And they said, "We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not."

And Joseph said unto them, "Ye are spies." And he put them all together into prison three days. And Joseph said unto them the third day, "This do, and live; for I fear G.o.d: if ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison house; but go ye, carry grain for the famine of your houses: and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die."

And they said one to another, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us."

And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them. And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spake to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.

C. THE RETURN TO JACOB

Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with grain, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus was it done unto them.

And they laded their a.s.ses with their grain and departed thence. And as one of them opened his sack to give his a.s.s provender in the lodging place, he espied his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. And he said unto his brethren, "My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack." And their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, "What is this that G.o.d hath done unto us?"

And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them. And it came to pa.s.s as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.

And Jacob their father said unto them, "Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me."

And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, "Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again."

And he said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave."

=--26. Joseph and Benjamin= (Gen. 43)

A. THE SECOND JOURNEY TO EGYPT

And the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pa.s.s, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, "Go again, buy us a little food."

And Judah spake unto him, saying, "The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, 'Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.' If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down."

And Israel said, "Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?"

And they said, "The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, 'Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother?' and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"

And Judah said unto Israel his father, "Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: for except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time."

And their father Israel said unto them, "If it be so now, do this; take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: and take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: and G.o.d Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."

B. THE KIND RECEPTION

And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Bring the men into the house, and slay, and make ready; for the men shall dine with me at noon."

And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house. And the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, "Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our a.s.ses."

And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house; and they spake unto him at the door of the house, and said, "Oh my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: and it came to pa.s.s, when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food: we know not who put our money in our sacks."

And he said, "Peace be to you, fear not: your G.o.d, and the G.o.d of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money."

And he brought Simeon out unto them. And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their a.s.ses provender. And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

C. THE FEAST

And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down themselves to him to the earth. And he asked them of their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?" And they said, "Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive." And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.