Article October 28, 1916 Issue

Rejoice

RALPH W. SMITH

In the thirty-seventh chapter of the first book of the Bible is the beginning of a narrative which continues to the end of Genesis. Underneath this narrative there lies a lesson which shows clearly with what loving and tender watchfulness our heavenly Father protects us and directs our footsteps, lest any child should dash his foot "against a stone."

The central figure in this story is a youth whose name was Joseph, and the story relates how he was sold into captivity to the Egyptians by brothers of his own family, because of their jealousy. The brothers first conspired to kill him, but instead sold him for twenty pieces of silver. The youth's environment in the new land and subsequent happenings are told, and if we imagine ourselves personally subjected to similar experiences, we can realize to what a great degree this boy's faith and trust in the wisdom and justice of the Supreme Ruler were tried. Only in rare cases are we tested to such an extent, yet a great many people today question the justice of our Father for far less reason than Joseph might have had.

In Mrs. Eddy's definition of the name "Joseph" in the Glossary of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 589), we find the words "pure affection blessing its enemies." When Joseph's brethren came to ask help of him during famine time, did he fall into the common error of many of us today? Did he allow personality to influence his judgment? No! Doubtless he recognized man as God's likeness, and as a result his actions and reply were born of Truth and he passed correct judgment on the events of his life from a spiritual standpoint. What was his reply to the fears of his guilty brethren? He said: "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life . . . and to save your lives by a great deliverance."

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