II. We may see from this narrative that THE BEGINNING OF SIN IS LIKE THE LETTING OUT OF WATER. What began in envy leads to murder, and that again gives birth to falsehood. Sin thus multiplies as rapidly as the Colorado beetle, and no matter what may be the first one, you may always call its name Gad, for you may surely say, "a troop cometh." Therefore, if we would successfully resist it, we must withstand its beginnings. Especially is this true of envy, which is purely soul-sin — the hatred of a man for the good that is in him. Envy must be supplanted by the love of Christ.

III. We may learn that IN SEEKING TO DEFEAT GOD'S PURPOSES WE ARE ALL THE WHILE UNCONSCIOUSLY HELPING ON THEIR FULFILMENT. We cannot explain the " law" of it, but we clearly see the fact. Oh the marvellous wisdom of that providence of God which thus, without doing violence to the will of any human being, lays all their actions under tribute for the furtherance of its designs! And what is the use of a man trying to thwart God's purposes when, whether he will or not, everything he does only helps them forward? Surely it is better far to acquiesce in them, and find our happiness in the doing of His will!

IV. I note from this narrative that WE NO NOT GET RID OF A RESPONSIBILITY BY PUTTING IT OUT OF SIGHT.

V. THERE IS A RETRIBUTIVE ELEMENT IN OUR TROUBLES. Jacob, who deceived his father Isaac, is now deceived by his own children. One of his "chickens" came home "to roost," and very bitter was the experience.

(W. M. Taylor, D. D.)

1. Stripped of his raiment (ver. 23).

2. Taken by force (ver. 24).

3. Cast into a pit (ver. 24).

(1)Separated from the presence of men.

(2)Protected by the presence of God.

II. JOSEPH SOLE.

1. The ready purchasers (ver. 25).

2. The mercenary plea (vers. 26, 27).

3. The paltry price.

III. JOSEPH MOURNED.

1. Cruel deception (ver. 33).

2. Pitiable woe (ver. 34).

3. Inconsolable sorrow (ver. 35).

(American Sunday School Times.)

II. THE POISONOUS FRUIT OF BROTHERLY HATRED. The swift passage of the purely spiritual sin of jealous envy into the murderous act, as soon as opportunity offered, teaches the short path which connects the inmost passions with the grossest outward deeds. Like Jonah's gourd, the smallest seed of hate needs bat an hour or two of favouring weather to become a great tree, with all obscene and blood-seeking birds croaking in its branches. "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer." Therefore the solemn need for guarding the heart from the beginnings of envy, and for walking in love. The clumsy contrivance for murder without criminality, which Reuben suggested, is an instance of the shallow pretexts with which the sophistry of sin fools men before they have done the wrong thing. The mask generally tumbles off very soon after. The bait is useless when the hook is well in the fish's gills. "Don't let us kill him. Let us put him into a cistern. He cannot climb up its bottle-shaped, smooth sides. But that is not our fault. Nobody will ever hear his muffled cries from its depths. But there will be no blood on our hands." It was not the first time, nor is it the last, that men have tried to blink their responsibility for the consequences which they hoped would come of their crimes. Such excuses seem sound when we are being tempted; but, as soon as the rush of passion is past, they are found to be worthless. Like some cheap castings, they are only meant to be seen in front, where they are rounded and burnished. Get behind them, and you find them hollow. "They sat down to eat bread." Thomas Fuller pithily says: "With what heart could they say grace, either before or after meat?" What a grim meal! And what an indication of their rude natures, seared consciences, and deadened affections!

III. The ill-omened meal is interrupted by the sudden appearance, so picturesquely described, of THE CARAVAN OF ISHMAELITES WITH THEIR LOANED CAMELS. Dothan was on or near the great trade route to Egypt, where luxury, as well as the custom of embalming, opened a profitable market for spices. The traders would probably not be particular as to the sort of merchandize they picked up on their road, and such an" unconsidered trifle " as a slave or two would be neither here nor there. This opportune advent of the caravan sets a thought buzzing in Judah's brain, which brings out a new phase of the crime. Hatred darkening to murder is bad enough; but hatred which has also aa eye to business, and makes a profit out of a brother, is a shade or two blacker, because it means cold-blooded calculation and selfish advantage instead of raging passion.

IV. Leaving Joseph to pursue his sad journey, our narrative introduces for the first time REUBEN, whose counsel, as the verses before our lesson tell us, it had been to cast the poor lad into the cistern. His motive had been altogether good; he wished to save life, and, as soon as the others were out of the way, to bring Joseph up again and get him safely back to Jacob (Genesis 42:22). Well meant and kindly motived as his action was — and self-sacrificing too, if, as is probable, Joseph was his destined successor in the forfeited birthright — his scheme breaks down, as attempts to mitigate evil by compliance and to make compromises with sinners usually do. The only one of the whole family who had some virtue in him, was too timid to take up a position of uncompromising condemnation. He thought it more politic to go part of the way, and to trust to being able to prevent the worst. That is always a dangerous experiment. It is often tried still; it never answers. Let a man stand to his guns, and speak out the condemnation that is in his heart; otherwise he will be sure to go farther than he meant, he will lose all right of remonstrance, and will generally find that the more daring sinners have made his well-meant schemes to avert the mischief impossible.

V. THE CRUEL TRICK BY WHICH JACOB WAS DECEIVED is perhaps the most heartless bit of the whole heartless crime. It canto as near an insult as possible. It was maliciously meant. The snarl about the coat, the studied use of "thy son" as if they disowned the brotherhood, the unfeeling harshness of choosing such a way of telling their lie — all were meant to give the maximum of pain, and betray their savage hatred of father and son, and its causes.

VI. AND WHAT OF THE POOR OLD FATHER? His grief is unworthy of God's wrestler. It is not the part of a devout believer in God's providence to refuse to be comforted. There was no religious submission in his passionate sorrow. How unlike the quiet resignation which should have marked the recognition that the God who had been his guide was working here too! No doubt the hypocritical condolences of his children were as vinegar upon nitre. No doubt the loss of Joseph had taken away the one gentle and true son on whom his loneliness rested since his Rachel's death, while he found no solace in the wild, passionate men who called him "father," and brought him no " honour." But still his grief is beyond the measure which a true faith in God would have warranted; and we cannot but see that the dark picture which we have just been looking at gets no lighter or brighter tints from the demeanour of Jacob.

(A. Maclaren, D. D.)

1. Having no fellowship with that which is evil.

2. As loved of the good.

II. THE SAD EXPERIENCES THROUGH WHICH MANY A CONSISTENT YOUNG CHRISTIAN PASSES.

1. Joseph was hated of his brothers because their father loved him.

2. Joseph was cruelly treated by his brothers.

3. There are lighter and darker shades among the wicked.

III. THE SORROW WHICH CRUEL TREATMENT CAUSES,

IV. THE TENDER PROVIDENCE OF GOD IS SEEN IN THE DISPOSAL OF JOSEPH IN EGYPT.

1. His promotion in Potiphar's house proves this.

2. That he reached the rulership of Egypt through his experiences in Potiphar's house, proves it. Lessons: The permissions of God are full of mystery, but also full of grace.

2. The story of Joseph proves the possibility of youthful piety, and that Christian character may glow in adversity.

(D. C. Hughes, M. A.)

I. WE SEE HERE INNOCENCE PROVOKING MALICE TO VILER DEEDS. Without question, the presence of a righteous man brings to light the baseness of the wicked. Just as the summer sun quickens the growth of noxious weeds, and makes the stench of a foetid sewer still more odious; so the influence of a saintly character exasperates base men to do their worst. The presence of the Son of God on earth provoked Satan to put out prodigious efforts of malice. To a vitiated palate even food will produce vomiting. The beneficent errand of Joseph obtained only opprobrium and ill.nature. "Behold," said they, "this dreamer cometh." Then this was the worst thing malice could lay to his charge. In this respect also Joseph was a type of Jesus Christ. The only accusation men could prefer against either was that he had aspired to be a king. Yet this was not merely a prophetic assertion; it was a divinely appointed office; it was a certain destiny. The righteous man must inevitably rule.

II. WE SEE HERE WICKEDNESS RAPIDLY MATURING ITS FRUITS.

1. Sin is a hardening and a blinding process. It treats its victims as the Philistines treated Samson — puts out their eyes. They saw not Joseph as a brother; they saw him only as a dreamer. They saw only the gain of twenty dollars — about a dollar a piece; they were blind to the tremendous loss.

2. Under favourable circumstances sin speedily develops. Hatred soon grew into murderous conspiracy, into rude violence, into lying, deceit, avarice, fraud; into base traffic of a brother's flesh — the sum of all villainies. In the fields of nature some plants will bear ten thousand seeds; but this plant of sin is yet more prolific in effects.

3. Yet sin is temporarily checked by a sense of responsibility. Reuben alone of the eleven sought the deliverance of Joseph.

4. Sin defeats its own ends. When the innocent lad was led away an abject slave, had they baffled his dreams? They had helped the business forward.

III. WE SEE HERE THAT HARD SERVICE IS THE WAY TO SOVEREIGNTY. There is great truth in the maxim that "he would rule, must first learn to serve." Napoleon I. rose to sovereignty because he served well in the lowest ranks of the French army. Jesus Christ is enthroned in the hearts of myriads because He has served them so faithfully and so generously. It is a law in mechanics that in proportion as a free body is forced downward, will it rise upward when the force is withdrawn. Nature helps a rebound.

(J. Dickerson Davies,M. A.)

(G. Lawson, D. D.)

(E. Dalton.)

(C. Geikie, D. D.)

(M. Dods, D. D.)

Vers, 29, 30.

Reuben returned. —

2. Creatures as they intend, so may they do their utmost to save, when God will not have it so.

3. The pit, under God's disposal, giveth up to sale, when it is intended unto freedom.

4. Nature is apt to be passionate to rending cloths upon disappointments (ver. 29).

5. Brotherly affection disappointed, though not true, will make one fall upon disappointers with indignation.

6. Passiom may make men judge that not to be, which is, and so may make mourners.

7. Natural affection may put men to their wits' end upon disappointments, and fears of worse events (ver. 30).

(G. Hughes, B. D.)

2. The coat of innocency may be made a cloak to cover cruelty.

3. Cruelty makes use of policy to hide itself from discovery. Kid's blood for man's.

4. Sinners' subtlety sometimes to put it off from themselves, makes evil worse than it is. Blood without blood (ver. 31.)

5. Beastly acting sinners use, to turn over their sins to beasts (so if the word be striking through).

6. The guilty have their harbingers, to conceal sin more cunningly.

7. Sin makes men shameless to bring the tokens of their wickedness to plead for them.

8. Sellers of brethren make not much to do that, which may kill their fathers.

9. Sinners use to make their refuge in lies, and so add sin to sin.

10. Impudent sinners, though they be conscious, yet make things doubtful unto others (ver. 32).

11. Good men may be deceived by sinners, upon that which they know.

12. Gracious souls may be too credulous toward the wicked, who speaks falsely to them.

13. Over much credulity makes men receive that which afterwards they find false (ver. 33).

(G. Hughes, B. D.)

     4363   silver
     5615   weights

Genesis 37:1-35

     5738   sons

Genesis 37:12-33

     5661   brothers

Genesis 37:18-28

     5828   danger

Genesis 37:23-28

     5365   kidnapping
     7447   slavery, in OT

Genesis 37:25-28

     5407   merchants
     5587   trade

Genesis 37:26-28

     4303   metals

Genesis 37:28-30

     4221   cistern

The Trials and visions of Devout Youth
'And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Man's Passions and God's Purpose
'And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Talmage -- a Bloody Monster
Thomas De Witt Talmage was born at Bound Brook, N.J., in 1832. For many years he preached to large and enthusiastic congregations at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. At one time six hundred newspapers regularly printed his sermons. He was a man of great vitality, optimistic by nature, and particularly popular with young people. His voice was rather high and unmusical, but his distinct enunciation and earnestness of manner gave a peculiar attraction to his pulpit oratory. His rhetoric has been criticized …
Grenville Kleiser—The world's great sermons, Volume 8

The Crucifixion.
"He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth."--Isaiah liii. 7. St. Peter makes it almost a description of a Christian, that he loves Him whom he has not seen; speaking of Christ, he says, "whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." Again he speaks of "tasting that the …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

The Sixth Commandment
Thou shalt not kill.' Exod 20: 13. In this commandment is a sin forbidden, which is murder, Thou shalt not kill,' and a duty implied, which is, to preserve our own life, and the life of others. The sin forbidden is murder: Thou shalt not kill.' Here two things are to be understood, the not injuring another, nor ourselves. I. The not injuring another. [1] We must not injure another in his name. A good name is a precious balsam.' It is a great cruelty to murder a man in his name. We injure others in …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Appendix 2 Extracts from the Babylon Talmud
Massecheth Berachoth, or Tractate on Benedictions [76] Mishnah--From what time is the "Shema" said in the evening? From the hour that the priests entered to eat of their therumah [77] until the end of the first night watch. [78] These are the words of Rabbi Eliezer. But the sages say: Till midnight. Rabban Gamaliel says: Until the column of the morning (the dawn) rises. It happened, that his sons came back from a banquet. They said to him: "We have not said the Shema.'" He said to them, "If the column …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament