The Bible story of Joseph and his brethren shows how the attempts of error to harass, persecute, and destroy all that typifies good, can be and are overcome by the unlabored processes of spiritual activity. "Clad in the panoply of Love," Mrs. Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 571), "human hatred cannot reach you;" and it was through the possession of this invincible armor that Joseph withstood the shafts of evil. He was not afraid of "the arrow that flieth by day,"— the bitter thoughts aimed at him by his brethren,—for he reflected the divine Mind, Love, and there was nothing in him to barb these arrows, not even enough of a sense of mortal selfhood to cause him to feel hurt or resentful.
The story of this gentle Israelite is an inspiration to students of Christian Science, because of its exposition of the power of the divine law of Love to protect, heal, and bless. It shows that thought imbued with this power, as was the thought of Joseph, has the effect of benefiting all upon whom it rests. As the strong rays of sunshine soften the frozen earth in spring, so that the lovely crocuses may appear, just so the thoughts of unselfed love radiating from the pure consciousness of Joseph melted away the hatred directed against the spiritual idea which he was manifesting, and allowed the first blossoms of repentance to break forth from the whilom frozen hearts of his brethren. It was not only with material food he assuaged their dread and suffering from a material famine; but with the grace he daily received from his heavenly Father he was able abundantly to "feed the famished affections" (Science and Health, p. 17) of these self-starved men.
A step-by-step analysis of this Bible narrative, from the spiritual standpoint which Christian Science unfolds, reveals many helpful thoughts to those striving for a demonstration of the power of Love to overcome the claims of evil, whether these be apparent as individual problems of lack, sin, sickness, discord, or as problems affecting churches or nations. It is inspiring to perceive, and chastening to understand, that Joseph's individual demonstrations over the attacks of error against him personally exalted him to a spiritual understanding sufficient to meet the problem of the entire Egyptian nation, and extend blessing to sections so far outlying as was Canaan, from which his brethren traveled to obtain corn.
