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to be a poor thing; but judged from the standpoint of its movement consistently to ward a worthy ideal, he appears as a man of spiritual integrity. 2. Esau is exactly the opposite in char acter. In many ways Esau appears in a better light than his brother. Certainly he would be the favorite with our modern world, a man of great physical activity and daring, generous and careless with his own possessions, rather an admirable character according to worldly standards of judg ment. But he has no general consistency. His actions are for the most part deter mined by the impulse of the moment; to fill an empty belly he recklessly tosses away his birthright, eats, drinks, rises up, and goes his way (v. 34). Later, tricked by Rebekah and Jacob out of his father’s bless ing, he weeps with anger and determines to kill his brother. But Rebekah, with a mother’s insight, advises Jacob to get out of the country for “a few days” until “thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget’ (Gen. 27:43-45). And sure enough, when the brothers meet several years later, all seems to be forgotten. Esau runs to meet his brother, embraces him, and weeps with joy (33:4). What a contrast between the two sons! It is safe to say that Esau never, like Jacob, could have labored for seven years to get the woman he loved. Long before, he would have transferred his affections to another object. A man evidently crazed by a drug was talking vociferously and blasphemously in an elevated car. Finally the brakeman’s attention was called to the disturbance. The btakeman went up to the man and said gently, “Aren’t you a little too profane, my friend?” The offender quieted down and stopped talking. A rough word would have set the man on fire. It was a surpris ing exhibition of self-control and tact on the part of the train worker .—ljOOO New Illustrations, by Webb. Twin Brothers G enesis 25:19-34; 27:1-46 Memory Verse: “Be not far from me” (Psa. 22:11). Approach : You remember that God had promised Abraham that he should be the head of a great nation. Finally his son Isaac was born. When Isaac grew up and married his cousin Rebekah, he had two sons born to him, twin b o y s . G o d chose one of them to be the head of this great nation which He had promised to A b r a h a m . Y o u would suppose that the first-born twin, Esau, would have been God’s choice, but he was not. God chose Jacob. Lesson Story: God made this choice, and Isaac and Rebekah and the boys themselves knew it, and nothing can change God’s plan. But instead of waiting to see how God should make this come about, the b r i Golden Text Illustration 1 C orinthians 9:25
members of this family tried to get what they wanted, and they tried to do it by deceit and trickery. You see, it was the custom in those days for the first-born son to get a special bless ing from his father before the father died. The first-born son was the head of the house after the father died. Esau knew this, but one day he gave his birthright to Jacob. Esau had been out hunting, and he came back worn out and very hungry. Jacob was cooking lentil soup. Esau wanted some very badly. He wanted it right away, and he would pay any price for it. Jacob saw his chance to bargain for the birthright. He got Esau to give him his birthright for a dish of soup. Years passed. Isaac was old and blind. He knew the time had come for him to die. Esau was his favorite son, and he was determined to give him the blessing. But Rebekah and Jacob tricked the blind father into giving Jacob the blessing. If they had only waited for God to work out His own plan, none of them would have needed to have sinned. Object Lesson H ere or H ereafter Objects: A small sheet of paper and an old-fashioned kerosene lamp or a candle. (At the top of one side, print the word “HERE,” and on the other side “HERE AFTER.” Stir into four tablespoonsful of water a piece of starch about the size of a small pea. Boil until the mixture turns clear. Cool and add four drops of iodine. The liquid will be a light blue. Add enough cold water to make it thin enough to write. With this substance as ink, print on the “HERE” side with a sharp stick the words, “Fame, Wealth, Power, and Popularity.” On the “HEREAFTER” side, print with lemon juice the words, “Mansions, Crown, New Name, Heir of God, and Rewards.” Ten drops of sulphuric acid diluted with twenty- five drops of water can be used instead of lemon juice.) Lesson: Did you boys and girls know that every one is either living for the “HERE” or the “HEREAFTER,” either for time or for eternity? On one side of this little piece of paper is printed the word, “HERE,” and on the other side “HERE AFTER.” On the “HERE” side, I read these words: “Fame, Wealth, Power, and Popularity.” On the “HEREAFTER” side, there seems to be nothing. Many people think that all they are going to get is what they receive here in this life. They forget that there is coming a day when “the fire shall try every man’s work” (I Cor. 3:13). This lamp will test this sheet of paper. (Hold the paper near enough to heat without burning it.) The
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paper is changing. The words on the “HERE” side of the paper are all gone, and new words are appearing on the “HEREAFTER” side. We read, “Mansions, Crown, New Name, Heir of God, and Re wards.” This paper reminds me of the story of Esau as told in Genesis 25. He sold his birthright for something to eat. He lived for the present and not the future, little realizing that the one who does such a thing will some day come to sorrow. [Continued on page 142] Supremacy in glory is only for supremacy in suffering. To be supreme among the great, one must be the servant of all. Christ reached the heights of glory because He plumbed the depths of suffering. — S m ith W igglesworth .
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