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d am n ab le p lo t to d eceive his fa th e r b y his pious p ro fession in d ragg ing th e n am e o f G o d in to a n unho ly transaction. Esau sinned in placing a trifling v alu e u p o n a m o st v a lu ab le b irth right. T h e c h a ra c te r o f Esau m ust b e v iew ed in th e light o f despising th e b irth righ t, d ishono ring G o d an d his p aren ts, m a rry ing a h e a th e n w o m an, d em e an in g him self b y p lann ing to m u rd e r his b ro th e r. Isaac sinned in th e raising o f his fam ily, in d rift ing in to a senuous, selfish life, in p ro p o sin g to b e stow th e b irth rig h t co n tra ry to G o d ’s o rd e r an d in b e ing u n d u ly influenced b y his schem ing wife. Ja c o b h a d som e b a d b lo o d in his veins. *A b ra h am lied a b o u t Sarah, Isaac lied ab o u t R ebekah , Ja c o b lied a b o u t Esau, an d J a c o b ’s sons lied ab o u t th e ir father. T h e lying h ab it grew w o rse as th e scale desc end ed . Ja c o b d id n o t get his b irth rig h t b y his lying a n d d e c e iv ing. W h en h e go t it h e received it of th e g race o f G od . H e w as com p e lled to a b a n d o n w h a t h e sought w rongfully. H e se rv ed fo r tw en ty - one y e a rs a t h a rd service as a p e n a lty fo r his sin, an d h a d to endu re th e enm ity o f Esau, final sep a ra tio n from his m o th e r an d a n am e which is synonom ou s w ith trickery. H e was com p elled to call his b ro th e r “m y lo rd E sau” an d to renounce th e b irth righ t. This, G o d g av e to him in grace. W h a t a co n tra st is th e L o rd Jesus, w ho w h en hung ry re fused to tu rn th e stones in to b re ad . T h e tru e saint will cu ltivate th e grace o f p a tie n t w aiting u p o n G od , re nouncing self, an d comm itting all in to th e h a n d s of H im w ho h a th prom ised .
LESSON II. April 13, 1913. Golden Text— Gen. 28:15.
T h e re a re fou r th ing s o f special n o te in conn ection w ith th e d ream , an d each one is in tro d u c ed b y th e w o rd , “b e h o ld .” F irst, th e re is a la d d e r set up o n e a rth reach ing to h eav en— a m ean s o f comm unication b e tw e en h e av en an d earth . It was up o n ea rth , suggesting g race— its to p w as in heaven , suggesting g lory — e a rth an d h e av en un ited . It was set up o n ea rth , b u t w as n o t se t up b y m an— m an h as no la d d e r which can reach to heaven. It typifies Jesus C hrist— H is hum an ity o f th e earth an d div in ity o f heaven . H e is th e m ed ium o f comm un ication b e tw e en e a rth an d heaven. T h is is th e first g re a t essential fo r sinful m en— a m ean s o f access to th e th ro n e of G od , rem em b e ring th a t th a t th ro n e is one o f righteousness an d holiness. T h e second “b e h o ld ” calls a tten tio n to th e m inistering angels using th e la d d e r as th e m ean s o f b ring ing b less ing to m an. H e re is a second g re a t tru th . G o d has h e av en ly m essengers w hom H e uses in H is m inistry. H ow little w e know o f these e rra n d s of love, o f th e deliv eran ces w hich h av e b e e n b ro u g h t, o f th e com fo rt an d stren g th th e y h av e given! T h is we know— th a t th e ir faces d o b eh o ld th e face o f th e F a th e r. T h e th ird “b e h o ld ” b ring s us in to th e p resence o f Jeh o v ah . T h e L o rd s to o d a b o v e it an d sa id : “ I am th e L o rd G o d .” A b o v e is th e source o f m ercy. M an’s blessing is th e o b je c t o f m ercy. H e re is th e first in tim a tion th a t h e av en is to b e th e hom e o f m an, H e is th e
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