THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
989
monastery bell rang to feed the poor. Hie was tempted to stay, but finally went and did his duty. When he returned the vision was still there and a voice said, “ Because thou wentest, I stayed; hadst thou stayed, I should have departed.” Vision comes in the path of duty. When a king asked Ole Bull, the Norwegian, the virtuoso of the violin, where he caught the rapturous tones which he brought out of his instrument, the artist replied. “ I caught them, your majesty, from the mountains of Norway.” We Christians get our inspiration from the mountains of God’s grace and in the solitudes of His pres ence. A Man With a Vision Pears Not Death. During the siege of Sancene, on the banks of the Loise, in A. D. 1573, five hundred persons died of famine. The Huguenots, closely encom passed with their enemies, having killed and eaten the horses, mules, don keys and even the dogs contained in the city, were reduced to the necessity of not only eating the moles, mice, rats, but also parchment, hoofs, leather, etc, A boy ten years old at the point of death, seeing his parents distressed at his condition, said to them, “ Where fore weep ye thus seeing me famished to death? Mother, I ask for no bread, I know you have none, but seeing it is God’s will that I should die this death, let us be thankful for it.” He then expired. Gen. 28:10. Went toward Haran. He is going to Haran to meet deception and injustice. It was his own deceit and injustice that necessitated this unhappy removal.— COMMENT Torrey. Jacob’s de- FROM MANY parture stands f o r SOURCES Israel’s expulsion from their own land to begin their wanderings and sufferings until they are brought back again to the land. In the chastening which
passed over him we see God’s govern mental dealings with Israel— Gaebe- lein. v. 11. Took stones for pillows. A stone pillow with God near is better than a pillow of down with God far away.— Torrey. v. 12. He dreamed. We require the darkness for the revelation of some things. We do not see the stars while the sun is blinding us.— Parker. A lad der reaching to heaven. Symbol of the close connection between heaven and earth and of the communication going on between the twOji-Torrey. This leads the heart to meditate on the dis play of God’s grace in the person and work of His Son. On earth it was that the wondrous work was accom plished which forms a strong everlast ing basis of the divine counsels in ref erence to the world at large.— Sel. The top of it reached to heaven. Christ’s work formed a medium of communica tion between heaven and earth. By Him God came down into all the depth of man’s need and by Him, also, He had brought man up and set him in His own presence in the power of divine right eousness.— McIntosh. In this ladder we see the steps and degrees of the state of Christ’s humiliation and of the'state of His exaltation.— Preiberger. Jacob was assured that the place where his head lies is the point to which God sends his angels in order to execute His commands concerning him.— Ger- lach. This leads us on to the time when that which was foreshadowed by Jacob’s ladder shall have its full accomplishment (Hos. 1:18-23). In John 1 there is an expression bearing upon this remarkable vision: “ Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”— Sel. v. 14. Thou shalt spread abroad. Where is the corner of the earth where Israel is not found?— Torrey. In thy seed shall all the families of the earth
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter