The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-03-07
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON Oh
MARCH IL.
Lesson Text: "Jacob at Bethel, -
Gen. xviii, 1O-22-Golden
Text: Gen. xviii, 10
commentary,

documentary.
TO- "And Jacob went out from Beersheba,
and went toward Haran." Since the last les
son Isaac has been to the Philistines, and.
being forbidden to 20 to Egypt, he soiourned
at Gerar, where he fell into his fathers sin
concerning his wife. He afterward made his
home at Becrsheba in the extreme south,
where his father dwslt when called upon to
offer up his only son. Then follows the story
of the deception practiced upon Isaac by
Rebekah and Jacob, with Esau's consequent
hatred of Jacob, resulting in Jacobs leaving
home to 20 to his mothers people at Haran,
in Padanaram. where Abram had sojourned
on his way to Canaan till Terah died.
H. Sand he lighted upon q certain place
and tarried there all night, because the sun
was set, and he took OF the stones Of that
place and put them for his pillows and lay
down In that place to Sleep" II we consider
Jacob from this on apart from his nature
and conduct as a sinful man, there are sew
eral things In his history suggestive OF facts
In the history Of the Lord Jesus. He goes
forth to obtain wife (verse y, for whom he
labors patiently long time (chapter xxi,
40, AZ, but 1t seems short to him because OF
his great love to her (xxix., 20). Christ
loved the church and gave Himself for 1t
(Eph. ", 25). Eliezer seeking bride for
the son at home with his father Is sugges-
tive of the present work OF the Spirit in gath
ing out the church. AS you see Jacob In
his loneliness with the stones for his
pillows you can't help thinking OF Him who
had not where to lay His head Luke tx,
5S).
12. "And he dreamed, and behold q ladder
set up on the earth, and the top OF It reached
to heaven. And behold the angels OF God
ascending and descending on It." BY COM
pairing John l., 81, the ladder is suggestive
Of the Son of Man, who becoming man reached
down to where we were, and being God
reaches up to heaven, the angels being min
isterlng spirits unto the heirs OF sa.vation.
1t will be fully seen In the hereafter of the
millenial kingdom.
IS. "And behold the Lord stood above 1t
and said, I am the Lord God Of Abraham,
thy father and the God Of Isaac the land
whereon thou liest, to thee will I give It and
to thy seed" Notice in this verse and the
last three beholds-behold a ladder, behold
the angels, behold the Lord.
H. "And thy seed shall be as the dust OF
the earth. and thou shalt spread abroad to
the west and to the east and to the north and
to the south, and In thee and II tsy seed
shall all the families of the earth be blessed"
Abram was promised seed as numerous as
the dust OF the earth and as the stars OF
heaven (xiii.. 16; XIV, s.. Thelatter was re-
peated to Isaac (xxv1., 4), and now the
former is confirmed to Jacob.
Is. "And behold am with thee and will
keep thee In all places whittier thou Roest
and will bring thee again into this land, for
I will not leave thee until 1 have done that
which I have spoken to thee oil. Here is
fourth behold and associated with what
seems to me the most comprehensive assur-
ance in the Bible "I am with thee" Com
pare Elk. ill.,, 70; Joshua l., S; Judg. VI, 16 ;
Jer. l., 8, 19; Isa. Kill, 10; Hag. l., 13; u,
4; Math. xviii. 20. etc. Consider we'll this
promise OF Gods presence and loving care
and gracious purpose in the light OF Jacobs
unworthiness and crookedness and see II
your soul Is not comforted and strengthened
by the fact that this God IS your God, the
same yesterday, to-day and forever.
16. "And Jacob awaked out OF his sleep,
and he said, Surely the Lord is In this place,
and knew it not" His partnership with
his mother in the deceit prac1iced upon
Isaac would not tend to fellowship with
God, but to be alone and away from home
sometimes causes deep thought, and It Is
possible that ere Jacob slept he had turned
to God with true penitence and confession,
and that this vision was the answer TO his
prayers.
II. "And he was afraid and said, How
dreadful is this place! This is none other g,
but the house OF God, and this Is the gate OF
heaven" Ever since Adam sinned and
said II was afraid" (Gen ill. 10Y sin has made
man afraid at the presence OF the Lord. And
vet God is love and loved US when we were
dead In sins, and Christ died for sinners.
We cannot have peace in the presence OF
God apart from the forgiveness OF sins, but
this also He has provided in Jesus Christ
(Acts kill, Ss, 80; Eph. i.,6, y.
1s. "And Jacob rose up early In the morn
ing and took the stone that he put for his
pillows and set It up for pillar and poured
oil upon the top OF it." A sense OF the pres
ence of the Lord is now upon him, and he is
awed and subdued and grateful. It should
be always 80 with the believer, with Joy
added-ioy in the Lord and the Joy OF the
Lord, serving the Lord with gladness. The
stone that was prostrate, but now upright
and annointed, may stand for Jacob himself.
19. "And he called the name Of that place
Bethel, but the name Of that city was called
Luz at the first" Near this place was one Oh
Abrams first tenting places in Canaan (chap'
as ssthe God OF Bethel" (chapter XXI, 49,
But Jeroboam defled it when he here set up
one Of his golden calves Il Kings xii, 49,
Every spot in our pilgrimage may be to US q
Bethel II we will not de1lei It by any idol.
20, 81. "And Jacob vowed VOW, saying
If God BIZ with me and will keep me In thi!
way that I 90 and will give me bread to eat
and raiment to put on. 80 that I come again
to my fathers house In peace, then shall the
Lord be my God" In view OF the most gra-
cious and unconditional assurances OF verse
is, it Is surely too bad to hear Jacob come IL
with his great big .'if," and yet how many OF
us leave out all the "lfs," and when God
says thing boldly declare, Il believe God,
that 1t shall be even Us it was told to me" OF
gratefully say, BE it unto me according to
my words" (Acts xvii, 25; Lukei. 33)?
%. "And this stone which have set for
pillar shall be Gods house. and of all that
Thou shall give me I will surely give the
tenth unto Thee" Yet there are Christians
without number who never yet began to
give God a tenth and are therefore more
mean than crooked, scheming Jacob. II we
are children of God by faith In Christ Jesus,
then we are Abraham's seed (Gal. ill.,, 2S),
but Abram gave Melchisedec tithes OF all.
Ist US therefore cheerfully give our Mel
chisedec tithes OF all as the very least we
should do, and then pile high the free will
offerings on top Of that. Let no one Try to
escape by saying, Gall have is His" Well
the Lord grant it to be so, but show up thf
tenth anyhow as little evidence that you
are all His. Read Prov. xi, "a, rs; kill, T.
Lesson Helper.