Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-03-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON TX. FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH a.

Text Of the Lesson. Gen. XIV. e7-s4-- s-ei1s- /
DRY Verses. sl-54 = Golden Text. Lsiso
Xii. es-Commentary by the Ees. D. Il.
Stearns.
The topic in this section of eight verses
is s.Selling the Birthright." Evidently
the committee were not looking fer She
richest and most instructive selections in
Genesis, but NO Will find something eyep
here. The intervening events have been
the death OF Sarah, aged ls7-said to be
the only woman whose ago is recorded IN
Scripture-and the purchase Of the cave OF
Macnpelah at Hebron rs burial place
fchapter kill Isaac marries EehcAsh
fchapter XIV. Abraham dies, aged iT5,
and is buried by Isaac and Ishmacl. lsh.
maei dies at tho age Of ts7. When Isaac
was 90 years Of cge, Jacob anil Esea are
born tchapter XIV. i-s6l. and that brings
us to the lesson.
%. ssAnd the boys grew, and Esau was
a cunning herder. man Of the field, and
Jacob was q plain man, dwelling in tents, y
Why should the Spirit write And the
boys crew. Don't all boys grows Net
the Spirit saw fit to write concerning Jesus
sand the child grew (l-ulse ii, 400, and
of Samuel it is said. Sand the child Sam
uel grew on, ''"And Samuel grew tiS sam.
ii, %; iii, l9l. The same is written Of
Isaac, Ishmael. Moses aud Samson gen,
xxi, s, 90; Tx. ii, 10; Judg. xiii. 81.
Why this statement should be made Ct
these seven ordinary boys and Of Film
whose name is Wonderful let some one tell
4 who knows. 1t is worthy Of note that the
( Old Testament word signifies to become
great. Nimrod, who built Babel and other
cities Gen. X. $40, is the only other per
4 son spoken of asa mighty hunter. Neither
his record nor Esau's are among the best.
In the r. V margin it is said Jacob was
a quiet, harmless. perfect man.
/ rs. 'sAnd Isaac loved Esau, because he
did eat of his venison, but Rebekah loved
Jacob" So each of the parents had their
favorite; one was father boy and one was
mothers boy. This would not tend to
peace in the household nor 20 love between
the brothers If 1t We're wrong in their
day, with their comparatively little light.
how much more 90 be condemned in the
light in which we livel Then how hunil-
iating to see Isaac partial to Esau for his
stomach's sakel But it il an everyday
story. In the church at Philippi there
were those whose god was their belly and
who minded earthly things (phis. iii, 10
And such may be found today.
20. "And Jacob sod potsage, and Esau
came from the field, and he was faint.
The first sin was through something
good for food end pleasant to the senses
Gen. iii, 6). The Lord Jesus, when lie
had tasted 40 days and was afterward ~
hungered. was able to resist thedeyil. say
ing. ''Man shall not live by bread alone
but by every word that proceodeth out q
the mouth of Godn (AIath. iv, ., ~ liz
afterwartl taught, "Take no thought foi
your life what yeshall eat or what Sc shall
! drink y Labor not for the meat whicl
, perisheth, but fer that meat which endur
eth unto everlasting life, which tho Sol
of Man shall give unto you (Aath. vi, 20
John vi, 2T).
80. "And Esau said to Jacob, Feed inc
7 pray thee, with that same red rottage
e for | ana faint. Therefore WIS his nam
+ called Edom. y See the margin for th
e meaning of Edom. One of the interesting
things in Genesis is TO note words used 70
!, the first time and trace them on through
:, Scripture. Also the origin of nations. Tn
wretched origin of the Moabites aud Am
u monites is seen in Gen. xix, 3o-3S, an
now we have the origin of the kdomite-
e and YOU can hardly meet them anywher
+ in Scripture without thinking OF the huui
II err who was so hungry fer red pottag,
@ He did not know the words Of our teNl
!, .sThe life is more than meat and the bod
] s.ssIltt Of
: Spirit, 1.-THE kingdom Of God IS not mex
Il and drink, but Righteousness and peso
e and Joy in the Holy Ghost =
81. "And Jacob said, sell me this da
it thy birthright,r What lovely broth,
lie that wouldn give his peer, hungry, onl
q brother food without recompensel Al
Jacob, you are poor specimen God
n grace to you was wonderful, and it is Il
= same to us. In you we see too oft on
y selves. From Deut. xxi, I, we learn th,
l. one item in the birthright was u aoub
portion Of the inheritance And from
ri Chron, Y, Q, we see that the birthright di
not always fall to the first born, for viii
d Reuben was the FIRST born the birthrigl
became Joseph's.
;, 80. "And Esau said, Behold, I am
: the point to die, and what profit shall tn
is ms if he said - How exposed IS my mann
% of lifel may at any time be cut off, N
Il. birthright is of little value aud never d
SIS me any good. If Jacob thinks lac can {
something with 1t, let him have IL. Gil
no me the pottagel Let the birthright go
y, Or 1t may he that he was so faint he net
ally thought he would then die, for aftc
ward we find him earnestly, but yainl
seeking the blessing with tears tlHeb. x
I6, ~. How many there are who sa
re What croft is it to serve God? dob XXI, l
no Nal. iii, l4l and are sorry when IL Is 4
ie late How few lay to heart the solen
n | words, ''What shall it profit man thoul
Ell. he gain the whole world and lose his oy
No soul. or what shall man give in e
change for his souly" lMath. xvi, q
- Esau represents those who prefer a prese
=, enjoyment aud are willing to let the
7e' ture look out for itself, while Jacob, wi
lre all his crookedness thought Of the futui
l. 49, "ADd Jacob said, Swear to me q
nj day. And he sware unto him, and he 50
loi his birthright unto jacob In Heb.
be Jacob has honorable mention among tho
If who had faith in God, but there h
~ room for faith in this transaction. 1t W
selfish and crooked and scheming. Fai
-" would have said, If God means met ha
the birthright, He knows how TO give
ss' to me; If not, | am content. Anyhow
az win love my brother and do right bef'
ac- God, But sHeh was not Jacobs way
,ui this time.
9 81. s.Then Jacob gave Esau bread a
it'll pottnge of leutiles, and he did eat a
he drink and rose up and went his wa
Thus Esau despised his birthright. lsri
despised the pleasant land; they belieS
'us not His word. They also despised and
re jected Him who came as their Messiah {;
ar. RedeeIner and made light Of His inyi
cal tions (lss. evil s4i lisa. iii, 3; MAJ
to xii, 81 Man has no heart for the thin
rem of God The present is everything VI
or him until he Is born from above, and ey
al then, unless filed with the Spirit. he
: apt to despise the richsitof Gods grace a
: II glory. A right spirit viii think more
= the things Of the kingdom than of
present things.
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