The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-03-29
SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOB
APRIL I.
lesson Text: Jacobs Prevailing
Prayer" Gen. xxxii., o-t2; "a
80 - Golden Text: Gen.
xxNii., 26-Commcutary.

country. and to thy kindred, aud will deal
well with thee Jacob Is now twenty years
older than when God appeared to him Ia the
vision at Bethel (xNx'.. t1l. and having peru
instructed to return To- his own home (xXSi.,
2. 13). he IL now on his way thither The
angels OF God have met him. and he has sont
messengers to Esau to seek his favor. The
messengers have returned. saving that Esau
Ia coming with 100 men. Jacob IL afraid. III.
vides the people ani locss aud herds into
two bands. and then gives himself 10 prayer
10. 81 am not worthy of the least Of all the
mercies and OF all the truth which Thou haN
showed unto Thy servant. Tor with my stan
] passed over this Jordan. and now am b,.
come two bands. He calls upon God as
the God Of his fathers. thinking doubtless o;
His covenant with them Then he plcada
Gods command 20 return AMI His promise
OF protection. and now he takes the plarr ol
utter unworthncss and thinks of the con
trast between now and twenty years before
and of Gods marvellous kindness - him,
Notwithstanding his great sinfulnrss
IL. Deliver mc, | pray thee. from tho
hand OF my brother, from the hand of Esau.
FOR I fear him lest he will come and smtr
me and the mother with the children" Sin
Ia not easily forgotten. ant Jacob wpuld
think OF his wrong done 10 Esau so long ago
guilty conscience is alway- afraid whether
IL be In Adam or Abraham (Grn. iii.. ~ ".
I'D or any other saint or 4inncr The per.
feet love Of God 10 W. casts Nut al fear +. |
John iv.. is). and IL we will ouN walk In tho
light with Him We may sing. "Bshoid. God
ts my salvation Ior deliyrrcr| | will trust
aud not he afraid. sure that Ilrwill deliver
us from every evil work and preserve ~
unto His heavenly kingdom lisa Nii.. . II
Tim. iv.. isl.
~. Ana Thou saidst. I will surely do
thee good and make thy seed ~ the sand ot
the sen. which cannot be numbered for mul
titude' This i always sa'' pleading and
Thou saidst." Tor 10y the spirit through Ia
laam we hear these words Hath IT, said
and shall Ha not DO IL. or hath lie spoken
andshall He not make 1t good p" Num wit
lN. In lsa. lxii &, :. the people of cod
are called His rrnomhrances. See margin
and II. V. and note carefully what w. are to-
plead for. IL VIZ would stand upuu Hl1
promises and plead them Tor Hts glory.
what would lie not do,
~. "And Jacob was left alone ani IN, 70
wrestled n man with him until the hrrn sing
OF the day" by comparing verse 80 aud
Hos. XII, 4, Z, We learn that II was the Lord
Himself who wrcstled with Jacob. even tho
same who appeared or spoke 10 llagnr aud
Abraham (Gen xvi. ~ Nyiii. II not the
Father. but tho Son (John l.. ls'. who after
terward became man FOR US. The breaking
OF ths day Is In the margin 9Th" ascending
OF the morning = elsewhere II ~ "thr spring
OF the day" or "the dny spring q sam ~
20 Job NSxviii, l2). and IL suggestive OF
tho morning when God shall humble aud
then help Israel (Ps. Nlvi. >, margin.
%. "And when lie saw that He prevailed
not against him. He touched the hollow ol
his thigh. and the hollow Of Jacobs thigh
was ont of joint rs He wrestled with him.
] God can do little or nothing Tor us o: with
us till we are thoroughly hu ,blei ant
broken down. Our wisdom and strength
are always hindranGes He giy'th power to
ths faint, and TO them that have no might Iie
| increaseth strength lIsa. Nl. 29l When
"" nre Ht our wits end fal our wisdom be
Ing swallo, ,p), Iheu ~" delivers and
| shows Hts strength on our behalf Ps cyii.
! ~ margin. The difficulty is to break u
down.
go. "And He said. LIT Me- 20. for the iay
breaketh. Aud he snid. | will not let Thee
60, except Thou bless me-. Jacob could
Z now resist no longer but he could cling In
his weakness, and cling he did Il is now
| helpleSsn"ss clinginG 10 almightlnesS, and
| he blessing will surely cone. Consider
[ Israel in Egyptian bondage, Ht ia" Red Sea
1t the Jordan, ai the walls of Jericho. aud Ia
/ all their history see how In all their helpless
nesS, relying upon God, He wrought ioi
Them Consider the miracles Of the New
Testament aud see how In every case II wa-
.he power Of Got on behalf of impotence
/ %, And He said unto him What * thy
sdpplanter. and his brother Esau thought
! that he was we'll named. Tor he said, I'll,
hath suppanted me these Two times. n tool
| away my birthright, and. b@hold. how hr
hath taken away my blessing lGen. NSvi'.,
| 36l. jacob virtually conl"ss"s himselia sin
I lul. crooked man, and, ~ IN verse 10, IN
/ worthy OF any mercies Their J. hops Tor
| he sinner when h. sees and cOntes-r- hl-
J aims Prov. xviii, l3.
~. And lie said, lhy name shall hocNlie,
| no more Jacob, but lsrarl, for as prince
hast thou power with God aud with man, an,
! hast prevailed. The name ''lsrael' is fOunC
! about $500 times In the Bible, hut this Is the
! first time. II invariably means either tn,
man So called or his descendants Uhs twsiv'
or the ten trihes) and IS misappied when ap
| piled 10 the church. In the margin Il il sal,
! 10 mean "A prince OF Col. hut IA thS yrrs
how suggestive are the words, Power witt
! God aud with man e. And is not the srcre
/ OF this power made PLAIN ~ the incident o
lila lesson-the confession ot character AM
| helpless holding on to God
go. "And Jacob asked Han AMI said, Tel
me-, | pray Thee, Thy name anI lie said
/ Wherefore il u that thoI dost ask after M>
! name? And Tie blessed him there When
Mnnoah asked Hin His name. II said II was
secret or wonderful (Judg. xiii. ~, margn)
! :eminding us OF His name in lsI. iN., q. The
| blessing OF the Lord upon the land ol Israel
] ~
three years (Lev XIV, 2D. Tho blessing OF
the Lord maketh rich AMI toll addeth noth-
ing thereto prov. X, 22l. Consider the
name of the Lord in TX. NNxiA. 81, aud
hear our Lord Jesus Is His PRAYER. 81 have
manifested Thy name. have declared unto
them Thy name John xvii, 8, 26).
30. "And Jacob called the name OF the
place Peniel, for / have seen God face "a
lace and my life is preserved" In Ex.
xiv, TO- IL, we read that the elders saw the
God OF Israel they saw God and did eat
and drink. In Ex. xxxiii., II, 1t is written
that the Lord spako unto Moses face 10
ace, as IA man speaketh unto his friend, and
/ get In verse 20 tho Lord says, Thou canst
/ iot see Ny face, for there shall be no man
| see NO and live." II is probable that the
/ explanation OF these seeming contradictions
y in John l., IS, where We learn that Gsd
nas always manifested Himself In His Son. =
lesson Helper.