Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-03-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON TX, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 4.

Text of the Lesson, Gen. XIV, e7-34-Mem-
DRY Verses, 31-34 - Golden Text, Luke
xii, 23-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
The topic in this section of eight verses
is "Selling the Birthright." Evidently
the committee were not looking for the
richest and most instructive selections in
Genesis, but we will find something even
here. The intervening events have been
the death of Sarah, aged l27-said to be
the only woman whose age is recorded in
Bcripture--lnd the purchase of the cave of
Machpelah at Hebron as n burial place
,chapter xxiiD. Isaac marries Rebekah
(chapter Nxiv). Abraham dies, aged rs,
and is buried by Isaac and Ishmacl. Ish-
mael dies Mt the age of 1871. When Isaac
was GO years of age, Jacob and Esau are
born (chapter XIV, -26), and that brings
us TO the lesson.
%. "And the boys grew, and Esau was
a cunning herder, II man Of the field, and
Jacob was Il plain man, dwelling in tents. "
Why should the Spirit write "And the
boys grew" Don't all boys grow2 Yet
"And the child grew" duke ii, 40), and
of Samuel it is said, "And the child Sam
uel grew on, "And Samuel grew Il Sam.
/ ii, 2G; iii, 19). The same is written of
Isaac, lshmacl, Moses and Samson Gen.
xxi, s, 20; FIX. ii, 10; Judg. xiii pa.
Why this statement should he made of
these seven ordinary boys and of Him
whose name is Wonderful let some one tell
who knows. 1t is worthy of note that the
Old Testament word signifies to become
great. Nimrod, who built Babel and other
cities Gen y. $40, is the only other per-
son spoken Of asa mighty hunter. Neither
his record nor Esau's are among the best.
In the IL. Y. margin it is said Jacob was
n quiet, harmless perfect man.
2S. ".And Isaac loved Esau, because he
did eat Of his vcnison, but Rebekah loved
Jacob. SO each of the parents had their
favoritc: one was fathers boy and one was
mothers boy. This would not tend to
peace in the household nor to love between
the broihers If it were wrong in their
day, with their comparatively little light,
how much more to he condemned in the
light in which we live Then how humil-
iating to see Isaac partial to Esau for his
stomachs sakel But it is an everyday
story In the church at Philippi there
were those whose god was their belly and
who minded earthly things Phil. iii, 19).
And such may he found today.
30. "And Jacob sod pottage, and Esau
came from the field, and he was faint"
The first sin was through something
good for food and pleasant to the senses
Gen. iii, 6). The Lord Jesus, when He
had tasted 40 days and was afterward an
hungered, was able to resist the devil say
ing "Alan shall not live by bread alone
but by every word that proceedeth out of
the mouth of God" (Math. iv, 2, ~. He
afterward taught, "Take no thought for
your lie what We shall eat or what We shall
drink "Labor not for the meat which
perisheth, but for that meat which endur-
eth unto everlasting life, which the Son
of Man shall give unto you (Alath. vi, rs;
John vi 2O.
80 "And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me,
pray thee with that same red pottage
for ! am faint. Therefore was his name
called Edom." See the margin for the
meaning of Edom. One of the interesting
! things in Genesis is to note words used for
| the first time and trace them on through
| Scripture. Also the origin of nations. The
( wretched origin of the Moabites and Am
mOnites is seen in Gen. xix, 30-3S, and
now we have the origin Of the Edomites,
and you can hardly meet them anywhere
! in Scripture without thinking of the hunt
/ er who was so hungry for red pottage.
/ He did not know the words of our text,
/ "The life is more than meat and the body
than raiment," nor those words of the
Spirit, "The kingdom of God is not meat
and drink, but righteousness and peace
and joy in the Holy Ghost"
81. "And Jacob said, Sell me this day
~ L. a..
that wouldn' t give his poor, hungry, only
brother food without recompensel All,
Jacob you are poor specimenl Gods
grace to you was wonderful and it is the
same to us. In you we see too oft our
selves. From Deut. xxi, II, we learn that
one item in the birthright was a double
portion of the Inheritance. And from
Chron. V, 2, we see that the birthright did
not always fall to the first born, for while
Reuben was the first born the birthright
became Joseph's.
so. "And Esau said, Behold, | am at
the point to die, and what profit shall this
birthright do to mel" Some one thinks it
is as if he said :" How exposed is my manner
of life! | may at any time be cut Off. My
brthright is of little value and never did
me any good. Ii Jacob thinks he can do
something with it, let him have il. Give
me the pottagel Let the birthright goW
Or it may he that he was so faint he actu-
ally thought he would then die, for after
ward we find him earnestly but vainly,
seeking the blessing with tears Heb xii,
10, 10. How many there are who say,
What profit is it TO serve God? dob xxi, Is: :
Nal. iii, l4) and are sorry when it is too
late. How few lay to heart the solemn
words, "What shall it profit man though
he gain the whole world and lose his own
soul, or what shall n man give in ex-
change for his soul?" (Math. xvi, 26).
Esau represents those who prefer II present
enjoyment and are willing to let the flu
ture look out for itself, while Jacob with
all his crookedness, thought of the future.
33. "And Jacob said, Swear to me this
day. And he sware unto him, and he sold
his birthright unto Jacob" In Heb. xxi
Jacob has honorable mention among those
who had faith in God, but there is no
room for faith in this transaction 1t was
selfish and crooked and scheming. Faith
would have said, If God means me to have
the birthright, He knows how to give it
to me; if not, am content. Anyhow,
will love nv brother and do right before