The Progress., 1894-02-24
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON lX-MARCH 4-SELL-
ING THE BIRTHRlGHT.

ING HE Blk II XIII II 4,
Golden Text: The Life Is More Than
Meat, and the Body Is More Than
Raiment. -GeneGls: XIV: 27-34.
Introductory. The bible uses many
methods of conveying religious in
StruGtiOn. Among other things it
gives us sketches of AL sorts of men,
good, bad, and Indifferent. BY reading
and considering these sketches we
NAV learn both how to initiate the
virtues and how to avoid tbe faults of
those that have gone before us.
Neither Jacob nor ESau was perfect.
Both had some good traits Of charac,
ter. Tie one point in which the
fOOmer eXcelled the latter was this,
that he knew how to deny himself,
and to wait until the proper time for
the qualification of his desires. For
this reason he was selected to be the
head of the chosen ra6e.
1. The Characters of Jacob andEson
verSes -, %. ~. The boys grew"
Each one according to his special dis
position. "A cunniRy hunter" Skill
fuG.n the pursuit of wild animals. "A
man Of the field" He was not
farner, but led a wild and wandering
life, "A plain man" A man Of quiet
tastes and regular habits. "Dwell
ing in tents He had not yet built
him house.
IS. Isaac Lowell oEsau. Rebekah
loved Jacob" Each parent -oved
both sons, but each a'Bo loved one bet
ter tfan the other
II. The Bargain Between Them
verses 29-34, %. Jacob sod pot
tagt.." Boiled for himself a mess of
red lentilS, common Eastern vege-
table. ''Esau came from tie field,
and he was faint" His long hunt
had exhausted his strength.
30. Feed me -. with that same red
pottage." His appetite was so vora-
cious chat he c@lld not wait to talk
about anything else, but at once beg
gedfor the s1eaming food. "Therefore
was his name called Edom." He was
born with red hair, and longed for the
red pottage; therefore he was called
Edom, 1.-The red man"
J 81. Sell me this day thy birthright"
Jacob saw his opportunity to drive a
sharp bargain, and used it. The birth
right had been promised him by God,
and he ought to have waited for God
to give it to him.
81. Il am at the point to die" Thi:
was an eXaggeration. he was very hun
CRY, but neither dead nor dying
What profit shall this birthright dc
to me?' The man that could ask su9l
a question shows himself unworthy OF
0anything better than bread and meat
49, ''Swear to me this day" Bind
the trade with an oath. And he
sware unto him. Renowned all thu
honors and privileges of the birth
right.
81. "Then Jacob gave Esau bread
and pottage and lentiles." He did no
hesitate to give up his own dinner fol
what he priced more. Thus Esar
despised his birthright.' Counted it
thing of no value.
When man has once tasted the
bread of life, he has no more desire fol
the "feshpots of Egypt" but erie
Lord, ever, evermore give us of thi
bread" 1t is strange and unnatura
thing for a Christian to turn again t.
the ''beggarly elements" the husks
and vanities of this world, for salts
faction. Our hunger for spiritual fooj
should increase till we feast with tn,
Master in heaven.
The birthright was the headship O
the family. Esau was, by right o
birth, the head of the family, it,
prophet, priest, and king. But NOR
than this, he was the head of tn
chosen family; on him devolved tn
blessing of Abraham. In despisin,
! his birthright he put himself out Q
, the sacred family and SO became
! profane person. Whenever we yiel,
, to temptation, whenever we do wron,
for the sake of gain, we are sellin
, our birthright for mess of pottage