The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-03-29
the SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson for April I, 1S04-
Jacobs Prevailing Prayer = Gen. 32'
9-12, 2A-3O.

u
ing from Gen. 81 1884, makes the period twenty
years But Dr. Kennicott thinks that the
twenty years mentioned in the two verses are
not the same years; but that the verses should
read: "One twenty years was with thee 4. e.,
taking care Of thy 1ocks, but not in thy house);
another twenty years was for myself in thy
house, serving thee fourteen years for thy two
daughters, and six years for thy cattle" This
would make his stay with Laban forty years
The twenty years belong either here or be-
tween the sale of the birthright and It's bestow-
al on Jacob, so that the present date 10 the
| same by either mode Of reckoning.
DATE-B. c. 1870 or 1740 Twenty OF forty
years after the vision at Bethel. our last regu.
| lar lesson.
| PLAcE-Peniel or Penuel (the face of Cod,
on the north bank Of the stream Jabbok, which
enters the Jordan from the east, about half
! way between the Dead sea and the Sea OF Gal
| flee. Peniel was at the fords probably some
fifteen or twenty miles east Of the Jordan
| JACOB is now ninety years old He has
twelve children. He has become richer than
his uncle Laban, and is on his way back to
! Palestine.
| ISAAC is still living 5:27-2s), blind feeble
! man one hundred 9nd fifty six years old. 1t is
! generally thoughtfthat Rebekah was not living
| compare 24:59 with $3.50. Rebekahs nurse
! would not probably have left her mistress
while she was living to join Jacobs family.
LESSON NOTES.
Life at Padan-Aram.-After his vision
at Bethel. Jacob continued his long
I journey to .Mesopotamia. AS he ap-
preached the town of Haran, he found
his cousin Rachel caring for her fathers
sheep. Rachel was probably twelve or
! thirteen years old at this time (see
Conders Tent Life in Palestine). This
would make her nineteen or twenty at
the time of her marriage. Thus intro
duced, he enters the service of Laban,
marries his cousins Leah and Rachel,
and in course of time becomes the
| father of eleven sons. Let us glance
at some of the helpful thoughts sug-
gested by thi period of Jacobs life.
J The Expulsive Power of Supreme
Affection. Jacobs seven years serv-
/ ice for Rachel seemed to him but 9
few days for the love he had
to a1 be-, :szu,I IghIs h rs ssSFfs st
/ that makes life flow smoothly and
happily. tits equally true of our service
! Of God; it is blessed when love to Him is
, deep and strong. Goethe's dying words
were: "More light" Our words of life
are: More love- s2e2a>ysssss s2easssss;s ~ --~ :
! Returning Home. some way God
: spoke to Jacob, and summoned him to
, return home (31:3). His present life
was but an episode, preparation. His
true position was that of heir of the
promises, the inheritor of the promised
land, the channel for the kingdom of
God. He must not stay too long away.
He may become perverted in his re-
ligious life. He had learned all he
! could here. Jacob was becoming too
contented in that strange land: Like
Ulysses and his crew, he was In dan
ger Of forgetting the land Of his birth,
and the promises Of wh}ch he was
heir. Meyer. Circumstances pointed
in the same direction. Lite with La
bans family was becoming serious
trial He could no longer live in peace
with him.
The Value Of Ohange.-For most
people some decisive change Of life,
some breaking away from old scenes
and habits and associations, as by mar
riage, change Of location or business,
often begins an era Of enlargement
and development
The Hour of Need.-Jacob left La
ban at Haran, and with his wives, chill
dren, and wealth and foclss, sent out
on his long journey of four hundred
and fifty miles. He had many reasons
for anxiety. ~ He left Laban secret
ly, fearing that he would refuse to let
Rachel and Leah go with him, and
that his focks and herds would be de-
tained. He knows that Laban has
been dishonest with him, has Changed
his wages ten times" and that alone
would make Laban dislike him. We
do not like those we have wronged.
Then he had INDUCED in many sharp
practices toward Laban. That also
would make Laban hostile to him.
Laban pursued after him, but finally
they made a covenant of peace, and
that danger was over. (2) His next
trouble was from his brother Esau
who had become wealthy chieftain,
and whose territory lay between Jacot
and his home. AS he drew near Pales
tine, on his way to the fords of the
Jordan, he sent messengers to his
brother; but no answer was returned
save that Esau was coming to meet
him with four hundred trained sol
|
distressed. His family and focks ha6
no defense against such an attack. "a
brother offended is harder to be wor
than strong city" Esau in his wilG
life may have been one of those ''whc
: have broken all the commandment
and have been almost sorry there were
/ not more commandments to break.
> (3) Remorse and guilt intensified hi
2 anxiety and fear. He knew he hai
, wronged his brother, and even forty
D years of absence could not wash tn,
fact away. Many of his past transac
! tions came before him and "sat heav,
upon his soul"
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
The stains and effects of sin are no
, wiped away by Time, nor forgetful
, ness, nor all of them even by forgive
l. ness.
8 God leads us on to earnestness in or
der that we may be prepared to receiv,
r better blessings The best things O
4 God are given in vain till we hunge
{ and thirst after God.