The National tribune., 1894-03-01

youngest or Twins, EShu MS brother being the
first born. His grandfather was Abraham, and
| he did not die till Jacob was Is years old.
| When Jacob was 81 years old he bought the
| brthright from Esau. After that there were
great troubles between the two brothers. The
two were herdmen and farmers. At length,
when Jacob was II years old, 1t was found best
for the two to separate. So Jacob set out to 60
and live with his relatives at Padan- Aram,
(2S: q hundreds of miles off. Our lesson is an
incident Oh his way. Bethel was about SO miles
from Beersbebs, Jacobs home (2S: 10) Jacob
was feeling very sad. he slept out of doors
and had stone for pillow. God appeared to
him in his sleep and made precious promises
to him. 1t seemed as though ladder cached
from Bethel up to Heaven filled with angels
ready to help Jacob. When he left Bethel he
was greatly encouraged and promised to obey
God 10 all things.
Helps TO the Understanding of this Lesson.
Jacob slept out OF doors. To elevate the
head he used stone for a sort of pillow, prob
ably spreading blanket over the stone and the
ground making bed. He fell asleep. Doubt
less he was a troub led frame of mind He had
fed from home TO escape the murderous design
of his brother E:au. He might never see father
and mother again. He was conscious of his
very uu iair trea ment of his brother. His trip
to Padan-A ram WAS attended by many perile.
He was alone. He was, indeed. in distressing
state Of mind. 1t is no wonder he realized his
weakness aud prayed. t35:3)
Rebekab saw the necessity for Jacob to escape
quick possible from Beershebs. She brought
the matter 10 the attention of Isaac. She ex-
pressed fear their son might marry heather
woman, and urged Isaac to send Jacob to her
Old home IN the hope that he might find wife
in Mesopotamia. (27: 46)
Words and Phrases
!. Lighted upon. v. liz This means met
with, came to. hit up0a.
z. OF the stones v. II. We see from " 10
be selected one stone ~ JUsephus 1, 10, /, says,
"On heap of stones" Them" in V. IL is
printed IN italics, and hence is not transa-
tiou. If bua one stone was used we should
have 1t. Bat they who supplied the italics
must have understood stones. There is now a
stone in Westminster ION which the regal can
dl0ate SITS when crowned. 1t is claimed the
stone taken from Bethel to Jerusalem, then
TO Spain. then 10 Ireland then to Scotland, and
finally TO England. But the Mahometans think
Jacobs Stone is now beneath their Temple at
Mecca 1t is natural the head be more or less
raised in sleep. and stone would be helpful
IN the absence of pillows. The thick folds of
sort OF turbsn would make it the moro soft.
3. Ladder. v. II. Heaven and earth seemed
TO Jacob far away from each other. He was
tIreG, lonely, distressed in mind, in atate of
fear, bearing guilty conscience, a fugitive.
lie needed comfort aud support. God did not
the past, but cheer as TO the future. The idea
developed by the figure of ladder is the con-
Decti0n of heaven with earth-the interest of
God III man-the read ness of man TO mil lister
TO mans happiness. The sins of Jacob might
well make him more fearful of descent than
ascent: of Internal interest than Of divine
comfort; of connection between earth and
place of punishment than between him aud q
state of glory.
A. The promise to Jacob of possessing the
land of Canaan (I3) was a confirmation of
promises to Abram (13: IA. Isl and to Isaac
(26: A.. Those promises came nearest to real
iz4tion under David and Solomon. So also the
promise as 10 numerousness of progeny was an
outgrowth of promises TO Abram (13: 16) and
Isaac (26: II. We are not to consider numeri-
cal exactnoss in the likeness as to number be-
tween the atoms Of sand and the offspring of
Jacob. The idea is that of great numerous
ness.
g. Gate of Heaven. V. II. It was quite
natural for Jacob to conceive Heaven Just
above opposite him. The ladder reached
straight up to Heaven. Ankeos thought the
gate of Heaven is just above Bethel. The
way angels got from Heaven down that
ladder; they returned thither up its rounds.
Literalness to facts is as absurd as actual
normal mental consciousness to the dream.
g. Oil on pillar. v. 49, In the dedication
of images. affairs, ETC., it was customary to use
oil amounting.
2. If. ". 20. This should be rendered see-
ing that, since. God had promised, in V.
Is, to be with him. Then Jacob in V. 20. de-
clares, IS From tho fact Thou wilt be with me-"
etc.
g. Oil. V. H. We do not know the kind.
Generally olive oil was used. Orientas em-
ployed it much for food, healing, amounting.
Oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit, and so
read often of the pouring out of the Holy
Spirit. Prophets, Priests, and Kings were
anointed. Practically, Jesus was anointed.
and hence his NAME Christ.
8. Vow. 20. Jacob is the first votary of
whom we read. He has been called the Father
of Vows. A vow differs from a covenant in
that VOW involves but one person. 1t is
religious act-a very solemn promise.
The Lauder.
We read in regard to tho ladder: "Old
writers love to make IL an emblem Of Christ
His divinity shrouded in the mysteries of
Heaven, and His humanity connecting earth
with it, and resting on earth, and the angels
made to minister TO men through Christ"
Some have considered the ladder as seen by
Jacob consisted not SO much in an appearance
like our modern ladder constructed of series
OF rounds, as of a mountain- side terraced in
form of steps enabling the climber to ascend on
and on ever higher. The conception is more
expressive than that of a,ladder. There are
the ideas of greater hight more substantial
simultaneously both ASCENT and descent. One
has said: 1t was probably type OF Christ |
in whom both worlds meet and in whom the
Divine and human nature are conjoined. The
ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it
reached to Heaven; for God was manifested i'm |
the flesh, and in him dwell all the fulness of
the Godhead bodily. Nothing could be more
expressive emblem of the incarnation and its
effects! Jesus Christ is the grand connecting |
medium between Heaven and earth, and be- |
tween God and man. BY him God comes down |
to man; through him man ascends TO God. 1t |
appears that our Lord applies the vision in this |
way Himself Whether the image transmitted |
to the mental eye of Jacob were common |
ladder, or such mountain pile as has been |
described. the design of this vision to afford
comfort encouragement and confidence to the |
lonely fugitive, both In his present crcum-
stances aud as to his future prospects, Our |
Lord Himself teaches (Johp / ST. that the |
ladder signified the Son of Man, Him who is |
now afresh promised as to he the seed of Jacob |
". Ia; Him by Whom alone we go to God |
John 80; Who is the way to Heaven, and |
Who has now gone there to prepare place for |
u.s."
We get also an idea from the stone pillar |
becoming the monumental pillar. Christ ia |
the living stone, the Rock on which we can |