Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-03-30
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
LESSON I, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL I

Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the
Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto
thy country, and to thy kindred, and will
deal well with thee" Jacob is now 20 years
older than when God appeared to him in
the vision at Bethel Xxi, Az, and having
been instructed to return to his own home
Xxi, 3, l3), he is now on his way thither.
The angels of God have met him, and he
has sent messengers to iIsitu to seek his IA
vor. The messengers have returned, saying
that Esau is coming with 400 men. Jacob
is afraid, divides the people and fiocks and
herds into two bands, and then gives him
self to prayer
10. 81 am not worthy of the least of all
the mercies a. d of all the truth which Thou
hast showed unto Thy servant, for with my
staff passed over this Jordan, and now
am become two bands" He calls upon
God as the God of his fathers, thinking
doubtless of His covenant with them. Then
he pleads Gods command to return and
His promise of protection, and now be
takes the place of utter unworthiness and
thinks of the contrast be- ween now and 20
years before and of Gods marvellous kind
ness to him, Notwithstanding his great sin
fulness.
II. Deliver me, | pray thee, from the
hand of my brother, from the hand OF
Esau for fear him lest he will come and
smite me and the mother with the chill
dren' Sin is not easily forgotten, and
Jacob would think of his wrong done to
Esau so long ago. A guilty conscience is
always afraid, whether it be in Adam or
Abraham Gen. iii, 10; Xxx, ~ or any other
saint or sinner The perfect love of God to
Us casts out all fear Il John iv, lS), and if
we will only walk in the light with Him
we may sing, behold, God is my saliva
ton Tor deiverer), will trust and not
be afraid sure that lie will deliver us
from every evil work and preserve us unto
His heavenly kingdom Qsi. xii, 2; ii Tim
iv, 49,.
IL. And Thou saidst, will surely do
thee good and make thy seed rs the sand of
the sea, which cannot be numbered for
multitude" This is always safe pleading
"and thou saidst, for by the spirit through
Balaam we hear these words, Hath He
said and shall He not do it, or hath He
spoken and shall He not make it goodS"
(Num. xiii, l9). In lisa. xii, q, {, the PEG.
pie of God are called His remembrances.
See margin and X. " and note carefully
what we are to plead for If we would but
stand upon His promises and plead them
for His glory, what would He not dor
"a. And Jacob was left alone; and there
wrestlcd "A man with him until the break
ing of the day" BY comparing verse SO
and Hos. xii, 1, 3, we learn that it was the
Lord himself who wrcsted with Jacob,
even the same who appeared Ur spoke to
llagar and Abraham Gen. xvi, ID; xviii, y;
not the Father, but the Son (,Iohn /, 49,
who afterward became man for us. The
breaking of the day is i'll the margin the
ascending of the morning." elsewhere it is
1.-THE spring of the day" or the day spring"
Il Sam tx, 26; job xxxviii, ~, and is suggest
i've of the morning VIII. II God shall hum bile
and then help Israel (Ps. XVI, 5, margin).
%. And when He saw that He prevailed
rot against him, He touched the hollow OF
his thigh, and the hollow Of Jacobs thigh
was out of joint rs He wrestled with him {"
God can do little or nothing for us or with
us till we are thoroughly humbled and
| broken down. Our wisdom and strength
are always hindrances "He giveth power
to the faint, and to them that have nc
might He increaseth strength" lisa. XII, 29).
| When we are at our wits end (all our wis
dom being swallowed up), then He delivers
and shows His strength on our behalf (Ps.
evil, % nargin). The difficulty is to break
us down.
breaketh And he said | will not let Thee
20, except Thou bless me-" Jacob could now
resist no longer. but he could cling in his
lessness clinging to almightilass -,nI ,h.
Ples;sinS will surely N,1ciIne, Consider Israe.
IN EHypn.S:,Il bondage, at the Red sea, at
re JorIan, at the walls of Jericho, and ir
all their history see how in all their help
lessness, relying upon God, He wrought fol
them. Consider the miracles of the New
Testament and see how in every case it was
the power OF God on behalf of impotence.
%. And He said unto him, What is
thy manner and he said, Jacob" Jacob sig
niies supplanter, and his brother Esari
| thought that he was well named, for ht
said, HE hath supplanted me these two
times, he took away my birthright, and be
hold, now he hath taken away my bless
ing" ((ien. xvii, 3d. Jacob virtually
confesses himself a sinful, crooked man
and, rs in verse 10, unworthy of any mer
ces. There is hope for the sinner when he
sees and confesses his sins prov xviii, LII
2s And He said, Thy name shall b,
called no more Jacob, but Israel, for as
prince hast thou power with God and viii
man, and hast prevailed" The name lis
rael" is found about $500 times in the Bi
bic, but this is the first time. 1t invariably
means either the man so called or his de
scendants (the twelve or the ten tribes) anC
is misapplied when applied to the church
In the margin il is said to mean "A prime
of God" but in this verse how suggestive
are the words, Power with God and witt
manP And is not the secret of this powe
made plain by the incident of the lesson
the confession of character and helpless
holding on to God?
30. And Jacob asked him and said, Tel
me, pray the, Thy name, and lie said
Wherefore is it that thou dost ask afte
My name? And He blessed him there
When Manoah asked Him His name, II
said it was secret or wonderful (Judg. xiii
Is, margin), reminding us of His name il
lisa. tx, g. The blessing of the Lord upol
the land of Israel made it bring forth in on
year fruit for three years Q4ev. XIV, 81,
The blessing of the Lord maketh rich, an,
toll addeth nothing thereto prov. X, %
Consider the name of the Lord in Tx
xXxiv, 81, and hear our Lord Jesus is Hi
prayer: II have manifested Thy name
have declared unto them Thy name" ooh
xvii, q. 26)
Al. -