The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-08

But we do not do this wisely. for aside
from Gods good Will for all his children
and his power to save them after many
fiery trials. Jacobs sin and Esau's had a
natural human course which Is mans
fault not Gods. IL had its origin In ia
cob's home life.
Isaac and Rebekah taught their children
how to sin. These parents had not
learned to understand their God. Crafti-
ness was taught TO be among his attri-
butes. He was understood TO be y deity
who overcame his .enmities by craft
when necessary and so of course deceit
was right for men; and when Jacob
sought his fathers blessing, IL was his
mother who assisted him 70 cheat poor
favorite. He liked him for his strength
and Tor his maniike disposition.
Rebekah's fnvorite was Jacob, who was
mild and peaceful. This favoritism. and
the ancient preference always given by
the father to the first born seemed to lead
To trouble in the home of Isaac and to
eliminate in downright fraud. Esad was
a hairy man, while Jacobs flesh was
smooth, and Jacob did not know how no
could make his father think that he was
Esau and thus get the blessing which he
sought. II seems that Isaac had not
gwen his consent to Esau's foolish bar
gain and desired to bestow the usual bless
ing which went by custom with the BIRTH
right on his favorite son, Esau. So Re-
bckah sent for Jacob and told him what
to do. Esau had gone out TO hunt for VEN
ison to crafty his fathers wish. Jacobs
mother told him 20 kill a young goat and
cover his hands with tho skin, while she
made sayory pottagc OF the meat to imi-
tate the venison which Esau was expected
to procure. Then Jacob went to his
father, bringing him the pottage and ask
ing for his blessing. Isaac inquired how
he had found the venison so soon, and he
replied with pious lies that God had sent
II 10 him. Inc poor old father had no
eyesiqht but his other faculties were keen.
He said The voice is the voice of Jacob.
but the hands ara the hands of Esau."
art thou my very son Esau." and ho said
II am" and Isaac blessed him. p,
By and by Esau returned with the vcni-
son he had killed, and took the pottagc to
covered. and Esau wept bitterly when he
found he had lost his blessing. But Isaac
regarded its bestowal as a ceremony which
he could lot change, and seemed TO think
that God had ruled his action. He was
deeply grieved, but felt that nothing could
be done to change what God had thus al
lowed.
Avarice led Jacob to deceive and cheat
his brother. Desire for wealth and power
led him into selfishness and falsehood.
One act produced another. Rebekah was
deceitful. Isaac was too partial to his
first born. Jacob followed this unworthy
leading of his parents. And We are not
surprised when his sons, Simeon and Levi,
deceived their father at the city. Shechem
lying to its inhabitants and massacriug
all ITS men till Jacob had to flee to save
his peoples lives.
In conclusion the speaker said that
these acts of Isaac and Rebekah, of Jacob
and his sons, were plainly wrong. They
were trickery and fraud. They involved
oppression, cruelty and murder. And yet
h. att an n
subject of their unrighteousness. The
world to-day calls such things what they
are, and does not hesitate to censure them
in plainest language. Morality has made
vast gains. Our knowledge of Gods ma
ture and the morals of our people are
much better than they were In Jacobs
time. Men may say there is no God, but
il is seldom that we hear Jehovah charged
with trickery and fraud as God-like at
tributes, which we should seek to have
ourselves in our dealings with our fellow
men.
Yet, we could not possess our modern
higher character il the human race had
not passed through the forming processes
of ancient Israel's history. Jacob has
lived for us and taught us how to be what
he was not. He wrestled with the angel
at Pencil and gained the victory for you
and me. He knew that he had sinned
and he struggled with remorse and fear.
This was God contending with the patri-
arch. And Jacob said: Il Will not let
thee go except thou bless me-" The angel
touched the thigh of Jacob and disabled
II. Sin made its mark upon the wrestler,
but still he strove till victory was his.
And the angel said: "Thy name shall be
called no more Jacob but Israef'-which
means she who striveth with God"-"for
thou hast striven with God and with men
and hast prevailed"
Sin and suffering then prepared the way
for higher, nobler manhood. which are the
inheritance of modern times. Esau sold
his birthright, and Jacob sinned more
grievously in buying it. But you and are
thus the gamers in the lesson which this
struggle taught, and the wearers of a
crown that no man taketh from US. The
incorruptible inheritance is ours. Let us
not deny the brightness of our age or dim
the future hope by false comparisons with
the past, but rather let us keep our faces
toward the everlasting hills, from which
the sun of righteousness looks down upon
us in the nobler character of our modern
faith in Christ as we climb heavenward in
Him. and leave behind forever the lowland
plains where Israel fought and died for US.
that we might be the nobler nation which
we have become.
Did you see those side combs at New