Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-08-31
5nttrnatipnal gessall.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON x, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. 8.

4
22-Memory Verses. 13-1S-Golden
Text. Gen. 1xviii, 16-Commentary
Prepared by the Rev. d. NJ. Stearns.
Copyright, 1901, by American Press Association
10, II. "And Jacob went out from
Beersheba and went toward Haran."
The previous chapter tells Of the decep-
tion prscticed upon Isaac by Jacob and
bis mother, Rebekah, and of Esau's ha-
tired and purpose to kill his brother be-
cause he had supplanted him and taken
his blessing, and as a result Of this the
sending Of Jacob to Haran to Rebekah's
brother Laban for time. Our lesson is
the story Of the appearing Of the Lord to
Jacob as he journeyed to Haran and is q
record of the wonderful grace Of God,
but seems also to imply true penitence on
the part Of Jacob after he left his ia
theirs house, for he would have much
time to mediate as he journeyed onward
alone. If Rebekah had believed God and
had trusted Him to accomplish in His own
way His promise to her (chapter XIV, 23),
she might have been spared this separa-
ton from Jacob. But she seems to have
feared that the purpose Of God might be
frustrated by Esau and his father and
that it was necessary for her to act
promptly even If not honestly. 1t Is
restful thing to believe that every pur-
pose Of the Lord shall be performed both
for His people and against His enemies
(Jer. II, 20; lisa. xiv, 2i) and just abide in
Him. AS Jacob journeyed from his home
the blessing of his father (verses 1-4) and
the love of his mother would lift him
somewhat above the thoughts of his
brothers anger, but he knew he had sim
ned against God, even though his mother
was the most guilty, for she had been his
counselor to do wickedly III Chron. xii,
81, and there must have been some
searching of heart before God. His
mother promised to send for him when
his brothers anger had quieted, but We
do not read that she ever saw him again
on earth.
IL. Behold ladder set up on the earth
and behold the angels Of God ascending
and descending upon it. The Lord Jesus
said to Nathaniel, Hereafter ye shall
see heaven open and the angels Of God
ascending and descending upon the Son
of Man" John i, 81, which teaches US
that the ladder was typical Of the Lord
Jesus, through whom alone sinful man
can come to God or have any revelation
of God to him.
13, Il. Behold the Lord stood above it
and said, I am the Lord God Of Abra-
ham thy father and the God of Isaac.
All things are Of God through Christ; sal
walton is of the Lord. The Interchangeable
Jehovah here confirms to unworthy ia.
cob His promise to Abraham and Isaac,
giving to Jacob the promise Of seed as
the dust of the earth, whereas He had
given to Isaac the promise Of seed as the
stars of heaven (chapter XVI, ~. 1t Is
possible that when the kingdom comes we
shall see that the promise to Isaac refers
to or includes the church, while the prom
Use to Jacob refers to the earthly seed
Israel, and by the two righteous COM
panies shall the righteous King Of kings
and Lord of lords rule all the earth.
Is. "And. behold. I am with thee and
will keep thee in all places whittier thou
goest and will bring thee again into this
land" This is the fourth "behold" uf
our lesson; ladder, the angels, Jehovah
and now the assurance Of His presence.
His keeping power, His guidance and the
ful6llment Of all His promises. What
more could sinful mortal desire? How
undeserving is Jacob! How gracious Is
Jehovah! Can any one else appropriate
such promise. or was it only for Jacob?
Why should any child Of God hesitate
since in Christ God hath blessed US with
all spiritual blessings. and all things are
ours in Christ? tEph. /, 8; Cor. iii. 21.)
As one Of His redeemed on earth for Him
! have often appropriated 1t and lived
upon it, specially in Europe in 1895,
around the world in Japan. China and In
dia. and on His great oceans in 1897. and
in South Africa and the going to and fro
in 1893, as we'll as in the constant jour-
neyings Of every week from October TO
May.
16. II. "Surely the Lord is in this
place. and I knew it not, Such wero
his waking thoughts as he remembered
his beautiful dream, and a great sense Of
his unworthiness and sinfulness filled
him as he considered that the God Of his
fathers had appeared to him also. He
probably felt like Job and Isaiah and
Daniel and John when they saw the Lord
Job xiii. 5. 6; lisa. vi. 5: Dan. <, 8: Rev.
|, ~. Simon Peter had a somewhat
similar experience when he saw the great
goodness Of his Lord and cried. Depart
from me, for I am q sinful man, 0 Lord
U.uke V. 81. The believer should never
be found where he cannot say. "Surely
the Lord Is in this place." but the pre-
cious truth Of Math. xviii. 20. should be
ever saving. "Fcar not: peace be unto
you" Sce also Jer. xxx. II.
1S. 10. His pillow became a pillar.
anointed unto God. May it suggest the
change in himself that whereas in more
senses than one he had recently been
prone upon the earth he was now by the
grace Of God an upright man before God
and anointed by His Spirit? One Of the
promises to the overcomer is that he
shall be q pillar in the temple Of God
(Rev. iii, 12). and Paul wrote concerning
James and Peter ard John that they
seemed to be pillars tGal. Ii. 81, speaking
of the time when they gave to Rarnabas
and to himself the right hand Of Fellow
ship. There Is one great truth that be-
levers are very apt to forget. and that Is
that their bodies are temples Of the Holy
Ghost and that they are not their own,
but mansions in which Father Son and
Holy Spirit have come to dwell Il Cor.
vi, 10. 20: John xiv. II. 23). The word
"abode" in John xiv. %. is the same as
mansion" in verse 2.
20-22. "Of all that thou shalt give me
I will surely give the tenth unto thee"
Reading this passage just as It Is In our
A. ". it looks as if Jacob did not quite
believe God. but said. If God will do as
He has said. then I will give Him the
tenth of all that He gives me. Such
bargaining would be unbecominG In n
child Of Abraham who checrfully paid
tithes to Mclchisedek tchapter xiv, 20).
If we should read it. "Since God will be
with me-" etc. which translation. some
say, the word will allow. then it becomes