The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-09-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON X, THIRD QUARTER, INTER.
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. 8.
Text Of the Lesson, Gen. xxviii, 10
22-MemOry Verses, 13-15-GOlden
Text, Gen. xxvtii, 16-COm ma e ntary
Prepared by the Rev. ID. M. stearns.

The previous chapter tells of the decep-
ton practiced upon Isaac by Jacob and
his mother, Iiebekah, AMI OF Esau's ha-
tired and purpose 10 Kill his brother be-
cause he had supplanted MIN and taken
his blessing, and as result Of this the
! sending OF Jacob To Haran 10 Rebekahs
! brother Laban for time. Our lesson is
i the story of the appearing of the Lord 10
Jacob as he jOurneyed TO Haran and is a
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 journayed onward
alone. Ii Rebekah had believed God and
had trusted Him to accomplishin 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 IL was necessary for her TO act
promptly even IL 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; Isa. xiv, 2I) and just abide in
Him. AS Jacob journeyed from his home
the blessing of his father verses Ia and
the love of his mother would lift him
somewhat above the thoughts OF his
brothers anger, but he knew he had sin
ned against God, even though his mother
Z was the most guilty, for she had been his
counselor to do wickedly QI Chron. xxi,
81, and there must have been some
searching of heart before God. His
mother promised to send for him when
his brothers anger had quoted, but we
do not read that she ever saw him again
on earth.
II. Behold ladder set up on the earth
and behold the angels of God ascending
and descending upon it. The Lord Jesus
said TO Nathaniel, thereafter we shall
see heaven open and the angels of Col
ascending and descending upon the Son
of Man" John /, 81, which teaches rs
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, II. Behold the Lord stood above it
and said, / 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 10 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
ise to Jacob refers 10 the earthly seed
Israel, and by the two righteous COM
, panes shall the righteous King Of kings
| and Lord of lords rule all the earth
: u. "And. behold, / 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" Of
our lesson ladder, the angels. Jehovah
and now the assurance of His presence
, His keeping power, His guidance and the
fulfllment 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 il only for Jacob?
: Why should any child of God hesitate
r since in Christ God hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings, and all things are
ours in Christ? (Eph. i, 3: ] Cor. iii, 21)
> AS one Of His redeemed on earth for Him
> | have often appropriated it 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 1898, as well as in the constant jour
: neyings Of every week from October TO
! May.
16, II. "Surely the Lord is in this
place and | knew it not" Such were
his waking thoughts as he remembered
his beautiful dream. and great sense Of
, his unworthiness and sinfulness filed
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
dob xiii <. g: lisa. vi, d; Dan. X, s; Rev.
!. l. IL. Simon Peter had a somewhat
similar experience when he saw the great
goodness Of his Lord and cried, Depart
from me, for / am a sinful man. o Lord
duke V, g. The believer should never
= be found where he cannot say. Surely
the Lord is in this place." but the pre-
4 cious truth OF Math. xviii. 20, should be
= an unceasing comfort to us. for He Is
{ ever saying, Fear not; peace be unto
|. you" See also Jer xxx, II.
v 49, 10. His pillow became a pillar,
|. anointed unto God. May it suggest the
n change in himself that whereas in more
o senses than one he had recently been
n prone upon the earth he was now by the
o grace OF God an upright man before God
I and anointed by His Spirit? One Of the
promises to the overcomer is that he
q shall be a pillar in the temple of God
v Rev iii, ~. and Paul wrote concerning
: James and Peter and John that they
seemed TO be pillars Gal. H. 81, speaking
4 of the time when they gave to Barnabas
q and TO himself the right hand Of fellow
/ ship. There is one great truth that be-
a 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,
o but mansions in which Father. Son and
y Holy Spirit have come to dwell q Cor.
y 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. v
|, Reading this passage just as it Is In our
A. V, it looks as If Jacob did not quite
> believe God, but said If God will do as
:. He has said then / will give Him the
:, tenth OF all that He gives me. Such
:, bargaining would be unbecoming in n
y child Of Abraham who cheerfully paid
= tithes TO Melchisedek (chapter xiv, 20)
. IL we should read 1t. "Since God will be
u with me-" etc, which translation. some
cav tha word will allow than IL bacOupc