The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-09-06

fcr SeptsMter =, IOO1-JHcsa
~ bethel.

Genesis 2S:lo-22)
10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba.
and went toward Haran.
II. And he lighted upon a certain place.
and tarried there all night. because the
sun was set: and he took the stones Of that
place. and put them for his pillows. and
| lay down In that place 10 sleep.
IL. And he dreamed. and behold ladder
set up on the earth and the top OF IL
reached TO Heaven. ard behold the angels
Oh God ascending and descending on II.
| ~ And. behold. the Lord stood above II.
and said. | am the Lord God Of Abraham
thy father and the God OF Isaac: the lard
| whereon thou Hest, TO thee will l give H..
and 10 thy seed.
a. And thy seed shall be as the dust Of
the earth. and thou shalt spread abroad 10
the west. and to the east. and 10 the north
and TO the south. and in thee and In thy
seed shall all the families OF the earth be
| blessed
TO- And. behold, ! am with thee. and win
keep thee In all places whittier thou goest.
arc Will bring thee again into this land:
FOR l Will not leave thee. until have done
that which have spoken to thee Of
IT, And Jacob awaked out OF his sleep.
| and he said. Surely the Lord is in this place
Ard knew II not.
IL. And he was afraid. and said, How
dreadful Is this place. this is none other
than the house OF God. and this is the gate
of Heaven.
Is. And Jacob rose up early in the morn.
ing, and took the stone that he had put COR
ois pillows. and set 1t up for a pillar. and
poured oil upon the top OF It.
~ And he called the name OF that place
Bethel: but the name Of that city was
called Luz at the first
70. And Jacob vowed a vow. saying. II
zoo VII be with me. and Will keep me In this
way that i 60 and will give me bread to
eat and raiment to put on.
a. 80 that come again to my fathers
mouse In peace. then shall the Lord be my
God.
p. And this stone. which / have set for .
Pillar. shall be Gods house: and of all that
lhou shait give me l will surely give the
tenth unto Thee
GOLDEN TENT.-sureIy the Lord Il
In this pInce.-Gen. 2s:IU.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Jacob and Esau.-These irwin sons OF
isaac and Rebekah were very unlike
In temperament. Esau had his moth.
er's active. and restless disposition;
Jacob resembled the quiet Isaac in his
tastes. Jacob was also like his father
In spiritual sensibility but the unscru-
pulous cunning with which he sought
his end was more like Rebekah than
like Isaac. The sale Of the birthripht
shows both brothers almost equally
unatfractive. Jacob schemes and takes
advantage OF Esau's need. Esau's hum
ger becomes resistless greed.
Jacobs Decep tion.--Neither Isaas
nor Esau seems to have recognized the
sale of the birthright as valid. The
patriarch was determined to leave the
inheritance TO Psau. The plan TO de.
ceive Isaac was Rebekah's. and Jacob
appears as her willing tool. The bless
ing which Isaac gave was thought to
settle the Inheritance, much as a will
does in modern times. This blessing,
couched in poetical language. gave it's
recipient the headship of the family.
Esau's Blessing.-The bitter disap.
pointmert of Esau is pictured with re.
markable literary power in 27:3l-3s.
His earnest plea brought from his ia.
Their prophecy OF prosperity and final
independence.
Jacob Sent Away.-Esau's plan for
revenge was natural: its self-restraint
shows how deep was his respect for his
father. The choice of wife by Jacob
from among their kindred in Harnn
would appeal to Isaac is fitting.
Jacobs Dream.-Jacob was nearly
or quite 40 years old when he set out
on his long journey. Apparently he
went on foot and alone. though we
should expect man in Isaac's circum.
stances to provide some attendants
and means of easy travel Cor his son.
The distance from Beersheba to
Bethel IS somewhat more than co
miles. so that the dream can hardly
have come 10 Jacob on the frst night
sf.er his departure. Even If he had
been provided with camels. he would
hardly have been able to reach Bethel
the first night. The use of the stone
for a pillow dses not indicate as great
lack OF the comforts OF life as II
would in these days. Probably soft
Pillows were an invention Of later
times. The form Of jacobs dream NAV
have heen due to the impression left
on his sight by the mountains about
him. The ladder was n staircase
rather than series of rungs. In the
dream Jacob received the same prom
Use which God had given Abraham and
Isaac II is noteworthy that the prom.
Use Of blessing TO the whole world.
which had been given to Abraham
n2:3; 22:1s). but not in terms 70
Isaac. was here repeated. To this
promise was added assurance OF ia.
cob's safe return. The form of conse-
Grafton which Jacob used in pouring
oil on the stone was common. Such
sacred stones stood in many places
and were objects Of popular reverence.
though not generally OF direct wor-
ship. Jacobs VOW was in part a token
OF gratitude and in part. apparently.
an attempt to make conditions with
God. though he named no conditions
which God had not already pledged.
This experience Of jacob at Bethel
may be perhaps called his first spir.
itual awakening. An outcast and q |
through his own nvarice |
and deceit God now takes him up and |
encourages him with His promises.
In his great distress and need he had |