The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-25

whereas the life of a shepherd was just
tn training to inspire and qualify Jacob
for that calling.
When. therefore, it was apparent that
Esau did not appreciate nor value his
birthr,ght. Jacob and RebeSah determined
to get possession of it. In this their
skill IN culinary art served them In good
terms. for both Isaac and Esau We're
epicurean in their tastes and ideas of
things. How Jacob bought the birth
right from Esau with a dish of lentils
we saw last SunGay. and how Rebekah
deceived Isaac by preparing kid so that
Isaac could not tell 1t from venison, and
got the blessing for her favorite son,
is told in the morning lesson.
1t Is another case of education sup
planting hereditary privileges. 1t was
through his education that Jacob learned
TO appreciate his birthright; 1t was
through his education as a cook that he
WAS able to purchase 1t; 1t was through
his education as a shepherd that he got
his Wife and his fortune. 1t was through
the lack of education that Esau did
not appreciate his brthright, nor was
aple II provide for his own support or
supply his own wants: but had to live
from bunting and fishing and trust to
luck.
Rebekah Was Appreciative.
Jacob mother saw to it that her favor
lite son was educated Mothers are more
appreciative Of the value of educating
their children than fathers. Soon the
fact that Esau did not appreciate his
privileges came out when he married into
the Horte tribes to the south. and showed
disregard for the preservation and con-
servaton Of the purity of the Aramean
blood of his children This. RebelSah
could not stand, and it made her life
| miserable. She remembered how God
i lIa1 l..r~
from her home In the distant east sixty
years ago in order that the heirs to the
promise to Abraham might have pure
Aramean blood in their veins, and now
Esau has made the very purpose of her
marriage vain.
She determined, therefore. that he
should not inherit the SheilSdom of the
promise. Jacob had already bought the
! birthright, and she determined to get
| for his the succession to the Abrahamc
! Sheilldom when Isaac surrendered it. So
she got Isaac to pledge her that Jacob
should go to her own kin for his wife.
an not be permitted to repeat the out
rage of Esau, and awaited her time.
Sool Isaac. old end blind. decided to
retire from the Sheikdom and its burdens
and after the manner of his time be-
queathed the head of the clan to Esau.
| This event was celebrated by a feast and
sacred blessing, and Isaac told Esau to
prepare him such n feast and receive
| the patriarchial blessing, which was in
society then much what n will is with
us today. Rebekah overheard him, and
determined to thwart it. So she consnired
with Jacob to prepare kid like venlson
and cover himself with hair like Esau.
and fegning himself to be Esau, de-
ceive Isaac into bestowing the blessing
on him. The matter iG executed with
success and Isaac pronounced the bless
ing Jacob whio came to be a elan
Il lit = Il
and is here quoted In the Bible.
Later Esau comes in with his veniso:,
only to find that Jacob had supplanted
him In getting the blessing, and utters
the words OF the text Thereupon he
asked for blessing also, which would
give him sheik rights and privileges, and
Isaac does so, but 1t is not the sheilship
of Abraham in Canaan. but one outside
of Palestine. This blessing came to be
the doom song of Edom. and is quoted
as such in the narrative.
Esan Desired Social Benefit.
1t was not the promise which Esan
coveted but the honor and social benefits
or the sheik. On the other hand 1t was
not the wealth and property and honor
of the sheik that Jacob coveted, but the
promise, the moral and spiritual assets
of the clan. As a matter of fact. Esau
did get all the property of the elan
and rich prospects from Jacob besides.
ana Jacob got the heritage of the PROM
Use. but nothing OF the clan estate be-
| sides. He became the heir to the civiliza-
ton which Abraham had established its
| moral and religious customs and ideas
Of life. and the right to people and
posses; the land of Canaan as the home
of that civilization. | think Esau was
well sal isned with his bargain when he
left Caraan and the family customs and
traditions to Jacob and himself went off
to the region Of SER possessed of thu
family property and laden with rich
presents besides
And Jacob seems to have been equally
| satisfied with the title to the moral and
social assets and the promise of the
land. SO we have here two types of men,
! the man who values moral, social and
| spiritual things as OF the greatest worth
| In life which is Jacob; and the man
| who sees nothing but the material and
pecuniary as OF value In life which In
Esau. The one is the progentor of tho
| Israelitsh civilization; Esau on the other
| hand ssys: What is hirthright worth
| to me, seeing 7 am ready to die" and
sells all the future for the satisfaction
OF the present material wants.
! All down the ages in the descendants
of Jacob are sages who looking back
over their experience and that OF their
ancestors teach men to get wisdom, to
| 1t understanding: for she is more
precious than gold and sweeter than
money ana the honeycomD. And TO crown
| ii all Christianity comes with the coun-
ell, Look not on the things which are
seen. bu on the things which are not
seen. for the things which are seen are
| temporal and the things which are not
seen are external. One blesses the en-
| tire world with heritage of moral, in
| tellectual and spiritual assets in all ages
| to come; and the other is today nonen-
| tity. and blight In the world The
man who educates himself and becomes
| heir to the worlds best hopes, beliefs.
| ideas and skill. will supplant him who
| lives fer the pottage of the passing day.
| His name is Jacob rightly.
Our Birthright.
We OF our day have our birthright in
| the sooity with which We are surrounded
and need to be educated not only to
make the most of life for ourselves. but
| to make that life q blessing to the world.
Jesus CT Nazareth left l'ch heritage
| to his disciples who should come after
AM to make their own lives the richer
a. the more fruitful to others
TIE preacher concluded with an appeal
| for a higher valuation of the heritage
of our Christian society today