The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1907-03-15
JACOB
AND ESAU
Sunday School Lesson for March IL. 1907

Specially prepared for this paper.


Memory verse 70.
GOLDEN TExT.-"Lying lips are an
abomlnatlon to the Lord, but they that
deal truly are his ~delight"-Prov. 1922.
TTME.-According to Bible margin
Esau sold his birthright about 1905 B. c.
IS years after the death of Abraham, and
Jacob gained possession of 1t 25 years.
later b. e. 1850.
Beersheba. He fed far to the north to
sharan near OF Euphrates.
sCRTPTURAL REFERENCES.-Esau
despising his birthright: Heb. 1915, H.
Jacob chosen instead OF Esau: ROM
| s:7-14; NAL. 1:2; Obadiah 17-19; Ter. 4s:a
Our birthright: Rom. s:l4-17; John 31s;
Rev. 221-5. Selling our birthright: Matt.
1926: ~19:16-22; N;3-S; Mark s:37; Rev. B:S
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Two Brothers.-The two broth.
ers were twins, but Esau was the
elder. They were born and reared at
Beersheba. They we're as different
from one another as Isaac and Re-
bekah, but with a difference. Esau,
In whom Rebekah's nature was empha-
sized, was the favorite of Isaac. while
Jacob, who grated the shrewdness
and business sharpness of his moth
er's family upon the home-loving and
religious and thoughtful nature of his
Iatner, WIS the ldSOTlIe vi rNcuchah'
Esau failed because, though brought
up in a religious atmosphere, lie chose
to go with bad companions and marry
heather wives. His fatal steps were
not the passionate impulse of a mo-
ment. NO man sells his birthright
on the spot. He who sells his birth
right sells it many times in his heart
before he takes 1t openly to the mar
ket. He belittles it and despises 1t
and cheapens it, at any rate to linn
self, before he sells it so cheaply to
another" So "Esau had hunted for
years with the brothers of Judith and
Bashemath. He had eaten and drunk
en- and danced with the Hittite inhabi-
tants of the land. He had sacrificed
and sworn and vowed to their false
gods of the fields and the streams and
of the unclean groves-till at last, in
open definance of all decency and re-
ligion, he brought home two C%anaanite
wives to his fathers covenanted
camp."-Alexander Whyte.
Jacobs career was a growth and
development. We see his choice Of
the better things gradually overcom-
ing his faults and imperfections. His
progress is slow and difficult, with zig
gag motions, with reactions, like the
chilly days and snowstorms Of spring,
but it is moving on toward h sum-
mer harvests and autumn fruits.
The Birthrieht.-"The first-born Is
the head of the patriarchal family, and
the right of the first-born includes
the representative privileges derived
t from this exalted position."-Delitzch.
( "Esau was, by right of birth. the
l head Of the family, it's prophet, priest.
4 and king; and no man can
such privileges, except as a sacrifice
required by God, without 'despising'
God, who CAV them. But more than
this: he was the head of the chosen
, family; on him devolved the blessing
of Abraham that. in his seed all fam
lilies of the earth should be blessed;
and, in despising his birthright, he put
, himself out of the sacred family. and
so became a 'profane person His sin
must not be overlooked in our indig-
nation at the fraud of Jacob, which,
as we shall see presently, brought its
own retribution as we'll as it's own
gain."-Wm. Smith.
\ The crafty Jacob. instead of sharing
A his meal with the brother, who had,
doubtless, often given him venison.
drove a hard bargain. and Esau sold
his birthright for a mess of pottage.
And knowing well Esau's fickleness.
q Jacob made him take a solemn oath.
e II am dying of hunger" said the elder
brother with characteristic exaggera-
|, ton, land what is a birthright to me?"
Our Birthright.-As children of God
we all have a birthright far more val
liable than Jacob or Esau could dream
of. We have promises beyond the
y range of their highest i~maginations.
q 1.-The child in a Christian home has
i for his birthright the Sabbath day.
and the Lords table. and the society
Of the best people in the city. and
first a ~youthhood, and then a man.
hood, of purity and piety and the ser.
vice of Christ in His church: "A birth
Il right of trust and honesty and honor
n and chastity. Alexander Whyte.
We are heirs of God. of his charac-
ter, his love and care. his heavenly
home, his joy and peace. Our souls
t. may be temples of the Holy Ghost.
full of "the desirable things Of all ma
q TONS" We have an inheritance In.
s. %corruptible and undefiled. and that
fadeth not away; "a far more ex'
ceeding and eternal weight Of glory"
Eye hath not seen, no5 ear heard,
,r neither have entered into the heart OF
man, the things which God hath pre-
e. pared for them that love him."
Selling Our 6irthright.-Many q
man sells his birthright for a mess Of
re- pottage,-his character, his conscience
re his usefulness, heaven itself. for pride
for worldly gain. for honor, for pleas