The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-16
In THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.
What the Church Folks Are Thinking About and Doing
Religious News From Everywhere.

she has clrcumVented Isaac In the ia
terest of her favorite, and she is. an
early exponent of the vicious motto:
THE end justifies the means" Yet
she has the self-immolating mother
heart. For Jacobs sake she would
run any risk, dare any curse, thus re-
sembling Nero's mother, who cried,
Let him kill me, but let him reign"
Esau: Hairy, red, and a man of the
fields. Impulsive, primitive, simple
and strong he is dominated by the ele-
he would exchange his prospects of a
noble future. He cares for a life of
pleasure. in virile fashion, it is true.
loving the chase and the joys of the
open air. He is an untamed sort of
creature, deSpising conventions, and
at no time qualified to adorn parlor
society. He is brave man, with plen-
ty of sheer, brutal courage, but rather
Slow-Witted and without Subtlety. In
his ingenuousneSs and guilelesSness
brother. Nevertheless, there is the
making of a great man in him. His
ffliaI devotion shows itself, even
though in crude ways; perhaps it is
more truly a fact about Isaac than
about Esau, that Isaac. loved Esau
because he did eat of his venison." But
surely the fathers heart feeds also on
the attention thus shown him by his
son.
Jacob: 1.-The supplanter,'' so named
at birth, and true to his name. A
suave, shrewd, far-seeing schemer,
who prefers to reach all his goals by
subterranean means. He is as keen
witted, as selfish and able to wrap his
mother and other persons about his
fingers, as suits his own advantage.
He loves the quiet ways of seclusion,
rather than the open; no reflection of
the clear, blue sky shines in his char
acter. For he is the first to embody
the principle, Business is business"
which adage conveniently covers no
end of unscFupulousness He has only
one conjunction: That is. lest he
should be caught at his despicable
tricks; for, like most mean men, he
Is a coward. He cares as little about
deceiVing his blind old father as he
does about cheating his supplemented
brother out of his birthright, provided
he can keep out of the strong hands of
the latter.
The Scene.
These four rather unpreposseSsing
characters played their parts amid a
setting that should suggest only peace
full, noble thoughts. The family were
shepherds, farmers and hunters dwell
ing in tents in southern Canaan, a
goodly land. The old cheik, Isaac, had
not only sufficient worldly goods for
all the wants of himself and his sons,
but he had plenty besides, and was
a rich and powerful chieftain.
Having drifted through a long life,
turned by every obstacle, he had at
last come to a quiet old age, where he
waited in blindness for the end. One
gift he had to bestow before dying
his paternai blessing upon the Oldest
son, making him head of the family
and heir te all the promised blessings
which were to come through Abraham
At this point there enters upon the
stage envy, covetousness, craft deceit.
wifely disleyaIty.
The Plot.
The plot, in a word, was to foist the
fayorite son of the mother upon the
father to receive the blessing intended
for Esau. Once before the two broth
ers had come into conflict, when
ESau, hungry from the chase, had be-
sought food from Jacob, and the latter
had stipulated the birthright as the
price. 1t is always bad bargain when
appetite trades with avarice. Esau
showed himself unworthy of his SON
ship, and Jacob showed himself I'M
worthy of his brotherhood. One proved
as contemplate as the other. except
that sin of impulse and passion may
be counted less than one of cold and
deliberate purpose.
In the present instance Isaac, hun
CRY, had sent Esau for some venison.
promising him the blessing upon his
return. Rebekah overheard. and plot
ted with Jacob to disguise himself in
Esau'S clothes, covering his hands with
the skin of kid, the soft. short hairs
of which would resemble Esau's
hairy hands. Rebekah proved herself
the bold and the master mind in the
conspiracy. Jacob merely following out
her directions. He was timorous; she
not at all.
Then followed a heap of lies upon
| lies, such as amaze an Angio-S Saxon. I
am writing these lines while in the
Orient, and again and again have
| sighed for week at home among peo-
| pie who tell the truth. In the east. W.
/ ing is as natural as breathing Caught
| red-handed in it, your Oriental is not
/ abashed; he simply has not truth in
/ the inward parts: and a traveller in
! these lands often recalls that 1t was of
8 orientals that the Psalmist most nat11r-
ally said. "All men are liars" One
great difference between Christian and
non-Christian peoples is that the for
mer generally tell the truth and de-
spise the liar; the latter habitually