Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-06

isaac conferred upon JACOB the DirtnTlsht
which he had purchased from his brother.
The awakened anger of Esau, when he con-
sidered what had been done, and his de-
clared purpose Of revenge, prompted his
mother to devise plan by which to save
her favorite son. That plan was laid be-
fore Isaac and approved, and We shall to-
day consider the manner of it's execution.
CHARGE oversees / to 5).-It was at
the suggestion of Rebckah that Isaac en-
joined upon his son not to take a wife
among the women of the land Esau had
done. This command was in the interest of
race purity. Jacob knew that the son
could not keep the covenant of God and
raise up a poSterity able to meet the de-
signs of God unless he had wife who
should cooperate with him in all the high
purposes. Hence he sent him on a long
journey to Padan-Aram, the home of the
family to which he belonged, and with
further blessing given and prayer for
ABUNDANT success Jacob departed.
SLCMBE.R Oversees 10 and 1D.-Leav
Ing his fathers home in Beersheba which
was in the southern part of Palestine. ia
cob travelled in a northerly direction
toward Haran, the place of Abraham's So
Journ lGen., xi:3). after God called him to
leave Cr Of the Chaldees. The entire dis
lance to be covered must have been at
least five hundred miles. At the close Of
the second day he was in the open plains
aoout forty-eight miles from the point of
departure. AS the was declining he
round 1t was impossible to reach any city
before the gates would be closed for the
nisnt ana he knew that after they were
closed he would be unable to enter Select
ing a stone-not stones in our English
Verslon-as an elevation on which the head
might rest, and covering that, doubtless,
Win some garment or cushion, he laid
Gown TO slumber in the open field He may
nave appointed watchmen from among the
servants. or he may have felt secure under
the protection of God psalms, ili:0. The
WEAKNESS OF the journey and the purity Of
tiie atmosphere were favorable to repose.
VISION (verse 12). Philosophers of
all time have carefully studied the phe-
nomena of sleep. Those who hold to the
dual nature of man, as soul and body adj
init that while the voluntary functions of
the latter are suspended, the former Is ca
paDle Of exercises of greater importance
Accordingly many things may occur in sleep
quite beyond the ordinary in waking hours,
80 deeply impressed as not to be lost from
memory When the person returns to phys-
cal consciousness. In the patriarchal
times God selected these seasons of slum-
Der, sometimes inducing them by an ex-
traordlnary influence. to make special dis
closures to his servants Gen., ii:22,. So
II came to Jacob that night on the plain.
He had vision of ladder set up on the
earth reaching to heaven, on which the
angels Of God assembled and descended
This was intended as pictorial represen-
tation OF the intercourse between earth and
heaven the connection of the two worlds
oy angelic ministry (Heb., i:1D. 1t was
granted at this time to assure Jacob of
personal security and guidance in his fu-
ture life.
PROMISES oversees 10, IA and ID
what was thus expressed in a picture to
the mind was afterward declared in words.
The duplicated deliverance was intended to
increase the impressiveness of the message.
the one interpreting and confirming the
other. And yet the explanatory language
was fuller than the initial vision 1t con-
tanned three important points Ffrst-the
one Who spoke thp of 4 I.fnb
ana or Isaac, the same who made cove
nant with the father of Jacob Gen. xxi:
lo-lS), who now proposed to renew the
covenant. Second-the land promised at
first should belong to Jacob and his pos
terity, who should become a great multi
tude and blessing to all peoples. Third
the divine presence shall be with 5acob in
his journey, bringing him again in safety
to his fathers home and fulfilling all the
gracious purposes. Here were two very
comforting promises both resting on the
faithfuiness of God. both well suited to
strengthen the heart and kindle the hope
OF this traveller on his journey to dis
tant country.
PRESENCE oversees 10 and 1O.-Man
SO taberracies in the flesh that his most
intimate relations are with material things
BY the senses there are borne in upon the
soul Impressions of the tangible world in
such variety as quite to obscure the spirit
ual world that lies back of all. When for
brief time the dominion of the senses is
broken, when God reveals himself, and
the spiritual Is seen to be real. men are
filed with fear and reverence Such ex-
perlenceS are of incafculable value, as they
tend to restore the normal relations be-
tween soul and body (Rom., vi:6). That
was, therefore, an occasion of far-reach-
Ing influence In the life Of Jacob. When
ne was Wakened In the morning it was evil
dent that the vision and message had pro-
duced salutary effect He was rever-
emily afraid, convinced that he had been in
the presence of God, that he had igno-
fn cir bor. ;,,r
spot; that, in fact, his couch had been the
house Of God and the very gate of heaven
He had learned what many never learn,
that the Lords presence alone renders a.
place sacred.
PILLAR oversees IS and 1e).-The eff
feet of the vision was not altogether emo
tional. Jacob emphatically man of
action. He resolved to commemorate the
remarkable event in his history by erecting
monument that might mark the spot and
SO become holy to him in all after-time
And so the stone which had served as pill
low was set up as pillar. Upon the top of
and graces of the Holy Spirit. 1t was be-
lieved at that time that by this ceremony
the stone became instinct with energy of
divinity, remnant of superstition handed
down from remote time. There is a foolish
tradition that this stone was afterward
brought to Jerusalem, carried thence to
Spain, afterward to Ireland, thence to Scot
land; that on it the kings of Scotland were
brought to Westminster, and there this
stone called Jacobs pillow and Jacobs pill
lar, is now placed under the chair on which
the king sits when he is crowned. Jacob
further signalized the event by giving a
name to the locality, calling it Bethel, or.
literally, House of God.
VOW oversees 20 and 2D.-The most
elevating spiritual experiences begin in the
intellect and proceed thence to the emo
tons. but they do not end there They are
completed only by affecting the will. What
ever one may think or feel, he rises to high
est dignity when he resolves, and when by
such resolve he determines his own conduct
Jacob now passed into l..e voitional state,
and made vow, promise or oath, of life
long loyalty to God. THE Lord shall be my
Cod was his self-imposed pledge Ruth
i:18), a voluntary conservation. But this
was not in the best form. 1t was made con-
ditional upon the faithfulness of God to His
promises just made. If God would oe with
him and help and keep him, and prosper
him, and bring him back in safety. then the
VOW should hold, an implication that other
wise it would be null and void. This barter
ing method was in full harmony with the
disposition of Jacob Gen, XIV :29-34). Sad
ly out of place here, 1t was after all better
than no vow at ALL Much is to be learned
before an unconditional conservation would
be possible.
TITHE Verse 22).-The selfish and
dickering spirit of Jacob appears further