The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-13
By WILLIAM T. ELLIS. u


Because Your Names are Written in
Heaven" Luke 1920
By WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
A scared man reveals his true ma
ture. What is deepest in ones char
acter comes to the top in a crisis. This
present Sunday school lesson deals
with the barred heart of Jacob, panic
stricken at the approach of his
brother, Esau, whose vengeance he
feared. In its climax the story shows
the mean, deceitful, scheming, cow
ardly supplanter conquered by q
Greater than Esau. and transformed
into q brave confident and oVercom-
relates one of those eoochal events in
which q mans life is made over. In
the transformation OF the purposes
and ideals of an individual man is
often wrapped up tremendous issues
This story can be made clear only
by rehearsing the events which pre-
ceded it. After Jacobs vision at
Bethel, he met at the well the little
girl Rachel, in whom he saw his fu-
fure wife. He introduced himself TO
iLaban, her father. as a kinsmans and
AFTER a time. entered into a compact
with him to work seven years in ex-
change for Rachel as his wife. The
outcome shows from which OF ms
parents Jacob had inherited his guile,
FOR his mothers brother tricked him
shrewdly, by substituting Leah ms
older daughter. for Rachel. the
The complete V61AAAAB Va SAAO
bride made this possible; have seen
an Oriental bride so closely yelled that
she could neither be seen nor see, ano
had TO be supported ana guideo eveEy
step of the way to her bridal chair.
The drinking at the wedding Lsast
probably also facilitated the deception.
The Substituted Bride.
Now Leah had weak, sore eyes. ana
lacked both the beauty and the indl-
vtduality of Rachel. Jacop ne 7,se
a succession of desperate endeaVors 10
gain his affection The decelt prac-
ficed upon Jacob was such VlVlo re-
1ninder of the way he had deceived
his own father that his conscience pre-
vented him from making the protest
against Laban's sharp trick tnal d feSS
entity man would have made.
60 a compromise was effected. At
fns end of eight days, when the mar
rage festivities were ended, JACOB was
given Rachel to be also ms Drlu 1911 or |
Condition that he serve another seven
wears for her, thus making 1ourteS ~
wears that he served for his WIRE. -
Is suggestive of the nobility Inat -
latent in the worst of US that JACOB,
Nth ali his contemplate traits, yet
proved capable of sincere ana eH-
allied love for Rachel, and alcnougn, IN !
the matter of the terephiTn Wnlc sn sals
etole. Rachel proved herself possesse4t
Of the family craftiness which we mrs.
and exhibited by her aunt, EeDe lst4I1
Jacobs mother There Can Cali - ~ 80
oonpo th1 in nnrsnance of an ideal. as
veil as the devotion of the woman Z, ne
loved, had a refining and elevHuls III
a1,snce upon Jacobs character.
or the polygarny which appears IN tne
-+o,-,y nothing can be said in 1ustlnca-
+ion. except that 1t was part VI 'I
times. and. furtherncrtes' T., ms ias1onsy
en1litv and intrigue. A retainer IN an |
eminent Chinese family, was asked py
a foreigner how his masters YVES NV so me
. saverSwhere, Mr.. Blank When Mr.; WI
navs attention to one wife. tnen al ,, AZ
others eat bitterness" only unS ui -
1rided love of the one man LOT tne V w
,ronnar and of the one woman Tor the
one man, can bring peace ana hSpp1-
ness to a nome.
Triclxster Meets Trfclzster.
The modern maxim, Business Is DIS DIS
snese {" which covers so many seITlsn anu
dishonorable transs .etirIiv nn Herabic
-IatSons between LAban and JACOB.
Poth were unscrupulous snaTpers, s
older man proving AT n u.s.. ,ne had ex-
ont.a ii years of prosperity orlnglne
service from Jacob, they na es, . 20.
yair as to the latter's future cor ~ -
go. 5enendent upon the nature OK the
s t-o.s 80 Of the ffocks. Old Laban must
bsve ohuclS1ed inwardly, ana WiIspSt
"a CONGRATULATIONS to himselt IN Ms
beard. as he t mo1e made I~s 50 apparently
COMPANY a6vantage on his side. Soon,
though, his face assurned q ua1sa ~
expression. for the proSpTT1T The tricksteG
Jacob and not TO MIN. AH0
had been outtrickeo. .,. 4,,o4 1,,bera
II a. a pretty safe principle tnat WheIs
. man cannot work comfortably ano
conqenially he should move on 70 o tinei
%oi5s 90 Jacob did, when he saw tnal
Toban,s face was turned from MIN. ne
1id IL. however, in Jacop-hke IasnIon,
nv sneAking off when MS uLcie 80
o5.,.v His wives were party TO the
1870 couductfng themselves toward
@11eir father in rather more unnhaI
<asbior. than wifely loyalty seems to
have required. RaSnei even 9Is+ S1une 1i
+ha terepbi1n which he consulted IN
1erp1oxities. Later, she hid them BY
ready falsehood-
For Uncle Leban followed his precious
Eon-in-law and daughters, and tnere
was war in his eye. He pursued, thirsty
for vengeance; a mercenary man. out
IVitted IN a bargain, thinks that he has
a deep grievances. me L LORE s nn with
Jacob that he would better keep hands
Off SO the old man, with unscrupulous
ingenuity, pretends that ne mas come 70
fall on his dear children's necks, and
to mourn because they had not per-
mitted him to give them grand "tree-
dom party! -,
lowed was marked by a peace treaty, in
commemoration of which monument
was erected, called ''Ndizpah," meaning,
Jehovah, watch between me and thee
when we are absent one from another.
This was far from being love token, |
ana II is perhaps unfortunate that the
Christian Endeavor societies should
have chosen these words for their fare
well formula, inasmuch as they signify, ,
when freely translated, when you are
ont of my sight remember that the
Lord has his eye on you, so no more
crookedness. please" {