The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1907-02-14
! II 'tT9''f.- = T 's..ss
JACOB
AND ESAU
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Sunday School cssoo for March IL, 1907
Specially prepared foe this paper.
Specially Draparcd 10, this paper.

LESSON TEsf Genesis q lh.>S. A-G
Memory verse %
GOLDEN TEXT - .vinr Iips are an
abOminatiou TO the Lord. but they that
deal truly are his delight PROV " %.
TIME. According to Bible margin
Esau sold his birthright about 1905 b. c..
lG years after the death OF Abraham. and
Jacob gained possession Of It rs years
later y G. 1880
PLACE Jacobs early home was at
Beersheba. He fed far To the north to
Shatan near hcadwnters OF Fuphrates
SCHtPTURAB REFERENCES --F,sau
despising his bIrthrght: Heb. 1916. H.
Jacob chosen instead OF Esau; Rom
9:1.li Nal l:2; Obadiah l7-i9: Jer. t9:S
our blrthright: Rom S:l4-17. John 3.16;
Rev. Pills Selling our birthright: Matt
1926: l9:l6-22: H:3-s: Mark s:37: Rev 1873
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Two Brothers.-The two broth.
ers we're twins. but Esau was the
elder. They were born and reared at
Beershcba They were 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
md business sharpness of his moth.
1r's family upon the home.loving and
religious and thoughtful nature of his
father. was the favorite of Rebekah.
Esau failed because. though brought
mp in religious atmosphere, he chose
70 go with bad companions and marry
heather wives. His fatal steps we're
not the passionate impulse Of a mo.
ment. mo man sells his birthright
IN the spot. He who sells his birth.
right sells 1t many times in his heart
before he takes 1t openly to the mar.
ket He belittles It and despises II
md cheapens It, at any rate to him.
Ielf, before he sells 1t so cheaply to
another" So "Esau had hunted for
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 Canaanite
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 II is moving on toward the sum
mer harvests and autumn fruits.
The 6irthrisht.-"The frst-born Is
The head Of the patriarchal family, and
the right of the first-born include
he representative privileges derived
from this exalted position.
"Esau was. ny right of birth, the
head of the family. it's prophet, priest
and king: and no man can renouncc
fn"h privileges. except as sacrifice
required by God, without 'despising
God, who gave them. But more than
his: he was the head of the chosen
lmilv; on him dcvolved the blessing
OF Abraham that. in his seed all fam
ilics of the earth should be blessed: /:
md. in despsing his birthright, he put
himself out Of the sacred family, and
80 became 'profane person. His sin
must not be overlooked in our indig
ralion AT the fraud Of Jacob, which
as we shall see presently, brought its
own retributiou as well as its own
VIM. Smith.
The crafty Jacob, instead of sharing
his meal with the brother, who had
doubtless. often given him venison
drove hard bargain, and Esau sold
his birthrigbt for a mess of pottage
And knowing well Esau's fickleness
Jacob made him take a solemn oath
II am dying of hunger" said the elder
brother with characteristic eXaggera.
ton, and what is birthright to me-
Our 8irthright.-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
range Of their highest imaginations
The child in a Christian home has
for his birthright the Sabbath day,
and the Lords table. and the society
of the best people In the city and
first youthhood, and then a man.
hood of purity and piety and the ser.
vice of Christ in His church: A birth.
right of trust and honesty and honor
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
may be temples of the Holy Ghost,
full of "the desirable things of all ma.
tions." We have an inheritance in
corruptible and undefiled, and that
fadeth not away; "a far more ex.
ceeding and eternal weight of glory"
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of
man, the things which God hath pre-,
pared for them that love him "
Selling Our Blrthright.-Many a
man sells his birthright for mess of
pottage.-his character his conscience,