The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1907-03-15
JACOB
AND ESAU
Sunday School Lesson for March IL, 1907
Specially prepared Tor Ibis paper.


+*+**+****************S%'s's'
LESSON TEXT.-Genesis 0l5-25. as.
Memory verse p.
GOLDEN TENT.-"Lyns lips are an
abominatiOn 10 the Lord but they that
deal truly are his delight Prov lz.1.
TIME. According 10 Bible margin
Fsau sold his birthright about 1905 70. c.,
16 years after the death Of Abraham and
Jacob gained possession OF 10 p years
later b. G.. 1870.
PIACE-Jacob's early home was al
Beersheba. lie fed FAR 10 the north 10
sharan near hcadwaters of Euphratcs.
sCRIPTURAL REFERENCES.-ksa
despsng his blrthright. Heb. lzIt, II.
Jacob chosen instead Of Esau. Rom
97-ll: NAL ~. obadiah 1913. Jer i3.h
Our blrthright: Rom. s.li-7. John 1916
Rev. 22l-6 Selling our birthright: Matt
1926; l9.l6-22 H.S-s; Mark $685. Rev lN'S
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
Beersheba. They were as different
from one another as Isaac and Re
bekah, but with a difference Esau,
in whom Rebekahs nature was empha-
sized. was the favorite of Isaac, while
Jacob who grated the shrewdness
and business sharpness of his moth
ers family upon the home-loving and
religious and thoughtful nature OF his
father, was the favorlte of Rebekah.
Esau failed because, though brought
ND in a religious atmosphere, he chose
to 90 with bad companions and marry
heather wives. His fatal steps were
not the passionate impulse OF mo
ment. "No man sells his birthrighi
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 1t and despises II
and cheapens It, at any rate TO him
self, before he sells It so cheaply q
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. IL
open defnance Of all decency and re
ligion, he brought home two Canaanitc
wives to his fathers covenanted
camp. 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 the sum |
mer harvests and autumn fruits.
The Brthright.-"The first-born Is
the head Of the patriarchal family, and |
the right Of the firstborn includes |
the representative privileges derived |
from this exalted position. '-Delitzch |
"Esau was, by right Of BIRTH the
head Of the family its prophet, priest |
and king; and no man can renOunce
such privileges, except as a sacrifice
required by God. without 'despising |
God. who gave 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 well as its own
gain. VIM. Smith.
The crafty Jacob, instead of sharing |
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,
Jacob made him take a solemn oath
Il am dying Of hunger" said the elder
brother with characteristic exaggera-
ton, "and what is a birthright to me?'
Our Brthright.-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 a youthhood, snd 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
tons" We have an inheritance in
corruptible and undehled 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 Blrthrlght.-Many a
man sells his birthright for a mess of
character, his conscience.
his usefulness, heaven itself for pride,
for worldly gain, for honor, for pleas
ure
Practical Points.
Never sell your birthright for any
inducement whatever. nor make light
of religious things, or conscience, or
Never do wrong that good may
come.
Never do right things in a wrong
.'ay; not even gain your rights by any
find of fraud or deceit; never seek to
rpmote a good cause by the DEVILS
methods:
overcome evil with good" other
wise your cup that God made to run