Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1913-04-19
INTERNATIONAL.
SUlllNSC[IOOL
LESSON
(By E. o. SELLERS Director of Even
ing Department The Moody Bible In
stitute of Chicago-)
LESSON FOR APRIL 20
JACOBS MEETING WITH EsAu.


another. tenderhearted, forgiving each
other even as God also In Christ forgave
you Eph- 4:32 r. "
We are about to lose sight of Jacob,
"a cheat" and we shall hereafter con-
slider Israel. "a prince" While Jacob
is not so grand a character as Abra-
ham nor so lovable as Isaac, yet he
is much more like the average man.
The story of his days of willing serv-
ice for Rachel (29:20); of Laban's
deception and of his prosperity in
spite of Laban, can be found in chap
tiers 90 and 80, while that of his re-
turn to Canaan is contained in chap
tiers 1885, Though not included in
the selected portion of Scripture, we
do not see how anyone can teach this
chapter 80. We therefore see before
us Cd Jacobs diplomacy, 32:1-s; CD
Jacobs prayer. 32:9-12; (3) Jacobs
present to Esau. 32:13-23, and (4)
Jacobs wrestling, 32:24-32
A finger tip of God disabled Jacob,
yet vanquished he is victorious for
God-the angel of Jehovah-has TAX
en- from this double-dealing, crafty
child that which h1ndered all that
was truest in his life. Not by COM
Polling but by yielding was Jacob en-
larged; by submitting he found the
throne of power. So much in prepa-
ration for the lesson of today.
Not Coward.
I. The Approach-vv. 1-3. Jacob
had just had a vision of God (32: 300;
why, then, should he fear the face of
his brother? Even so, however, he
continued his measures of precaution
and separated his children into Leah
and Rachel and sent the landmarks
and their children ahead. Notice how
he places his most loved in the rear
of the procession which he himself
led. Jacob was not a coward and, in
deed, with his new-found power he
had no need to be- Before he had
fed from the face of his angry broth
er, now with holiness, and yet with
humility, he enters the presence of
that same brother even though he
had had no assurance as to the char
acter of that meeting.
II. The Meeting-vv. All. Twen-
ty-one years had passed, days of
great testing but of great blessing
before Jacob began this homeward
journey. Jacob had learned the "up-
ward look ". u and his prevailing
prayer brought Esau to him in haste
but not in anger. Now Esau lifts up
his eyes ". 50 and beho1ds not the
fugitive of old, but transformed,
prosperous and richly blessed broth
er. tWho are those with thee?" he
asks, and Jacob at once acknowledges
God as the giver and the blesser.
(See 1926; Jas. IT'D Jacob speaks
G: his children as Gods gracious gifts.
Although this is everywhere the
teaching of the Bible, yet how often
is it the modern view, at least in
many circles of society. Following
the children came the landmarks and
their children, then Leah and her
children, and last of all Rachel and
Joseph. At once Esau inquiries as to
those gifts Jacob had sent ahead (32:
1920, and Jacob replies, "That /
might find grace in the sight of my
Lord" 1t is well to notice that Esau
refused this gift ". III as purchase |
price of reconciliation.
Jacob Astute.
From the marginal reading we see |
that Jacobs words when urging Esau |
to accept his gift were: Because I |
have ALL Every child of God can |
tyuthful1y say as much. q Cor. 1921; |
Phil. 4:1S, 10; Rom 1871, 32.) Thus |
we see the astute Jacob who had so |
arranged his affairs as to make gifts
or not as might be necessary is sur
prised, not as at Bethel when he met |
God, but to find that God had SO
moved upon the heart of his brother
as to remove for a time at least all
danger.
III. The Separation, w. 1915. We
infer from a study of Esau's life that /
Jacob did not deem 1t safe to make /
the proposed journey. Discretion is /
the better part of valor." God does
not demand nor desire rashness and |
needless danger upon the part of his |
children /
There are three main teachings In /
this lesson, aside from those of the /
preceding chapter. ID That in mat.
tiers of supreme Importance in the /
life of any man God is interested and
ready to lend his assistance Jacob
ready to lend his assistance.
CD There is the lesson that while |
men with anxiety seek to make plans
for the Kingdom it is only as they |
fully commit themselves to him and
allow him to dominate and to guide /
will they spell success in their lives. |
(3) And lastly, when God controls,
when he has the victory in our |
hearts and our lives. he not only
changes the attitude of our enemies |
towards us but changes our attitude |
towards them (Rom- 1920. 21-)
The Golden Text emphasizes this |
last Thought The only way we can /