Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-05-02
A MEAN MANS
GREAT EXPERIENCE
The international Sunday School
Lesson for April IS e. Jacob
at Bethel" Gen. xviii. 1922.
1922.
By william 7. Ellis.

> 1922. :
BY William T. Ellis.
There are no plaster saints in the bible.
men who are good and men who are bad.
even as you and l." make up that record
OF human life in its divine relationships.
It has often been said that n evidence OF
the historicity of the bible is the honesty
with which It deals with IT'S heroes; Con-
ton and mythology Of the non-Christian
religions: 1t is said that aside from
Christ, there are only " biblical char
naught d~erogatory is said in the inspired
record. Since these varied men were
friends of God, 1t seems easier for the rest
of us poor humans. with all our limita-
tions. to aspire to the same goal.
1t is not saint Jacob that we study to-
day. Instead, we look upon q mean, des-
picable. cowardiy creature ga t are nesinE from
his brave and impuisive brother, Esau.
sought his life.
The Plot That Failed.
.s ssheme G,s.e commonly nnfonakeg oy ,ntssrifv +, them m.
most charming trait OF character. The
most attractive person 1 know is c%onspicu-
ously marked for her transparent genuine
ness. Rebekah had violated all the con-
~siderations OF honesty in order to secure
a fathers blessing for her favorite son.
She had been abetted in this by the dis
Isaac. Now her home had been scattered.
Jacob had fled for his life toward distant
Mesopotamia.
This time the journey was not as his
grandfather Abraham a made it. In full
caravan and state. Like q hunted criui-
nal. he fed in real fear Of being over
taken by the ayenger He had no cara
lorn fugitive. making his furtive way
north and east. He camped wherever
nightfall found him. and so this lesson
OF Bethel. where Abraham had once tar-
ried and erected an altar.
The Sleep BY the Waysids.
The familiar hymn. Nearer, My God.
to Thee which is built on the imagery
of Jacobs experience at Bethel. with his
press upon our uniformed minds the
hardship of the fugitive's having to sleep
with a stone for q pillow: Now this was
no nc rs nst s9nSs' GRIEF nsr.,,,t the do osien nat s especially NY
cushioned life of ease Of the occident.
The verisimilitude. Of the bible is revealed
by q thousand such touches az this. 1t
would be the most natural him for q man
trained in the open TO take the nearest
stone for q pillow. I remember a Korean
HON where. In the sleeping rooms. the
p @as Sleeping ping on s'a + ground round any saSns Hardship ship
to Jacob. The oriental knows how to
stand things. I have been amazed by the
versed by Jacob. who could sleep on the
ground or on . goard, often in driving
snow or pelting rain. Their life has taught
them to endure the buffetings Of nature.
So we find Jacob sleeping amid the rocks
at Bethel with no fictitious accessories. He
was a plain runaway, scared and troubled.
His anxious days were followed by rest
less nights. Not even in sleep could he
and quiet.
IN these days OF pilgrimage Jacob had
been thinking. Apparently he was learn
Some men have to 90 into a far country
before they can learn the meaning OF
home. It Il bitter school which ex.
the history Of the race teaches. that dis.
proit may b gained At too high a price.
Dreams That Reach Upward.
The trst clear intimation Of 2 hfe be-
yond this present. n to be found in
Bethel. He IN his dream saw q ladder
reachlng to heaven.
~, Pan, ay. thou. e are the stu: stuff Of which aasn
meditating upon the God Of MS fathers.
Nov IL this drsam he NV how near to
far from us. Even the mind Of an I'M
divtdual may bring heaven and earth to-
gether: In the revulsion from his old
self which remorDe had brought to him,
Jacob . besn driven to nobler Thoughts.
AZ he progressed toward Mesopofamia he
was progressing toward grace.
An Old Asrssmsnt Ratified.
Like many . man who 10 walking the
streets today, Jacob found that God was
dealing better with him than he deserved.
The covenan with Abraham was not alb
rogated because Jacob had fallen so far
below specifications. The promise Of ABB
raham's seed still held true. Jacob was
in the line Of the covenant. After all, he
Va. the better OF the two sons-which 10
saying little.
Now with his new vision he Jaw God at
the head Of the ladder stretching from
earth to heaven. He had In his dream q
With God, who ratified the
promise OF old. It was q renewal of the
raham; and Il gave to Jacob the new sense
OF God and Gods protection.
After his night Of dreafns, Jacob awoke
declaring that this place had become q
Bethel. or house Of God. The name is one
t truly =. so II oI Dy n many . Ghurch !. p. Each Each
race 70 face With the infinite realities and
the eternal Personality. Memory erects
ite pillars Of memorial at these places
even - ancient orientals used to set up
to remember the past. for thereby we are
fortified In the present.
The Runaway's Vow.
He va : fugitive from home. For aught
he knew. E1au might be only q day be-
mind him. Possibly that a9ile, tireiess
hunter was hiding behind yonder bush. It
was.0y no means certain that Jacob could
reach his mothers ancestral home up. In
ing force. His ~self-reliance. which had
eeemed 10 adequate In the presence Of his
feeble father and his pliable brother, ap-
peered less adequate. nov.