The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-02

the soup. If you are willing, we will
exchange places. You may have the
soup, and l will take the advantages"
Esau said, Give me the SOUP. Jacob
answered "If you will swear to transfer
the birthright to me, the soup will be
yours" Careless Esau swore away his
birthright for a mess of pottage, thus
signffying that he had no particular faith
in God or His promises.
Time passed. Esau married heather
wives when he was 40 and Isaac 100
years old. little later than this came
the impartng of the blessing to the one
who had bought the birthright, to the
chagrin and anger of the one who had
solemnly sold it,
Rebecca heard Isaac's instruction to
Esau, and remembered that the birthright
had been sold to jacob. She prepared the
kind of stew which Isaac preferred, using
the skins of kids to cover Jacobs neck
and hands, that his father might mistake
him for Eau. AS Jacob had bought all
| of Esau's rights, she thought it not i'm
proper to clothe him with Esau's gar
ments, and instructed him that she would
| take the responsibility for the deception.
| Jacob carried out the programme and
got the chief blessing. Esau came in
later with his venison stew, prepared to
violate his contract made under oath, and
was greatly disappointed to learn that
the blessing was gone. Although he re-
ceived an inferior blessing from his
father, he had the spirit of murder in his
heart toward his brother for carrying out
the terms incident to the birthrigflt sale.
Earthly Loss Spiritual Gain
The account shows that Jacobs interest
in the BIRTH light blessings was not in the
earthly inheritance, but in the spiritual
promise. He left home, and went penni-
less to work for his uncle. Esau might
have the earthly blessings. Jacob car
ried with him the brthright privilege of
the Abrahamic promise With this he was
| rich indeed.
| st. Paul shows that these results were
| foreknown to God, and that at the birth
| of these men 1t had been specifically de-
, clared that the elder should serve the
younger Romans 9:10-13) Doubtless this
| prophecy guided Rebecca in thwarting
Isaac's love for Esau, which impelled him
to ignore divine prophecy-Genesis 25:2S
1t is not for us to defend the deception
of Isaac, nor to recommend this course to
| others. Nevertheless, we should notice
that the Bible distinctly tells us that
| Gods loving favor was with Jacob. Ja-
cob was loved because of his reverential
love for God and the oath-bound cove
nant made with Abraham.
Not word of condemnation Is given to
Jacob anywhere respecting this matter
| No teacher in the name of the Lord
! therefore, has the right to be wiser thar
| what is written in Gods word. @On the
| contrary Esau is roundly denounced and
| called wicked and Drofane because ne
sold his birthright for a mess of pottage
Jacobs love for the birthright is held VI
| for emulation. Esaus carelessness Is
held up as a warning that if we are care
less of our birthright, we shall not only
lose it. hut lose Gods favor
The lesson of the Birthright
The apostle calls attention to the fac
that the experiences of these brothers
were TYPICAL Abrahams natural seec
are to have a blessing, represented by
Esau's; but Abraham's spiritual seed II
to have the greater blessing, typified bS
Jacobs inheritance The earthly seed in
herited earthly blessings. The splrltua
seed give UP all earthly rights, to possess
the spiritual promises, for which th'
natural man cares nothing. All who, a1tel
having had opportunities OF pecohins
Joint heirs with Jesus Christ, love tn'
pleasures of this world, are represented
as selling their birthright on the spirl
plane for mess of pottage--earthly al
vantages.-Hebrews l2:15-17.
None can sell his birthright until M
has one Hence the application or thi
in antitype is merely to the consecrate'
people OF GOD. only tnOSe pesotteh "
the Holy Spirit have brthright in tn
highest sense. And only those could sci
it for mess of pottage." The worl'
may strive for its various prizes. ana !
measurably justified in SO doing; Tor
has nothing else offered them as yet.
The Abrahamc promise Is still the only
one held out by the Almighty. Messiah
| Is the promised seed through whom al
| of Gods blessings must come.
But the spirit-begotten heirs OF the al
vine promise become such by promisins
absolute loyalty to the Lord and the prih
ciples of justice and mercy These mus
walk self-sacrificingly in the Master
footsteps: else they cannot share VIII
Him the glorious outcome. Only those at
tanning share in the Kingdom VII
share it's wonderful work of upliftini
humanity. Let us, then, as the aposti'
cxhorts, lay aside every weight and ever!
besetting sin, and run with patience I'M
race set before us in the gospel lookint
unto Jesus, the Author of our faith unti
He shall be the Finisher of it.--Hebrew
12:1-3.
II