The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1913-04-18
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LESSON
LESSON FOR APRIL 70
JACOBS MEETING WITH esAv.
tBy y. .. SELLERS. Director Of Even
ing Department The Moody Bible In.
stittitc Of ChicagO.)

other even AZ God also In Christ fotgave
you" Eph. <:ss n. "
We are about to lose sight Of Jacob.
"a cheat" and we shall hereafter con
slider Israel. "a prince" While Jacob
lie not 20 grand . character - Abra-
ham nor 20 lovabie % Isaac, yet he
10 much more like the average man
The story Of his days Of willing serv-
ice for Rachel t2s:20l: Of Laban's
deception and Of his prosperity IN
spite Of Laban. can be found IN chap
ters 20 and 30, while that Of his re-
turn to Canaan il contained In chap
tiers 3i.35. Though not included ID
the selected portion Of Scripture. We
do not see how anyone can teach this
lesson and omit the consideration Of
chapter 80. We therefore see before
us (1) Jacobs diplomacy. 32:1.s: (2
Jacobs prayer. 32:s.12: t3) Jacobs
present to Esau. 32:13.23. and az
Jacobs wrestling. 32:24.32.
A finger tip Of God disabled Jacob.
yet vanquished he In victorious for
God--the angel Of Jehovah-has TAX.
en- from this doubie-dealins. crafty
child that which hindered 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 a Coward.
T. The Approaeh-vv. 10. Jacob
had Just had a vision Of God t32:30):
why. then should he fear the face OF
his brother? Even so, however. he
continued his measures OF precnution
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 coward and. in.
deed, with his new.found power hi
had no need 10 be. Before he had
fed from the face Of his angry broth.
or. now with holiness. and yet with
humility. he enters the presence Of
that same brother even though he
had had no assurance a. to the char.
acter Of that meeting.
II. The MestIne-vv. ~. TWEEN.
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" ". ~ and his prevailing
prayer brought Esau to him IN haste
but not In anger. Now Esau lifts up
his eyes ". 81 and beholds not the
fugitive Of old. but . transformed,
prosperous and richly blessed broth.
er. "Who are those with thee?" he
asks. and Jacob at once acknowledges
God az the giver and the blesser.
tSee 1926: Jas. 1:17) Jacob speaks
Of his children as Gods gracious gifts.
Although this II everywhere the
teaching OF the Bible. yet how often
10 II 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 ind grace In the sight OF my
Lord" II Ia well to notice that Esau
refused this gift ". ~ 40 q purchase
price Of reconciliation.
jacob Astuts.
From the marginal reading We sea
that Jacobs words when urging Esau
to accept his gift were: because !
have ALL" Every child Of God can
truthfully say as much. II Cor. 3:2l:
Phil. 4:ls. 10: Rom. S:3l, 32) Thus
we see the astute Jacob who had 80
arranged his affairs as to make gifts
or not as might be necessary 10 sur
prised, not a. at Bethel when he mot
God. but to find that God had 90
moved upon the heart Of his brother
% to remove for a time at least all
danger.
III. The Separation. w. 1915. We
infer from a study of Esaus life that
Jacob did not deem It safe to make
the proposed Journey. Discretion 10
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. ~ 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.
(2) There 10 the lesson that while
men with anxiety seek to make plans
for the Kingdom It 10 only - 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. from. 1890. 21.)
The Golden Text emphasizes this
last thought. The only way we can
possibly obey Paul's injunction wifi
be as we are I'm Christ Jesus" A.