The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-04-19
LESSON FOR APRIL 20
JACOBS MEETING WITH EsAU.

/ another. tenderhearted. forGiving each
| other even as God also in Christ forgaEe
you" Eph. ASP r. V.
/ 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 30. while that of his re-
turn to Canaan is contained In chap
| tiers 31-35. Though not included In
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 ~ Jacobs diplomacy. 32:1-S: C2)
Jacobs prayer. 32:9-12: C3) Jacobs
present to Esau, 32:1323, and az
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 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 Coward.
l. The Approach-vv. 1-3. Jacob
had just had a vision of God go: 30);
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. 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" " u 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 a transformed.
prosperous and richly blessed broth
er. who are those with thee?" he
asks, and Jacob at once acknowledges
God as the giver and the blesser.
(See 1926; Jas. 1:17) Jacob speaks
of 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" It is well to notice that Esau
refused this gift ". ID as 2 purchase
price Of reconciliation, though he lat
er did accept when Jacob gave as
portion of that bounty with which
God had blessed him. No more can
We purchase our salvation though
God Is pleased with our gifts, which
has been suggested that Esau was not
overloath to accept Jacobs gift and
that as we review Esau's character
there is reason to suspect that Jacobs
generous gift was a matter of policy.
That when Esau should reflect upon
Jacobs former treatment Of him and
perhaps change his mind, this gift
would serve to placate him.
Jacob Astute.
From the marginal reading we see
that Jacobs words when urging Esau
to accept his gift were: Because
have all" Every child Of God can
truthfully 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 time at least all
danger. Let the leaders of the king
dom who are constantly seeking to
arrange and to manipulate matters in
the kingdom learn that usually the
hindrance is within themselves. God
can only accomplish his purposes
through submitted souls
III. The Separation, w. 1915. We
infer from a study of Esau's life that
Jacob did not deem it 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. Jacob gave a very astute
and a perfectly truthful reason why
they should separate. ". 40 Jacob
was, however. considerable of his chill
dren and of his fiocks. What a sug-
gestion we have In the words 81 will
lead on softly" ". Ia OF him who Is
our true Shepherd. Nor did Jacob
need any OF Esau's proffered protec-
ton. ". 15D Did he not have Gods