The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-23
GENESIS N JANUARY

IAN article ON Jacobs Fraud" by
Prof. Walter R. Betteridge. chair of
the Old Testament, Rochester Theo-
logical seminary.1
This story should be read In COM
nection with Genesis XxV:27-s4. 1t
Is probable that originally the two
stories belonged together. The gem
eral subject is the same. In the ear
lier narrative the prudent, calculating
Jacob takes advantage OF the need
of his impetuous and needless brother
to secure q claim on the birthright-
Here the same Jacob. following the
suggestion of his mother. deceives his
old father. and by an ingenious trick
secures the paternal blessing. The
man Of the quiet, retired life. the
herdsman and the farmer gets the bet
ter of the active warrior and hunter
who achieves his results by force
rather than by strategy and. cunning.
The story is also probably intended to
celebrate the superiority of Israel over
Edom in material prosperity and sig
ufficance. The elder nation of the
Edomftes had to content itself with
the comparatively rugged and unat-
In possession Of Palestine. the land
flowing with milk and honey" And
then in the time of David the older
nation had been subjugated by the
younger and Edom had become q
province Of the Israelitish kingdom. It
seems probable that originally there
was no moral to the story. The older
Israelites delighted in the trickery of
their ancestor and were proud of his
superiority even though 1t had been.
gained by deceit and fraud. But in
the connection in which the story is
placed by the author Of Genesis the
moral is almost self-evident.
/ The raa6ar'g n fhv 4.
urally to the poor senfle Isaac whose
prophetic blessing has been secured
by a trick. And also to Esau. whose
easy going. simple nature is no match
for the subtle intrigues Of his mother
and younger brother.
The ancient conception of the sig
nificance of the blessing OF the man
endowed with prophetic power ap-
| pears here as so often in the Old
Testament. This power is given espe-
cially at the close OF the life. See
the blessing of Noah, Genesis ix:25-
q; Jacobs blessing Of Ephraim and
Manasseh. Genesis Xviii: 1922; the
poetical blessing of Jacob. Genesis
Xix; the blessing OF Moses, Deut.
xxxiii; and tn last words of David,
LII Samuel xxifi:1-7.- In this blessing
of Isaac it is particularly noteworthy
that the blessing is something over
which the patriarch has no control.
T.
| they cannot be recalled. The an
guish of Esau and the evident dis
tress of Isaac himself are OF no avail
Jacob has secured the blessing, and 1t
cannot be recalled. verse 80. The ut
most that Isaac can do is to promise
that ultimately Esau may hope to
throw off The hated supremacy of his
younger brother and secure his an
cient independence. Read Genesis %.
Gan article on the marriage of
Isaac and Rebekah by Philip Wendell
Crannell. d. d.. president Kansas City
Baptist Theological seminary. Kansas
City. Kansas. formerly pastor First
| Baptist church, TOpeka)
This is an oriental, not an Ameri-
can story, but its central principles
are as sw t, tender true, godly. in
every way charming as could well be
conceived. If they were faithfully
followed today, the divorce mills
would have no grist. This marriage
was founded in deep. true. unaffected
religion. IT, patriarch's desire for q
godly wife for his son, an alliance
which would not lead him back to the
foul heathenism from which his
father had i;loriously fled. It was be-
tween parties in the same social
stratum, and of kindred race
The whole outlook and atmosphere
was religious, def re Jehovah, God
of heaven and earth" FEcexding
great human care is taken, but above
all the divine guidance is looked for:
ella led by the master. sought and
seen. by the servant. The wife. thus
discovered" a high-born maiden, is
not afraid Of humble tasks and while
about them, divine coincidence brings
to her LIES great opportunity. Due
care is exercised by keen-eyed kins-
folk. The maiden (neither blind nor
a moron" as subsequent history dis
| closes) knows how. at one stroke to
follow family desires and accept a
| p re in lifc's lottery. But It II, new
ertheless, l. brave journey into un-
known country. Yet she goes with
God. al d there comes to meet her q
godly man, sent Of God, the gentle,
meditative. prayerful Isaac.
Observing but modest il this bride
obeying all the proper Conventions
of her time and race and sex. Com
plete. by him and her. is her fdenti-
fication with the new family: took
her to his mothers tent" Quick and
lasting is the leap Of heart to heart;
The loved her." strong and blessed
her contribution to his life: comfort.
ed after his mothers death" Neither
he nor she was perfect, but those ele-
ments will make marriage as nearly
flawless as anything on earth can be
Religion, thought, care, prayer, con-
geniality, beforehand; then congenial.
fty. housewifery. courage, modesty
tractableness, alertness. meeting man
ly religion. gentleness. love and need
only one result is possible-blessed.
ness, human. earthly, but deep and
true. Whom God thus joins together
nothing puts asunder. Read Gene.
sis ~.
TRY THIS FOR NEURALGIA
- T.