Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-11-21
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER "a
JACOB AND EsAu REcoNciLED

go q i
GOLDEN TEXT-A soft answer turneth
away wrath.-Proverbs ISL.
DEVOTIONAL READING-Psalms 46.
ADDITIONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 80:
s-s3:2s
From Bethel. Jacob went to Padan-
cram to his mothers people. Here he
served Laban for twenty years four
teen years for his wives and SIX years
for certain wages. In his dealings
with Laban he finds his match-two
schemers get together diamond cuts
diamond"
1. Jacob Departs for Canaan (31:
l1-21).
The time had come for Jacob to
go back to his kindred In the land OF
Canaan. The Lord instructed him SO
to do ". 13). Though going forward
uEder the direction Of God, his Jacob
nature caused him to take clandestine
leave of Laban. When Laban realized
the situation he went In hot pursuit,
bat God appeared unto him In a dream ]
| and warned him against any act Of vi
olence toward Jacob They formed
compact and Laban returned home.
| n. Jacob on the Way (chapter 32.)
Laban's return freed Jacob from
the, enemy who was pursuing him from
behind, but he faced more formula
Bile one in the person of Esau.
1. Jacob meeting the angels ". ~.
Two camps Of angels met him to
give him the assurance that God would
| be with him according to his promise.
Notwithstanding this, he continued to
scheme. He sent q. deputation with
message Of good cheer to Esau.
2. Jacob praying wv. 9.12). W.
Esau made no reply to Jacobs mes
sage, but. went forward with an army
| IF men, four hundred strong, to meet
| Jacob. Jacob is in great distress,
/ therefore he casts himself upon God
4 N prayer. This is a fine specimen Of
effectual prayer. It is short. direct.
and earnest. (1) He reminds God OF
his command issued for his return,
and also Of the covenant promise
4 (31:3). Surely God would not issue
q command and then leave him in such
strait. (2) Pleads Gods promise
I as to his personal safety ". 9. ct.
Genesis % 1918, 31-33). In our pray
ing we should definitely plead Gods
promises In his word, on the ground
If covenant relationship In Christ.
10y Confesses unworthiness ". 10Y.
In this he shows the proper spirit Of
humility. az Presents definite petit
tons ". III. He lays before the Lord
the, definite request to be. delivered
fromrthe wrath of Esau.
8. The angel Of Jehovah wrestling
with Jacob (32 :24-S2).
In Gods school of discipline, ia
cob is making some Improvement. but
still he is under the sway Of self
will and self-trrst. Though he had
laid the matter definitely before the
Lord, he thought that his scheming
would render God some assistance.
Accordingly, he sent presents ahead
to appease the anger Of Esau. While
jcurneying along, man met him and
wrestled with him, but Jacob knew not
who he was. Perhaps he thought that
Easu had pounced upon him in the
Clark. He exerted every ounce OF
strength in what he thought was the
struggle for his very life. The morn
ing was approaching. and still the
wrestlers continued, Jacob not know.
ing it was Jehovah manifest In hIl-
Y man form. This is the second crisis
in Jacobs life. He did not dare to
!, enter the promised land under the con;
: troll Of his self-suficiency: his selfish
w:ll must be broken; his Jacob-nature
J must be changed. God humbled him
) by dislocating his thigh. When thus
humbled, he quit wrestling and clune
to God. He got the blessing when he
/ conscious Of his weakness, laid hold
of God.
4. Jacob gets new name ". 2S)
r He was no longer Jacob, the sup
planter; but Israel, prince Of God
) His new name was given him aftel
he had new nature. He came face
to face with God, and face to face
with himself, and fought the battle tt
finish. We must have the new ma
tore before we can enter the place o,
: blessing. Jacob came to realize thai
!, he had been struggling with God, FOL
: he called the place "Peniel," which
I means face to face with God"
III. Jacob Meets Esaus (3S:1-11)
: God had evidently wrought will
Esau, for when Jacob approached hin
the sting of bitterness was gone. I
was not Jacobs scheming that re
I moved Esau's anger, but the action o
the Supernatural upon his heart. A
Jabbok Jacob got right with God, s,
when he met Esau it was an cas-.
/ matter to get right with him. Whel
we are right with God it is an cas-,
! matter to get right with our brother.
In, This Life.
We hear much of love to God. Chris
g spoke much of love to man. We max