Evening star., 1926-05-29
BY REV. HUGH 4. STEVENSON
JACOB AT BETHEL.
Genesis. Chaps. ~ and 2s.
Golden Text am with thee
and will keep thee whtthsrso.
ever thou soest. -- Genesis,
xxViii16.

Memorial day raca Iis 10 every Amer
lea N the sacred memory OF our Nn'
TONS obligation 10 the heroic men
who offered their lives that our land
could he free and he preserved snaonA
the nations. Our patriotism Is quick
ened when we recall how through
their sacrihces our country has ad.
vanced by holding up thu torch OF free
dom among men. Through our In
huepce We have seen nstions change
their form Of government and the an
cient sutocratic dynasties disa ppear
from the sisterhood Of governments.
Back OF the dynamic power Of our
Nations history can he seen the pres.
ence and purpose OF God. who has
nodded our history and. directed the
affairs OF our Nation through the
teachings Of His word and the inspirS- :
ton OF Hts leadership. We are in
debted to the heroes OF peace a. well
as OF war. Preachers and prophets
have had their part, a. well ~ sol.
diera, sailors and statemen, in giving
Ia America here international lead.
ership.
In atudyine the experience OF Jacob
st Bethel. we are drawing close 10 the
fountainhead Of our national ideals.
Probably no hgure in the Old Tesla
nlent has been more nlisundersteod
than the founder Of the great Jewish
race. We are apt 20 speak OF Ahra.
ham an the farther Of Israel. rather
than his sra ndson. who gave 10 the
Jewish people his name and estab.
Iished through his sons . more ex-
elusive line than Abraham. In the
history OF the race thar bears his
name. we find . people who have re.
produced In their aspirations and the
worlds loftiest religious literature the
life Of their founder. American history
has been nodded by the ideals OF the
Bible that God gave to men through
inspired Jewish writer's. The history
Of not only Israel but that Of our own
Nation and Of the world has been in.
Hueneed by tbs revelations given to
Jacob at Bethel.
The Rartered Bhthright.
BY the accident ~ birth Essu had
all the privileges of primoeentture.
TO son of the patriarchal house
the hirthright Of the first born was
the high priesthood" No one who
studies the personalities Of ths two
brothers questions the better fitness
tor Gods service OF Jacob. He aspired
to succeed his father as the priest OF
thu family and the minister OF the
community in the sacred things. God
had ecosnizsd the unfttness Of Esau
for the place and had told Reesccs
that He planned a change by which
1.-The elder would serve the younger. >"
He was a man Of AFFAIRS who was
absorbed in the claims Of the present.
Unlike Jacob, who tried 70 look ahead
TO the future with the aspiring aHnbi-
tion to be the high priest Of his family.
Esau despised his birthriSht. He
was frank, open hearted ana Atec.
tionate, possessing many noble quail.
ties Of heart, yet there was nothing
religious in his life. He showed this
in his Inarriase: that OF itself would
have barred him from any OF the
privileges Of primoseniture. He
showed his conception OF his birth
right by bartering it away for a mess
Of pottags. No ore can hnd any
thing to commend In the way Jacob
took advantage Of Easna hunger any
more than they car approve OF the the
deception he practiced upon his
blind father at the suggestion Of his
mother. Rsbekah, who by the most
despjcable deceit sought to secure
the fathers blessing for her favorite
son. There was nothing wrong IN
seeking to obtain for Jacob what God
had promised. although apparently
she sought to take things out Of Gods
hands by her methods.
When Eaau learned that he had
been deprived Of his fathers blessing
a. well ~ his birthright. he wss an
cry. He planned to murder jacob.
There Is no sign that hs repented or
his own sin, but he was MAD be0euse
H. hoA laat MAnAAthinW 5000 8hNn
Rsbekah and Isaac learned Of Esau's
determination to set avsn with the
one who had tricked him twice. they
sent Jacob away to seek his wife
among his relatives Ia the house Of
his uncle. IAhan. His double dealing
with Esau had secured fer Jacob the
birthriEht and the blessing. but II
resulted IN his being virtually cast
out Of his fathers home. Dsiven
from the presence Of all that he loved.
the heavy,hsartsd pilgrim pushs6 on
Al rapidly ~ possible In an eH0rt To
cover the long and danserous journey,
Esau could overtake him. He took
tho central theroushfare that ran
over the hard bGckbone Of the ynoun.
tains OF, Palestine. where on the Sec.
ond or third night God appeared to
him In 4 dream.
,lAceb's Dream.
Modern psychologists have summed
up the whole development Of human
character In one word. craving"
Jacobs dream was no accident; 1t
was due to his spiritual aspiration -
10 a servant Of Jehovah that had
marked his:whoie life. The physical
SURROUNDINGS that he had seen In his
Journey may have given TO him the
FORM of the dream, but It WAS duA TO
his spirituality that thA lonely wan.
derer had such q dream while hS
slept autside the Canaanits city Of Lus
with q stone ~ q. pillow. ;, The dream
Of divine communion wss the natural
outcome Of one whose desire haA haen
night and day. to b tbs medium OF
divine communication as a minister
Of religion to his people. 1t is due to
this fact that the fancles Of his sleep
assumed tha shane OF q. ladder con
Meeting heaven and earth.
Jacob heard God speak to him
personal message Of comfort. He did
not uphraid thA :'tripper up" tor his
deception ana double dealing, although
He could not approve such tntcuitous
acts. The covenant was renewed. He
- ia AtsrfnA arAannNA