Evening star., 1932-05-14
JACOB AT BETHEL.
Genesis. xviii. XxViii,22.
Golden Text: 1 am with thee
and will keep thee withersoeVer
thou goest.-Genesis xxlii,l5

Preachers, painters and poets have
made the lesson assigned for our study
/ this week one of the most familiar
portions of the Old Testament. There
/ is a human appeal in its teachings be-
/ cause one finds in Jacob the same dual
/ ity that marks our lives until at Bethel
/ he reveals the supremacy of his spirit
Ial nature. In last weeks study we
/ considered how Jacob had purchased
/ from Esau for a mess of pottage his
brothers birthright He must have been
/ at least a man of 70 years when.
/ through the strategy of his mother ana
/ at his fathers commands, JACOB leIl
/ Beersheba to retrace the steps taken
by his grandfather Abraham, when he
1 entered Palestine as an migrant IN
/ response to Gods command.
/ 1t was the first time that jacob had
/ left the tent OF his father. He had
/ fallen into his mothers program ana
deceived his father Issac, who mad pc
slowed upon Jacob the blessing OF the
/ first born because he thought that he
was Esau. When Esau learned OF the
way he had been deprived of the eX-
pected paternal blessing he was angry
and vowed that after his fathers burial
/ (for he expected thai death would soon
remove the parental restraint OF Isaac
he would kill his brother. Rebekah
knew that Esau would do that very
thing She therefore Influenced Isaac
to give Jacob a partial blessing ana
send him to her brother to obtain one
of his daughters for wife. God could
have and would have fulfilled His prom
ises concerning Jacob without her
trailing the name of mother in the
dust of hypocrisy" When Jacob left
the family tent, which was his home,
she commenced to reap for her sinful
acts.
Travelling alone, Jacobs heart was
heavy. for he loved the family circle.
He knew that he was being forced into
exile to save his life from the fury
of his brother. who was aroused by the
events concerning the paternal bless
ing. He had been Indifferent to tha
birthright because he was not interested
in the priesthood He revealed a
changed attitude in reference to religious
matters, and his desire to please his
father is seen in his marrying daugh-
ter of Ishmael and bringing her home
as his wife On his journey toward the
north Jacob had opportunity to con-
slider his mistakes as well as his sinful
attitude toward his father and brother
The farther he moved toward Haran
the heavier became his feelings in the
matter. The night that he reached the
place where Abraham had erected an
altar to Jehova. Jacob realized his need
of help from above and protection. Fol-
lowing the practice of the country, he
took a stone for a pillow and sought
sleep. AS the sun went down in the
west that night he saw the rocks Of a
lofty height, with what appeared to be
a series of steps reaching up to the
summit.
Jacobs Vision.
Evidently Jacob had prayed that
night. He felt the need of Gods pro-
lection and had poured out his soul TO
Jehovah. Trouble drives men TO the
throne of grace. Following every panic
has come a revival, for men learn in
their dark hours the need of divine
/ presence, power and protection. The
1 leading economists have become preach
ers today, pointing out that the way out
/ of our present worldwide depression is
through a revival of religion Not until
! the world repents can there come
through the blessings of the Lord a
[ restoration OF peace, prosperity and
power Men and nations can rise to
higher things only upon the stepping
stones Of their dead selves" Not until
/ the world is brought face to face with
| the Lord will We enjoy the return of
| economic stability, social justice and
| the establishment of world brother
hood among all nations.
Dreams are revealerS of ones char
acter. In the vision that came to Jacob
we see the revelation of the supremacy
Of his spiritual nature. He did not plan
for such vision, but his soul had evil
IDENTIFY been passing through a spiritual
struggle that prepared him for that
spiritual experience. 1t was necessary
for Jacob to meet God before he
reached Haran in search for a wife.
When he went to sleep in that desolate
place the exile who had been forced to
leave home because of his sinful rascal
ity soon commenced to dream. In his
dream we see another side of Jacob
| There is another side to every one who
| has failed that makes them long TO
know what Jacob learned that night
If Jacob did not possess a spiritual
longing, such as was revealed in his
dream, God would never have revealed
Himself to the wandering exile that
night The dream taught Jacob through
| the angels. who were the Lords mes
sensers, that God was interested in his
saw the form of Jehovah and heard His
message. which would suggest that he
/ had fallen asleep repeating the paternal
! blessing that Isaac had bestowed
! upon him.
The vision revealed more than Gods
/ interest in the welfare of Jacob, for
| there was given TO the tired traveller
! confirmation Of the covenant that Je-
hovah had made with Jacobs father
| and grandfather. The promises made
/ to his two ancestors were renewed to
him. Back Of it all was the purpose Of
the Almighty to bless all the nations
Of the earth. No one can study the his
tory of the Jewish people without being
/ convinced that scattered through all the
nations, yet preserving their distinction
as a race they have brought blessings
to all people. Their miraculous preser-
vation proves Gods promises are being
kept today. Jehovah assured Jacob Of
His personal presence and protection
during his exile until He would bring
JACOB back peacefully to the land that
He had given him.
Jacobs Vows.
Masons during the week have dedi-
Gated in Alexandria, Va, their national
! memorial to George Washington be-
cause of the part he played as Mason
and patriot in establishing our country
In doing so they have followed the
practice of the centuries in the East
where men have erected their me-
MORALS Of stone TO commemorate some
outstanding event. Jacob followed TINS
practice by erecting pillar 10 marx
the appearance of God to him that
night in a dream. Those who witnessed
the Masonic ceremonies on THURSDAY
saw the Masons amounting the Wash
ington memorial, just as Jacob did the
morning after there had been given tc
him a vision of God and a revelation
of his mission. BY their acts OF conse-