The Coolidge examiner., 1937-05-20

Imtropea SUNDAY
UnJorm c~nOor
-:-LESSON = =
Lesson for May %
Bv REV. HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST.
Dean of the Moody Bible Institute
of Chicago.
g Western Newspaper Union.
THE WEAKNESS OF ESAU


LESSON TEXT-Genesis 25:27-34: 27:
41.45.
GOLDEN TEXT-And every man that
striveth for the mastery is temperate in
all things. Corinthians 9:25.
PRIMARY TOPIC-TWin Brothers.
JUNIOR TOPIC-Twin Brothers Trad.
ing.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-Winning by SelfControl.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
IC-Conquering Appetite and Greed.
One of the difficult and at the
same time challenging things about
teaching the Word of God is that its
divine precepts are diametrically
opposed to the current philosophy
of men. In our lesson of last
week we saw that meekness and for
bearance are strong and commend
able qualities in a world which mag
nifies brute force. Today we are
to study a portion Of Scripture
which shows the folly of living for
the flesh, and we are living in a
world where the flesh and its appe-
tites are given full sway.
Professors in many colleges are
openly advocating the free exercise
Of every fleshly appetite as a nor
NAL expression of life. Morality is
cast off; the flesh rules. Many of
the nations of the earth look upon
boys and girls as merely SO many
physical units useful in a future
war. Motherhood has been degrad-
ed into an animal-like function, sole
ly for the breeding of more man.
power. One nation recently advo-
Gated as great an increase as pos
sible in the birth of illegitimate
children to be cared for by the
state as measure Of national Sc
curity. One shudders to mention
such unspeakable wickedness, but
even so we have only touched the
surface.
Is it true that man is but beast?
Is there no spirit in man capable
of fellowship with God? Has the
moral law of God been abrogated?
The story of Esau and Jacob is most
pointed and instructive in its an
swer to such questions. Two New
Testament quotations have been
chosen to express the truth of an
Old Testament lesson; namely,
Galatians SIT. and 6:7.
1. "The Flesh Lusteth Against the
Spirit" Gen. 25:27-34.
Esau is a type of the man of
the flesh. He was "a cunning hunt
er, a man of the field" Evidently
he was an athletic, outdoor man of
attractive personality, of free and
easy-going spirit. He was a hail
fellow-well-met. Had he lived in our
day he would have been featured in
the rotogravure, would probably
have been in the movies, would pos
sibly have been a great athlete, and
the good-looking boy who set hearts
a-flutter at the country club dance.
He came from the hunt, and he
had found nothing. He was hungry.
What a type this is of the folly OF
seeking satisfaction in the world. II
never satisfies. For all its glitter
and glamour, it is empty and shall
low. He had a birthright-a val
liable possession in any case, but
doubly so as a son of Abraham. But
he was hungry, he would simply
die if he did not eat. His brother
Jacob, inspired by his scheming
mother who was not willing to abide
Gods time for the fulfillment of his
promise, had the savory pottage
ready to tempt him and he sold
his birthright for ''gulp of that red
stuff" for so might v. 80 be trans
lated.
One is reminded of a clergyman
who attended the Keswick Confer
ence in England He sent a request
for prayer to the platform and
asked this question: Il have a habit
which is dishonoring to Christ. If
I give it up / will die. What shall
I do?" The wise and complete an
sWer was one Word-''Die." Rather
should we lose our body and it's de-
sires than to lose our soul.
ii. Whatsoever a Man Soweth
That Shall He Also Reap" (Gen.
27:41-45).
Jacob and his mother found that
one lie called for another, and ul.
timately their deceit led Gas deceit
always does) to the place of reck-
oning. The law of sowing and reap
ing is ineXorable. Jacob fed from
his angry brother. Rebekah thought
it would be for "a few days" ". 44),
but it proved to be twenty years,
and she never saw her favorite son
again.
Let us make no mistake about it.
Our sins will always find us out.
Even Gods people must learn to
walk uprightly before Him if they
are to walk in peace.