12. THE HISTORY OF ISAAC. HE BLESSES HIS SONS. Genesis xxv. 19-xxvi. 23; xxvii; xxviii. TWENTY years after Isaac and Rebekah were married they had two sons. The Lord told Rebekah before they were born, that the elder should serve the younger. This was fulfilled many years after in their descendants. Esau was the firstborn, and Jacob was the younger son. Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. Esau came from the field weary and faint. He asked Jacob for his red pottage; Jacob would not give it to him except for his birthright. Esau thought his birthright was of little use, so he sold it to Jacob for a mess of pottage. They were then thirty years of age. There was a famine again in Canaan and Isaac went to Gerar. God confirmed to Isaac the promises he had made to Abraham. Isaac told the men of Gerar that Rebekah was his sister, but Abimelech reproved him for his deceit. Isaac's flocks and herds increased very much. The herdsmen of Gerar quarrelled with Isaac's herdsmen, about the wells of water. Isaac left Gerar and dwelt at Beersheba. Some years after, Ishmael died in the presence of all his brethren. see. When Isaac was old his eyes were dim, and he could not He called Esau that he might bless him. Rebekah wished Jacob to have the blessing, and she and Jacob ⚫deceived Isaac. Isaac gave Jacob the firstborn's blessing, saying, "God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine; let people ⚫serve thee, and nations bow down to thee; be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee; cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee." When Esau came in, Isaac knew that he had been deceived, and he blessed Esau also, saying, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; and by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck." Esau hated Jacob for having obtained their father's greatest blessing; and he said he would slay Jacob. Jacob fled to •Padan-aram, to Laban, his mother's brother. On his way NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS. promises-1. of the possession of quarrelled-the sinking of wells supplied a claim to the surrounding land. That Isaac had a right to make such a claim appears from the history. Gen. xxi. 26; xxvi. 15. in the presence-in accordance with the promise given before his birth. Gen. xvi. 12. bless him-to pray for a blessing on him, and to predict what blessings should rest upon him. Gen xlix. 1. deceived-by Jacob's personating Esau. The treachery of Jacob was afterwards practised on himself by Laban. serve, &c.-be subject to. (1 Chron xviii. 13.) The point of difference between the blessing pronounced on Esau, and that on Jacob was that Jacob was to be "lord over his brethren." Esau, though for a time equal, was never superior to Jacob. break his yoke-become free. 2 Chron. Padan-aram-a district in the northern D thither he had a vision at Bethel. God appeared to him, and renewed the promises he had made to Abraham and to Isaac. He also promised to protect and bless him in all places, and to bring him again into Canaan. PRAYER OF JACOB. "I AM WITH THEE AND WILL KEEP THEE IN ALL PLACES WHITHER THOU GOEST." O God of Bethel! by whose hand Who, through this weary pilgrimage, "In the very day of Jacob's punishment for his craft, when he fled from the face of an angry brother, though cast down, he is not forsaken. Crossing the Jordan with only his staff in his hand, and his cruse of oil, as he lay all night on the bare earth, with a stone for his pillow, he is assured in a vision, of the Divine presence and protection, and his safe return to his father's house. The fugitive rises from his hard bed, reassured in spirit, rears in gratitude his pillar of stone, pours on it an offering from his cruse of oil, and vows his vow, calling the name of the place Bethel, that is, House of God, because the place of sorrow had become to him as the gate of heaven." Rev. George Lewis. 13. JACOB SERVES LABAN. HE RETURNS TO CANAAN. Genesis xxix.-xxxiv. JACOB came into the land of the people of The East; he inquired for Laban, the grandson of Nahor, when he had come to a well at Haran. To this well Rachel, a daughter of Laban, came to water her father's sheep. Jacob made himself known to Rachel, and Laban received him with much kindness. Jacob kept the flocks of Laban, and he agreed to serve him seven years for his younger daughter, Rachel. Laban deceived him, and gave him Leah. He served again other seven years for Rachel. So he married both Laban's daughters, and had many children. God blessed Jacob; and his flocks and herds increased. Laban and his sons envied Jacob, because of his riches. Jacob left Laban, and took with him his wives and children. Laban followed him, and overtook him on Mount Gilead; but God came to Laban by night in a dream and said to him, "Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad." NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS. a well-a place of meeting; many went thither to draw water, hence a suitable place for a traveller to rest at, or make inquiries. WELL. to water-in the East even the daughters of princes take charge of the sheep. Ex. ii. 16. (margin.) to serve-wives in the East are purchased either with money or with service. Eph. v. 25. deceived-a certain retribution attends every act of disobedience to the divine laws. Jacob had been guilty of deceiving his father, and now he is himself deceived by his own uncle. Moreover Jacob was not privileged to see his mother any more, by whose aid he had deceived his father. both-polygamy was not regarded as a sin in those days, but the law of Christ is against it. Eph. v. 25-31. many children-twelve sons, and one daughter are mentioned in Scripture. envied-Prov. xxvii. 4. left-being commanded by God to do So. Gen. xxxi, 3. followed him-with what intention we do not precisely know, but certainly not a good one. Gen. xxxi. 29. Mount Gilead- heap of witness;' the mountains of Gilead lie east of the Jordan, and extend from Anti-libanus into Arabia Petrea. On one of these hills was "Galeed," the heap of witness of Jacob and Laban. Rachel had stolen her father's images. Laban searched for them, but found them not, for she sat upon them. Jacob was angry with Laban; and said, "What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?" He also said, "This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. Thus have I been twenty years in thy house: I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle; and thou hast changed my wages ten times. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight." Laban and Jacob covenanted not to do harm to each other. The angels of God met Jacob at Mahanaim. Jacob heard that his brother Esau was coming towards him, and |