Zurich Herald, 1937-05-20, Page 6SCEI O
LESSON VIII,
THE WEAKNESS OF ESAU
(Genesis 25: 19-34; 26: 34. 35;
27: 1-46.)
Golden Text—Every man that stariv-
eth in the games exerciseth self-
control in all things. 1 Corinthians
9 :25.
The Lesson in its Setting
Time—The generally accepted date
for the birth of the twins, Esau and
Jacob, is B.C. 1844. The selling of
tha birthright took place 18 years
later, and Esau was married about
B.O. 1805. Facts given about Jacob's
years of service (Gen. 31: 41) and his
age and his children's would place
his flight from home about B.C. 1784.
Place—The twins were born prob-
ably at Beer-lahai-roi (Gen. 24: 62;
25: 11), about 50 miles south of Beer-
sheba. Later events in the lives of
these two men took place near either
one or the other of these two cities.
Gen, 25 27-34. "And the boys
grew: and Esau was a skilful hunter,
a pian of the field; and Jacob was a
quiet man, dwelling in tents.'— He
was fall of the manliest interests,
occupations, and pursuit". He was a
very proverb of endurance and suc-
cess in the chase. His hand was al-
ways full of skill, and strength, and
success. He was the pride of all the
encampment, as he came home at
night with his traps, and his snares,
and his bows, and his arrows, and
laden to the earth with venison for
his father's supper.
"Now Isaac loved Esau, because he
did oat of his venison: and Rebekah
loved Jacob."—Persons of quiet and
retiring disposition like Isaac are
often fascinated by those of more
sparkling and energetic temperament
such as Esau. Mothers, on the other
hand, axe mostly drawn towards chil-
dren that are gentle in disposition
and home -keeping in habit. We are
probably not wrong in discovering in
these words an indication that there
were some jealousies and prejudices
in the home of Isaac and Rebekah.
"And Jacob boiled pottage: and
Esau came in from the field, and he
was faint. And Esau said to Jacob,
Feed rte, I pray thee, with that same
red po.tage, for I am faint." Potta e
was a kind of thick broth made ey
boiling lentils or other vegetables
with meat cr suet, usually in water,
but semetimcs hi milk. "Therefore
was his came called Edom" The
word for real is the word "adorn,"
quite similar to the word "adam."
The propriety of a particular name.
may be marked by two or more total-
ly d:fr"erent circumstances, and its ap-
plication renewed on each of these
occasions. It is pretty certain that
Esau did receive the secondary name
of Edoni from the red complexion of
skill even from his birth, but the ex-
clamation "that red," uttered on the
oeco don of a very important crisis in
his history, renewed the name, and
per::a es tended to make it take the
plat- of Ireatu in the h'atory of his
raze.
"d Jacob Bald ,`3ei1 me first thy
birth...i;;ht." —The birthright seems
to have included temporal and spirit-
ual blessings. It carried with it a
double portion of paternal inherit-
ance (Duet. 21: 17; 1 Chron. 5: 1, 2) ;
it gave the holder precedence as head
of the family or tribe. Above all, it
constituted the possessor priest and
spiritual head of his people.
"And Esau said, Behold, I am
about to die: and what profit shall
the birthright do to me?"—Of course
he was not about to die. No man
would die simply because he had not
had food for perhaps 12 or 14 hours;
moreover, supper would normally be
prepared for Esau within less than
an hour. He simply exaggerated the
importance of the demands of his
body. Oblivious of everything but
his hunger and his food, so it is al-
ways with the man who has fallen
under the power of sensual appetite.
"And Jacob said, Swear to me first;
and he sware unto him: and he sold
his birthright unto Jacob. And Jacob
gevo Esau bread and pottage of len-
tils; and he did eat and drink, and
rose up, and went away: so Esau
despised his birthright."—In Hebrews
12• 16, Esau is spoken of as "a pro-
fane lemon." Profane is a Latin
word which means "before the
temp's;," and "refers to that plot of
ground just in front of the temple
which was common to everyone as
being outside the sacred enclosure.
Grealenlly the name carne to mean
that which was purely earthly and
coronion, as opposed to that which
was sacred, consecrated and dedicat-
ed to God." Esau's life was entirely
'earth -hound. He was intent only on
present gratification and set no value
on the olivine gifts. To him future
)blessings were intangible and unreal.
Everything about the present was
real to him, while everything about
the future was unreal, vague and
misty. To him this world was every-
ihing and Gad nothing.
"And .Esau hated Jacob because of
the blessing wherewith his father
blessed him: and Esau said in his
heart, The days of mourning for my
father are at band; then will I slay
my brother Jacob," -Of all the part-
ies in this transaction, none is more
to blame than Esau. While he so
furiously and bitterly blamed Jacob
for supplanting him, it might surely
have occurred to him that it was
really he who was supplanting Jacob,
Inconstant as he was, he could
scarcely have forgot the bargain by
which he had sold to his younger
brother all title to his father's bless-
ings. Many that care very little for
God's love, will seek has favors; and
every wicked wretch who has, in his
prosper ey, spurned God's offers, will,
when he sees how he has cheated
himself, turn to God's gifts, though
not to God, with a cry. Like many
another sinner he wanted to eat his
cake and have it.
"And the words of Esau her elder
son were told to Rebekah; and she
sent and called Jacob her younger son
and said unto him Behold tiny brother
Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort
himself, purposing to kill thee. Now
therefore, my son, obey my voice;
and arise, flee thou to Laban, my
brother to Haran. And tarry with
• him a few days, until thy brother's
fury turn away. Until thy brother's
anger turn away from thee, and he
forget that which thou hast done to
him: then I will send, and fetch thee
from hence: why should I be bereav-
ed of you both in one day?"— It was
from Haran that Rebekah herself had
come at the request of Abraham's
servant to be married to Isaac. She
intended her son to be absent only
"a few days," but they proved to be
20 years (see 31: 38). It is not prob-
able that Rebekah ever again beheld
her favorite son, which was a sinful
chastisement for her sinful ambition
for and partiality towards Jacob. —
Rebekah seems not to 1 -ave been
aware that she herself was the cause
of much of the evil and of much of
the misery that flowed from it. All
the parties of this affair are pursued
by a retributive chastisement.
The Ice Water Influence
A London despatch describ.a the
Rt. Hon. Neville Chamberlain, as
hawk -nosed, dark -eyed, saber-toothed,
strangle -moustached. Of him also,
it is said that there is considerable
ice water in his veins and that he
smiles as if he feared he would crack
his face.
All this may not sound very com-
plimentary, but Mr. Chamberlain
will probably care little. At 68 he
is about to achieve his ambition—the
prime ministership of Great Britain,
succeeding Mr. Baldwin when the
latter retires.
Incidentally, it may not be a bad
idea to have government carried on
by a man with "considerable ice
water in his veins." In these days of
political extremes, the ice water in-
fluence has its points. It sometimes
keeps governments from making too
many mistakes.—The Windsor ]Daily
Star.
Real Estate
Sales Improve
Demand Is Not ::.rest For New
Mortgage Loans However
TORONTO. — Companies dealing
in mortgages see definite signs of
improvement in their business, ac-
cording to reports obtained from a
number of loan and trust companies
executives by The Financial Post.
However, it was emphasized that
they had a long way still to go be-
fore rerosteey would reach a satis-
factery le.•}I.
Greatest point of weakness in the
situation appears to be a lack of de-
mand for new mortgage loans from
sources which provide a satisfactory
risk. Competition for such loans as
are offered is keen and borrowers
are being offered favorable terms,
As a result some companies feel that
even the business which can be ob-
tained is not very profitable. Poss-
ible explanation for lack of demand
for new mortgages may be found in
the belief of some mortgage com-
pany officials that the appereet.
shortage of housing has been os e•-
emphasized.
Sales of real estate are increasing
and companies have been able to
dispose of properties which have
been held for some time. No par-
ticular district or type of property
has benefitted by tendency toward a
freer demand for reel r,a esp.
"Conservation ‘..a.; t . eee to be
of transcendent concern to the human
race so long as we have to depend
upon this earth for our food, cloth-
ing, shelter and our pleasures."
-Harold L. Ickes,
"If I lived a thousand years I would
still be a Virginian."
-.-Lady Astor.
Is John Lewis .lipping? He per-
mits President. Roosevelt to fratern-
ize with rioriunfon fish, --= Chicago
Daily News,
Radio
By VIRGINIA DALE *
Even better than having the,circus
Come to town is to find "Elephant
Boy" playing at your local motion pic-
ture theatre one of these spring days
It is a picture that defies description
for volumes would be necessary to
describe the thrilling scenes of vast
herds of elephants, the gruesome ter-
ror of discontent brewing among the
natives of India, the sturdy charm of
little Sabu, the twelve -year-old Indian
boy who shares stardom with the
king of the elephants, the magnifi-
cent blending of music with the
haunting .shrieks of wild animals.
But with all of its other merits, it
is the heart-warming friendship of
the boy and his elephant that makes
one want to go back to see this pic-
ture again and again. Robert Flah-
erty, the explorer -director who has
not had a picture on our screens sface
the unforgettable "Man of Aran"
made off the coast of Ireland, went
to India two years ago and is respon-
sible for "Elephant Boy."
Back to roles that are hot and.. low
down go Bette Davis and George l3an
croft in their new
films. When War-
ner Brothers and
Bette Davis ended
their long court
wrangle, they teld
her all was forgiven
and certainly they
must -have meant- it,
for they have ` giten
her the best role of
her career in "The
Marked Woman."
George .,.Bancroft
also comes back in
a Columbia picture called "Racke-
teers in Exile," which is, a powerful
answer to those reformers who said
that they just wouldn't have any
more gangster pictures.
Bette Davis
For mouths Sol Lesser has Bien
conducting a search for a Tar?on,
and at last he found one. Glenn iti . i-
ris, Olympic champion, will play the
role that Johnny Weismuller ui de
famous. Johnny will stay with map -
Goldwyn -Mayer, hoping for more oi'vi-
lized parts.
"Busy" beavers have to keep
If not kept ,_4har.t.?: gnaly
teeth would grow so "%ng '1
animals could not close their. ino
Just Sawing Wood
Paul Searles, champion sawyer, gives himself a real workout on a huge log as he sharpens up his
arms for the contest in which lucky lumbermen will be selected for the honor of sewing giant red-
wood at opening of Golden Gate Bridge.
Fan -lel Baths azed
ttO
The blazing ruins of the famous Castle Laths on the boardwa'k at Long Beach, N.Y., as firemen
, raise a wall of water to prevent spread of flames to adjoining bui;din;. Ballroom where Irene Castle
e.. once danced and rows of both -houses were a total loss.
ete
Short of Typists
` 'Cape Town is suffering from a
ser, us shortage of typists, and jun-
korseere offered $50 per month and
seniott "a month.
"We cannot meet the demand for
trained office workers," an official
of a business college said in an in-
terview. "Not only are our South -
African taught girls snapped up as
soon as they achieve a fair speed
at shorthand and typing, but girls
arriving from Britain secure jobs al-
most instantly. •
His Majesty's First Journey on the Thames as King
"Some senior typists in Cape
Town aro receiving up to $125 a
month now. Naturally they are as
much secretaries to their employers
as they are so-called typists — but
any girl who cannot act as a capable
private ecretary naturally is no more
than a junior typist."
w.. `r.:1iT�".&S`• , �3. > r..,•, .r o'k"t..ei
ri
saasee
1.1 • ( is e'aeren in tl'c L. c , r ,. eel c .A t,.e :.d.vi:al's Barge carrying the Royal Party passed the Tower of. London, lei the
lov;ce t;;:e leis lila c.ty anli•t:-^;' leaves Westminster pier for Greenwioh, The red and gold Standard, afloat for the first.
time since This Majesty aosumod the .throne., is soon at the bow ;G the el'efls,
.. . .: . j�: .. .:.:3 ..�.: ... `l..ik,..;.fi rx< a .x ..iY.r. ... M'7 ,!xi""n?. F.n•x+"Fa.
Wolf