_And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram._ THE BEGINNING OF JACOB’S PILGRIMAGE I. THE CAUSES WHICH LED HIM. TO UNDERTAKE HIS PILGRIMAGE. 1. His brother’s anger. 2. His mother’s counsel. II. THE DIVINE PROVISIONS FOR HIS PILGRIMAGE. 1. The peculiar blessing of the chosen seed. 2. T... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then went Esau unto Ishmael_ ESAU, THE TYPE OF WORLDLINESS AND HYPOCRISY I. HIS CONDUCT WAS MERCENARY. II. HIS CONDUCT WAS ONE-SIDED. III. HIS CONDUCT WAS FRAMED BY THE PRINCIPLE OF IMITATION. (_T. H.Leale._) LESSONS 1. Hypocrites hearing of blessing upon others, pretend to make to it as well... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven_ JACOB AT BETHEL I. THE WANDERER. It had been a desolate day, and there was only desolation at night. In his weariness he slept, and as he slept, he dreamed. If dreams reflect the thoughts of the day, a... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will not leave thee, until I have done all that which I have spoken to thee of_ RENEWED PLEDGES There are two very observable facts which may be gathered from the joint study of the Bible and our own hearts. 1. That we are prone to distrust the promises of God, though we know Him to be unchang... [ Continue Reading ]
_Surely the Lord is In this place, and I knew it not_ THE SENSE OF GOD’S PRESENCE I. This living sense of God’s presence with us is a leading feature of the character of all His saints under every dispensation. This is the purpose of all God’s dealings with every child of Adam--to reveal Himself t... [ Continue Reading ]
_How dreadful is this place I this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven_ REVERENTIAL AWE I. It must have been the freshness of Jacob’s sense of recent sin that made a spot so peaceful and so blessed seem to him a “dreadful” place. Everything takes its character from t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it._ And he called the name of that place Bethel MEMORIALS OF BLESSING I. First of all, we are told that Jacob erected a material monument, and p... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first_ A DIVINE TRANSFORMATION Luz transformed into Bethel! A grove of almonds into the house of God! The Bible is full of transformations. There is a law of gravitation spiritual as well as physical. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jacob vowed a vow_ COVENANT VOWS I. Let us, in the beginning, consider what is taught us in God’s Word about vows in general, and that will lead the way easily to the examination of those peculiar in the Christian dispensation. 1. The Old Testament is the main source of all profitable informa... [ Continue Reading ]