Esau, when he grew up, was addicted to field sports; and appears to have been a man of frank and generous disposition, but at the same time of blunt manners, violent in temper, selfwilled, and, worse than all, sensuous and unbelieving. Jacob was a pious man; of quiet and retiring habits, a plain man, dwelling in tents;" and distinguished by a tenderness of spirit which, at least on some occasions, degenerated into timidity, and made way for that love of artifice and cunning by means of which, under the name of address or dexterity, timidity too often seeks for protection or success. He is regarded by some as presenting a type of the Jewish national character, considered on the whole.

In the early life of the two brothers, we find an instance of this unworthy address on the part of Jacob, and of reckless sensuality, coupled with profane unbelief, on the part of Esau. One day, the elder brother, coming home weary from the field, cast a longing look upon some pottage, made of red lentiles, which had been prepared by Jacob. Esau having requested his brother to give him a portion of this savoury dish, Jacob proposed to sell it to him in exchange for his birthright, or the privilege which belonged to the elder of inheriting the patriarchal blessing which involved the continuation of the covenant 'promise relating to the future Messiah. This privilege was always highly valued by patriarchal faith; but it was so lightly esteemed by Esau that he immediately consented to the proposed condition. (Gen. xxv. 29-34.; and see Heb. xii. 16.) * Canaan being now again visited with famine, Isaac removed with his family to Gerar. Here the Lord appeared to him, and renewed the Abrahamic promise; requiring the patriarch to fix his abode for some time in the country to which he had

It

"It is impossible to approve of Jacob's conduct in this matter. was sinister and unfraternal; and it was more, it was unfaithful. He knew that all he sought had been promised to him by One, of whose faithfulness in all His promises he must often have heard from his grandfather. It was therefore his duty to leave the accomplishment to Him in His own time, without seeking to aid, by paltry underhand schemes, the purposes of God. But we must view the character of Jacob in its progress of development and formation. It is our fault that we view men at all times as one; whereas there is often as little resemblance between the same man in youth and in mature age, as there is between any two individuals who pass along the road. So the Jacob of advanced life, taught of God at Bethel, Mahanaim, and Peniel, matured by experiences and tried by sorrows, -is proved to be a different man, in many respects, from the Jacob dwelling in his father's tents, and under the influence and training of a sharp and unscrupulous mother."- KITTO, Daily Bible Illustrations, vol. i. p. 290.

come. (Gen. xxvi. 1-6.) Here Isaac fell into the same fault as that which Abraham had committed in the same place,endeavouring to pass off his wife as his sister: but Abimelech, having discovered and reproved the artifice, generously continued to protect his guest. Under this sanction, Isaac cultivated land, and reared flocks and herds, with such distinguished success as to arouse the jealousy of the Philistines, who manifested their ill-will by stopping up the wells on his estate,- a serious mischief in an oriental region. By the advice of Abimelech, Isaac then removed to another part of the country; where, however, he again found the herdsmen disputing the possession of certain wells (Esek; Sitnah). At length, however, he found one well (Rehoboth) of which he retained undisputed possession until his return to Beersheba. At Beersheba he was once more cheered with a repetition of the covenant promise; and he afterwards received a visit from Abimelech, king of Gerar, who concluded with him a treaty of friendly alliance. (Gen. xxvi. 7-33.)

Esau, having now attained the age of forty years (B. c. 1796), married two wives, Judith and Bashemath, both of them Hittites; to the grief of Isaac and Rebekah. (Gen. xxvi. 34, 35.) The life of Isaac, as recorded in Scripture, is less eventful than that of any other of the patriarchs. In point of character, Isaac was gentle, quiet, and submissive; and he may be regarded as a pattern of some of the milder virtues, especially of patience under suffering and in circumstances of difficulty. But, at the same time, he was not without his weaknesses and faults, which may be useful to us in the light of a caution or warning. Some persons are disposed to view this patriarch as preeminently a good son, just as Abraham appears as a good father, Sarah a good wife, and Eliezer a good servant. And it ought to be remembered that Genesis abounds with domestic portraitures; it is the family-book of Scripture.

The designs of the Most High concerning the Abrahamic race, and the method of Redemption, were still going forward; and the events which marked the history of Isaac possessed their own appropriate value as links in the great chain which the Almighty Disposer was holding in His hand. One such event, connected with many mournful circumstances, marked the period of Isaac's old age (B. c. 1760). Finding himself, amid the decay of his natural powers, in the prospect of death, Isaac resolved on discharging the patriarchal duty of making a formal transmission of the covenant blessing. For this purpose he called Esau, and, having requested him to hunt and prepare some venison, he promised that when he should bring it for his

use, he would impart to him the blessing. This charge was overheard by Rebekah; who, desiring to obtain the blessing for her younger son Jacob, incited him to personate Esau, and to carry some venison to his father, as if in obedience to his command, in order that by this means the coveted privilege might be conferred upon himself instead of Esau. This deception was practised, not without the use of artifice and falsehood; and, as to the immediate result, it succeeded. In this matter, all parties were in the wrong:- Rebekah was very wrong in suggesting the fraud; Jacob was wrong in complying with the suggestion, and practising the fraud; Isaac was wrong in seeking to contravene the known will of God that the elder should serve the younger; and Esau ought to have remembered that he had sold his birthright to his brother. And great family discomfort, to say the least, immediately ensued from this transaction. Esau was enraged, and threatened to kill his brother; Rebekah was distressed at witnessing the feud; and, urging the possibility of Jacob's contracting a marriage among the Hittites (as Esau had done already), she prevailed upon Isaac to send away Jacob to Padan-Aram, with a charge to take a wife from the family of her brother Laban. (Gen. xxvii. xxviii. 1-5.)

About the same time, Esau, finding that his matrimonial connection with the Canaanites continued to be offensive to his parents, married* Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael. (Gen. xxviii. 6-9.)

The absence of Jacob extended, as we shall hereafter see, over a period of many years. About seven years after his return, Isaac died, at the age of 180 years, and was buried by his sons Jacob and Esau (B. C. 1716).

The posterity of Esau were called Edomites or Idumeans, from Edom (Heb. red), a name given to Esau on account of his sale of the birthright for a mess of red lentiles. They inhabited the mountainous region between the Dead Sea and the Elanitic Gulf of the Red Sea, originally called Mount Seir (the rugged mountain), afterwards Edom or Idumea, from its inhabitants. The Edomites were often at variance with the descendants of Jacob; but they retained their independence until they were subdued by David, and annexed to the kingdom of Judah under the government of a viceroy or deputy. After various attempts, they succeeded in throwing off the yoke, and united with the Babylonians in the conquest of Judea, on which occasion they indulged to excess their hereditary hatred of the Jews. At length, Hyrcanus having forced upon them the alternative of embracing Judaism or quitting their country, they accepted the former of these conditions, and thus lost the distinctive name of Idumeans.

ELEMENTARY AND GENERAL QUESTIONS.

120. Who were the children of Isaac and Rebekah?

121. Mention the circumstances of the sale of Esau's birthright. 122. How did Jacob obtain his father's blessing?

123. In what respect were all parties in that transaction morally wrong?

124. What high purpose was hereby accomplished?

125. What was the immediate result of this affair, as to Rebekah and Jacob ?

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.

126. How old were Esau and Jacob at the death of their grandfather Abraham?

127. Describe generally the characters of Isaac, — of Esau, — and of Jacob.

128. State the occasion of Isaac's visit to Gerar, and its results. 129. Mention the marriages of Esau.

130. Relate briefly the history of the Edomites. Describe their terri

tory.

131. Give the dates of the birth of Esau and Jacob,- and of the death of Isaac.

CHAPTER IX.

THE HISTORY OF JACOB AND ESAU CONTINUED.

(Gen. xxviii. 6.—xxxv. 29.)

JACOB, having left his father's tents, hastily began his journey, and crossed the Jordan as a solitary traveller, with slender provision for the way. Near the town of Luz, on the southern border of the country afterwards occupied by the tribe of Benjamin, he lay down to sleep in the open air, with a stone for his pillow. Here he was encouraged by the vision of a ladder or flight of steps, reaching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending upon it; above which the Lord stood, and made a solemn renewal of the covenant promise in favour of the wandering patriarch, including a special assurance of protection during his journeyings. Filled with reverent awe, Jacob exclaimed, "How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." He then called the place Bethel (house of God); and vowed to dedicate it to the purposes of Divine worship, and to devote to the Lord a tenth of his substance, upon his safe return. This vow is remarkable, as being the first of the kind recorded in Scripture; but it is by no means impossible that

such vows may already have been made by Abraham and Isaac. We have seen that Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek; but still this act of Jacob is the first instance of a solemn dedication of a tenth portion of property to the special service of the Most High. We have no record of the fulfilment of this part of Jacob's vow; but it has been supposed that, in due time, the patriarch employed the dedicated portion of his property in works of charity. (Gen. xxviii.)

Jacob pursued a prosperous journey to the place of his destination. On his arrival in the neighbourhood of Haran, he encountered Rachel, a daughter of his uncle Laban, who had repaired to a well for the purpose of watering her father's sheep; and to her Jacob introduced himself by rolling away the stone from the mouth of the well, and watering the flock with his own hands, a circumstance which, upon explanation, led to his receiving a cordial welcome as a near relative of Laban. (Gen. xxix. 14.) In this portion of the Scripture narrative, as in many others, we have a picture of Eastern life, such as has continued to subsist in all ages. "It is a familiar sight still," says a modern traveller *, "to see a flock of sheep, or several flocks, crouching at a watering-place; as it was in the days when Jacob 'looked, and behold a well in the field, and lo! there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered their flocks.' It is added that 'a great stone was upon the well's mouth.' This precaution is necessary, especially in certain places where the wind would otherwise blow the sand into the well, and fill it up. In approaching the ancient Sychar, I passed a well, the mouth of which was stopped with a stone so large, that the united strength of two men would be required to move it."

Laban had two daughters, Leah the elder, and Rachel the

younger. Jacob fixed his affection upon the younger sister, and received from her father a promise of her in marriage, on condition of his rendering seven years' service in keeping Laban's flocks. This service he faithfully performed; but, having found himself married to Leah instead of Rachel, by means of an artifice on the part of Laban, he was obliged to fulfil another period of seven years' service, in order to obtain the hand of Rachel. For some time Rachel had no children,

*Hackett, Illustrations of Scripture, chap. ii.

This history may remind the classical reader of the story of Apollo, driven from his father's presence, reduced to the condition of a shepherd, and obliged to tend the flocks of Admetus, in Thessaly. (Apollod. i. 9. § 15., iii. 10. § 4.; Eurip. Alcest. 8.; Tibull. ii. 3. 11.; Virg. Georg. iii. 2.)