p. 128 | Worthy of Notice

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 12, 1869

Worthy of Notice.

“And I gave unto Isaac, Jacob and Esau; and I gave unto Esau Mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.” Josh. xxiv, 4.

This passage is very significant. Esau had his inheritance first. Indeed, Jacob has not yet had his at all. Shall we say that God loved Esau better? Far from it. Esau was a man of this world; Jacob, a stranger in this world, having his hope in the world to come. Esau must have his good things now, Jacob was willing to wait. So God provided Esau with what this world can give, and placed it in his hands at once. But Jacob he sent down into Egypt, and there he died. Esau has had his inheritance and has done with it forever. Jacob has not yet received his, but when he gets it he shall possess it through endless ages. Who made the wiser choice, Jacob or Esau? Esau inherited Mount Seir, and Jacob died a stranger in a strange land. Esau was poor, though he seemed to be very rich. Jacob was infinitely rich, though he appeared to have nothing.