What a joyful command! How easy it was to obey it! Then Abraham saw a ram caught in the bushes. This he took and offered upon the altar in the place of his son. Then they journeyed back to their home with joyful hearts. The Lord blessed Abraham still more because he had obeyed Him. [Illustration: The Lord Directs Abraham's Servant In Selecting a Wife for Isaac. Genesis 24.] Abraham was willing that Isaac should die, believing it to be best, just as God was willing that Jesus should die for us, knowing it to be best. Isaac was willing to lay down his own life, just as Jesus was willing to lay down His life for us. Abraham was spared the awful sorrow of seeing his son die. Another victim was found. But no one could take the place of Jesus. His Father and all the angels in Heaven had to see His dreadful death; and it was all for us. [Illustration: Jacob Deceiving His Father.] [Illustration] Jacob and Esau. ISAAC had two sons, named Jacob and Esau. Esau was a little older than Jacob, and was a hunter of wild animals. Jacob was a shepherd, and cared for his father's sheep. Esau, the daring hunter, was very dear to his father; but Rebekah loved Jacob most because he was so kind and careful. God had said to Rebekah that "the elder shall serve the younger." So she knew that the Lord would especially bless Jacob, and finally give him the birthright, which meant that he was to have a double portion of his father's wealth, and also become the head of the family when his father died. The birthright usually went to the eldest son, but the birthright in the family of Isaac must go to the son who would obey God. He was to be the father of God's people,--the children of Israel. Jacob loved God, and was willing to obey Him. He greatly desired the blessing which the birthright would bring to him. But Esau did not love God nor care to serve Him. He would rather live the wild, free life of a hunter, and do as he chose, than have the birthright. Jacob did not trust God as he should, for he feared that Esau would have the birthright because he was the eldest son of Isaac. So he studied all the time to find some plan to get it away from Esau. [Illustration: Jacob's Dream.] One day Esau had been in the fields hunting, but had found nothing. On the way home he became very hungry. Coming to the tent of his brother he found him preparing his dinner of pottage. "And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint." Jacob forgot that he ought to be kind to his brother. He only thought that this was the chance he had been looking for. "And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright." "And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die; and what profit shall this birthright do to me?" So he sold his birthright to his brother for a good dinner.