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 knavery or  dishonesty. Somewhat similiar  difficulties are  encountered  in  God's  approval  of  the  despoilment of  the  Egyptians  by  the  Israelites  on  the  eve  of their  exodus,  and  in  His  tacit  acquiescence  in  Rebecca's trick,  whereby  Esau  lost  and  Jacob  gained the paternal  blessing  and  the  rights  of  primogeniture. These and  such  like  scriptural  problems  take  on  a simpler  aspect  when  we  remember,  first,  that  God, being absolute  Lord  of  all  that  is,  can  transfer  temporal possessions  from  one  to  another  without breach of  the  seventh  commandment;  secondly,  that earthly goods  are  in  the  sight  of  God  of  little  account—of no  account,  in  fact,  except  in  so  far  as  they serve to  promote  such  heavenly  interests  as  the  deliverance of  His  peoples  from  the  bondage  of  sin,  or their  introduction  into  everlasting  dwellings  in  His celestial land  of  promise;  thirdly,  that,  as  the  words of Scripture  have  a  twofold  meaning,  the  literal  and the spiritual,  a  passage  which  on  its  surface  rehearses the violation  of  some  virtue  such  as  justice  or  truthfulness will,  on  closer  inspection,  be  found  to  contain a  hidden,  spiritual  sense  wherein  these  or  some other virtues  are  inculcated  or  extolled. Thus, deceitful Jacob  is  but  a  figure  of  the  merciful  Redeemer, who,  covering  Himself  with  our  nature  and our sins,  impersonated  us  before  His  heavenly  Father to obtain  His  forgiveness  and  His  blessing. Finally, that no  perfect  parallel  can  ever  be  drawn  between man and  God,  between  earth  and  heaven,  and  the respective conditions  of  each. With these  principles in mind  we  will  readily  see  that  the  lesson  of  the