Our Banner
(No. 2979)
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, JULY 29, 1905.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, IN THE YEAR 1863.
"You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be
displayed because of the truth." Psalm 60:4.
MOST writers upon this Psalm, after having referred the banner to the
Kingdom of David, say that there is here a reference to the Messiah. We
believe there is. Nor is that reference an obscure allusion. In the
Lord Jesus we find the clue to the history and the solution of the
prophecy. He is the banner–He is the ensign that is lifted up before
the people. He is Jehovah-Nissi, "the Lord My Banner," whom it is our
joy to follow and around whom it is our delight to rally. We shall not
stay to prove–though we might readily do so–that the banner here
intended is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ in the majesty of His
Person–in the efficacy of His merit–in the completeness of His
righteousness–in the success of His triumph–in the glory of His
advent. If you read it with an eye to Him, you have the meaning at
once– "You has given Christ as a banner to those who fear You, to be
displayed because of the truth." So let us consider our Lord Jesus
Christ, first, as He is compared to a banner. Secondly, by whom Hie is
given. Thirdly, to whom Hie is given. And fourthly, for what purpose.
I. Let us consider OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AS HE IS COMPARED TO A BANNER.
The banner was far more useful, I suppose, in ancient, than it is in
modern warfare. Times have changed and we are changed by them. Yet we
still speak with reverence of the old flag. There is much meaning in
the phrase, "the flag that's braved a thousand years the battle and the
breeze." The soldier still waves the flag of his country and the sailor
still looks with patriotic pride to the flag that has so long floated
at England's masthead. Our metaphor, perhaps, rather points to ancient
than present use.
We should notice, first of all, that the banner was lifted up and
displayed as the point of union. When a leader was about to gather
troops for a war, he hoisted his banner and then every man rallied to
the standard. The coming to the standard, the rallying round the
banner, was the joining with the prince, the espousing of his cause. In
the day of battle, when there was always a likelihood that the host
would be put to flight, the valiant men all fought around the banner.
Its defense was of the first and chief consequence. They might leave
the baggage for a while–they might forsake the smaller flags of the
divisions–but the great blood-red banner that with prayer had been
consecrated–they must all gather round it, and there, if necessary,
shed their heart's blood.
Christ, my Brothers and Sisters, is the point of union for all the
soldiers of the Cross! I know of no other place where all Christians
can meet. We cannot all meet–I am sorry that we cannot–at the
baptismal stream. There are some who will not be baptized–they still
persist in the sin of putting drops of water in the place of the
ordained flood and bringing infants where faith is required. We cannot
all meet even around the table of the Eucharist–there are some who
thrust aside their brethren because they do not see eye to eye with
them. And even the Communion Table has sometimes become a field of
battle. But all Christians can meet in the Person of Christ! All true
hearts can meet in the work of Christ! This is a banner that we all
love, if we are Christians, and far from it are those who are not. Here
to Your Cross, O Jesus, do we come! The Churchman laden with his many
forms and vestments. The Presbyterian with his stern Covenant, and his
love of those who stained the heather with their blood. The Independent
with his passion for liberty and the separateness of the free churches.
The Methodist with his intricate forms of Church Government, sometimes
forms of bondage, but still forms of power. The Baptist, remembering
his ancient pedigree and the days in which his fathers were hounded
even by Christians, themselves, and counted not worthy of that
name–they all come to Christ!
Various opinions divide them. They do not see eye to eye on many
matters. Here and there they will have a skirmish for the old landmarks
and rightly so, for we ought to be jealous, as Josiah was, to do that
which is right in the sight of the Lord, and neither decline to the
right hand nor to the left. But we rally to the Cross of Christ! And
there all weapons of national warfare being cast aside, we meet as
Brothers, fellow comrades in a blessed Evangelical Alliance who are
prepared to suffer and to die for His dear sake! Forward then,
Christians, to the point of union! In the crusade against the powers of
darkness, with the salvation of sinners for my one undivided aim,
little care I for anything but the lifting up of my Master's Gospel and
the proclamation of the Word of mercy through His flowing blood!
Again, the banner, in time of war, was the great guide-star, it was the
direction to the soldier. You remember what special care they took, in
the day of battle, that in case the standard-bearer should fall, there
might still be some means of guiding the warriors.
So, to this day, Christ is the great Guide of the Christian in the day
of battle. There is no fear that Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
today and forever, will ever fail. Fix your eyes upon Him, Christian,
and if you would know the best way to fight, fight in His footsteps,
imitate His every action, let your life be a copy of His life! You need
never stop to ask for directions–the life of Christ is the Christian's
model. You need not turn to your fellow Believer and ask, "Comrade,
what are we to do now? The smoke of battle gathers and the cries are
various. Which way shall I go?" The Apostle Paul has given us our
directions–"Let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the
joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and
is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God." Press forward, in
Christ's footsteps, saying, "God has given You, my Savior, to be to me
a banner because of the truth."
In these two respects, as the central point for rallying, and as the
direction to the warrior, Christ is our banner! And the banner, let it
be remembered, is always the chief object of attack. The moment the
adversary sees it, his objective is to strike there. If it is not the
most vulnerable point, it will be at least the point where the
adversary's power is most felt. Did they not of old aim their shots at
the flagstaff so as to cut down the banner? Whenever the old Knights of
the Red Cross fought the Saracens, they always endeavored to make their
steel ring upon the helmet of the man whose hand held the standard of
Mohammed! The fight was always fiercest around the standard. Sometimes,
when the battle was over, the field would be strewn with legs, and
arms, and mangled bodies, but, in one place there would be a heap where
they were piled one upon another–a great mountain of flesh and armor,
broken bones and smashed skulls–and one would ask, "What does this
means? How came all this carnage is here? Why are they so trampled, one
upon another, and in pools of human blood?" The answer would be, "'Twas
there the standard-bearer stood, and first the adversary made a dash,
and stole the banner, and then 50 knights vowed to redeem it, and they
dashed against their foes and took it by storm. And then again, hand to
hand, they fought with the banner between them, first in one hand and
then in another, changing ownership each hour."
So, dear Friends, Christ Jesus has always been the object of attack!
You remember that when Divine Justice came forth against Christ on
Calvary, it made five tears in the great Banner, and those five wounds,
all glorious, are still in that Banner! Since that day, many a shot has
sought to riddle it, but not one has been able to touch it! Borne
aloft, first by one hand and then by another, the mighty God of Jacob
being the strength of the standard-bearers, that Banner has bidden
defiance to the leaguered hosts of the world, the flesh and the devil!
And never has it been trailed in the mire, and never once carried in
jeering triumph by the adversary! Blessed are the tears in the Banner,
for they are the symbol of our victory! Those five wounds in the Person
of the Savior are the gates of Heaven to us! But, thank God, there are
no more wounds to be endured–the Person of our Lord is safe forever.
"A bone of Him shall not be broken." His Gospel, too, is an unwounded
Gospel and His mystical body is uninjured. Yes, the Gospel is unharmed
after all the strife of ages. The infidel threatens to rend the Gospel
to pieces, but it is as glorious as ever! Modern skepticism has sought
to pull it thread from thread, but has not been able so much as to rend
a fragment of it! Every now and then, fresh adversaries have found out
some new methods of induction or declamation, attempting to prove the
Gospel to be a lie, and Christ an impostor. Have they succeeded? No,
verily, they have all had to fly from the field. The good old Banner of
the Lord Omnipotent, even Christ Jesus, still stands exact above them
all!
And why should the banner be the object of attack but for this very
reason, that it is the symbol of defiance As soon as ever the banner is
lifted up, it is, as it were, flaunted in the face of the foe. It seems
to say to him, "Do your worst, come
on! We are not afraid of you–we defy you!" So, when Christ is
preached, there is a defiance given to the enemies of the Lord. Every
time a sermon is preached in the power of the Spirit, it is as though
the shrill clarion woke up the fiends of Hell for such a sermon to say
to them, "Christ is come forth again to deliver His lawful captives out
of your power! The King of kings has come to take away your dominions,
to wrest from you your stolen treasures, and to proclaim Himself your
Master." There is a stern joy which the minister sometimes feels when
he thinks of himself as the antagonist of the powers of Hell. Martin
Luther seems to have felt it when he said, "Come, let us sing the 46th
Psalm and let the devil do his worst!" That was lifting up the standard
of the Cross! If you want to defy the devil, don't go about preaching
philosophy! Don't sit down and write out fine sermons with long
sentences, three quarters of a mile in length! Don't try and cull fine,
smooth phrases that will sound sweetly in people's ears. The devil
doesn't care a bit for this! But talk about Christ! Preach about the
suffering of the Savior! Tell sinners that there is life in a look at
Him and straightway the devil takes great offense.
Look at many of the ministers in London! They preach in their pulpits
from the first of January to the last of December–and nobody finds
fault with them because they prophesy such smooth things. But let a man
preach Christ! Let him exclaim about the power of Jesus to save and
press home Gospel Truths with simplicity and boldness– straightaway
the fiends of darkness will be against him and, if they cannot bite,
they will show that they can howl and bark! There is a symbol of
defiance in the banner of the Cross–it is God's symbol of defiance,
His gauntlet thrown down to the confederated powers of Darkness–a
gauntlet which they dare not take up, for they know what tremendous
power for good there is in the uplifting of the Cross of Christ! Wave,
then, your banner, O you soldiers of the Cross! Each in your place and
rank keep watch, but still wave your banner, for though the adversary
shall be full of wrath, it is because he knows that his time is short
when once the Cross of Christ is lifted up!
We have not quite exhausted the metaphor yet. The banner was always a
source of consolation to the wounded. There he lies, the good knight.
Right well has he fought without fear and without reproach, but a
chance arrow pierced the joints of his harness and his life is oozing
out from the ghastly wound. There is no one there to unbuckle his
helmet, or give him a draught of cool water. His frame is locked up in
that hard case of steel and though he feels the pain, he cannot gain
relief. He hears the mingled cries, the hoarse shouts of men that rush
in fury against their fellows and he opens his eyes–as yet he has not
fainted from his bleeding. Where, do you think, does he look? He turns
himself round. What is he looking for? For friend? For comrades? No.
Should they come to him, he would say, "Just lift me up and let me sit
against that tree, but you go to the fight." Where is that restless eye
searching and what is the object for which it is looking? Yes, he has
it! And the face of the dying man is brightened. He sees the banner
still waving and with his last breath he cries, "On! On! On!" and falls
asleep content because the banner is safe. It has not been cast down.
Though he has fallen, yet the banner is secure!
Even so, every true soldier of the Cross rejoices in its triumph! We
fall, but Christ does not! We die, but the cause prospers! As I have
told you before, when my heart was most sad–as it never was before nor
since–that sweet text, "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him, and
given Him a name which is above every name," quite cheered my soul and
set me again in peace and comfort. Is Jesus safe? Then it never matters
what becomes of me! Is the banner all right? Does it wave on high? Then
the adversary has not won the day! He has felled one and another, but
he, himself, shall be broken in pieces, for the banner still shine in
the sun!
And, lastly, the banner is the emblem of victory. When the fighting is
over and the soldier comes home, what does he bring? His blood-stained
flag. And what is borne highest in the procession as it winds through
the streets? It is the flag. They hang it in the church–high up there
on the roof, where the incense smokes, and where the song of praise
ascends– there hangs the banner, honored and esteemed, borne in
conflict and in danger. Now, our Lord Jesus Christ shall be our Banner
in the last day and when all our foes shall be under our feet! A little
while and He that will come shall come, and will not tarry. A little
while, and we shall see–
"Jehovah's banner furled, Sheathed His sword; He speaks! 'Tis done, And
the kingdoms of this world Are the kingdoms of His Son."
And then Jesus, high above us all, shall be exalted! And through the
streets of the holy city, the acclamations shall ring, "Hosanna,
Hosanna, blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!"
II. Let us turn to our second point for a few moments. It is this–Who
gave us this Banner? BY WHOM WAS CHRIST GIVEN TO US?
Soldiers often esteem the colors for the sake of the person who first
bestowed them. You and I ought greatly to esteem our precious Christ
for the sake of God who gave Him to us–"You have given a Banner to
those who fear You." God gave us this Banner in old eternity. Christ
was given by the eternal Father, from everlasting, before the earth
was, to His elect people, to be the Messiah of God, the Savior of the
world! He was given in the manger, when "the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us." He was given upon the Cross when the Father bestowed
every drop of His Son's blood, and every nerve of His body, and every
power of His soul to bleed and die, "the Just for the unjust, that He
might bring us to God." " You have given a banner."
That Banner was given to each one of us in the day of our conversion.
Christ became, from that time forth, our glory and our boast. And He is
given to some of us, especially, when we are called to the ministry, or
when the Holy Spirit's guidance puts us upon any extraordinary work for
Christ. Then is the banner, in a direct and especial manner, committed
to our care. There are some here who have had this Banner given to them
to carry in the midst of the Sunday school. A dear Sister here has it.
A beloved Brother has it to bear in the midst of many of this
congregation. The young men of our College, of our Evening Classes, and
many others of you, workers for Christ, have that Banner, that you may
bear it in the streets, that you may lift up the name of Jesus in the
causeways, and in the places of assembly. And, in a certain measure,
all of you who love the Lord, have that Banner given to you, that in
your various spheres of service you may talk of Jesus and lift up His
holy name!
Now, inasmuch as God Himself gives us this Banner, with what reverence
should we look upon it, with what ardor should we cluster round it,
with what zeal should we defend it, with what enthusiasm should we
follow it, with what faith and confidence should we rush even into
death, itself, for its defense!
III. Thirdly, TO WHOM IS THIS BANNER GIVEN? The text says, "You have
given a banner to those who fear
You." Not to all men. God has a chosen people. These chosen people are
known, in due time, by their outward character. That outward Divine
Grace-worked character is this–they fear God, and they that fear God
are the only persons who ought to carry this banner. Shall the banner
be put into a drunkard's hands? Shall the great Truth of Christ be left
to those who live in sin? Oh, it is a wretched thing when men come into
the pulpit to preach who have never known and felt the power of the
Gospel! Time was–but times are changed somewhat–when, in multitudes
of our parish pulpits, men whose characters were unhallowed, preached
to others what they never practiced themselves! To such, the banner
ought not to be given! Men must fear God, or else they are not worthy
to bear it.
Moreover, none but these can bear it. What others bear is not the
banner–it is but an imitation of it. It is not Christ they preach–it
is a diluted thing that is not the Gospel of Jesus. They cannot
proclaim it to others till they know it themselves! It is given to them
that fear God because they will have courage to bear it. Fear is often
the mother of courage. To fear God makes a man brave. To fear man is
cowardly, I grant, but to fear God with humble awe and holy reverence
is such a noble passion that I would we were more and more full
thereof, blending, as it were, the fear of Isaac with the faith of
Abraham! To fear God will make the weakest of us play the man, and the
most cowardly of us become heroes for the Lord our God!
Now, inasmuch as this banner is given to those that fear God, if you
fear God, it is given to you. I do not know in what capacity you are to
bear it, but I do know there is somewhere or other where you have to
carry it. Mother, let the banner wave in your household! Merchant, let
the banner be fixed upon your house of business. Let it be unfurled and
fly at your masthead, O sailor! Bear the banner, O soldier, in your
regiment! Yours is a stern duty, for, alas, the Christian soldier has a
path of briar that few men have trod. God make you faithful and may you
be honored as a good soldier of Jesus Christ! Some of you are poor and
work hard in the midst of many artisans who fear not God. Take your
banner with you and never be ashamed of your colors. You cannot be long
in a workshop before your companions will pull their colors out. They
will soon begin talking to you about their sinful pleasures, their
amusements, perhaps their infidel principles. Take your banner out
likewise. Tell them that it is a game two can play at–never allow a
man to show his banner without also showing yours! Do not do it
ostentatiously–do it humbly–but do it earnestly and sincerely.
Remember that your banner is one that you never need be ashamed of–the
best of men have fought under it! No, He who was God as well as Man has
His own name written on it! Surely, then, you need not be ashamed to
wave it anywhere and everywhere. You can think bravely–now be great in
action as you have been in thought–
"Presence of mind and courage in distress Are more than armies to
procure success."
IV. This is our last question, FOR WHAT PURPOSE WAS THIS BANNER GIVEN
TO US?
Our text is very explicit upon that point–it was given to us to be
"displayed because of the truth." It is to be displayed. In order to
display a banner, you must take it out of its case. Members of this
congregation, Brothers and Sisters in the Church, I pray you study the
Scriptures much. I would not have men attempt to preach unless they
have some power. To go forth without some study would be like a man
attempting to do execution with a gun that had much powder in it and no
shot. Young men, save your spare hours to study the Bible. Steal them
from your sleep if you cannot get them any other way. Sunday school
teachers, be diligent in your preparations for your classes. Let your
banner out of the case. It is of little service lifting it up in the
midst of the ranks without its being unfurled. See that you know the
holy art of unfurling it. Practice it! Study it! Be well acquainted
with Him who is the wisdom of God and the power of God!
And, after the flag is unfurled, it needs to be lifted up. So, in order
to display Christ, you must lift Him up. Lift Him up with a clear
voice, as one who has something to say which he would have men hear.
Speak of Him boldly, as one who is not ashamed of His message. Speak
affectionately, speak passionately, speak with your whole soul–let
your whole heart be in every word you say, for this is to lift up the
banner!
But, besides lifting up the banner, you must carry it, for it is the
business of the standard-bearer, not merely to hold it in one place,
but to bear it here and there if the plan of battle shall change. So,
bear Christ to the poor lodging houses, to the workhouses, to the
prisons, if you can get admittance, to the back streets, to the dark
slums, to the cellars, to the solitary attic, to the crowded rooms, to
the highways and the byways! And you especially who are private
Christians and not preachers, bear it from house to house! We had a
complaint, the other day, that some of you had been going from house to
house to try and talk to others about their souls. You had entrenched
upon the parochial bounds of the authored gamekeeper! I pray you to
entrench again! What is myparish? The whole world is my parish! Let the
whole world be your parish likewise! What does it matter to us if the
world is parceled out among men who probably do little or nothing? Let
us do all we can! No man has any right to say to me, "Visit in
such-and-such a district, not here–this is my ground." Who gave it to
you? Who gave him lordship of the world, or any portion of it? "The
earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." The earth is your field
and no matter upon whose district, territory, or parish! Let me
encourage you who love the Savior, you who have the pure Gospel, to go
and spread it! Let nothing confine you, or limit your labors, except
your strength and your time!
Still, after all, if we carry the Gospel and lift up the banner, it
will never be displayed unless there is wind to blow it. A banner would
only hang like a dead flag upon the staff if there were no wind. We
cannot produce the wind to expand the banner, but we can invoke
heavenly aid. Prayer becomes a prophecy when we say, "Awake, O heavenly
wind, and blow, and let this banner be displayed." The Holy Spirit is
that gracious wind who shall make the Truth of God apparent in the
hearts of those who hear it. Display the banner, talk of Christ, live
Christ, proclaim Christ everywhere! He is given to you for this very
purpose. Therefore, let not your light be hid under a bushel. "You are
the light of the world." "Let your light so shine before men." Let the
old flag be held up by firm hands. Go forth in new times, with new
resolves, and may you have constant renewing as new opportunities open
before you!
Oh, but are there not some of you who could not bear this banner? Let
me invite such to come and take shelter under it. My Master's banner,
wherever it goes, gives liberty! Under the banner of old England, there
never breathes a slave. They tread our country, they breathe our air
and their shackles fall! Beneath the banner of Christ, no slave can
live. Do but look up to Jesus, relying upon His suffering in your
place, and bearing your sins in your place and forthwith you shall have
acceptance in the Beloved! And the peace of God which passes all
understanding shall keep your heart and mind through Jesus Christ. So
may God enlist you beneath the banner, to His Glory! Amen.
Genesis 32:1. And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
What an encouragement the visit of these angels must have been to Jacob
after the strife which he had had with Laban! But, dear Friends, angels
often come to meet us, though we know it not. As in the old classic
story, the poor man said, "This is a plain hut, but God has been here,"
so we may say of every Christian's cottage, "Though it is poor, an
angel has come here," for David says, "The Angel of the Lord encamps
round about them that fear Him, and delivers them." As the angels of
God met Jacob, I trust that if you have come here after some stern
battle, trial and difficulty, you may find the angels of God meeting
you here. They do come into the assemblies of the saints. Paul tells us
that the woman ought to have her head covered in the assembly "because
of the angels," that is, because they are there to see that all things
are done decently and in order.
2. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called
the name of that place Mahanaim. He gave it a name to commemorate God's
having sent the angels and called it, "two camps" or, "two hosts."
3. And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the
land ofSeir, the country ofEdom. He is out of one trouble with
Laban–now he is into another with Esau. Well did John Bunyan say–
"A Christian man is seldom long at ease;
When one trouble's gone, another does him seize."
4. 5. And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall you speak unto my lord
Esau, Your servant Jacob says thus, I have adjourned with Laban, and
stayed there until now: and I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and
menservants, and women servants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that
I may find favor in your sight This is very respectful language, and
rather submissive, too. But when a man knows that he has done wrong to
another, he ought to be prepared to humble himself to the injured
individual and, though it happened long ago, yet Jacob really had
injured his brother Esau. So it was but right that in meeting him
again, he should put himself into a humble position before him. There
are some proud people who, when they know that they have done wrong,
yet will not admit it. And it is very hard to end a quarrel when one
will not yield and the other feels that he will not, either. But there
is good hope of things going right when Jacob, who is the better of the
two brothers, is also the humbler of the two.
6, 7. And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We went to your
brother Esau, and also he comes to meet you, and four hundred men with
him. Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. And well he might
be, for an angry brother, with four hundred fierce followers, must mean
mischief!
7, 8. And he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks, and
herds, and the camels, into two bands; and said, If Esau comes to the
one company, and smites it, then the other company which is left shall
escape. This is characteristic of Jacob. He was a man of plans and
arrangements, a man of considerable craftiness which some people,
nowadays, call, "prudence." He used means and he sometimes used them a
little too much. Perhaps he did so in this case, but, at the same time,
he was a man of faith and, therefore, he betook himself to prayer.
9-12. And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father
Isaac, the Lord which said unto me, Return unto your country, and to
your kindred, and I will deal well with you: I am not worthy of the
least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which You have showed
unto Your servant, for with my staff I passed over the Jordan, and now
I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray You, from the hand of my
brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and
smite me, and the mother with the children. And You said, I will surely
do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the seas which cannot be
numbered for multitude. A prayer most humble, most direct in its
petitions, and also full of faith. That was a grand argument for him to
use–"You said, I will surely do you good." This is one of the
mightiest pleas that we can urge in praying to God–"Do as You have
said. Remember Your word unto Your servant, upon which You have caused
me to hope." O Brothers and Sisters, if you can remind God of His own
promise, you will win the day, for promised mercies are sure mercies–
"As well might He His being quit, As break His promise, or forget."
"Has He said, and shall He not do it?" Only for this will He be
enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them, and we must take
care that we call His promise to mind and plead it at the Mercy Seat.
13-21. And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came
to his hand a present for Esau his brother; two hundred she goats, and
twenty he goats, two hundred ewe, and twenty rams, thirty milch camel
with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten
foals. And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove
by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put
a space between drove and drove. And he commanded the foremost, saying
When Esau my brother meets you, and asks you, saying, 'Whose are you?
And where are you going? And whose are these before you? Then you shall
say, They are your servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord
Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us. And so commanded he the
second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On
this manner shall you speak unto Esau, when you find him. And say we
moreover, Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will
appease him with the present that goes before me and afterward I will
see his face; perhaps he will accept me. So went the present over
before him: and himself lodged that night in the company. If Jacob had
been true to his faith in God, he would have dispensed with these very
prudent preparations, for, after all, the faithfulness of God was
Jacob's best defense! It was from God that his safety came–not from
his own plotting, planning and scheming. There are some of you, dear
Brothers and Sisters, who have minds that are naturally given to
inventions, devices, plans and plots–and I believe that where this is
the case, you have more to battle against than those have who are of an
ample mind and who cast themselves more entirely upon the Lord. It is a
blessed thing to be such a fool that you do not know anyone to trust in
except your God. It is a sweet thing to be so weaned from your wisdom
that you fall into the arms of God.
Yet, if you do feel that it is right to make such plans as Jacob made,
take care that you do what Jacob also did. Pray as well as plan and if
your plans are numerous, let your prayers be all the more fervent, lest
the natural tendency of your constitution should degenerate into
reliance upon the arm of flesh and dependence upon your own wisdom,
instead of absolute reliance upon God.
22-24. And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two
women servants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.
And he took them and sent them over the brook, and sent over what he
had. And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a Man with him until
the breaking of the day. It was the Man Christ Jesus putting on the
form of Manhood before the time when He would actually be Incarnate!
And the wrestling seems to have been more on His side than on Jacob's,
for it is not said that Jacob wrestled, but that "there wrestled a Man
with him." There was something that needed to be taken out of
Jacob–his strength and his craftiness–and this Angel came to get it
out of him. But, on the other hand, Jacob spied his opportunity and,
finding the Angel wrestling with him, he in his turn began to wrestle
with the angel.
25. And when He saw that He prevailed not against him, He touched the
hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint
as he wrestled with Him. So that he was made painfully to realize his
own weakness while he was putting forth all his strength!
26. And He said, let Me go, for the day breaks. And he said, I will not
let You go, except You bless me. Bravely said, O Jacob! And you sons of
Jacob, learn to say the same! You may have what you will if you can
speak thus to the Covenant Angel, "I will not let You go, except You
bless me."
27. 28. And He said unto him, what is your name? And he said Jacob. And
He said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob. "The supplanter."
28. But Israel. "A prince of God."
28, 29. For as a prince have youpower with Godand with men, and have
prevailed. And Jacob askedHim, andsaid, Tell me, I pray You, Your name.
That has often been the request of God's people–they have wanted to
know God's wondrous name. The Jews superstitiously believe that we have
lost the sound of the name of Jehovah–that the name is altogether
unpronounceable. We think not so, but certainly, no man knows the
Nature of God, and understands Him but he to whom the Son shall reveal
Him. Perhaps Jacob's request had somewhat of curiosity in it, so the
Angel would not grant it.
29. And He said, why is it that you ask after My name. And He blessed
him there. He did not give him what he asked for, but He gave him
something better and, in like manner, if the Lord does not open up a
dark doctrine to you, but gives you a bright privilege, that will be
better for you!
30-32. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for I have seen
God face to face, and my life is preserved. And as he passed over
Peniel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore
the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon
the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because He touched the hollow
of Jacob's thigh in the sinew which shrank.
Psalm 119:33. Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes. The Psalmist
is constantly talking about "the way." We have that expression in the
27th verse, then in the 29th , the 30th and the 32nd -and now again we
have it here–"Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes."
33, 34. And I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I
shall keep Your Law; yes, I shall observe it with my whole heart. That
is not true or right understanding which permits us to go into sin.
Those who are really wise in heart hate evil and love righteousness.
35. Make me to go in the path. Or, way–
35. Of Your commandment; for therein do I delight. "Make me to go." Not
only show me the way, but make me to go, like a nurse does with a child
when she puts her hands under its arms and strengthens its tottering
footsteps. This is a very beautiful expression–"Make me to go." Lord,
we are very weak. We are like little children. Make us to go in the
path of Your commandments, for therein do we delight.
36. Incline my heart unto Your testimonies, and not to covetousness.
The heart must love something–it will either love that which is good,
or that which is evil. "O Lord," the Psalmist seems to pray, "incline
my heart in the right direction. Make it lean towards that which is
good. Cause me to count Your Grace better than all the riches of the
world."
37. Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity. "Do not let me even look
at it, for one may look at an ugly thing until the sense of its
deformity gradually disappears and it becomes attractive. Lord, never
let me so fix my eyes upon sin that, at last, I come to reckon it a
desirable thing."
37. And quicken You me in Your way. "A man who travels quickly has not
time to stop and look at the things in the road. Lord, let me go so
fast to Heaven that when the devil hangs his baubles in his shop
window, I may not have time even to stop and look at them! Turn away my
eyes from beholding vanity and quicken You me in Your way.'"
38. Establish Your word unto Your servant, who is devoted to Your fear.
That is, "Make Your word to me real and true. Put away my natural
skepticism, my proneness to question, my tendency to doubt." "Establish
Your word." "Make me to know how firm, how true, how real it is, for I
would love it more and more. I do believe it, for I am devoted to Your
fear, but I long to be still further established in the faith."
39. Turn away my reproach which I fear. Are any of you fearing
reproach? If so, you may well fear it, for you deserve it. Yet, even
then, you may ask the Lord to turn it away from you.
39, 40. For Your judgments are good. Behold, I have longed after Your
precepts. Some people whom I know long after the promises, and others
long after the doctrines. I hope that they will all get an equal
longing for the precepts, for true Believers love the precepts as much
as they love the promises or the doctrines. "Behold, I have longed
after Your precepts."
40. Quicken me in Your righteousness.