St. Louis Conference: 2001, Hebrews 11:17-40 (11:17-40)
Reading
139. This world is a world. Where you want to regrow the water. 17 and read through the end of the chapter.
Hebrews Chapter 11 beginning at verse 17. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called, accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph, and worshipped leaning upon the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel, and gave commandment concerning his bones. By faith Moses when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child, and they were not afraid of the King's commandment. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. For he had respect under the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king. For he endured as seeing him who was invisible through faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the first born should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea, as by dry land, which the Egyptians are saying to do were drowned by faith the walls of Jericho fell down. After they were compassed about seven days by faith, the harlot Rahab perished not with them that pair that believe not when she had received the spies with peace. And what shall I say more? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barrack, and of Samson, and of Jeptha, of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quench the violence of fire, escape the edge of the sword. Out of weakness were made strong, waxed, valiant in fight, turn to flight. The armies of the aliens women received their dead rays to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings. Yeah, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were saw in asunder. Were tempted, were slain with a sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goat skins. Being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these, all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise. God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us. Should not be made perfect. We've begun with in connection with his son. Plus faith in resurrection, wasn't it? And we see the same faith in the Apostle Paul if we turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter one. He had some rough times in his life, did Paul? And he doesn't predict much of it. But he had this trouble in Asia that he speaks about in Second Corinthians 1/8. For we would not brethren that have you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure above strength. Insomuch that we despaired even of life. But now here's his faith. We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth the dead faith and resurrection. Beautiful to see that in Paul as well as in Abraham. God just stayed. He always tests it as well, and that is not an easy thing, but it is something that happens in every one of our lives. And this is probably the most severe test that Abraham was put to. But he had proved God and had had a child when he was beyond that age, and Sarah also was beyond that age.
He had proved that God was the God that could bring lifeout of something that was dead. And so this test is so beautiful to see how he. Responded when God said Abraham take your son, your only son, and offer him up for a sacrifice. There was no reasonings with God, There was no asking. God saying you said this was the Son I was going to have. Descendants like the stars of Heaven and the sand by the seashore. How do you ask me to sacrifice him? Not one word that we read of of reasonings. Simple implicit obedience. He gets up early the next morning and puts the plan into effect. Oh, brethren, this is beautiful. The simplicity of faith. If you really trust somebody, you're going to be. Implicitly obedient. Especially in relation to God and what a testimony this was. It says here. He offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And here we learn something that we don't learn in the Old Testament accounting, that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence he also received him in a figure. So he had that confidence God promised me in this sun descendants. As the stars of heaven, there is only one way that he can fulfill that. Is that if he's offered up, he will raise him back to life again in this beautiful brethren, the tremendous trial of faith. And I sometimes say, if God gives us trials of faith, remember brethren, it's because he wants to display his glory, and we will only be the only see the display of that glory and the measure that we follow in simplicity. Of obedience to what he asks us to do. Portion that lets us see into the very thoughts of Abraham, because as you say, in the Old Testament, we know he had faith by what he did. But here it's his very thoughts. Because I might act in obedience to someone, you might tell me to do something, and I might outwardly do it. But in my thought process I might be wondering now, is this really going to work out in the end? What's going to happen? And so there might be an outward show of of of doing it. But inwardly there may not be peace. But isn't it wonderful that as Abraham rose up early, and as he and Isaac went up that mountain together, there was settled peace in Abraham's soul about what he was doing? It wasn't just an outward obedience that he was performing. And when his son turned to him and said, behold the fire in the wood, But where is the lamb for a burnt offering, you might say. Well, what? What went through Abraham's mind? Well, Abraham had utter confidence, and earlier he said to the young men that they would return. I and the lad will go Yonder and worship and notice this, and will return unto you. He had every confidence that even if he had to take that knife, and I'm sure Abraham thought. That he was going to have to take that knife and slay his son. That's what God had told him to do. But he knew that if he took that knife and slayed his son, it says he staggered not at the promises. Because in his own mind these promises were so real, so convinced of he was he and his soul of these promises. That he said, yes, I may have to take that knife, and I think he had every expectation of doing it. But he said, we'll come again because right here we find that Abraham knew that if his son was slain, God was going to raise him from the dead, and that it was going to be in Abraham that those promises were going to be fulfilled. But if you let me say this too, I think it's interesting to see that this test of faith for Abraham was not given to him early on in his path of faith. You know the wonderful thing about faith is, brethren, we mentioned it's a gift of God the other day.
And God never tests us above the faith that he gives. But one reason he does test us is so that our faith will grow. You know the disciples said to the Lord Jesus on an occasion increase our faith. But if you notice carefully what the Lord said to them, he gave them an illustration to show that the way their faith was going to increase and develop was to put it in operation. You know if you have have a friend and you've known that friend a short time, you might feel like you can trust that friend. But if you get to know that friend and you've known them for many years, and they've always been worthy of your confidence. Your faith in that person grows, And brethren, as faith is put in operation, and as it is tested, I believe that's the way our faith grows. And Abraham had so proved his God in the steps of his pathway, the little steps. And then as our brother Bob brought out the the having a son in their old age, he had so proved the Lord in those little things that when the great test came, his faith had grown so that he didn't stagger at the test. And as Bob said, there was immediate obedience. To carry this out. So I think this is a great comfort to us as God put some tests detrying your faith. He's not going to try you above that you're able to bear. So faith believes God. And in connecting with what Bob was saying about reasoning. We used to hear an old brother. I might name him, but I don't need to. Who said to us? Reasoning is not faith, and faith does not reason. They are not together and we have a verse in Second Corinthians 10/5. Says casting down imaginations, but if you look at the margin, it says reasoning. And every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. That's where faith comes from, believing God, obeying God. Effect about it is that. When God puts us to the test or, and I think it can go the other way, when we put God to the test. Our knowledge of himself grows. And God wants us to know Him better. And so sometimes. As Abraham, after certain experiences in his life, if you talk to him. In his heart, he knew his God better than he had known him before. And our God wants us to know Him. It's his pleasure to make himself known to us, and for us to get to know him in an intimate way. And so. When we see him. And exercise his power on our behalf. Then there is a growth in our knowledge of himself. It's just like Jim said, our faith does grow, but to me, even it's true. But a more wonderful thing, almost, is the fact that what really is growing in our minds is the greatness of our God. And so as we get to know him better, we'll trust him more. They grow with exercise. And I know that thou canst do everything. That no thought of thine can be hindered. That's growing in the greatness of God the. Can't hinder one of God's thoughts. But, brethren, that in this supreme trial yesterday we heard about Abraham being the friend of God. And it was as if God came to Abraham and said. To him Abraham I have a secret. I also have a one and only son and only begotten son. And Abraham I'm going to sacrifice him as well and Abraham for that one, that only begotten son that I have. There will be no substitute how much Abraham entered into the picture.
We do not know. It does say in John's Gospel. Abraham, your father saw my day. And rejoiced. Whether that refers to that or not, I'm not sure exactly, but I say how much did Abraham, being the friend of God, understand what we see in that whole story? The picture of God the Father and God the Son in the work of redemption. I I believe he did see something but but it is beautiful to think about it that it was. God coming to his friend Abraham and opening up one of the most beautiful secrets of his heart. To Genesis again, which bears on what Bob is saying, I believe the 18th of Genesis. When the Lord comes to his tent door. Of Abraham in the heat of the day. And it says there were three men that came. And. You get it? I'll just start reading. The Lord appeared unto him. Well, he saw it. Genesis 18. In the plains of memory. And he sat in his tent door in the heat of the day, and he lifted up his eyes. And looked and looked, three men stood by him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed himself toward the ground and said, Now he only talked to one of those men, but the other two were angels. But this one because, my Lord. Evidently the knowledge of who was in front of him was there. That day the Lord appeared to him. He genuinely called him Lord. And if you look at that word, Lord, it's. Capitals, isn't it? There's one that is, Oh yes. And here it's the other word Lord singles capitals. Well, I believe that that it was 7 times perhaps that the Lord appeared unto Abraham, but this is the most distinct 1. Please to take manhood on this occasion. And we believe that. He was looking on. This is Lord of the Old Testament was the Lord blessed Son of God of the New. He was looking on to the day when he would take manhood. And never relinquish it. You'd never give up manhood. And he's gone back to heaven. He suffered on the cross as man. He's but he's risen from the dead and he's gone back to heaven as man. And he'll be a man forever. And we're going to enjoy him as forever a blessed man. Blessed man. Christ Jesus. We're going to enjoy him forever as man. It's 22. It's something that particularly brings before our hearts what it costs the Father to give the Son. Isaac doesn't particularly have a role in it as much as the Father, and what it was to the Father's heart to to give up his only son. Now, if you and I have an opportunity in the Halls of Glory to speak to Abraham in this way. We might say to Abraham, Abraham, do you know what it must feel like for the father to give the son? Abraham can say yes. So where I was given the unique and wonderful privilege of passing through an experience in my life, that gave me something of the feeling of what it meant to God, my father's heart, to have to give up his Son. And so God does pass us through experiences in which faith is called upon that we might know him better. And Abraham knew God better as a result of that experience, and he was able to enter in and share something.
In a more innocent way than perhaps most of us, if not all of us in this room have ever experienced. As to the matter of what it means to the heart of God to give the Son. And yet God gave Abraham in to exercise his faith, the proof of his own relationship with Abraham, and in the truth of the resurrection. And so when God does allow us to go through things in life, he wants us to benefit from it and to know his heart, not only his power, but also his heart. Abraham learned something in that experience of the heart of God. I think most of us have, at least in an abstract way, some sense of the great power of God that can I say, he can do anything. Except make our coffee makers work and so on. But but God has tremendous power and yet. We sometimes fail to trust his love. And Abraham was one who had to trust not only the power of God, but the heart of God. When he was willing to be obedient in the offering of his Son. Beautifully brought out in verse 17. I've often pondered this and what you've just shared is I at least helped me personally because it says in verse 17 of our chapter by Faith Abram, when he was dried up, offered up Isaac. Now I just say I'm going to do be careful. I could have had you or I've been writing this. We might have gone on then. To verse 18. But the Spirit of God then repeats it, and he says, and he that had received the promises. Offered up his only begotten son. It's the same one Isaac and his only begotten son. And it seems to me that's the power and the love. That Isaac was the one in whom all the promises were going to be fulfilled. And it was God's power alone who gave Sarah, due to the deadness of her wound, to even bear this child. And then Abram is called to OfferUp Isaac. But his heart was involved too. And so we have in Genesis 22, take now thy son. Thine only Isaac. There was, or I think that's in parentheses so you can read it. Thine only Isaac. And so you get the feeling it wasn't only calling him to OfferUp what God had promised, but his heart, affection was wrapped up in a way that only a father's heart could be wrapped up with his son. And so you have that here. By faith, Abram, when he was tried, offered up Isaac. They say again. It seems to me that answers Brother Don to what you're talking about. You've been sharing with us about power. And then it goes on. And he that received the promises offered up his only begotten son. That's the heart, affection. We do get tested on that, don't we? Both of those, whether we're going to trust not only his power but his love. God Isaac. I rather God spared Isaac, but he didn't spare his own son. God spared Abraham, but he didn't spare himself. Other deer that in Genesis 22 it he adds something to the verse that Doug quoted, whom thou lovest. And isn't it significant that that is the first mention of love in the word of God, the love between the father and the son? And I don't suppose we really enter into what must have passed between the heart of Abraham and Isaac as they started that journey. And as they started up that mountain, and as the wood was laid in order, and as Isaac was laid on that altar, and Abraham had every expectation that he was going to plunge that night into the heart of his son, can we understand really what passed between Isaac and Abraham, thine only son whom thou lovest. God knew how much Abraham loved that son Isaac. And brethren, I think we need to consider this. In connection with the type that we have. In First John, when it says the Father sent the Son, isn't that more than if it just said God sent Jesus? God did send Jesus, that's true. But the Father sent the Son. Does that do something to your heart? Does that do something to my heart to realize, at least in some little measure, what it must have meant to God the Father to send the Son into this world knowing what the end would be?
When I've often said when Israel sent Joseph to his brethren, did he know what the result would be when David sent When Jesse sent David to the camp of Israel, did he know what the result would be? No. I suspect if Israel had had any idea the the day he sent Joseph to his brethren that the son he loved he wasn't going to see for many, many years and was going to be treated so wickedly by his brother, I suggest he would have kept him home within the veil of Hebron. If Jesse had known that David was going to be judged, even the nodding that the motive of his heart by his brethren, and then go down and fight the champion of the Philistine, I say, dare say Jesse would have kept David home. They didn't know the end result as a father who loved their sons, but God the father knew the end result and the father sent the son. I think we just need to stop and meditate on that love that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all. 22 Is much more the trial of the Father, not so much of the Son, the obedience of the Son, but the trial of the Father. God wants us to know. How much he loves us to give, his only begotten son to get. Children for their father's house. Forsaking the father, forsaking the son. Our Holy. Isaacs of death for three days. Abraham looked it up, looked up and he saw the place far off 3 days journey. Isaac didn't know. He didn't know what lay ahead of him. But the Lord Jesus is under the sentence of death and past eternity. He knew what he was coming into this world for. For baptism to be baptized with And how am I straightened except to be accomplished? Men. Women. Are brought before us in our chapter to encourage us in the path of faith to endure. And. We might not ever be called upon to offer up our son or our children. But. Faith has done it. If there's a father here who has baptized his little children. He did that by faith and if done intelligently. You're really saying to God? This child is born of me. Cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven, and so they're placed in the waters of death. So that we can, in a figure, receive them out of that death to raise them, put Christ on them, and raise them for the glory of God's Kingdom. But that's all by faith, and the only benefit to it is the reality of the faith connected with it. Some haven't done that, but when you've gone into the waters of baptism for yourself. You've done the equivalent, you've said. I know, Lord, you're done with me, all that I'm. All that my portion can be from you is to die, and I have to go into death. But it's the death of Christ, and so we're baptized into his death that we might be raised up out of that water. But it's only effective we can be baptized. And have no meaning to us. It's only effective by the faith that we realize what we've done. And so God takes these precious things that are important and valuable to us. And sometimes He takes them away to give them back to us on a new ground and resurrection ground. So when we receive our children back out of the waters of baptism.
It's for the purpose of raising them and newness of life is for the purpose of training them for Christ. Purposes and interest in the same true thing is true of every one of us. And some of us were baptized older age and life, but we were saying to God as I was born of my mother. There can be no replenishing. There can be no sand of the sea, no stars of the sky from me. I have to go into death and in order that I might be raised up, and so that's what happened to Isaac in a figure. As born as it were of Abraham, he couldn't become the sand of the sea. He couldn't become the stars of the sky. But in resurrection eyes it could be that. I just want to say, you know. Baptism in the Lord's Supper can become just forms with us. But God wants us to attach faith to these things, that they become realities to us. And if they become realities to us, we do forfeit our life, don't we? No wonder. To be brought into common thoughts with God about this. And God knew that the only way anybody could be blessed was if his Son went down into death and rose again. And that's the only way any of us are ever going to be blessed is in resurrection life. Everything of this world and this life is coming to an end. It must be. But the Lord Jesus has opened up a whole new world, a whole new life, resurrection life. And he brings us there, but when he brings us there, he wants to have common thoughts with this. And how lovely to think of Abraham and the glory sharing with God his father the thoughts that God had as he gave his Son. And it receives him back again in resurrection life for all eternity. And then he has a lots of others around him, like like his son, to share it together. Well, we look forward to that and how good for us even right now, to be able to enter into the meaning of resurrection. We have Isaac now blessing. Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. That is interesting. Isaac Never. As Jacob got so far out of the pathway of faith. But the end of Isaac's life is not a real happy one. He was lacking in vision and he got deceived by his son Jacob. But it is interesting again to see that God sees be beyond. The outward appearance of things and there's anything that makes me slow about judging what there may be of God and other people. Brethren, it is verses like this. There was faith in Isaac when he blessed, and you read the count in in Genesis. It's Genesis 27 about Isaac blessing. It seems like what prevailed in his thinking was to get a a savory meal out of. Esau from his venison and. It was not much you would consider spiritual, and he blesses. Jacob thinking that it is Esau and then in verse 33 it's interesting and I think this is where faith comes into the picture. Genesis 2733 and. Esau comes in, and it says Isaac trembled very exceedingly and said who? Where is he that hath taken venison and brought it me? And I have eaten all of all before thou camest, and have blessed him. Now notice the last phrase of that verse, because this is where I think faith prevails. Yay, and he shall be blessed. God had told them, had told him before the elder. The elder shall serve the younger, and he knew that. But it didn't seem like that was in his mind when he purposed to bless his sons.
But here is where faith prevails, yeah, and he shall be blessed. And he does give a blessing to Esau, but he does not take away the blessing from Jacob, because Jacob was the one that appreciated the things of God. These cases of Jacob and Esau. And. Then Jacob blessing the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. That in each case it's. Not the elder that gets the prominent in the 1St place. I think it's consistently that way in scripture we've had about Cain and Abel. Cain was older than Abel. God comes along and he he doesn't make anything of the natural man that's born of man. Nothing ever. He comes in by election picks out another one and that's the way he's gotten us. Just the way he got Abraham he took him out of. Idolatry called him, and blessed him and. Blessing. We've been through that. So the natural man, the flesh naturally doesn't get the 1St place. It's grace that brings in and chooses an election. That sister down in Bogota, Colombia, asked that question when I was down there some time ago, she said. And before our meeting started, she was just talking to us. She says, Brother, why is it that it is always not the first, but the second? It wasn't Cain, It was Abel, It was not Esau. It was Jacob. It was not. Manasseh it was Ephraim. Why is it always that way? And so we turn to 1St Corinthians 15. It's the not the first man, It's the second man, the Lord out of heaven. And so that's the picture that you get in all these cases. And it is beautiful that Jacob seemed to have learned that principle when he blessed Joseph's son. You remember when Joseph brought his sons to Jacob to bless him, he put. Manasseh at Jacob's right hand and Ephraim at his left hand. And it said, Jacob guided his hands wittingly, and he crossed them and blessed to give the bigger blessing to Ephraim. And it was because I really believe he had the sense in his soul of that principle that God, it's not the first, it's the second man that God has in mind. You've raised that question about First Corinthians 15. The first man is of the earth. Earthy the second man is the Lord out of heaven. Now in the purposes of God they have always from all eternity been in the one, that would be the second man. But in the plan of God in nature the first one had to come first, and then the second one came by the 1St man. Wonderful plan of God. Isn't that the basis of which God can righteously give up by grace to the first man has the right but he always spoils it and so God can give it to whom so ever he will. And there's no no claims can be made. And so that's why it says when the fullness of time was come, there was a time when the first man had the chance. And then God after that was over, God could do it his way. That's grace. How good. There isn't much in Jacob's early life that calls for much admiration. But it's wonderful to see how how he had learned some things and at the end he how he shines so brightly coming and.
As you're saying, when he he crossed his hands wittingly and. When Joseph brought his two sons to him, Jacob, he crossed his hands wittingly. Well, now this is a law. God could have done the same thing for Jacob back in the early days, when it was a question of blessing to his two sons. He could have done the same thing with Esau and Jacob. He could have done the very same thing then. But Jacob had had to learn, and he had to suffer. For what he had done, and Rebecca had to suffer too. The boy that she loved, her son that she loved most of all. She never saw him again after he went, he after he fled from his brother Esau. She never saw her son again and she suffered for her part in that and what they did. I'm sorry, go ahead. No, I just want to say lovely to see that Jacob in his last days he he, he worshipped. And it says, leaning upon the top of his staff, or he worshipped upon the top of his staff, he become. A worshiper man, he never had been that much in his life, but he ended up. What a beautiful ending. To that Jacob never had it so good as when Joseph sent and brought him down to Egypt and took care of him. Jacob never had it so good in his lifetime. But all the glory of Egypt and all the wealth and the luxury and the splendor of Egypt, it really didn't. It didn't mean that much to Jacob. He told Joseph he didn't want to be buried in Egypt. He made sure he wanted to be buried. In the land of Israel, in the land for the glory was going to come to that land, and that's where he wanted to be buried. So. So the Egypt with all its wealth and its glory, it really never captured the heart and the mind of Jacob. In this 22nd verse. 5 Faith Joseph when he died. Made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and gave commandments concerning his bone. I think we read twice in that account. Of them having those bones of Joseph as they walked. Up toward Canaan. That it is a slight indication. Of the memorial that the Lord has given us to do. Breaking bread in remembrance of him and his death. They, I'm saying the children of Israel, they had an evidence of the death of that brother that they had treated so poorly. There with him now we have as we go, our 40 years in the wilderness. Not just twice, but all the time available. A reminder that our Savior died to get us. A lot of Prastine, Isaac and Jacob's lives like we were mentioning Isaac never seemed to get out of the pathway of faith so much in his lifetime. He started toward Egypt and the Lord gave him a word and he didn't go like Abraham his father had gone. He stayed in the land of Canaan. He never got out of the pathway of faith, but it is rather sad to see how his days ended. Rather, he could not see but Jacob, who was such a scoundrel, really, I mean deceiving so many people, managing things for his own purpose, not really fully trusting the Lord. God breaks that man when he wrestles with him and he touches the joint of his thigh, and his thigh is out of joint and he can't struggle any longer. God makes that man a prevailer. And to me, it is most beautiful to see the end of Jacob's story. What is he doing?
That scoundrel, while he's down in Egypt, what is he doing down there? He's taken into the very presence of Pharaoh, and he blesses Pharaoh without controversy. The lesser is blessed of the greater, really, in that picture. Jacob is more than Pharaoh in that exceedingly beautiful. How God takes a man that is a scoundrel and brings him into such an exalted position. What a beautiful thing, brother. Is there any question that he can do the same for any one of us? For as much as we've been scoundrels, he can He can break us, and he can bring us to the point of being prevailers with God and men. Think of what God valued in Jacob was that he believed and wanted those promises, but he wanted them ahead of time in his own way. He wasn't patient to wake God's time, but he did believe God that he would wrestle about them. But he had to learn that it was all on the grounds of grace, and that's why he lived so long, really in the Shadow. It's interesting that when the sun went down in connection with Jacob's Ladder, you never read of the sun rising again for 20 years till he wrestled with the Angel at Peniel. Wasn't that a long time to live in the Shadow brethren? But he lived in the shadow of trying to make bargains with God. We don't make bargains with God. We don't get the blessing that way. He tried to tell God, well, if I do my part, you do this. And so on. But he had to learn in wrestling with the Angel at Peniel, that if there was going to be any blessing in his life, it was not on the grounds of anything, that he could do nothing in himself. But it was all on the grounds of pure sovereign grace. It was God's part and not and not his. But I've enjoyed, as he went down to Egypt to see Joseph, that he stops in this 47th chapter of Genesis. In fact, let's just read it because I I think it ties in with this expression. Where it says later on he worshipped leaning on the top of his staff. I think you have the beginnings of it here in the as he goes down into Egypt in the 47th. Of Genesis, I'm sorry, In the 46th chapter, chapter 46 and verse one. And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in the vision of the night, And said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, here am I. And he said I am God, the God of thy father. Fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will dare make of the a great nation. I will go down with thee into Egypt and will surely bring me up again. And Joseph. Joseph shall put his hand upon my knife. I think this is so beautiful because this is not the Jacob you read about a few chapters before. Not the Jacob who's doesn't seem to fear to do anything. He doesn't seem to fear to take matters into his own hand and go out and meet his enemies and and so on, and even to speak to God in certain ways. But now we find a man who is ready to go down into Egypt at the call of his son. And evidently he's afraid. And he stopped here. And he offers a sacrifice. And God appears to him. And he says, Jacob, don't be afraid to go down. I'm going to go with you. I'm going to to strengthen you. I'm going to preserve you. I think this is so beautiful. And it's interesting that he calls his name twice here. Jacob. Jacob. Some of us were noticing a while back that there are 7 individuals in the word of God. Who, when they were called, had their names repeated twice, and I believe there are only 7 whom God called in this way, and Jacob is one of them. And it's interesting he doesn't say Israel Israel. Because he's the God of Jacob. Israel is what we are. By grace. We're a Prince with God. But Jacob is what we are by nature. But aren't we thankful, brethren, that even when we act as men in the flesh, he's the God of Jacob? And so it was to Jacob here that he called, and he gives him this precious promise. And Jacob now, I believe, arises from Beersheba and goes down not in his own strength, the way he had traversed the land of Canaan, but he goes down in the strength and confidence of his God. And the end result, I say, is what we have in our chapter, he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 6 Psalm 40. Psalm 46. Where it speaks of the the God of Jacob. God delights to be called the God of Jacob. Remember brother saying how that he loved that expression. He says I go out in the morning sometimes and and with high hopes of having a good day and he says before I get through he says I I've kind of made a mess of things and I didn't act like I should have done and so on and so on like. But he says I can come home at night. He says I can always come home to the God of Jacob. The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Yeah, yeah. And so how wonderful God delights to be called the God of Jacob. Fear not, he says no. Worm Jacob. Fear not, thou worm Jacob. Oh, what a God we have. A wonderful example to us of faith and encouraging example, I'd like to turn to Genesis 49. And here he is blessing his sons, and they're mentioned in our chapter 2. This is toward the end of his life. Not only bless Pharaoh, but he blessed his family. Verse one it said. Jacob called into his sons and said. Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hearken you sons of Jacob, and hearken unto Israel your father. He takes. That place of dignity that he had given to him by God, but what I've enjoyed. Is down in his blessing of Joseph. In verse 26. The blessing of thy father. That's Jacob Israel. Have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors, or his parents unto the utmost bounds, is what you were saying, Brother Bob. Isaac is his father, his parents. They didn't attain to the spiritual height. Jacob attained to and when it came to the end of his days to bless Joseph, he could bless him with a blessing. That was above the blessing of his father, or, I think Mr. Darby might suggest, his parents. And it's lovely to see how this dear man of God, I think it's in Genesis 35. He has to say, God was with me in all the ways I went. He didn't walk with God, but God walked with him. And there's a difference, but still. God didn't let him go. God did walk with him. And God by walking with him and through correction and government in his ways, this man responded to such a degree that at the close of his life he could bring a blessing on Joseph that Isaac was not able to bring to him. It's it's beautiful. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And Jacob, we got a one who had a poor start, but he had a good, good finish. I think we he had a good start, but he really had a poor finish. Abraham had a good start and a good finish. Well, it's good. Best of all to have both. Be nice to verse 23 forward about Moses. We have 1/2 an hour left, maybe a little less. But it's interesting to see in this report of Moses that before it talks about Moses faith, it talks about the faith of Moses parents. I think this is another encouragement to Christian parents for their children to see that Moses had. Parents of faith, by faith, Moses when he was born. Was hid three months of his parents because they saw he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the King's commandment. If you look at the Old Testament account, it might appear that they were afraid of the King's commandment. But there was that little baby, and the sentence of death was placed upon that little child by Pharaoh. They had to be thrown. Each manchild had to be thrown into the river. I think it is so beautiful, the way they acted.
They did not act in ignorance of that commandment, but that mother took. Basket. And protected it and put her little child in there and put. That child exactly where the king had commanded. That child to be put in the river. And I think it's so beautiful because when Pharaoh's daughter comes and takes him out of the river and ultimately takes him to the court of Pharaoh, Pharaoh might have said, I commanded that those boys be put in the river. She would have been able to say he was in the river and I took him out of there. The King's commandment had been fulfilled. He had been placed in that place of death. And was taken out of there, I think that is so beautiful to see the faith of Moses. Parents, we live in a world that is under the sentence of death, and we cannot ignore that, brethren. We cannot ignore that. And it seems like a tremendous challenge to bring up children in a world like we live in it is that it cannot be otherwise but oh brethren, to be able to count on God. Who would have ever thought that? The very daughter of Pharaoh. Would have given back that child into her mother's, his mother's arms, and said, take this child and raise it for me, and I will give thee wages tremendous intervention of the hand of God. We've just it's so lovely in Exodus chapter one to see how his birth comes about, and I don't know that the chronology of it is here, but the way the spirit of God has recorded it, it's really encouraging. In chapter one of Exodus, the last verse, it says Pharaoh charged all the people saying every son that is born he shall cast into the river and every daughter you shall save a life And there when a man of the House of Levi's. Of the daughter of Levi and the woman conceived and bare a son. They weren't afraid of the King's commandment. They weren't afraid of the threats of this world. They went ahead because they saw in our chapter in Hebrews He is a beautiful child. He's not going to be consumed by the world and its threats. And they went ahead in faith and had this little boy and God preserved them. They weren't afraid. Of the King's commandment, and you know it's a real detriment to us. And especially you who are beginning the path of life as fathers and mothers, parents. It's a real snare to you. If you become you begin moving in fear of the world. I don't know what I'm going to do. You don't need to move in fear of the King's commandment. You move in the faith of the preserving God of your family and. Maybe someone could help me, but I've always wondered all my Christian life, Moses. Whether Bob said we know that name Moses was given by Pharaoh's daughter and it means the drawn out one. Is that not right? He comes out and you might say in resurrection ground he's his parents put him in that place of death, but he is a drawn out one. But what I don't understand is my pharaoh's daughter gave him that name and that's what he's known by consistently. I don't know why that's so. Providence put Moses in the court of Pharaoh, but faith took him out. Face took him out. I don't have any answer to your question, Henry, but it's just another thought before we go on. Talks about that. They saw that the child was a proper child.
And we sometimes read that and think that. They looked at this baby and they saw a very healthy little baby and they were loath to allow anything to hurt him. Well, that's certainly a natural thing and it would be a natural and normal response, the response of any normal parent that seeing their child born, they would see a proper child and it would be very beautiful. But it says in the new translation that he was beautiful here and in Acts Chapter 7, when Stephen is recounting this, he says they saw the child exceedingly lovely or beautiful to God. Mr. Darby has a note, Beautiful to God. My point is this. That this is faith in its, you might say, most elementary form for parents. That they look at the child, they look at you, parents, you look. And I remember when I saw my first born and then on our second one too, those little babies that the the nurse brought. And they they weren't physically beautiful, but they were the most beautiful thing in the world. But even that is not why. That that these parents had made this decision that they were going to hide Moses. They saw by faith what God saw. What God saw was a potential deliverer of the people of God. And that's what made Moses beautiful. He was naturally speaking a beautiful child to them, as I say, any normal parent would see in their child. But but beloved brethren, those of you who are, as Brother Henry said, raising your children now and starting on that path of life, and those who are a little ways along it. And even those of us who are grandparents can't enter in in this, in this to look at these treasures that God has given and view them the way God views them as beautiful to God because of the potential that they have for the support and the health and the well-being of God's beloved people in the assembly. And when we view them by faith through God's eyes, there cannot be any. Quarter given. Nor would we think of giving any quarter to the world that would come in and take those beautiful children away and use them for their own means and for their own purposes of The world sees our children beautiful, and what it sees is that somehow our children can be used to support the world that Cain built. And our children can be trained. And it's such a tremendous commendation of what Moses mother received when Bob quoted this. And Bob, I I I'm not making you an offender for words, but you said take this child and raise him for me, but it's take this child away and nurse him for me. And so those parents did that. In reality they took Moses and they hid Moses all the time that that mother had. However long that was, it was enough time given by God to instill in him a love for the people of God, a love for God for Jehovah, and a love for the people of God. So that when the time came after he had been raised and had all of the blessings of Pharaoh's court, and Pharaoh's court would make a claim and say, now look what we did for you, we saved you, we preserved you, You owe your life to us. You owe us. And that's what this world is saying to our children. Look at the conditions you've grown up in. You owe us. And Moses said no, I don't. I owe the one that my parents. Feared not the one that they didn't fear, I owe, as it were Jehovah and his people. And so we find that while they had No Fear in of of the King's commandment, later when Moses is brought to the place responsibility, he has No Fear either. He was brought up and was given those things, well beloved brethren, parents, grandparents, and all of us in the assembly. May we look at these children and these young people as God looks at them, beautiful potential preservers, and do everything we can to take them away from the world that wants to use them for its own gain, That we, the assembly, might be preserved and blessed by them. Important the first years of a child's life are the impressions that are given, and as Pharaohs daughter gave that little baby back to Moses Moses mother. And instructed her to take it and to raise it, to nurse it. We don't know how long Moses mother had that child, but I'm sure she must have instilled in his little heart a love for God. And I love for the promises of God that the promises of God were not in Egypt because he went to Pharaoh's court. And I can imagine we don't know how long Moses mother lived, but.
It was a full 40 years before he comes to the point of verse 24, if I'm not mistaken. Who's 40 years old and Moses, Mother might have thought. Just wonder. What's going to ever happen to my boy Moses? And all those years? Finally, at 40 years old, he's mighty in Word indeed. He comes out and he takes his stand to identify himself with the people of God. He refuses to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. That was a lie. That was not the truth. And he takes his stand with those slaves, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God. That is not a normal reaction. You don't just simply choose. To suffer. People don't do that, naturally speaking, but he saw. In those slaves, the people of God that were connected with future glory and the promises that God had made for those people. I think it's so beautiful that it finally came to fruition in Moses at that juncture. At this, before we go on, Brother Bob, we're talking here about the son of Pharaoh's daughter. And I want to suggest to our hearts that there are two characters that we, especially parents, have to see in this world. There's the Pharaoh character of this world, and there's the Pharaoh's daughter character of this world. The Pharaoh character of this world is that violent character that would outwardly do anything to corrupt and destroy. And it's very noticeable and it's very obvious in our world today. We might look at that as the drug scene or the violence, immorality, very open pharaoh that says cast them in the river, kill them. But what we're far more easily tripped up with, and what we are as parents in this group, as believers are far more prone to get tripped up by, is the pharaoh's daughter character of the world, which is a very beautiful, loving, caring. Innocent looking character. Something that protects and cares for. You know, when Pharaoh was taken into that court, he wasn't taken in there. And taught how to kill and how to be immoral. He was taught in all the wisdom and the learning of the Egyptians. He was given the very finest of everything. And it takes faith, brethren, as much faith, to reject and to train our children to reject the Pharaoh's daughter character of this world as it does to say, As the saying goes, just say no to drugs. Just say no to immorality. Well, that's the Pharaoh character of the world. And we can say that that doesn't take faith. We see it. We see the horror of it. But brethren, what we need, faith anointed as parents and grandparents in our eyes, is to see the Pharaoh's daughter character, this world which looks so beautiful. It looks so good, it looks so attractive and to say to our children and our young people. We don't want you to take up with the Pharaoh's daughter character of the world either. They both had the same purpose. Pharaoh and Pharaoh's daughter both had the same purpose, and that was to destroy the people of God. One did it through open violence, one was going to do it through being nice, and that's the world we live in. It will destroy, if it can, our children, either by open violence and corruption or by being very nice. And we need faith to see that and to steer our children away from it. Arrows Pharaoh of the Genesis was favorable to God's people favor the Pharaoh of Exodus, though he proved to be a tyrant. And the powers that be though are ordained of God, but a that power they this Pharaoh of Exodus. He went beyond what the power that God had given him. In throwing in at having those babes thrown into the river and so that. They were not afraid, Moses father and mother. They were not afraid of the King's commandment. They felt that the Lord was with them, we would be with them, and he was acting beyond this fear was acting beyond what God had had given them and.
Great decision. And it has a lasting testimony. If he had remained with Pharaoh's house, he might have been one of those inhabitants of the pyramids over there. Dead. Milestone time, but now we find Moses on the mount of Transfiguration with the living God. What a what a beautiful result. The glory. Years of age, Moses had his mind made-up. He'd come to what do we say he'd come to? Well, anyhow, 40 years of ageing, if a man hasn't got his mind made-up at 40 years of age, it's a question whether he ever will. But at 40 years of age he had his mind made-up what he what he was going to do and which way he was going to go. And Pharaoh, he realized that too, when he he could see what which way Moses was going to go. But he says, but when at 40 years of age, and he had, he made-up his mind and he was rather suffer affliction with the people of God. And so he turns everything. All that he ever knew or ever learned, He learned all in the court of Pharaoh. He was a no doubt. He was a he was a strong, powerful man. How he he learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. And who can tell? Afari might have gone, but he made-up that by faith given of God, he made-up his decision. He would rather suffer affliction with the people of God. And that's the wonderful thing about grace, about faith. Faith looks on into the future. And sees the purposes of God. And this is what Moses wanted. And so he endured us, seeing him who is invisible, because we don't want to give the impression as we take up the lives of these individuals that the path of faith is going to be easy. It was very difficult for Moses, and when we read the life of Moses we can see the truth of what is recorded here in this chapter He chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, and later on in this chapter it speaks of the wrath of the King. There were those things. There were difficulties. There were trials, There was reproach. Maybe you say, I try to follow the Lord in the path of faith, and I have one problem and difficulty after another. I try to do what's right and I'm reproached even from the other young people. Well, look at the life of the Lord Jesus, the perfect example. He never digressed from the path of faith. He began it and completed it in perfection. That's what you get in the in the next chapter, he's the author and finisher of faith, that he began and and completed the path of faith. In perfection. But who suffered more in that path than the Lord Jesus? He could say Reproach hath broken mine heart. He suffered reproach even from those who were closest to him in his pathway and in his public ministry. And so if you choose to follow the Lord and you take up the path of faith and leave the world behind, it's not going to be easy. But wouldn't you rather go over a rough Rd. in good company than the smoothest road and not be in good company? And so, as our brother was saying, here was Moses later on in the company of the Lord Jesus. On the Mount of Transfiguration, we'll say to Moses in glory, was it worth giving up the throne of Egypt in a pyramid erected in your honor? Was it worth all the problems and difficulties and justice? Read The Wilderness. They blamed Moses. When something happened, they blamed Moses for their problems and difficulties. There were times when all his brethren turned against him and spoke of stoning him. And you say to Moses in glory, was it worth it all? Oh, he'll say it was worth it all and more, because I say, he endured as seeing him who is invisible. But it's what we said at the beginning of these reading meetings. Brethren, if we don't have our eye on the future, we're not going to give up present advantage. Moses gave up present advantage. He gave up the luxury of the palace of Egypt. Why did he do it? He had the end in view. He had the reward before him. He he saw a person, and that person so motivated his heart that he was able to follow on even amidst the reproaches and trials.
Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. That's quite a calculation to make, but I think that's something that's challenging to us. Do we prefer the reproach of Christ to the treasures in Egypt? Brethren, if there's anything that's going to be to our account in that coming day, it's to suffer reproach for the name of Christ. And the treasures in Egypt you can amount, You can amass fortunes. But they all have to stay behind. Absolutely everything has to stay behind. We'll leave it all behind, Moses. Riches are forever for incalculable. We need to really think these things through in relation to the present world that we live in, especially our dear young people. But all of us, brethren, we are deceived into putting our trust, our sights on these. Material things Moses forsook Egypt with all its glory. Just before we get to the end of our time Brethren, I just want to point out something that I really enjoy in this chapter, and I think we often miss it down towards the end of the chapter because we got several others here verse. 31 is Rahab verse 32 Gideon, Barrack, Sampson, Jeff, the David, Samuel and the Prophets. And then it speaks of those who did wondrous. Things through the strength of faith and then we come down to. The middle of verse 35. And I just want to point these out because they're just as much part of the witnesses of faith as the others that triumph in faith, and we revel in the triumphs that they gained. But it says here after the first phrase of verse 35 and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance. They might obtain a better resurrection. Others had trial of cruel mockings and scourging, yet, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, They were sawn asunder. They were tempted. They were slain with a sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, you might say. Where's the triumph of faith in these men? They were not delivered. They died. In their witness of faith. But, O brethren, it's because. Of resurrection. And let's always remember that we may not get God's answer down here in this world. That should not discourage us. God's answer is in resurrection. And the verse that has so impressed me is in two Timothy chapter 2. It says. Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David raised from the dead according to my gospel. There was Paul, given his last words to his son. In the faith, Timothy, everything looked dark. They were giving up on every side. It looked like the cause that Paul was standing for was a failure. It was doomed to to failure. But he says, Remember Timothy, Jesus Christ of the seed of David, raised from the dead according to my gospel. Remember brethren, God's. Full answer comes in resurrection. We may never see it down here. So these that were not delivered, is there an answer to their faith? There certainly is. It is in resurrection. Not worthy. Is a true statement. The world wasn't a good enough place for these in resurrection. They're raised up to the glory. Men that put them to death thought, well, let's get rid of them. Let's get them out of this world through death. God looks at it differently. The world wasn't worthy to have them. He took them up. One day he'll break. Take us all up there too. #100. We see the glory of which thou dost assure us the world despise for that high prize which thou has set before us, and may we count it worthy to meet the sun from heaven.
There see our Lord by all the Lord to us in glory Given 165. Forever. When I take you to meet me, I saw him from the earth. There is a heart, Glory. By all my Lords, you are spending glory. I think it's chapter 41.
Isaiah chapter 41 and verse 8. But thou, Israel, art my servant. Jacob, whom I have chosen. The seed of Abraham, my friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee. Thou art my servant. I have chosen thee and not cast thee away. Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yeah, I will help thee. Yeah. I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Verse 14. Fear not thou worm Jacob. And you, men of Israel. I will help thee, saith the Lord and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Let's pray.