The Faith of Jesus
Jacob the imposter; Jacob the liar. From childhood we have all heard the almost humorously outrageous story of how Jacob, in his tremendous zeal for the birthright promised to him, stooped to deception to grab it. (Genesis chapter 27.)
But in reality, isn’t Jacob’s frailty a symbol of us all? Who among us has never sinned and come short of the glory of God?
We readily forgive Jacob because, after all, deep-down, he was desperate to obtain the birthright not for material gain but because of the spiritual blessing attached to it. He was determined to persevere with God until he became an overcomer that ultimately was to fervently plead with the Lord, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” (Genesis 32:26).
God knew Jacob’s life, He understood the heart struggles of the patriarch, He had tenderly watched over His servant throughout the many trials he had undergone. So, certainly the blessed reassurance given to him came as music to the ears: “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed” (Verse 28).
No more the supplanter; by faith Jacob was now the overcomer. Wouldn’t you love to receive such a joyful verdict from your King and Judge?
Yes—despite Jacob’s frailty, he and the nation called by his name nonetheless symbolize a victorious Christian experience.
The prophet Micah prophesied in prayer to God, “Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old” (7:20, emphasis supplied).
The prophet Jeremiah declares, “Fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished” (46:27, 28, emphasis supplied).
The Majesty of Heaven is even referred to as Jacob’s God: “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (Psalm 46:11, emphasis supplied).
This connection with Jacob is especially applicable in the prophecies of God’s remnant people in the last days:
“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaiah 58:13, 14, emphasis supplied).
“As the members of the body of Christ approach the period of their last conflict, ‘the time of Jacob’s trouble,’ they will grow up into Christ, and will partake largely of His Spirit. As the third message swells to a loud cry, and as great power and glory attend the closing work, the faithful people of God will partake of that glory.”1
But what precedes this glorious victory?
The modern-day servant of the Lord describes how she was shown the anguish of God’s people during the time of Jacob’s trouble:
“On every hand they hear the plottings of treason and see the active working of rebellion; and there is aroused within them an intense desire, an earnest yearning of soul, that this great apostasy may be terminated and the wickedness of the wicked may come to an end. But while they plead with God to stay the work of rebellion, it is with a keen sense of self-reproach that they themselves have no more power to resist and urge back the mighty tide of evil. They feel that had they always employed all their ability in the service of Christ, going forward from strength to strength, Satan’s forces would have less power to prevail against them.
“They afflict their souls before God, pointing to their past repentance of their many sins, and pleading the Saviour’s promise, ‘Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me’ (Isaiah 27:5). Their faith does not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered. Though suffering the keenest anxiety, terror, and distress, they do not cease their intercessions. They lay hold of the strength of God as Jacob laid hold of the Angel; and the language of their souls is, ‘I will not let thee go, except thou bless me’ (Genesis 32:26).
“Had not Jacob previously repented of his sin in obtaining the birthright by fraud, God would not have heard his prayer and mercifully preserved his life. So, in the time of trouble, if the people of God had unconfessed sins to appear before them while tortured with fear and anguish, they would be overwhelmed; despair would cut off their faith, and they could not have confidence to plead with God for deliverance. But while they have a deep sense of their unworthiness, they have no concealed wrongs to reveal. Their sins have gone beforehand to judgment and have been blotted out; and they cannot bring them to remembrance.
“Satan leads many to believe that God will overlook their unfaithfulness in the minor affairs of life; but the Lord shows in His dealings with Jacob that He will in no wise sanction or tolerate evil. All who endeavor to excuse or conceal their sins, and permit them to remain upon the books of heaven, unconfessed and unforgiven, will be overcome by Satan. The more exalted their profession and the more honorable the position which they hold, the more grievous is their course in the sight of God and the more sure the triumph of their great adversary. Those who delay a preparation for the day of God cannot obtain it in the time of trouble or at any subsequent time. The case of all such is hopeless.”2
Clearly we must prepare for that time—and now is our hour of opportunity.
All of us have inherited evil traits from many generations—those that seem to be somewhat beyond our control. But, like the sons of Jacob, we nevertheless have a duty to resist those traits and conquer them through the power of Christ. We also have some problems that are more directly our own fault—cultivated tendencies to evil, wrong habits that have crept in, and sinful propensities cherished. How can these be conquered? Also through the strength of Christ. Let us see how the sons of Jacob overcame them:
Compared to Jacob’s other sons, Reuben might have been considered the “nicest.” When the brothers conspired to murder young Joseph, we read that Reuben suggested that he be cast into a pit (with the secret intention to rescue him later). He was deeply grieved at the horrible action his brothers were taking.
But later, as the company was traveling to Ephrath, this firstborn son of Jacob committed the heinous crime of adultery with his father’s concubine—a sin which cost him the birthright. Violation of the seventh commandment strikes hard against the God-ordained unit of society—the nuclear family. This is associated with a lack of stability, so the verdict was made against Reuben: “Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel” (Genesis 49:4). “Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away” (Proverbs 6:32, 33). This sin indeed has long-term consequences—much more so than people realize, especially in today’s age of licentiousness. But are such cases hopeless? Let us read what the messenger of the Lord wrote to an unstable young man:
“Your own instability leads you to doubt the sincerity of those who would do you good. The more you struggle in doubt, the more unreal everything looks to you, until it seems that there is no solid ground for you anywhere. Your promises are like ropes of sand, and you regard in the same unreal light the words and works of those in whom you should trust.
“You will be in constant peril until you understand the true force of the will. You may believe and promise all things, but your promises or your faith are of no value until you put your will on the side of faith and action. If you fight the fight of faith with all your will power, you will conquer.”3
“In the cruel treatment of their brother [Joseph], Simeon had been the instigator and chief actor.”4
That one statement says a lot about the nature of Simeon. If you happen to have this characteristic, what should you consider?
“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Proverbs 16:32).
With God’s help, to control one’s fury need not be an impossible task. “You need to work with the utmost diligence to control self and develop a character in harmony with the principles of the word of God. You need to educate and train yourself in order to become a successful shepherd. You need to cultivate a good temper—kindly, cheerful, buoyant, generous, pitiful, courteous, compassionate traits of character. You should overcome a morose, bigoted, narrow, faultfinding, overbearing spirit. If you are connected with the work of God you need to battle with yourself vigorously and form your character after the divine Model.”5
“Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. . . . Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel” (Genesis 49:5, 7).
Some friends are better apart than together. The chemistry between Simeon and Levi was such that somehow they brought out the worst in each other. Do you have friends like that? If so, stay away!
“Of the sons of Jacob, Levi was one of the most cruel and vindictive, one of the two most guilty in the treacherous murder of the Shechemites. Levi’s characteristics, reflected in his descendants, incurred for them the decree from God, ‘I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel’ (Genesis 49:7). But repentance wrought reformation; and by their faithfulness to God amidst the apostasy of the other tribes, the curse was transformed into a token of highest honor.
“‘The Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unto him, and to bless in his name’ (Deuteronomy 10:8).”6
In Genesis chapters 37 and 38 we see how Judah was likely plagued with remorse over the sin against Joseph. Yet this tribe is first among the list of overcomers in Revelation 7:5.
Naphtali was described as “a hind let loose” (Genesis 49:21), as one who timidly flees from danger and burdens. Yet, “what a thought that God chooses a man and brings him into close connection with Himself, and gives him a mission to undertake, a work to do, for Him. A weak man is made strong, a timid man is made brave.”7
On the other hand, we do not see the tribe of Dan, the other son of Bilhah, on the list of overcomers. In Bible history we get the picture that this tribe was characterized by backbiting (Genesis 49:17). Though a person may be intelligent and skillful (Judges 18:1, 2, 26–30; 2 Chronicles 2:1, 11–14), the habit of giving loose rein to an unregenerate tongue will keep any tribe or individual out of the kingdom of God. Of the seven things in Proverbs 6:16–19 that are listed as abominations to the Lord, most pertain to speech. Like the psalmist, we all must pray, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). We are to “speak evil of no man” (Titus 3:2).
“We must now be terribly in earnest. We have not a moment to spend in criticism and accusation. Let those who have done this in the past fall on their knees in prayer, and let them beware how they put their words and their plans in the place of God’s words and God’s plans.”8
Like the other sons of Jacob, Gad was born in a spirit of rivalry. At his birth, Leah triumphantly declared, “A troop cometh” (Genesis 30:11). We are warned about the spirit of rivalry—that “if this spirit is indulged, it will grow and strengthen, and will crowd out the missionary spirit. It will grieve the Spirit of God and will banish . . . the ministering angels sent to be coworkers with those who cherish the grace of God.”9 So, what is the remedy? “Those who are true to their calling as messengers for God will not seek honor for themselves. Love for self will be swallowed up in love for Christ. No rivalry will mar the precious cause of the gospel.”10
The second son of Zilpah, Asher, was said to “yield royal dainties,” (Genesis 49:20), one to “dip his foot in oil” (Deuteronomy 33:24), smoothing the path of light. In the unconverted soul, this characteristic could result in flattery or smooth sayings. The servant of the Lord warns in anguish of spirit:
“The sermons preached by some of our ministers will have to be much more powerful than they are now, or many backsliders will carry a tame, pointless message, which lulls people to sleep. Every discourse should be given under a sense of the awful judgments soon to fall on the world. The message of truth is to be proclaimed by lips touched with a live coal from the divine altar.
“My heart is filled with anguish when I think of the tame messages borne by some of our ministers, when they have a message of life and death to bear. The ministers are asleep; the lay members are asleep; and a world is perishing in sin. May God help His people to arouse and walk and work as men and women on the borders of the eternal world. Soon an awful surprise is coming upon the inhabitants of the world. Suddenly, with power and great glory, Christ will come. Then there will be no time to prepare to meet Him. Now is the time for us to give the warning message.”11
Issachar was the burden bearer, possibly too much of one. Trying to bear double or triple burdens can sometimes mean overload—which can actually decrease our efficiency in the Lord’s service. Discernment and single-minded determination are needed in order to be an overcomer.
This tribe is characterized by writing and by dwelling in coastal regions. The tribe distinguished itself together with the tribe of Naphtali as “a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field” (Judges 5:18). These qualities, dedicated to the service of God, can strengthen missionary efforts performed in these last days.
Revelation 7’s “hall of fame”—that list of tribes (or character-types) that overcome to receive the seal of God’s approval—includes the name of Joseph.
The scriptures generally give a glowing report about Joseph. Yet, like everyone else, he also had some overcoming to do. Referring to the great crisis of his life when he was sold into slavery, we read, “One day’s experience had been the turning point in Joseph’s life. Its terrible calamity had transformed him from a petted child to a man, thoughtful, courageous, and self-possessed.”12
Yes, all petted children need to grow to maturity. If they have been overindulged, in the long run they will suffer. This is something that parents and grandparents need to keep in mind in guiding the young.
The ravenous wolf (Genesis 49:27; Judges 20:4, 5, 12–14, 23, 46; 21:1–4, 13–15) needs to be transformed into a lamb. Yet a favorable prophecy has been made regarding the outcome of this tribe: Deuteronomy 33:12.
Regardless of the tribe to which we may belong, there is hope for every one of us if we will trust in the power of the Saviour to lead us through to the end. We must cooperate with the workings of His Holy Spirit until we become victors through His mercy and strength. “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13).
In his latter years, Jacob testified “that his years had been few and evil; that is, he had seen much trouble, and suffered much perplexity, which had cut short his years. The life of Jacob had not been smooth and peaceful. The jealousy of his wives had brought a train of evils. Some of his children had grieved him and made his life very bitter. But the last years of Jacob’s life were more peaceful. His sons had reformed.”13
With God’s help: Reformed! The same chance is also being offered to us! “Those who come into sacred relation with the God of heaven are not left to the natural weakness and infirmity of their natures. They are invited by the Saviour: ‘Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me’ (Isaiah 27:5). The righteousness of Christ is imputed unto them, and He gives them power to become sons of God. The world loses all attraction for them; for they seek a better country, an eternal world, a life that is to continue through never-ending ages. This is the theme of their thought and conversation. . . .
“You can show to the world that there is power in the religion of Christ. Jesus will help those who seek Him with all their hearts, to overcome the world, the flesh, and the Devil.”14
May the Lord help each of us—like the sons of Jacob, to become Israel, the final remnant of overcomers, through the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12:11.) Amen.