LivePrayerSermon 2979. 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 referenceto the Messiah. We believe there is. Nor is that reference an obscure allusion. In the Lord Jesus we find the clue to thehistory 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-thoughwe might readily do so-that the banner here intended is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ in the majesty of His Person-inthe 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 changedby them. Yet we still speak with reverence of the old flag. There is much meaning in the phrase, "the flag that's braved athousand years the battle and the breeze." The soldier still waves the flag of his country and the sailor still looks withpatriotic pride to the flag that has so long floated at England's masthead. Our metaphor, perhaps, rather points to ancientthan 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 aboutto 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 therewas always a likelihood that the host would be put to flight, the valiant men all fought around the banner. Its defense wasof the first and chief consequence. They might leave the baggage for a while-they might forsake the smaller flags of the divisions-butthe great blood-red banner that with prayer had been consecrated-they must all gather round it, and there, if necessary, shedtheir 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 allChristians can meet. We cannot all meet-I am sorry that we cannot-at the baptismal stream. There are some who will not bebaptized-they still persist in the sin of putting drops of water in the place of the ordained flood and bringing infants wherefaith is required. We cannot all meet even around the table of the Eucharist-there are some who thrust aside their brethrenbecause they do not see eye to eye with them. And even the Communion Table has sometimes become a field of battle. But allChristians can meet in the Person of Christ! All true hearts can meet in the work of Christ! This is a banner that we alllove, if we are Christians, and far from it are those who are not. Here to Your Cross, O Jesus, do we come! The Churchmanladen with his many forms and vestments. The Presbyterian with his stern Covenant, and his love of those who stained the heatherwith their blood. The Independent with his passion for liberty and the separateness of the free churches. The Methodist withhis intricate forms of Church Government, sometimes forms of bondage, but still forms of power. The Baptist, remembering hisancient pedigree and the days in which his fathers were hounded even by Christians, themselves, and counted not worthy ofthat 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 theold 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 nationalwarfare being cast aside, we meet as Brothers, fellow comrades in a blessed Evangelical Alliance who are prepared to sufferand 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 Gospeland 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 specialcare they took, in the day of battle, that in case the standard-bearer should fall, there might still be some means of guidingthe 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, thesame yesterday, today and forever, will ever fail. Fix your eyes upon Him, Christian, and if you would know the best way tofight, fight in His footsteps, imitate His every action, let your life be a copy of His life! You need never stop to ask fordirections-the life of Christ is the Christian's model. You need not turn to your fellow Believer and ask, "Comrade, whatare we to do now? The smoke of battle gathers and the cries are various. Which way shall I go?" The Apostle Paul has givenus our directions-"Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher ofour faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right handof the Throne of God." Press forward, in Christ's footsteps, saying, "God has given You, my Savior, to be to me a banner becauseof the truth."
In these two respects, as the central point for rallying, and as the direction to the warrior, Christ is our banner! And thebanner, let it be remembered, is always the chief object of attack. The moment the adversary sees it, his objective is tostrike 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 Crossfought the Saracens, they always endeavored to make their steel ring upon the helmet of the man whose hand held the standardof Mohammed! The fight was always fiercest around the standard. Sometimes, when the battle was over, the field would be strewnwith legs, and arms, and mangled bodies, but, in one place there would be a heap where they were piled one upon another-agreat mountain of flesh and armor, broken bones and smashed skulls-and one would ask, "What does this means? How came allthis carnage is here? Why are they so trampled, one upon another, and in pools of human blood?" The answer would be, "'Twasthere the standard-bearer stood, and first the adversary made a dash, and stole the banner, and then 50 knights vowed to redeemit, and they dashed against their foes and took it by storm. And then again, hand to hand, they fought with the banner betweenthem, 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 againstChrist 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 handand then by another, the mighty God of Jacob being the strength of the standard-bearers, that Banner has bidden defiance tothe leaguered hosts of the world, the flesh and the devil! And never has it been trailed in the mire, and never once carriedin jeering triumph by the adversary! Blessed are the tears in the Banner, for they are the symbol of our victory! Those fivewounds in the Person of the Savior are the gates of Heaven to us! But, thank God, there are no more wounds to be endured-thePerson of our Lord is safe forever. "A bone of Him shall not be broken." His Gospel, too, is an unwounded Gospel and His mysticalbody 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 asto 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 tofly 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 everthe 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 Hellfor such a sermon to say to them, "Christ is come forth again to deliver His lawful captives out of your power! The King ofkings 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!" Thatwas lifting up the standard of the Cross! If you want to defy the devil, don't go about preaching philosophy! Don't sit downand write out fine sermons with long sentences, three quarters of a mile in length! Don't try and cull fine, smooth phrasesthat will sound sweetly in people's ears. The devil doesn't care a bit for this! But talk about Christ! Preach about the sufferingof 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-andnobody finds fault with them because they prophesy such smooth things. But let a man preach Christ! Let him exclaim aboutthe power of Jesus to save and press home Gospel Truths with simplicity and boldness- straightaway the fiends of darknesswill be against him and, if they cannot bite, they will show that they can howl and bark! There is a symbol of defiance inthe banner of the Cross-it is God's symbol of defiance, His gauntlet thrown down to the confederated powers of Darkness-agauntlet which they dare not take up, for they know what tremendous power for good there is in the uplifting of the Crossof Christ! Wave, then, your banner, O you soldiers of the Cross! Each in your place and rank keep watch, but still wave yourbanner, for though the adversary shall be full of wrath, it is because he knows that his time is short when once the Crossof 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 hisharness and his life is oozing out from the ghastly wound. There is no one there to unbuckle his helmet, or give him a draughtof cool water. His frame is locked up in that hard case of steel and though he feels the pain, he cannot gain relief. He hearsthe mingled cries, the hoarse shouts of men that rush in fury against their fellows and he opens his eyes-as yet he has notfainted 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 tothe fight." Where is that restless eye searching and what is the object for which it is looking? Yes, he has it! And the faceof the dying man is brightened. He sees the banner still waving and with his last breath he cries, "On! On! On!" and fallsasleep 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 alsohas highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name," quite cheered my soul and set me again in peace andcomfort. Is Jesus safe? Then it never matters what becomes of me! Is the banner all right? Does it wave on high? Then theadversary has not won the day! He has felled one and another, but he, himself, shall be broken in pieces, for the banner stillshine 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. Theyhang it in the church-high up there on the roof, where the incense smokes, and where the song of praise ascends- there hangsthe banner, honored and esteemed, borne in conflict and in danger. Now, our Lord Jesus Christ shall be our Banner in the lastday and when all our foes shall be under our feet! A little while and He that will come shall come, and will not tarry. Alittle 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 HisSon."
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 ourprecious 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 Bannerin old eternity. Christ was given by the eternal Father, from everlasting, before the earth was, to His elect people, to bethe 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 everypower 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 ourboast. And He is given to some of us, especially, when we are called to the ministry, or when the Holy Spirit's guidance putsus upon any extraordinary work for Christ. Then is the banner, in a direct and especial manner, committed to our care. Thereare 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 thename of Jesus in the causeways, and in the places of assembly. And, in a certain measure, all of you who love the Lord, havethat 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 clusterround it, with what zeal should we defend it, with what enthusiasm should we follow it, with what faith and confidence shouldwe 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. Thatoutward Divine Grace-worked character is this-they fear God, and they that fear God are the only persons who ought to carrythis banner. Shall the banner be put into a drunkard's hands? Shall the great Truth of Christ be left to those who live insin? 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, preachedto others what they never practiced themselves! To such, the banner ought not to be given! Men must fear God, or else theyare 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 theypreach-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 fearGod makes a man brave. To fear man is cowardly, I grant, but to fear God with humble awe and holy reverence is such a noblepassion 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 capacityyou 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 yourhousehold! 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 briarthat few men have trod. God make you faithful and may you be honored as a good soldier of Jesus Christ! Some of you are poorand 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 abouttheir sinful pleasures, their amusements, perhaps their infidel principles. Take your banner out likewise. Tell them thatit is a game two can play at-never allow a man to show his banner without also showing yours! Do not do it ostentatiously-doit 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 Godas well as Man has His own name written on it! Surely, then, you need not be ashamed to wave it anywhere and everywhere. Youcan 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 theChurch, I pray you study the Scriptures much. I would not have men attempt to preach unless they have some power. To go forthwithout some study would be like a man attempting to do execution with a gun that had much powder in it and no shot. Youngmen, save your spare hours to study the Bible. Steal them from your sleep if you cannot get them any other way. Sunday schoolteachers, be diligent in your preparations for your classes. Let your banner out of the case. It is of little service liftingit up in the midst of the ranks without its being unfurled. See that you know the holy art of unfurling it. Practice it! Studyit! 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 Himup 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 notashamed of His message. Speak affectionately, speak passionately, speak with your whole soul-let your whole heart be in everyword 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 itin 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 thesolitary attic, to the crowded rooms, to the highways and the byways! And you especially who are private Christians and notpreachers, bear it from house to house! We had a complaint, the other day, that some of you had been going from house to houseto try and talk to others about their souls. You had entrenched upon the parochial bounds of the authored gamekeeper! I prayyou to entrench again! What is myparish? The whole world is my parish! Let the whole world be your parish likewise! What doesit 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 hasany 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 himlordship of the world, or any portion of it? "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." The earth is your fieldand 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 bannerbe displayed." The Holy Spirit is that gracious wind who shall make the Truth of God apparent in the hearts of those who hearit. 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 asnew 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. MyMaster's banner, wherever it goes, gives liberty! Under the banner of old England, there never breathes a slave. They treadour country, they breathe our air and their shackles fall! Beneath the banner of Christ, no slave can live. Do but look upto Jesus, relying upon His suffering in your place, and bearing your sins in your place and forthwith you shall have acceptancein the Beloved! And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your heart and mind through Jesus Christ. Somay 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 beento Jacob after the strife which he had had with Laban! But, dear Friends, angels often come to meet us, though we know itnot. 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 everyChristian's cottage, "Though it is poor, an angel has come here," for David says, "The Angel of the Lord encamps round aboutthem that fear Him, and delivers them." As the angels of God met Jacob, I trust that if you have come here after some sternbattle, 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 theyare 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 nameto 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 troublewith 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 adjournedwith Laban, and stayed there until now: and I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and women servants: and I havesent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight This is very respectful language, and rather submissive, too. Butwhen 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 donewrong, 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 willnot, either. But there is good hope of things going right when Jacob, who is the better of the two brothers, is also the humblerof 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 fourhundred men with him. Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. And well he might be, for an angry brother, with fourhundred 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, IfEsau comes to the one company, and smites it, then the other company which is left shall escape. This is characteristic ofJacob. 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 wasa 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 yourcountry, 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 thetruth 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 whichcannot be numbered for multitude. A prayer most humble, most direct in its petitions, and also full of faith. That was a grandargument for him to use-"You said, I will surely do you good." This is one of the mightiest pleas that we can urge in prayingto God-"Do as You have said. Remember Your word unto Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope." O Brothers andSisters, 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 willHe 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 pleadit 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 hundredshe goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewe, and twenty rams, thirty milch camel with their colts, forty kine, and tenbulls, 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 commandedthe foremost, saying When Esau my brother meets you, and asks you, saying, 'Whose are you? And where are you going? And whoseare 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 mannershall you speak unto Esau, when you find him. And say we moreover, Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, Iwill appease him with the present that goes before me and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me. So wentthe present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company. If Jacob had been true to his faith in God, hewould 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 Brothersand Sisters, who have minds that are naturally given to inventions, devices, plans and plots-and I believe that where thisis the case, you have more to battle against than those have who are of an ample mind and who cast themselves more entirelyupon 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 sweetthing 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 aswell as plan and if your plans are numerous, let your prayers be all the more fervent, lest the natural tendency of your constitutionshould degenerate into reliance upon the arm of flesh and dependence upon your own wisdom, instead of absolute reliance uponGod.
22-24. And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two women servants, and his eleven sons, and passed overthe ford Jabbok. And he took them and sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. And Jacob was left alone; and therewrestled a Man with him until the breaking of the day. It was the Man Christ Jesus putting on the form of Manhood before thetime when He would actually be Incarnate! And the wrestling seems to have been more on His side than on Jacob's, for it isnot said that Jacob wrestled, but that "there wrestled a Man with him." There was something that needed to be taken out ofJacob-his strength and his craftiness-and this Angel came to get it out of him. But, on the other hand, Jacob spied his opportunityand, 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 thighwas out of joint as he wrestled with Him. So that he was made painfully to realize his own weakness while he was putting forthall 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 willnot 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 prayYou, Your name. That has often been the request of God's people-they have wanted to know God's wondrous name. The Jews superstitiouslybelieve that we have lost the sound of the name of Jehovah-that the name is altogether unpronounceable. We think not so, butcertainly, no man knows the Nature of God, and understands Him but he to whom the Son shall reveal Him. Perhaps Jacob's requesthad 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, butHe gave him something better and, in like manner, if the Lord does not open up a dark doctrine to you, but gives you a brightprivilege, 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 hepassed over Peniel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinewwhich shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because He touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in thesinew 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 expressionin 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 Yourstatutes."
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 mywhole heart. That is not true or right understanding which permits us to go into sin. Those who are really wise in heart hateevil 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 nursedoes with a child when she puts her hands under its arms and strengthens its tottering footsteps. This is a very beautifulexpression-"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 thatwhich is good, or that which is evil. "O Lord," the Psalmist seems to pray, "incline my heart in the right direction. Makeit 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 senseof 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 andlook 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. Putaway 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 tobe 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 lovethe precepts as much as they love the promises or the doctrines. "Behold, I have longed after Your precepts."
40. Quicken me in Your righteousness.