Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1787
“I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which You have showed unto Your servant, for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.” Genesis 32:10.
JACOB’S character was far from faultless, but equally removed from despicable. He possessed great strength of character and force of judgment, but this became somewhat of a snare to him, so that he did not always move through life with the childlike repose of Isaac, or the royal serenity of Abraham, but was, at times, crafty and critical like his relatives on his mother’s side. Yet I object to that depreciation of Jacob’s character which is so common in certain quarters because he used the means, as well as prayed. Our God is the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob—and, very frequently, He is called the God of Israel—and even the God of Jacob. “He is not ashamed to be called their God.” And if He is not ashamed to be called Jacob’s God, no fellow Believer has any right to be ashamed of Jacob! With all his imperfections— and he certainly had them—he was a noble man.
Some good people are built upon too small a scale to display either good or bad qualities in any high degree—let not such quibble at a great man like Jacob! He has impressed his character upon multitudinous generations and a whole nation bears his lineaments. He was a man full of energy, active, enduring, resolute and, therefore, his infirmities became more conspicuous than they would have been in a quieter and more restful nature. Say what you will of him, he was a master of the art ofprayer—and he that can pray well is a princely man! He that can prevail with God will certainly prevail with men! It seems to me that when once a man is taught of the Lord to pray, he is equal to every emergency that can possibly arise. Depend upon it, it will go hard with any man who fights against a man of prayer! All other weapons may be dashed aside, but the weapon of All-Prayer, invisible though it may be, and despised of the worldling, has in it a might and majesty which will secure the victory! The sword of prayer has such an edge that it will cut through coats of mail. Jacob was a prevailing prince when he was on his knees.
Dr. Ditto, in his admirable, Bible Illustrations, has a chapter upon this chapter which is entitled, “The First Prayer.” I take leave to differ a little from that title. This can hardly be said to be the first prayer that is recorded in Scripture. I admit that the excellent writer excludes the prayer of Abraham for Sodom as rather an intercession than a prayer, but there are other prayers of Abraham and other instances of supplication. Yet it may be truly said that this is the first prayer in the Bible of a man for himself which is given at full length. And, being the first, it may be viewed in some degree as a pattern for succeeding pleaders.
If you examine it carefully, you will find that it is a valuable model which may be copied by any child of God in the day of his trouble. Jacob begins by pleading the Covenant—“O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac”—what better plea can we have than the Covenant of a faithful God which He has already fulfilled to our fathers? He next pleads a special promise which had been made to himself. That promise was wrapped up in the folds of a precept which he was obeying—“You said unto me, return unto your country, and to your kindred, and I will deal well with you.” While we plead the general Covenant made with all believers in Christ, we may also particularly and especially plead any promise which has been laid home to our own soul by the Spirit of the blessed God.
Next, he proceeded to plead his own unworthiness. By faith he turned even his faultiness into an argument, as I shall have to show you—“I am not worthy of the least of all Your mercies.” Furthermore, he went on to plead with God, stating his special danger—“Deliver me, I pray You, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.” He also set the little children and their danger before God—a strong plea with such a God of Love as we have—“Less he will come and
smite me and the mother with the children.” Then he concluded with what must always remain a potent plea with God— “You said.” He urged God’s promise and virtually cried, “Do as You have said.” It is wise to spread the promise before Him who gave it and to beg for its fulfillment! We may appeal to God’s faithfulness, and cry, “Remember the words unto Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope.”
The very first sentence of Jacob’s prayer has this peculiarity about it, that it is steeped in humility, for he does not address the Lord as his own God at the first, but as the God of Abraham and Isaac. The prayer itself, though it is very urgent, is never presumptuous. It is as lowly as it is earnest! I take it that even when Jacob, in his desperation, grasped the Angel and said, “I will not let You go, except You bless me,” there was no undue familiarity in his holy boldness. There was an extraordinary courage and an invincible determination—but it was of the kind which God approves—otherwise He would not have blessed him there. No man wins a blessing through a sinful act towards God!