Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2116
“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 spoke unto Israel in the visions of the night and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And He said, I am God, the God of your father: fear not to go down into Egypt. For I will there make of you a great nation: I will go down with you into Egypt. And I will also surely bring you up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon your eyes.” Genesis 46:1-4.
NOTICE in this passage the two names which are mentioned. “Israel took his journey and God spoke unto Israel in the visions of the night and said, Jacob, Jacob.” “Jacob” was the name of his weakness—“Israel” was the title of his strength. “Jacob” was the name of his birth-nature—“Israel” was the name of his new and spiritual nature.
When Israel set out to go down into Egypt and see his son Joseph, he started in great vigor and strength for an old man—faith made him full of force. Therefore we read, “Israel took his journey.” I see the old man revived and stirred up to a high degree of hopeful energy. He traveled some few miles on the first day and reached the well of Beersheba. It was the border town, where stood the well of the oak—after passing Beersheba he would be out of the land of promise and on his way to Egypt.
And at the remembrance of this fact, the old trembling came over him and he became Jacob, as at some prior time. When he was to take the decisive step to leave Canaan and make his journey into Egypt, then he suddenly felt himself a Jacob and began to halt upon his thigh. And the Lord in the visions of the night addressed him by the name which was most suitable to his condition, saying to him, “Jacob, Jacob.” He did not call him “Israel.” He came to him in his infirmity and trial and suited His speech to his condition. The Lord met the weakness of His servant’s faith, and sent him consolations fitted rather for Jacob than for Israel.
Dear Friends, I am afraid that the lives of many of the Lord’s chosen people alternate between “Israel” and “Jacob.” Sometimes we are “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might,” and at another time we cry, “Who is sufficient for these things?” Like princes we prevail with God and are true Israels. But perhaps before the sun has gone down we limp with Jacob and though the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. We are Jacob before we are Israel. And we are Jacob when we are Israel.
But blessed be God, we are Israels with God when we cease to be Jacobs among men. The Lord has chosen Jacob and redeemed Jacob and preserved Jacob. But His great aim is to make the Israel in him the dominant character. He shall be far more a prince with God than a supplanter among men.
Turning to the text, we have a lesson to learn from it. We find that Jacob, on his way down to Egypt, came to Beer-sheba, the border place, and this marked a distinct stage in his journey. He came to Beersheba, the place of many memories, where God had spoken to his father Abraham by the well. This was the place, I suppose, where Abraham was when the Lord said to him, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and offer him for a burnt offering.” It was, therefore, a memorable spot in the history of his family, and it was just then a turning point in his own career. And therefore it called for special waiting upon the Lord.
He was to break new ground and enter upon a way which he had not trod up to now. And so we read that he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. Herein is wisdom. In commencing a new era, let there be new devotion. It is well
to begin everything with God, who is the Beginner of all things. When young people begin housekeeping they should consecrate an altar as soon as ever they have set up a tent. When you begin business, this thought should be upon you— “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.”
Therefore, wait upon Him for guidance and help. In starting upon every journey, whether long or short, and entering upon every day, however commonplace the day may be, it is always well to begin it with God. Remember the old and gracious Proverb, that “prayer and provender hinder no man’s journey.” The offering of sacrifices unto God did not hinder Jacob’s journey—on the contrary, it was the making of him as a traveler. For now he began his journey outside of Canaan under the special convoy of the Lord, his God. Now the angels of God took up their places around the wayfarers and day and night they led the van and brought up the rear of the patriarchal caravan.
I suppose that Jacob, on this occasion, offered sacrifice for three reasons, at least. One was to purge his household of any sin that might lie upon it. He had a very strange family, this man Jacob. It was badly begun at the outset, of four mothers—and jealousies were sure to abound. Taking them all round, his many sons were a very sad lot to be the sons of such a man. His own account of them on his deathbed is most painful. Much sin, even of the blackest dye, had defiled that chosen family.