Presentation 69

Presentation 69

School-children, who for the first time took part in a cross country race sprinted for the first 200 metres. They could not sustain the pace and the others soon overtook them. They learned that early enthusiasm is no substitute for perseverance and a strong finish.

Our spiritual life is like a cross country race. It demands a great deal of stamina as we approach the ups and downs and hidden obstacles of life. Jacob may have flagged early in the race but he puts in such a strong finish. God takes particular delight in strong finishers.

Introduction

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The account which records Jacob's dying and death amounts to 73 verses in total. The author therefore clearly feels that there is much to be learned from these last days of Jacob's life. There are three deathbed scenes in all and each is particularly instructive. In the first of these 47.29-31 Jacob meets with Joseph alone, in the second 48.1-22 he meets with Joseph and his two sons, while in the third 49.1-33 he meets with all his sons.

Facing Death

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Note the manner in which Jacob faces death. He anticipates it so that before the decay of his strength and powers he has made preparations for it. Many people refuse to accept the inevitability of their mortality. When Lord Palmerston was on his deathbed and his doctor told him that he had not much longer to live. He indignantly replied; 'Die, my dear doctor that is the very last thing I will do'. He did not realise the irony of his words. Jacob did not banish the inevitable from his mind. He faced death with a steady eye. He knew himself to be no more than a pilgrim down here. He was preparing to go home. It is this fact which uniquely equips the believer to face death.

Facing Death

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Martin Dehann contributor to Radio Bible Class material writes; “There was a time when I dreaded the thought of moving. I have enjoyed this house and in many ways it has been pleasant. But I know I soon have to leave it, so recently I've been consulting the blueprints of my future residence. The more I study God's word, the more I’m overwhelmed by the advantages of that new home. So much so, that I’m getting eager to go to be with the one who has been preparing that place for me in the Father's mansions. Somehow this crumbling old house is losing its appeal.’

Facing Death

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Now while it is true that the believer can face death with confidence and faith because he has a profound conviction of what awaits him. The unbelieving world goes to great lengths to soften the blow of death. Michael Medved the American film critic writes:

‘In an attempt to distract men and women form the reality, certainty and consequences which follow upon death the film industry has focused increasingly upon life after death experiences in which they suggest life goes on in some sort of way enabling you to continue to do what you've always enjoyed doing. And if the truth be told many of these films fall into the 'sex after death‘ category:

Facing Death

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In MADE IN HEAVEN the reincarnated Timothy Hutton comes back to earth to pursue the erstwhile angel Kelly McGillisBEETLEJUICE features a couple who continue their romantic yuppie lifestyle despite the inconvenience of their deathGHOST allows the spirit of Patrick Swayze to protect and romance his earthly girlfriend Demi Moore.ETERNITY STARS John Voight as a medieval prince who is reincarnated in present day California where he rediscovers his sexy, long lost princess,TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY enables the ghost of dead cellist Alan Rickman to return to share the apartment of his grieving lover Juliet Stevenson.

Facing Death

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DEAD AGAIN centres on L.A. detective Kenneth Branagh who is actually a reincarnated spirit trying to solve a forty year old murder, and in the process he finds love with another reincarnated being.FIELD OF DREAMS among other things has the principle character build a baseball field in which he can play baseball with players long since dead and at me same time provide them with a venue in which they can continue to enjoy the great passion of their lives.”

Facing Death

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Note the contrast between the believer and the unbeliever? For Jacob death is 'resting with his fathers‘, an expression of Jacob's faith in life to come. Abraham died and was 'gathered to his people' i.e. to the men and women of faith who predeceased him. The Psalmist writes 'But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.’ Psalm 49.15. In the N.T. there is a blossoming of the hope of the believer. Significantly, Jacob looked forward to the presence of God after death. God had promised, 'I will not leave you’, even in death. Jacob rested on that promise and this accounts for his remarkable poise in the face of death.

Facing Death

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Jacob's chief concern in v29-31 is that he will not be buried in Egypt but that his body will be taken back to Canaan, to the tomb at Machphelah, which had been purchased by Abraham [Gen 23].His wish had nothing to do with superstition or with wanting to be buried with his family in the land of his birth. Jacob's wish to be buried in Canaan was principally concerned with God's promises to him about the land. A land which God had promised to his grandfather, his father and himself that it would be their possession and that of their seed forever.

Confidence in God’s Work

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By asking for his body to be returned to Canaan he was giving public testimony to the fact that he trusted God to one day to fulfil that promise. Oh Jacob's family were presently enjoying the richest land in Egypt but this was Jacob's way of saying,

‘Egypt is only a staging post. God's future purposes of salvation centre upon another land, a land where at present I do not seem to have a toehold, but one day it will belong to God's people and I want my body to be buried in that land of promise.'

Confidence in God’s Work

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Jacob’s faith in the long term purposes of God challenges Christians today. We often fail to grasp God's long term perspective for his work. If things don't work out as we think they should or within the timescale of our expectation then often our enthusiasm wanes and our commitment to the work flags. Ask yourself would you be prepared to invest your energy and talents and resources in God's work here or elsewhere if you did not see a significant return in your lifetime.

Do we believe that since the work is God's work he may choose to wait till after our death in order to bless it?

Confidence in God’s Work

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Robert Bruce was a missionary in Iran in 1869. He believed that God wanted to grow his church there. He threw himself into that work despite the discouragement of the years. As far as I know he did not see a single Muslim convert during his ministry. He could have said, ‘I have invested all of my life here and seen nothing’ but he did not do that. He believed that one day there would be a vibrant church of Muslim converts in Iran even if he did not see it before his death.

That is the kind of faith we find Jacob exercising here. The fulfilment was some 400 years off but he trusted in the God of history to fulfil his purpose in his time. Can we emulate that faith?

Confidence in God’s Work

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After Joseph agreed to take his father's body to Canaan he experienced yet another memorable event. In v31 we read that ‘Israel worshipped leaning on his staff’. We could easily loose sight of the significance of this statement were it not for the fact that one of the two significant events which the writer of the Hebrews records when highlighting the faith experience of Jacob.

Cf. Heb .11.21. ‘By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff’.

Worshipping on his Staff

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That staff was a reminder to Jacob of his wrestling match at Jabbok, when the strong willed self-confident Jacob was overcome by God. Jacob’s defeat was followed by God touching the sinew in his thigh leaving him with a permanent limp. This marked the beginning of a new era in Jacob's spiritual development. It was when he discovered the need to become dependant upon God.

As a result his staff took on a whole new meaning. As he leaned upon it for support he was reminded of his weakness and need of God's strength. Cf 2 Cor. 12.10 ‘for when I am weak, then am I strong’.

Worshipping on his Staff

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Jacob in his old age begins to look back upon the faithfulness and goodness of God. The God who had brought him to an end of himself. The God who had forced him to submit not in order to impoverish but to bless him. Jacob gives a strong testimony to the discipline of God's love and to the sore providences, which made him the man he had become.

He acknowledges that God had graciously persevered with him despite his stubborn self-will. Jacob was blessed, not thanks to Jacob but thanks to God.

Worshipping on his Staff

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Seeing God at work all through his life is what marks these last days of Jacob's life. The ability, in old age to see what God has done in our lives is important. It gives a different perspective to old age. In 48.3 Jacob began by talking about God and in v 11 he ends his testimony continuing to talk about God. He sees all of his life from the same perspective.

Jacob had not always done so. The earlier part of his life is noted for his neglect of God. Prior to Jabbock there is no evidence of prayer or sacrifice. He trusted more in his own cleverness than in God's grace. But now he sees that while he had not always been close to God, God had always been close to him!

Worshipping on his Staff

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Jacob wanted his family to have as their abiding memory of him, this scene in which he gave God all the glory for all that had been accomplished in and through him. It would encourage them to stand firm in the dark days ahead. The greatest legacy a man can leave his children is unswerving faith in God and of God’s unswerving faithfulness.

An old man in my home church, whom the doctors had given just a few week to live was asked to address the congregation. As he spoke of God's goodness and faithfulness towards him and communicated his joy in the Lord there was hardly a dry eye in the place.

The legacy he left made an abiding impression.

Worshipping on his Staff

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Sadly few people try to pass on that which is of supreme and eternal importance to their children. They make provision for their children's education and may provide legal guardians to care for them. They give careful thought to the disposal of their property and the family home, some even make detailed funeral arrangements. We can leave all these things behind for our children and yet fail to leave them the one thing, which is of paramount importance – a legacy of our unwavering faith in God.

Worshipping on his Staff

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Do you see what I mean about Jacob being a good finisher. God is not so concerned with our speed at the beginning our Christian race but he is concerned with the quality of our finish. May God grant us grace to say with the apostle.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing”. 2Tim.4.7

Conclusion

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