Genesis

[0:00] In number 993. Tune this, 824. Those are, perfected with wave upon wave, Whom no man can conquer, whom no man can save, With darkness surrounded by terraces made, In toiling and towing, thy strength is decayed.

[0:25] 993. O Zion of Jesus, he's great upon wave, Whom no man can conquer, whom no man can save, With darkness surrounded by terraces made, In toiling and towing, thy strength is decayed.

[1:27] Loud roaring the billow, down thy own well, What, careful thou power my love, who sits at the hell, Till wisdom from God's death, his heart he defends, In his safety and fire, thy hope there he is.

[2:24] Oh, fearful, o fainless, in the sea, Christ, My promise, my truth, O day, nightly nightly nightly night, Still, still, still I am with thee, my joy shall stand, Through the earth's death and fall, sing, Through the earth's death and fall, sing, Thou bring thee to land.

[3:23] For, careful thou, I cannot thine name, Then great on thy heart, God, forever remain, God, love thy hands, God, love thy hands, God, love thy hands, God, love thy feet, Love thy hands, God, love thy hands, God, love thy hands, When something for thee.

[4:23] I fill out thy heart, O thy sight and thy cross, O thou art for dear thee, my head and thy cross, In all that is present, the high angels of pain, Yet for all those people, the Lord, what is in pain, Then trust me and fear, O thy life, my heart,

[5:26] Then trust me and fear, O thy life, my heart, Then trust me and fear, O thy life, my heart, My wisdom is proud, and to this I come.

[5:38] My wisdom is proud, and to this I come.

[5:51] In love I perfect thee, thy soul to reply, To faith thee, and bless thee, my life, my death, to shine.

[6:10] There is another verse to that hymn, There is another verse to that hymn.

[6:32] The fearful, the faithless, the weaker my care, the helpless, the hopeless, I hear their sad prayer.

[6:45] From all their afflictions my glory I'll bring, and the deeper their sorrows, the louder they'll sing. And that is the last verse which is left out.

[6:57] And it's the best verse they ought to be in. As the Lord shall be pleased to help me, I shall call your attention to a subject you will find in the book of Genesis, chapter 28, and the 15th verse.

[7:22] And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land.

[7:38] For I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

[7:50] Chapter 28, the book of Genesis, and the 15th verse. This is a word which stands in connection with a memorable chapter in the life of Jacob, of whom the Word of God tells us so much as to the details of the life that he lived.

[8:20] I have thought that the Holy Spirit, speaking with great reverence, has recorded so much of Jacob's life in the details of it, showing what he was by nature, what he was by grace, as a kind of representative character, so that you and I, in reading the details of Jacob's life, when sometimes his behavior was very ill, and sometimes he was at the gate of heaven, arising from what he was by the grace of God.

[9:09] I believe these things are recorded, that you and I might be helped to read the varied details, and take courage concerning the dealings of God with us.

[9:27] And remember, throughout the Word of God in the Old Testament, you find again and again there are references references to Jacob, and Jacob's God.

[9:45] Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help. And I read to you, in Psalm 46, the God of Jacob is our refuge.

[10:02] And that is a great mercy, if you can appeal to God, that he is your refuge, too.

[10:17] And now, I want to look at this subject from two or three viewpoints, and I hope the Lord will help me to say something to help you, for that is my desire, and ever has been as the pastor, however much I have failed.

[10:35] And I am often conscious that I do fail, and I wish I could preach the gospel better, but I cannot preach a better gospel.

[10:46] Do remember that. And remember, too, that if you desire to get help in listening to the gospel, you must ask for it. The Word of God declares, I will be inquired of by you, O house of Israel, to do these things.

[11:08] And now, I want to look at this subject, feeling it rather especially laid on my mind, to bring before you, from just three viewpoints.

[11:22] And the first viewpoint is the promise. And behold, I am with thee. The second viewpoint is the protection.

[11:37] And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and the third viewpoint is the pledge.

[11:51] I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And remember, what was said to Jacob long ago is said to you and to me, if the God of Jacob is our refuge.

[12:13] And now I said this word was linked up to a memorable chapter in Jacob's life. And it was one that he never dreamed would ever come into it.

[12:27] that he would be setting out from his home and under a cloud and to go far off for a while to see how matters would fall out when he had when he had acted deceitfully and his mother too so that Esau was robbed of his birthright.

[13:00] Although God in his all-wise providence permitted it and overruled it, yet Jacob and his mother were guilty before God.

[13:12] And when Esau's anger was aroused and Jacob's life was threatened then Rebecca had to send Jacob afar off that he might be for a while in safety and Esau's anger cooled down.

[13:33] And so you read I'll begin the subject there and Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haram.

[13:47] You dear young people it is good if you were still under your home roofs and still sheltered with your godly fathers and mothers love and their responsibility in caring for you.

[14:06] But when there comes a time as there will do that you will go forth out of your family circle your own home and you may have to go far afield like Jacob did and then you will be on your own initiative and you will find it a very strange experience I can speak feelingly about it and you will need Jacob's God to be your God when you go forth that in life's journey his goodness may pass before you and matters may go well with you in all that you desire to be and to do.

[15:01] If you think you can go forth and do as you like the word of God condemns you it is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps how then can a man understand his own way the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way and it is our desire that you dear young people shall by the grace of God become good men good women and that Jacob's God shall be your God too and now looking at Jacob he has gone forth from his home roof he has bidden his godly father and mother farewell never to see his mother again and he goes forth on his journey and he had a destination but it tells us and he lighted upon a certain place and tarried there all night because the sun was set and he took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows and lay down in that place to sleep pondering this subject one thing is rather surprising dear friends young and old and you might think on it too you find that when

[16:41] Abraham sent out Eliezer his servant to obtain a wife for Isaac he took a very great caravanserai and much that was very valuable that his journey might be made successful and the wife that he sought for Isaac be willing to come Jacob goes out how much luggage do you think he had he had very little indeed he did not go out with much that was of value no he went out from his father and mother's home and God so overruled it that while his godly father could have loaded him with good things he went out without them and he went out on his own because he had got a lesson to learn he was a guilty

[17:49] Jacob and here he is nightfall has come on the first stage of his journey and he has stones for his pillows and he lies down in the desert place where dangers were all around to sleep but God was the God of Jacob and was overruling all that was happening in his life and now it tells us and he dreamed and behold a ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it it is a beautiful picture and much more beautiful gospel than even the picture of it is as a word picture dear friends a ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reaches heaven itself you really ought to get up and sing the doxology that there is a way from earth to heaven and that

[19:02] God is approachable and look what Jacob could see behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it and regarding the angels of God you might read up what the word of God says about the angels of God because it is for our learning and there is much that is very instructive in it the angels of God ascending and descending on it the apostle Paul told the godly Hebrews are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation I believe if our lives could be portrayed before our eyes our spiritual eyes in heaven's own light you would see that the angels of God have had quite a deal to do with your life oh they travel with every train they journey along all the arterial roads and other roads too and when there are what we call accidents mishaps and the godly are no more the angels of God are there to carry their redeemed spirits to glory they are everywhere doing the bidding of God and what is the bidding of God to minister do listen to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation

[20:58] I have told you and now Jacob saw this in this wonderful dream think of it the ladder set up on the earth there you see the setting forth of Jesus Christ becoming man great is the mystery of godliness God was manifest in the flesh therefore being verily man the ladder was set up on the earth and thereby you and I can approach the foot of it and that is where we desire to be this sabbath morn at the ladder's foot but the top of it reaches to heaven there you see Jesus Christ is set forth as verily God I do like to think of this ladder set up on the earth there is one

[22:04] God one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus and the truth that was made known to Jacob at this time was I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me it is to teach us that God is approachable and whatever your case may be your circumstances this sabbath morn if you are here saying oh my God my soul is cast down within me if you are found at the ladder's foot and if you can find in your heart faith even as a grain of mustard seed you will see what Jacob saw in his dream and behold the

[23:08] Lord stood above it the Trinity the Father the Son the Holy Spirit blessed Trinity stood above it and you as you were brought before God at the throne of grace which is indeed equivalent to the ladder set upon the earth you will sometimes be favoured to see that the Lord does stand above it and that he is observing you and all to do with you hence you sing sometimes awake sweet gratitude and sing the ascended saviour's love sing how he lives to carry on his people's cause above and however sad at heart or burdened in spirit you may feel at the ladder's foot if you help to look to Jesus and see the

[24:09] Lord is standing above it you will be able to go on with good courage and good hope knowing though we walk through this wilderness God's promises are stay the Lord will make his goodness pass before us in the way and behold the Lord stood above it and he said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac the land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it and to thy seed and here is the word which was to help Jacob as long as he lived which I have read for the text and behold when God says behold there is something to observe and behold

[25:12] I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee again into this land for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of dear friends I am going to say this but I am not saying this to condemn Jacob you and I are just the like guilty before God it would have been well for Jacob if he had stood at the ladder's foot much more often than he did as he journeyed on through life so it would have been for you preacher and people alike I say must all plead guilty here when prayer is a burden and task no wonder I little receive oh Lord make me willing to ask since thou wert so ready to give and now in opening up this subject and behold

[26:23] I am with thee the presence of God oh how wonderful it is that God can look down in the world as it is with hundreds of millions making up the mighty mass of mankind and his eye is upon them that fear him them that hope in his mercy to preserve them from death and to deliver them in a time of famine keep them alive as the word is keep them alive in a time of famine I will set mine eyes upon them to do them good it is beyond words to describe it it is beyond our comprehension but you can appreciate it although you can only apprehend just a little of it but what you desire what

[27:35] I desire is this remember me oh Lord with the favor that thou bearest unto thy people oh visit me with thy salvation and now think if you can and the Lord will help you to do it and ask him to do it think if you can how many what shall I say thousands no how many millions of poor sinners this sabbath morn are at their ladders foot with their cases and their circumstances you have been there before you came into the attitude of worship and the Lord has been standing above that ladder and he knows every poor sinner who has been at the ladder's foot he knows if some of you young people have been there you in your middle life have been there with your burden state and you with grey hairs upon you in life's evening time have been there too and his eye has been upon you and what is more he has heard your cry and he will attend to it among the many millions of the petitions that have ascended he will not overlook you or yours do remember that and behold

[29:17] I am with thee the presence of God do you know what it is it is not just his providential presence which is everywhere keeping the world going whereby the Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works no dear friends it is this Emmanuel God with us you know what you sing sometimes you can sing it and I hope many of you know the truth of it not all the good earth can afford is equal to thy presence Lord our fainting hearts to cheer abide with us Lord with us dwell then come what will it shall be well it is well if thou art near you may say oh

[30:18] I do hope the Lord has been with me but I should like to know more about it yes and everyone who has known somewhat of it is on the stretch to know more it is just the essence of religion that God is the author of that he as the author of it should go with you to unfold the heavenly mysteries and open up his truth that you might feel thy word is a lamp unto my feet a light unto my path oh when the presence of God is with you then the world takes its proper place it recedes into the background then you can estimate it at its proper value then you can say I cannot hear contented live with all the dainties earth can give but if you live on bread and cheese all your days and break stones by the roadside to get your living if you have got the presence of

[31:32] God you will know this what I have already quoted happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord is God the presence of God is wonderfully separating once you get the sweet reality of it known and felt in your soul's experience then you want to let the world go you can do what Moses did choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season you can understand the hymn writer when he said although the world may think it strange they would not with the world exchange no oh to no more of it dear friends and behold

[32:35] I am with thee it is wonderfully sanctifying when it super abounds over all that you are by nature you can then say things that you cannot say at any other time oh lord I would be thine alone and holy live to thee oh may I hope that thou will own a worthless worm like me you just want God to be first in your life and you to follow him whithersoever he goeth because that is what it is to hold fast to our profession Jesus said follow me and when you have got the presence of God you can do it willingly and what is more your soul is filled with satisfaction not that which just satisfies the man in the street the things of the flesh no no you feel the presence of

[33:49] God is so satisfying that you can go on in life's journey and rejoice in hope of life eternal and although your circumstances may be very complicated and your case as a poor sinner may have seemed to you such an out of the way case yet if once you can feel the presence of God is with you you can leave all to do with you and yours with him to arrange yes it is a great experience it is not so much known as we should like it to be known amongst people taught of God but you can leave the future with him then and say Lord whatever is thy will help me to do it my

[34:50] God my father while I stray far from my home in life's rough way oh teach me from my heart to say thy will be done and now that is how you feel when you realize this truth and behold I am with thee all to have the presence of God it gives you just a little bit of what heaven is like and you know even in the word of God I say this with great reverence there are wonderful descriptions of heaven but much of it is in figurative language but when all is said and done you will know what heaven is before you go there if you are going heaven is just the presence of God to be there where he is and to see him as he is and to be like him it will be good to get there the presence of

[36:00] God what did Paul say he tells you what heaven is so shall we be forever with the Lord and he goes into no other description of it and behold I am with thee and now this is the promise I said there was also the protection and behold I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest dear friends when you have time do make a little time let something else go not so important do read through these chapters set in forth the life of Jacob and you will see he got in some very strange places and I can assure you he was in some places he ought not to have been found in being who he was one who was taught of

[37:05] God what he was by nature too often supervened in Jacob he had got some rather unhappy kinks in his makeup his character he was a supplanter but God dealt with him and he made him what he was by the grace of God and that is good to read but the other comes in between here you get a description of what he was by the grace of God then he comes into some more places slippery places and you see him of the earth earthy what he was by nature is more evident than what he was by grace and look you it has been too often the case with you and I we have no stones to throw at Jacob about it but what we should be thankful for is this and behold

[38:06] I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and so it was with dear Jacob and you know if you told the truth at least some of us particularly so in going back over our life's journey some of the places that we have been in we are very glad to look back and see that God did keep us and that we did not fall a prey to what those places might have brought upon us slippery places what did David say when I said my foot slippeth thy mercy oh lord held me up you think of being in heaviness through manifold temptations oh what a place it is to be in Satan sieved and be riddled there all your religion your profession called into question till you hardly know what you are or where you are and you can only say oh lord

[39:21] I am oppressed undertake for me look at some of the dark places you have been in when all your evidences seemed out of sight and you could hardly gather up that which would help you to feel a good hope through grace all you could do was to hope against hope think to of the barren places you have been in when you have been at the ends of the earth and are far off from God in your soul's feelings think to of the fears that have arisen in your breast think to of your guiltiness before God overwhelming you at times when these things are made known to you yes and think to of being in red sea places and you know what they are and some of us have been there the lion's mouth is the meaning mountains on either side the

[40:32] Egyptians pursuing behind and Israel faced with the red sea and no bridge across it nor could it be forded then you come into such a place where you want to be found at the ladders foot and see the Lord standing above it and he has done that and you have gone through the deep and gone through as you read they went through the flood on foot yes the waters were divided a way was made where there seemed to be no way and what shall we say about wit's end places hey you get into those places then are they brought to their wit's end margin all their wisdom is swallowed up listen then they're found at the ladders foot once more may have been not there for quite a while but now necessity is laid upon them then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he saveth them out of their distresses this word this protection is afforded to all sinners taught of

[41:59] God behold I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest whatever troubles may befall you they shall not swallow you up nor your religion either no you shall live to see the Lord is good a stronghold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him but I want just to emphasize this word keep and will keep thee in all places and now it does not mean you will always be kept in a very happy frame of mind because that will not be so here and there you will have such a frame but in between wiles you will hardly be able to describe what you are and where you are and you must understand this word like this behold I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest there is a word of the

[43:13] Selmist which will help you and at least I do hope it will it has helped me many a time O Lord my God I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave listen thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit quite a few of you could say that this Sabbath morn O bless our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard which holdeth our soul in life and suffereth not our feet to be moved and that means this and will keep thee from giving up and will keep thee from going back and will keep thee going on yes in all places though it may be at times you will only go on faint yet pursuing and as

[44:31] I have said hoping against hope and behold I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest Christ is the keeper of his saints he guards them by his power subdues their numerous complaints too numerous altogether in every gloomy hour what though they fear its dread alarm tried and severely tossed upheld by God's almighty arm none none shall there be lost this is the God of Jacob and how he deals with his Jacobs poor sinners of a truth that they are hell deserving and undeserving and can only say when they say what they ought to say thou hast not dealt with us after our iniquities after our sins neither hast thou rewarded us according to our iniquities much might be said along that line of thought but then there is not only this blessed protection behold

[45:51] I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee again into this land the land where Jacob was at that time was only desert not very promising but God gave it a name and in years to come it became a place a city yes Bethel and now this word I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of what a word that must have been to Jacob I should think when what he was by grace was uppermost he had only got to close his eyes and he could see this ladder again as he stood at the foot of it and see the Lord standing above it and he could see the goodness of

[46:55] God over ruling his journey in all the varied places where he was in but there is a truth I want just to say a little about coming toward the amen I will not lead thee and now you can view that like this and I do view it like it it might help you to view it too it does not mean that you are always living near to God and rejoicing in hope of life eternal though it is good to live like that and some of us have known what that is but then it is like Bunyan says in the pilgrim's progress and they came to a little plain called ease but they soon got across it and then you have still to go on in these varied places I will not leave thee and now

[47:56] I judge it to mean this God is speaking as to what he purposes to be to Jacob and to do for Jacob and it means I will not leave thee helpless wherever you are Jacob stand at the ladders foot I shall be above it and there shall be help afforded wherever you are whatever place you are in I will not leave thee helpless I will not leave thee hopeless I will not leave thee comfortless wherever you may be and he was in some places where he was indeed comfortless but God did not leave him like that the Lord appeared on his behalf and it means this I will not leave thee faithless friend friendless or godless you shall still find in your heart a concern to get in touch with me at the ladders foot and find wrestling prayer can wonders do bring relief in deepest straits prayer can force a passage through iron bars and brazen gates but then it says here and behold

[49:29] I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee again into this land and now that was a promise that was fulfilled generations afterward but then there is another land beside the land that Jacob was living in and this particular land where he saw the ladder set up on the earth it was the land of promise where he was though it was not then known by that name but God ordained that Jacob's progeny should be the children of Israel and that they should inherit the land of promise and in that land there was Bethel the house of God but then you and I have got another land of promise and that is the word of God itself what do you find in the sacred pages he hath given unto us exceeding great and precious promises so that as your help do listen as your help to search the scriptures you will find whatever your circumstances or your case you will find it to be the land of promise and you will find a promise more than one that will help you inspire you with hope in

[51:06] God and when your circumstances seem to be at their worst as you will help to stand at the ladder's foot you will see the Lord standing above it and realize in his dealings with you is there anything too hard for the Lord shall not the judge of all the earth do right thou art our potter we are the clay and then there is this to encourage you I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of there you see he is faithful that promised and whatever God has said to you remind him of it I use that word although perhaps it ought not to be used do tell him about it yet he does indeed desire to be reminded and you remember the psalmist did remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope and now dear friends

[52:25] I hope you will think these things over and behold I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee again into this land oh that you might be brought into the land of promise such as the word of God is and find therein as you search the scriptures what it is to get in touch with him whose they are him who is the incarnate word and will bring thee again into this land for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of and now dear friends young and old what I desire is this that you might know what the psalmist declare

[53:27] I've already quoted it but it is to be known and I desire that you may know it some of you do some of you as yet do not those who do know it may you know much more those who do not may God grant you the mercy to know it happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God if you can feel a little of that happiness well enough in your breast at times you can go on to say what the psalmist said for this God is our God forever and ever and he will be our guide even unto death amen do you