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[0:00] In dependence upon the Lord that all needed help, I venture to draw your prayerful attention to Genesis chapter 33 and a short close in verse 9 and a part of verse 11.

[0:27] Genesis chapter 33 verse 9 and the first few words.

[0:42] And Esau said, I have enough, my brother. Verse 11, these are the words of Jacob.

[0:54] Because God hath dealt graciously with me and because I have enough.

[1:06] You will observe three words exactly the same spoken by these twin brothers, Esau and Jacob.

[1:22] I have enough. What a vast difference there is in these two brothers.

[1:42] One sits before us, one who was without God, living for all that the world could give him.

[1:59] He was rich. He was wealthy. The land of Edom, over which he was in charge or reigned, was very wealthy, very strongly fortified.

[2:14] And speaking in a natural way, in those days he would have all that his heart would desire.

[2:25] He was wealthy. He was wealthy. He was wealthy. He was wealthy. He was wealthy. He was wealthy. He was wealthy. He was wealthy. And all that one could desire. Now Jacob, at this time, he too, was indeed wealthy.

[2:44] He had cattle and herds and so forth and people and dear ones also. And he said, I have enough.

[2:59] What was the difference? I wonder if you children, if you're listening to me, could tell me one big difference between the two twin brothers.

[3:14] One said nothing about God. The other said all that he had was from the hand of his God.

[3:35] Now in attempting to speak from these words which came unexpectedly to me on the past day with a measure of, well, I hope, power.

[3:49] If we're not going to examine the rich and the poor, all we say there, there will be many who die without God, without Christ, that may either be rich or may be very, very poor.

[4:07] And the same thing applies to God's dear people who, they die in the Lord. We know they go to heaven, but they may have in their life been wealthy.

[4:21] On the other hand, may have been very, very poor. So we're not speaking of that line this morning. But what I wanted, and I pray that the Lord will help me to trace out a little in the walk of these two men, how they dealt with matters, what they said, and trace out the distinction between the two of them.

[4:56] We go back to the previous chapter to start with. Jacob was on the way to Bethel. He didn't just suddenly say to his dear one and family, I'm going to Bethel, I'm going back to Bethel.

[5:20] He obeyed God. Remember that? Where Jacob was now, was in obedience to God.

[5:33] The Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee. And soon after an angel came to Jacob, and said, The word of God, and said, I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointest the pillar, where thou vowedest a vow unto me.

[5:58] Now arise, get thee from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. So as we read, Jacob went on his way, the way that God directed him.

[6:14] Pause a minute. We all go on our way. You may say, What do you mean? Every step we take, we're journeying through this life.

[6:28] Are we our own? Do we choose our own path? Would we like Esau, I'm going to go that way, or I'm going to go that way, I should do just what I want.

[6:43] Or, do we say, Lord, guide me, direct me, tell me the way I should walk, guide me, keep me from wrong paths, may thy presence ever go with me.

[7:01] And oh, beloved friend, here we see the angels of God met him. We firmly believe in the ministry of angels. He gives his angel charge over us to keep us in our way, to bear us up in death, lest we dash our foot against a stone.

[7:20] And the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him. And it seems that they circled the dear man and gave him encouragement to say, this is wonderful.

[7:35] This is the way God takes care of his people as we look up to him and lift up our eyes to him and pray to walk in the way that he directs us.

[7:47] And then, Jacob knew that he was coming near the land of Seir.

[7:59] That's where Esau was found. What's the lesson here? Jacob is a peace lover. Jacob thoughts that there might be reconciliation.

[8:12] Jacob seeks that Esau might receive him. You all know, of course, how that Jacob stole the birthright.

[8:24] I won't go into those details, all well known or should be by you. And so, he seeks now a reconciliation. Peace lover.

[8:38] Blessed are the peacemakers. Very solemn to be a peace breaker.

[8:53] Some can do a lot of damage. I'm told among sheep there can be a bully sheep where they're all resting quietly and go along and nudge one, glare at another and before you can stop them, all disturbed.

[9:10] We need in our churches, we need in our family, this spirit of love and union and walking together and care one for the other.

[9:25] The message has come back. Now we're going to see what Esau is going to do. Surely, he will come back to welcome his brother. brother. But no, he has enough but he hates his brother.

[9:41] He's not going to forgive them. And he comes and four hundred men with him.

[9:52] Surely, that is to destroy Jacob and all his dear ones and take possession of all his cattle and so forth.

[10:05] What a shock that Jacob and yet Jacob has sought the path of peace. Esau seeks the path of vengeance, revenge.

[10:21] What is poor Jacob to do? We read this, he was greatly afraid and distressed. Now we're speaking of what a Christian will do.

[10:33] He comes into paths of being greatly afraid and much distressed and he took various steps of preservation which I need not enlarge upon but then what did he do?

[10:51] What Esau would never do, he didn't pray to God? What did Jacob do? What do you do?

[11:08] You come into trouble. You don't know what to do, you're afraid, and you children always ask God to help us.

[11:22] So Jacob prayed and spoke to God and said Lord thou did tell me to go this way. I'm obeying thy voice. Thou has said I will deal well with it.

[11:34] I'm not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all the truth which thou hast shown me. And he said with my staff I passed over Jordan. That's when he left home, ran away, well not ran away, he passed away from home, and then he went he had just a staff in his hand.

[11:57] Just think of that. But God took care of him. And in time you know as we've just read he got cattle and a large family and was rich in many possessions.

[12:12] And he says here I'm become two bands now deliver me. You see all that he had all that were with him all the silver and gold that he might have had all that the cattle that he might have had could not save him from the hand the murderous hand of Esau.

[12:37] And so he said deliver me I fear him because he will come and smite me and the mother and the children and thou said I will surely do thee good and make thy seed as a seed of the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered for multitude in other words Lord if thou should if this man if my brother should kill us all what will become of thy promise thou has promised to my grandfather Abraham to my father Isaac to me thou has promised thou have have have a seed and that seed shall grow and from that seed will come a Messiah one to save his ancient people but it looks as though we're all going to be put in the grave we ought to be slain so he stayed there he sent a present which I need not enlarge upon to Esau and sent them over and then he himself was left alone this is off the path of those who fear

[13:47] God and love the Lord you children may feel this sometimes at school in the playground you hear them use bad words you see they do bad things they want you to do bad things and you have to you feel very very lonely just come to my mind something of years ago two girls young girls they were both went to Sunday school different chapels that was but they both went to Sunday school and the others just teased them and tormented them but they eventually got away to a quiet place in the playground what did they do they said one to the other let us tell Jesus and in their humble way they prayed and asked

[14:51] Jesus to help them I feel that's an example for us all take it to Jesus in prayer just like dear Jacob but he now left alone and there comes someone this was an appearance of the Lord Jesus he didn't know that and this one wrestles with him now Jacob didn't start the wrestling the Lord wrestled what are we to understand about this they were both brought into wrestling because one started wrestling the other wrestled now I don't know much I remember as a boy I used to play about somewhat and wrestle a little bit nothing very serious but wrestling involves every muscle of your body every part of it what I see here is this a child of

[15:54] God believing in God it was brought to pray and to what we call wrestle in prayer and that is to wrestle and bring into action all those spiritual faculties of the soul that God has given you for example let's look at faith we might say yes you see that faith now is going into action that faith is laying hold that faith is taking the word of God that faith is pleading the word before God is wrestling again you have a good hope through grace which is the anchor of the soul and that again is brought into action it's holding fast the chain isn't broken the anchor hasn't snapped the boat is about to sink no it's all in place the word of

[16:54] God that is the promise Jacob had surely I will be with thee and he pleads it he lays hold on it he wrestles with it oh beloved friend these things are very very real and it might it wrestling and there as you can tell there would be weariness doubtness with dear Jacob and as he wrestled as we read here his hollow of Jacob's thigh were put out of joint so he was weak you must give it up Jacob you must give in you but do you die now he continued though he was weak and in himself though it seemed almost impossible to go on but he continued wrestling and in a way I would look at it in this way all he could do perhaps was not so much activity in the wrestling that doubtless would be there but more clinging holding on can't let go and though

[18:09] I'm in agony and not only with the agony of my worries and this burden of my fear of my death and my family but all involved and the Lord said let me go the dawn breaketh and I will not let they go I can't let they go oh are there some of you dear godly people here this morning and seeking souls too that say I'm sorely tried I have so little faith I do want to be stronger in faith I have so many things against me I'm almost ready to give up and you may be engaged in some serving of the Lord nothing out of it and you say yes I am alone I might just well give it up but my dear friend hold on hang on please continue and what do we and the Lord bless him there I'm speaking of this Jacob who says

[19:10] I have enough because God has dealt graciously with me and that's what I'm getting at this morning have you my dear friend have you yourself evidence of the Lord dealing with you in grace you sung about grace this morning beautiful hymn and it is grace taught my soul to pray and pardoning love to know grace to this day and will not let me go he blessed him there and so my friend there he is and the dawn breaks there he stands now comes the meeting oh my dear friend the power of heaven the power of prayer I do not say that always this will happen we know sometimes people do have they do have a bitter enemy that would never be reconciled we have to pray

[20:26] Lord help me to be patient help me to set that right example that I win them over by the love of Christ in my life that I may be used in this way but here the prayer was answered and here is Esau and he looks here and sees all the possession of Jacob and asked what it means now how did Jacob speak did he say well look I've choked very hard and he did work ever so hard for Laban didn't he for 14 years or more didn't say that he didn't say well I found a way to grow my plants I found a way to multiply my cattle I found the way I was so clever that

[21:27] I got my silver and my gold no didn't say that at all he said that children yes I've got children but God has graciously given thy servant all that he had he could truly say God has given it to me graciously to me so unworthy there and so here Esau has said that asked Esau to receive his gift and Esau says I have enough my brother can you see a contrast this is the way the Lord has I believe opened it up somewhat to my mind on the past day after many struggles here you see as a man wealthy can have what he wants more or less

[22:38] I don't see all the wicked are like that some are very poor I know but we take it in this way and he says I have enough I don't need any money I don't need any cattle I don't need any silver I don't need any God that's really what amounts to look I yes I if I can remember an incident I read of a very wealthy man boasting he said he had there's nothing I have need of boasting he's got this and that and that mansions and boats and I don't know what and a godly man said to him there's one thing you could do with what's that humility true my friend the difference there must be a difference between God's people and the world

[23:42] I heard a young man that was a man who was down in Wales and I don't know just how it came into subject I think he was speaking about the young people and he said that he heard of some young people supposed to be Christians and they think nothing to go to the disco clubs and all the rest of it and when they were mixed up with these other people these other people the worldly people said to these so called Christians we cannot see anything different between you and us that's very solemn not that we go to a radar religion not that we go boasting and say what of ourselves we boast of our Lord Jesus Christ but if we love Jesus if we walk according to his ways and according to his word we shall be different we shall be different there must be there's one of the dear friends that I baptized many years ago at Tamworth

[24:45] Road and one of the first things that the office staff said what's gone wrong with you you're different that is so because God has dealt graciously with me God has put the fear of God in my heart God has taught me what is right and what is wrong and God has shown me this that whilst indeed we have to labour to earn our living and so forth and to be honest in our work to be zealous in our work and to seek promotion as far as God is willing to give it to us that is perfectly right perfectly in order but it's not to be our God silver and gold it's to be used rightly but my dear friend I so sorry now my mind's gone to a complete blank you'll come back to me just in a moment but here

[25:49] I say there's a difference scene and here I say with God's people they pray over I want to speak very simply here and I don't want to speak wrongly but I often can't help thinking when you think of your prayers that have gone up to heaven and you think of the variety when I say variety all sorts of things you pray for yes mainly over your soul mainly over your sin mainly over to know more of the Lord Jesus Christ and love him more and more yes and to be like him and to walk tenderly before him but you had to pray about that little thing you lost you had to pray about something that worried you somebody that was doing unkind to you all sorts of things take it to the Lord in prayer so here we have Jacob says I have enough and he says not because

[26:52] I have been so clever in fact I am not quite sure of this but in fact if we examine Jacob's methods sometimes I don't know whether they were all together quite right that I am going to leave because I am not their judge but as I look at this here he says God has dealt graciously with me and I want to pray that I may be thankful now godliness with contentment is great gain a wonderful blessing there is much discontent in the world today my friend you may not be wealthy or you may be wealthy

[27:52] I don't know I see nobody absolutely millionaire or billionaire or anything like that but say welcome to a place whichever way it is to live in contentment to live in faith to live sweetly I was going to say being carried in the arms of Jesus and being assured of this that anything that brings fear to your heart he'll be there to help you many times when you feel you have no strength to go on my grace is sufficient for thee and that strength is maintained there's that sufficient strength to hold you on your way and so forth as we may go on and sometimes we say well other families don't get all this trouble like I do but my friend is there some blessing sometimes in your troubles I look back on my life and I can truly say some of the greatest blessings spiritual in my life have been in the times of deep trouble or soul exercise the help and presence of God now

[29:14] I want just to look at another aspect of this word just as I come to the latter part of our meditation what is it then that a Christian can boast of when I say boast of not of himself boast of in the goodness of God my soul shall make a boast in the Lord but make boast of that the world has nothing of first of all a Christian born again sinner is called by divine grace and this is the assurance of the love of God in their soul this is the assurance of an interest in the precious blood of Christ on the cross at Calvary because I live said Jesus ye shall live also spiritual life in the soul is the inseparable from the death and blood of

[30:25] Jesus Christ now when I say that I am not saying that this would be your experience at your conversion more likely when the Lord begins with you in your conversion but I do not make a hard rule on this God is a sovereign he works in varied ways some he pulls right down and lowers them as it were in the dust brings them to nothing others still effective the Lord leads to a sense of their sinnership their burden of it the holiness of God before whom they will stand and as they are brought to this they are brought into concern they start to seek to pray and to ask for mercy and then waiting upon

[31:31] God and then a seeker after the things of God the blessings of God the love of God like Ruth gleaning in the field waiting for that handful of purpose waiting for that word to drop into your soul as a word of confirming blessing encouragement building up establishing so beloved friend this is the way there are those and I remember one of my deacons in his testimony years ago saying he was afraid to go to bed at night he found he would drop into hell not all are led that way but there's a vital leading and that vital point is this to show us our sin our lost state our ruin and the holiness of

[32:31] God and the justice of God and show us this that we cannot climb up some way other way into heaven I very struck some time ago one of our ministers was speaking or referred to King Agrippa wasn't it that's I think the name right almost almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian almost my beloved friend children and old people all of you and myself and almost religion will never take you into heaven never if you think and now what you're doing is right to be in the house of

[33:34] God never to miss come but just to come and go just to have a knowledge of the Bible in your head you want something in your heart something worked by God himself just what the dear man Jacob says here that the Lord has dealt graciously with me he brought me he showed me something that I never saw before yes I know I've done wrong I know I've told lies I know I may have stolen something I know I should never have gone there but oh somehow that would be put right somehow God will save me God will take me to heaven my friend there won't be any somehow in the matter whatsoever no these things are real these things are very real and they're very real and so my friend it comes to this point we need a real service I say all our good works now don't misunderstand that good works are to be performed they are and they are a testimony of God dealing graciously with you because if

[34:44] God deals graciously with you you want to deal graciously as you are able to help others well that is I understand it and that I believe it too that we don't go to heaven and say Lord I gave so money so much oh I did so much I spent a whole month helping people out no no we don't say Lord what I'm doing it's what thou art doing how thou hast constrained me by thy love thou hast helped me and show me that I must go there I must go an extra mile I must go and help somebody and my friend it's a wonderful know God does constrain us to do this it is the love of Christ constraining us and so because God has dealt graciously with us so my friend oh have I not now this is just something on money perhaps but I believe a dear old couple were so blessed and they were ever so poor and they both put money into the collection and when they went home

[35:46] I think they gave all that they got in their pockets and I think they had I don't know how they got home I'm sure the Lord provided a way for them but you see the love constrains dear children you find hard to obey mother sometimes and father but if you really love them yes I'm going to do it because I love them they love me now think of God think of his love far greater than a mother and a father his kindness what God has done for me now I would see to be used just for God not for man not for glory but to be used of God now let's just look and I must come soon to a stop just one or two things that we look at the possession of a child of God first he possesses

[36:49] Jesus Christ I am my beloved and my beloved is mine to possess Christ is a born again sinner though you may not feel it or feel it can be possible but it is true because that one is God's possession that one is washed in the blood of Christ to know this may be a lifelong lesson I know but it is true and they should never perish neither should any man pluck them out of my hand that the these are so precious in the eyes of God that he gave now if you love somebody and they were so good to you or saved your life you would say well what can I do I want to give something really the best I can to show how thankful I am well if we may so put it what greater gift he could not give a greater gift

[38:00] God gave his own dear son to come and that dear son to bear the punishment due to us for our sins because our sin as a dear child of God was charged to Jesus Christ he took it he bore it he laid on him and as he went to the cross at Calvary he there died in their room and place and there when he said it is finished the work was done his full salvation his full pardon his full peace sealed by the blood of Christ confirmed by his glorious resurrection and the assurance that the sting of death is removed and the grave is robbed of its victory oh my friend while Christ is rich I can't be poor what can I want beside happiness yes thou lovely name oh where's thy where tell me where learning pleasure wealth and fame all cry out it's not here to know

[39:16] Jesus crucified that I'm putting in my own words at the moment is everything to know him as my saviour as my redeemer the friend of sinners that one that loves me and says he's going to keep me and take me to be with him and I must I do want to love him but I so fail I go wrong I love the things of the world and I can't part with them oh what a struggle it is but my brother's a real struggle it tells me you've got two parts you've got two parts you've got the old nature we all got that but when there's a struggle when there's a battle Lord when there's inward conflict that tells me there's something else there the work of God's grace in your heart blessed be his name I say because the Lord has dealt graciously with me and my friend you sometimes think I should need so much grace think of his love that he should love you think of what I am what I've done think of since I've loved him since I've preached think of my failures think of what I've done what I've thought

[40:30] Lord it needs the blood to wash away my sin think again of precious faith think of the operation of that faith that it does things it lays hold on the word of God the promises you pleaded it lays hold upon Christ himself that the virtue may come forth and your issue of blood might be stanched oh my dear friend think of the promises that God has spoken they do yes and my friend they're to be pleaded and he will perform and heaven and earth shall pass away but my word shall not pass away he is the faithful God he faileth not look ah yes you say look at the world today look at all the evil look at the people in the far east middle east and so forth and all the enemies of the cross and their threats of destroying us and so forth look at the

[41:32] Roman Catholics look at the lawlessness look at the drugs look at the broken house yes we can say look at this look at that look at the other and it's true and grieve over it and mourn over it and pray over it yes that's true but my friend you as a Christian have a possession that even torture death whatever it comes I don't say that lightly it'll be real but it will never sever you from the love of Christ it will never destroy your hope you'll be brought to glory at last there to enter in what the Lord has prepared graciously for his people heaven my friend think of his mercy oh how often you cry Lord God be merciful to me a sinner oh Lord I feel I must have dried it up I keep praying like that

[42:33] I can't stop and I said the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting the fullness of it the greatness of it the power of it the blessing of it oh when and so we could go on it's wonderful love but I must stop just one final promise I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I'll come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also if such the sweetness of the streams what must the fountain be oh it's gone from me but you know it just flows at the fullness of it the blessing of it the streams flowing into the redeemer redeemed sinner oh think of the blessing we've received here on earth but think of the unending unfailing flow in glory at love

[43:41] I have enough I hope you're not just there I have enough because God has dealt graciously with me may that be your lot and mine amen amen Thank you.