Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

name so lately given him by the God of his fathers; and a memorial of that gracious appearance of God, which assured him of his present interest in his favour and protection, and future superiority over men. Observe, too, that, as soon as Jacob had acquired any property in the land of Canaan, he erected an altar upon it,-consecrating, as it were, the first fraits of that promised inheritance to the Lord. He would look upon that altar, and remember that the God of Israel had promised the whole land wherein it was built, to his seed after him, for an everlasting possession:-and-if the seeming difficulty of a handful of men, like his family, ever dispossessing the inhabitants which then filled the country, arose in his mind and shook his faith, "as a prince hast thou power with God, and with men," would answer his objections and silence his doubts. So, Christian! do you keep in mind what God has done for you, as a pledge of what he will do. Remember how, in times past, he has strengthened you against the coming evil, by some gracious proof of his presence and care,-bringing to your mind, by his Spirit, "the exceeding great and precious promises" to which you are heir, and then turned the dreaded enemy into a loving brother. Treasure up the past, to give you confidence for the future; and let mercies received be often brought before you as a pledge of mercies in store.

[ocr errors]

Whilst however, we cannot but approve of the spirit of Jacob's mind toward God, the following chapters will shew us that he judged not well for his family in thus spreading his tent, and taking up -his abode in the neighbourhood of Shechem.

with God for a blessing, and should, in His strength, with men also.

V. 29. "Wherefore dost thou ask after my name?" Have not my dealings with thee taught thee who I am?

V. 31. "Halted."-Israel carried this token away with him, that what had passed was a reality - not a dream or vision, or delusive imagination.

On the Thirty-third Chapter.

V. 4. "And Esau ran to meet him," &c.-"The heart of man is in the hands of the Lord, as the rivers of water; he turneth it whithersoever he will."

V. 5. "The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.""I will speak of thy testimo nies before kings, and will not be ashamed," was David's resolution; and, in the same spirit, we find Jacob not ashamed to confess before inen, what, with grateful adoration, he had acknowledged to God in secret-that he was not worthy of the least of all the mercies that he had received.

V. 10. "Therefore have I seen thy face," &c. Jacob appears to mean, that, in the turning of his brother's heart again to him, he recognized the mercy of God, in having influenced him to a reconciliation.

V. 11. Jacob was thus urgent, that he might obtain from his brother a token of forgiveness.The rejection of the present of an inferior, is, to this day, in Eastern countries, an expression of displeasure.

V. 15. Jacob wished to give his brother full proof that all he desired of him was his friendship. V. 20. "El-elohe-Israel,”—that is, "God, the God of Israel:"-an appropriation of the new

name so lately given him by the God of his fathers; and a memorial of that gracious appearance of God, which assured him of his present interest in his favour and protection, and future superiority over men. Observe, too, that, as soon as Jacob had acquired any property in the land of Canaan, he erected an altar upon it, consecrating, as it were, the first fraits of that promised inheritance to the Lord. He would look upon that altar, and remember that the God of Israel had promised the whole land wherein it was built, to his seed after him, for an everlasting possession:-and if the seeming difficulty of a handful of men, like his family, ever dispossessing the inhabitants which then filled the country, arose in bis mind and shook his faith, "as a prince hast thou power with God, and with men," would answer his objections and silence his doubts. So, Christian! do you keep in mind what God has done for you, as a pledge of what he will do. Remember how, in times past, he has strengthened you against the coming evil, by some gracious proof of his presence and care, bringing to your mind, by his Spirit, "the exceeding great and precious promises" to which you are heir, and then turned the dreaded enemy into a loving brother. Treasure up the past, to give you confidence for the future; and let mercies received be often brought before you as a pledge of mercies in store.

Whilst however, we cannot but approve of the spirit of Jacob's mind toward God, the following chapters will shew us that he judged not well for his family in thus spreading his tent, and taking up his abode in the neighbourhood of Shechem.

On the Thirty-fourth Chapter.

The thirty-fourth chapter of Genesis gives the history of the disgrace and ruin of Dinah, Jacob's only daughter, in consequence of going out alone to see the daughters of the land; and of the cruel and treacherous revenge taken by Simeon and Levi, her brothers, not only upon the offending person, but upon all the inhabitants of Shechem. Their conduct was utterly inexcusable; at the same time, it strongly shews the high sense they entertained of the criminal nature of that, which, alas! too many young women now scarcely even consider as a disgrace. Yet how strong are the expressions of God's displeasure against it!" Be not deceived; neither fornicators nor adulterers shall inherit the kingdom of God." Marriage is honourable, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." The offence may often escape the detection or punishment of man, but it shall not escape the eye, or the vengeance, of God.

[ocr errors]

On the Thirty-fifth Chapter. ·

How often it happens, that from mere weakness of resolution, or want of energy, that which we know to be a duty, and fully purpose to attend to, is deferred, till perhaps the fittest season for it is past, or till some inconvenience occurs from our delay. It is evident, from v. 5, that this appearance of the Lord to Jacob was soon after the transaction related in the last chapter, and when Jacob, being in fear of the resentment of the Shechemites, was at a loss what place to go to. And it could

not but occur to him, on being thus mercifully reninded of his vow, that if, instead of continuing in the immediate neighbourhood of a city of idolaters, he had gone at once to Bethel, he and his family would have been preserved from guilt and disgrace.

V.2-4. "Be clean," &c.-Outward purification appears, from this passage, to have been— even before the giving of the law-the emblem of inward purity; the type of that sprinkling of the blood of Christ, which, by purging the conscience from dead works, enables the sinner to approach the living God.

"Strange gods;"-either those which Rachel had stolen from her father, or the idols of the Schechemites, the worship of which they probably joined with that of the true God.-Jacob appears to have been far from "ruling his family and his own household well;" the consequence of which was, that his heart was continually wrung by the crimes into which they fell. Yet, on this occasion, they appear to have yielded readily to his remonstrances, and to have parted both with the idols, and their ornaments-which, from the connection in which they are mentioned, must have been either used in idol worship, or stamped with the image of a false god.-When a painful and difficult duty, with respect to others, is entered upon, in conformity to the will of God, and in dependence on his strength, we shall often find them more ready to hearken to advice or reproof than we had expected.

V. 8.

"Deborah, Rebecca's nurse died." The place where she was buried was called " Allon Bachuth," or the oak of weeping, on account of the mourning which the loss of an old and faithful servant occasioned.

V. 16-18. It is our privilege," in every thing, by prayer and supplication, to make our requests

« ElőzőTovább »