Look at the last verse of the
chapter with me, verse 33, and then we'll go back and look at
a few other verses. And when Jacob had made an end
of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed and
yielded up the ghost and was gathered unto his people. Tonight
we come to the hour of Jacob's death, yet I would have you to
notice that Jacob does not die until he's delivered every last
word of admonition, bestowed every blessing upon his 12 sons. And I was thinking as I read
this and considered this, as long as God has another sentence
to speak by him, death could not paralyze his tongue. And
no sinner, no sinner, that has ever lived will die until God
Almighty is finished with them. That's just a fact. That not
only applies to believers, but it applies to unbelievers. The
Lord hath made all things for himself, the scripture says,
yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. God uses all men
and women, both the righteous and the wicked, to accomplish
his will and his purpose. So the first thing I want us
to see in our study tonight is that no one will leave this physical
realm that we call life here, life in the flesh, until God's
finished with them. That's just a known fact. And
then the second thing is the fact that all of us are going
to die. Let me give you some words concerning
death, according to the scripture. It's appointed unto men once
to die. We know that verse. We quote
that verse. We read it often. It's appointed
unto men once to die, but after this, the judgment. Death, the
same as life, is appointed by God. God appoints it. Seeing man's days are determined,
the scripture says, the number of his months are with thee.
Thou hast appointed his bonds that he cannot pass. Job 14,
5. David said, Lord, make me to
know mine end and the measure of my days, what it is that I
may know how frail I am. If it's the Lord who makes us
to know our end and the number of our days, then it's He who
knows when our end will come, and it's He who knows the number
of our days. But friends, He not only knows
them, He orders, He determines, He ordains them. God has appointed
our bounds that we cannot and will not pass beyond them. God
knew the day, the minute, the very second that you would come
into this world and He knows when you'll leave it. And you
won't leave it before then. Not before, no sir. God is in
control of everything and every single facet of our lives. It'll help you to know that.
It'll help you to bow to that. Now we know, we've been looking
at the life of Jacob for a long time now. Jacob had deceived
his blind father in his youth, but man's craftiness will not
fool death in the grave. Won't do it. We know that Jacob
had swiftly fled his angry brother, but the swift foot of death was
now in pursuit of Jacob, and from death there is no escape. It's coming for every single
one of us. We know that Jacob had wrestled with the Lord, and
the Lord had allowed him to prevail, but now he would wrestle with
the opponent of death that he would never prevail against.
We know that the Lord had his hand upon Jacob throughout his
life, and the Lord had declared, touch not mine anointed, and
do my prophets no harm. But now Jacob must fall at the
hand of his last enemy because it's appointed unto men once
to die and after that the judgment. The appointed time and now come
for the patriarch Jacob to die. And truly all of us can say with
David, my times are in thy hands and certainly our times are in
God's hand. And it's very obvious from our
text that Jacob did not dispute God's decree. He didn't buck
or murmur against God's providence in his death. He joyfully, he
joyfully accepts his end and he finds great hope, comfort,
and peace as he yields up the ghost and was gathered in the
arms of his savior. So in that respect, Death did
not have victory over him. And it doesn't over any of God's
people. And that's the encouragement
I want us to get from this study tonight. You know, it's remarkable
to me that the scriptures don't give us many deathbed scenes. Other than this one and maybe
another two, I can only think of David, we're told, the last
words of David as he lay on his bed dying. And maybe it's because
the Holy Spirit would have us to consider and take account
of how we should live instead of how we should die. But I do
know this much, the man, the woman, the sinner that learns
how to die daily, learns how to die daily. while they live,
will find it no difficulty to breathe their last breath before
their creator. Oh Lord, help me to learn to
die daily to myself and to live unto Christ. To die with the
expectant hope of being perfectly conformed to Christ. Boy, do
you ever just think about that? Being perfectly conformed to
our Lord and Savior. Oh, the child of God will see
death as a promotion when they do. Without sin, going out into
eternity without sin, forever being in communion and fellowship
with God. Forever being in the presence
of the Lord Jesus Christ. My, my. Lord, help me to see
that more clearly. Help me to rejoice in that. Now, there are three words that
are associated with the death of a believer in Scripture. Three
that come to mind. The first is blessed. Some may
say, well, how is death a blessing? Well, it's only a blessing when
you're found in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Revelation chapter
14, the beloved John wrote, and I heard a voice from heaven saying
unto me, write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they
may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them. You
know, to suffer death for the sake of Christ and His gospel
is a gift and it's an honor. To die in the Lord is to die
interested in Him. It's to die trusting in Him. It's to have fulfilled the law
of God for you. It's to die in union with Him,
a union which cannot be dissolved by death. This is a union that
will continue forevermore. It's to die preserved from all
condemnation, wrath, and judgment. It's to die with the holy justice
of God satisfied against you. is to die resting from any labor,
both of body and of soul, to be free from all diseases and
pain. Oh, I tell you, friends, what
a blessed thought that is, to be free from outward sorrows
that men and women labor under, to be free from inward troubles
caused by sin. Oh, our sin so easily besets
us, does it not? To be free from the temptations
of Satan. To be free from all doubts and
fears. To be able to trust Christ fully
and completely. To be free from all conflicts
with spiritual enemies. Oh, blessed is the death of God's
elect who die in the Lord. Blessed. Blessed. The second
word associated with the believer in death is precious. David said,
precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Precious, set apart by God from
all eternity are God's sanctified ones. With Christ as our head
and our representative, whose blood was shed for the atonement,
the putting away of our sin, and called with a holy calling.
How could believers be anything but precious in God's sight? I love what God said concerning
His own in Isaiah 43 verse 4. He said, since thou was precious
in my sight. My, to think that God would find
me precious? Oh, since thou was precious in
my sight, thou has been honorable. To think that I'm honorable in
the sight of God? And I have loved thee, God says,
therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life.
For me? You see, unto us who believe
Christ is precious. The believer is precious in him. That's the only reason that I'm
precious to God. Because Christ is precious to
him. And with my union with him, I am precious in God's sight. Isn't that a blessed word? Blessed
we are, precious we are. And then the third word associated
with the believer's death is gain. Paul said in Philippians
121, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. And you tell
that to an unbeliever, you tell that to someone in the world,
and they'll say, how can that be? How can that be? Oh, death
will not be gain to those who live without Christ. But to those
who live in Christ it certainly shall be. Jesus Christ is the
cause of spiritual life. He speaks life to us. He produces
life in us. He is our life. He preserves
our life. Our life is maintained by feeding
on Christ as the bread of life. And therefore finally in the
end of our life, and it's coming, it's coming soon, It's coming
soon for all of us. Finally, in the end of our life,
to die is gain. Oh, Lord, make that real to me.
Cause me, Lord, to realize that to leave this life and to be
with you is far, far better. Death is gain to the child of
God, and the world has no perception of that great fact. How do believers
gain by dying? Have you ever thought about that?
How do we gain by dying? Well, we're released from all
the troubles and distresses of this life. No more pain, no more
tears, no more heartache, no more sicknesses, no more death. They're gone forever. Oh, we're
released from the persecution of men and Satan. We're released
from sin, unbelief, doubts, and fears. When I leave this life,
I'll perfectly be able to love my Savior. As soon as we die,
we enter into the presence of God. That's why it's gain. We
enter into the fullness of joy. We're with Christ beholding His
glory and enjoying communion and fellowship with Him. We can't
imagine what that's gonna be. We're possessed with perfect
holiness and perfect knowledge and we inherit a kingdom prepared
before the foundation of the world and we wear a crown of
life and righteousness and glory and we possess an inheritance
that's incorruptible and undefiled. We're received into everlasting
light and life and love and peace and comfort and perfect rest,
surrounded with endless pleasure. Does that not sound like gain
to you? That's gain, isn't it? To die
is gain. Paul went on to say, oh, to depart
and be with Christ is far better. It's far better. Lord, help me
to believe that. Help me to believe that. Solomon
in his old age wrote, better and precious is the day of death
than the day of one's birth. And as we continue to grow in
the grace and the knowledge of Christ, I believe that'll be
more apparent to us every day. Every day. Jacob. with his dying words, blesses
his 12 sons. In Genesis 49, verse 28, we're
told, all these are the 12 tribes of Israel. And it is that their
father spake, and this is it, that their father spake unto
them and blessed them. Everyone according to his blessing,
he blessed them. As you know, the twelve sons
of Jacob were the twelve tribes of Israel. Though actually, there
were thirteen tribes, for as you know, two came from Joseph's
two sons. And yet the tribe of Lebi had
no part in the land of Canaan because they were set aside to
serve as priests. So the land of promise was divided
into 12 parts. But did you notice here in verse
28 that Jacob, it says that Jacob spake unto them and blessed them. Everyone according to his blessing,
he blessed them. Now we saw in a past study, that
this word, this prophecy of Jacob to Reuben, Simeon, and Levi didn't
seem or sound much like a blessing. You remember that? Under Reuben
in verse four, Jacob said, you're unstable as water. In verse five,
he called Simeon and Levi instruments of cruelty. What Jacob says of
these first three sons doesn't, at face value anyway, seem like
much a blessing. But was it not a blessing? You think about this. Was it
not a blessing for their father to tell them how wretched they
were? Is it not a blessing for our
father to tell us how wretched we are? Hold your place here
in Genesis 49 and turn with me to Hebrews chapter 12, if you
would. Stick your marker here. Come
back to it. Hebrews chapter 12. You're familiar
with this passage of scripture, but let's look at it in light
of this blessing. Hebrews chapter 12. Look at verse, let's begin reading
in verse five. And ye have forgotten the exhortation
which speaketh unto you as unto children. God speaking to us
as unto children. My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.
For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and he scourgeth
every son whom he receiveth. And if ye endure chastening,
God dealeth with you as sons. For what son is he whom the Father
chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons.
Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected
us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily
for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he, God,
for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward, it yielded
the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised
thereby. And there's no doubt in my mind
that Jacob loved Reuben and that he loved Simeon and that he loved
Levi, they were his sons. He corrects them and he tells
them the truth about themselves. That's real love. That's real
love. I'm so glad that God revealed
to me the truth about myself. Aren't you? I would have never
seen my need of Christ if he hadn't. Never. I was skipping
right on along to hell just as happy as I could be, thinking
everything with me and the man upstairs was all right. How blasphemous. I would have never known how
much I needed a savior. to do for me what I couldn't
do for myself. I thought I was doing just fine.
If God had not chastened and rebuked me and shown me what
I am, I am convinced that I would have died in my sin. Oh, despise not the chastening
of the Lord, nor faint when thou are rebuked of him. The Lord
loves those whom he chastens. And friends, if the Lord corrects
and rebukes you, it's because he loves you. And he deals with
you as his child. And no doubt the words of Jacob
to his first three sons were certainly a blessing to them.
Those who love you will tell you the truth, even if it hurts. Back in Genesis 49, look at verse
29. We see that Jacob here gives very specific instructions concerning
where he's to be buried. And he charged them, verse 29,
and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people. Bury
me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron
the Hittite. This is one of those verses that
we don't need just to read quickly over. When Jacob said that he
was to be gathered unto his people, he's not talking about being
buried with his fathers. Those are two different thoughts.
Did you notice that? And he charged them and said
unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people. Then he says,
bury me with my fathers in the cave. Jacob is telling us something
here about that spiritual life that the believer has after physical
death. What Jacob is saying is this,
he's saying, as soon as I die, as soon as I die, I'll be gathered
with my people. I'll be gathered with my people.
He speaks of being gathered with all the saints who before had
departed this life and were in that state of happiness and bliss
with Christ. I'll be gathered with my people.
He's speaking of the church of the firstborn, the company of
God's elect, who in the same covenant of grace were partakers
of the same blessings and promises as Abraham and Isaac. He's gonna
be with his grandfather Abraham again. He's gonna be with his
father Isaac again. Oh, there's a state into which
saints immediately enter as soon as they die. And this is where
Jacob expected to be in just a short while. That word gathered
there in the Hebrew means to be received and recovered. Oh, the thought. Jacob says, I'm to be gathered,
received, and recovered unto my people. Isn't that what Christ
does as our great shepherd when he leaves that 99 and comes to
that one? He recovers them, doesn't he?
He brings them back into his fold. One day, every child of
God will be received and recovered to be with Christ and his people. And I'll tell you another delightful
thought. Jacob is saying God's people are my people. Beloved,
God's people are your people. That means all who trust in Christ
are God's people. Now I know and understand most
everyone fears death. I suppose we all do to some degree. Something about the unknown,
something about I think a lot of times our own lack of faith,
we get to looking with inside, get our eyes off Christ, get
to thinking about what we deserve instead of what is ours by mercy
and grace and Christ alone. But really there's no reason
for the believer to fear death. Really none at all. Let me give you at least three
reasons as to why. First Christ, our Lord, has gone
before us unto death. I was thinking today, Larry Perryman,
if you and I decide to go skydiving, you want to try it? Guess who I want to go first
if we do? I want Larry to go before me.
I want Larry to go first. Why? Because I want to see how
it works out for Larry. I'm just being honest. And I
haven't asked him, but I bet Larry would tell you the same
thing. You'd want me to go first, wouldn't you? For the same reason. Child of God, Christ has gone
before us. He's gone before us. And the
Lord He it is that doth go before thee, he will be with thee, he
will not fail thee, neither forsake thee, fear not, neither be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31, eight. Hebrews
6, 20 says, whether the forerunner, that being Christ, is for us
entered, even Jesus made a high priest forever after the order
of Melchizedek. Now, what does that mean? That
means that Christ is our high priest, has sprinkled his blood
upon the mercy seat for us. For by one offering he, Christ,
has perfected forever them that are sanctified. We have no reason
to fear death. Why? Because we're perfect. When
God looks at us, he sees perfection when we're in Christ. My, my. Second reason, Christ
has taken away the only reason for us to fear death. You know
what it is? Sin. He's taken sin away. There's
no reason for the child of God to fear death because our sin
is gone. He's angry with the wicked every
day because of their sin. The wages of sin is death. We
don't have any. We don't have any sin. Oh, Christ
often hath suffered since the foundation of the world, but
now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away
sin by the sacrifice of himself. No need to fear death. Well,
the soul that sinneth, it shall die. I don't have any sin. I don't have any. And the third
reason, Christ has changed the character of death. Now what
do I mean by that? Well, God's people sleep, not
die. He changed the character of death.
If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. When we leave this body, that's
not the end. We sleep. We sleep. Everybody
likes to sleep, don't they? I certainly do. I'll be honest
with you. There's not much in this life anymore that I enjoy
more than my afternoon nap. There's not much that I look
forward to anymore than a good night's sleep. Jacob said, I'm
going to go to sleep, and I'm going to be gathered unto my
people. And do you know what? So is every child of God. Why should we fear death? We
should. So let's don't. Well, let me tell you why Jacob
felt this way. Look at verse 30. Jacob said,
bury me in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which
is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought
with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a
burying place. Boy, I'm telling you, there's
a lot in this verse. There's a lot in this verse.
And it's the gospels in this verse. But let's just break it
down for just a couple minutes and ask God to show it to us. First, Jacob says, bury me in
the grave that's in, or in the cave, or grave, that's what it
was, that's in the field of Machpelah. Now Mach P law means folded double. Folded double. You know, as soon
as I read that Isaiah 40 came to mind, do you remember what
Isaiah 40 says? It says, comfort ye, God speaking,
comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God, speak ye comfortably
to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. Did you know that your warfare
is accomplished? Your warfare against sin is accomplished. and crying to her that her iniquity
is pardoned. Then he says this, for she has
received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. Folded, double. Child of God,
you're not only forgiven, you're justified. You're not guilty. Not just forgiven, but guilty
of nothing. Not just as if I'd never sinned,
but in Christ you've never sinned. Oh, I tell you, I can lay in
that grave. I can lay in that grave. How
about you? Notice secondly, that we're buried
in the cave in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre. Do you
know what Mamre means? It means strength and vigor. I'm buried in the strength and
the power and the vigor of Christ my Lord. Death cannot hold me. Death cannot hold me. Why? Because
of Him. So when this corruptible shall
put on incorruption, and this mortal, me, you, shall put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
death is swallowed up in victory. Victory by His strength. Victory
by His vigor. Victory by His power. Oh, death
is swallowed up in victory. Oh, death, where is thy sting?
Oh, grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, but
sin's gone for the child of God. And the strength of sin is the
law, but Christ has fulfilled the law for His people. But thanks be to God, which giveth
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And there we are
again. We're brought right back to his
feet. Let's bow there. Let's bow there. Thirdly, bury
me in the cave that's in the field of Machpelah, which is
before Mamre, in the land of Canaan. in the land of promise
and the land that God gave to his people to live free from
the yoke of bondage. Fourthly, Jacob said, bury me
in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field
of Ephron, the Hittite, for a possession of a burying place. This burying
place that Jacob was to be buried was bought It was bought with
a price. The burying place was a possession. It belonged to Abraham. Abraham
bought Jacob's burying place at full price. If you go back
to Genesis chapter 23, that fellow Ephraim had such respect and
honor for Abraham. He tried to give him that land.
You can find it in Genesis chapter 23. He said, here, take it. Just
take it. And Abraham said, what's it worth? And he said, well, this is what
it's worth, but I just assume you take it. And Abraham, he
measured out that amount of silver and paid him full price what
that land was worth. Oh, my. Were we not bought with a price?
Christ paid the full price for our redemption, for our burying
place, for our resting place, really, because we're just sleeping.
We're just going to sleep for a while. And it'd be instantaneous
because God's not bound by time. And then we have that word possession
there, a possession of a burying place. That word possession in
the Hebrew means something seized, something won in battle. Isn't
that amazing? An acquisition and purchasing. Who bought it? Who purchased
it? Well, we know. Again, hold your place. Turn
with me to Ephesians 1. And I'll try to finish up. Ephesians
chapter 1. This is such a blessing. Look
at verse 11. I'll give you time to get there.
Ephesians 1 verse 11. I love how often this chapter
of Ephesians 1 speaks of Christ. Verse 11 says, in whom. Salvation's
in a person. In whom also we have obtained
an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him
who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.
that we should be to the praise of His glory who first trusted
in Christ. Now look at verse 13, let's break
this verse down. In whom ye also trusted. Who? Christ. After that ye heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In whom also
after that ye believed. You were sealed with that Holy
Spirit of promise. Now what is verse 13 telling
us? Well, it's telling us that you
cannot trust Christ until you've heard about Him. You've got to
hear about Him. The Lord is pleased to use the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. You're gonna
have to hear about Him. You're gonna have to hear about
Him in truth. Hearing about a little mamsy-pamsy Jesus who's trying
and wanting to do something won't save you. It won't help you.
But to hear about the Christ who sovereignly died for the
sins of His people, who laid His life down that they might
live, that'll give you some comfort and help. You cannot believe
until you hear the truth, the gospel about who Christ is and
what He's done. Paul said, I'm determined to
know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Tell me who
He is. Tell me what He's done. That's
all that matters. That's all that matters. You
cannot be preserved, you cannot be sealed until you believe and
you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. When do you seal something or
why do you seal something? To preserve it. We seal our decks
and other things to preserve them, to make them last longer.
Look at verse 14, which is the earnest of our inheritance, trusting
in Christ, in whom we've heard. That's the earnest, that's the
down payment of our inheritance. Until the redemption of the purchased
possession. Unto the praise of His glory.
Friends, that inheritance, that purchased possession was seized. And it was bought. And it was
purchased by Christ on Calvary's cross. And it was done unto the
praise of His glory. He gets all the glory. We're
saved by grace through faith. That's not of ourselves. It's
a gift of God. It's God's gift to us. He gets
all the honor. He gets all the glory. He gets
all the praise. We get none. And the child of
God don't want it. Don't want it. They know who
it belongs to. That's the gospel. That's a grave
that I can lay down in. It's not only a gospel that I
can live by, but it's a gospel that I can die by. How about
you? The scriptures refer to this
possession as an everlasting possession in Genesis 17 and
Genesis 48. It refers to this possession
as a perpetual possession. I like that, perpetual. Ephesus
continues on and on and on. It's an appointed possession.
It's one that God gives to his elect in Christ. Ezekiel 45,
6. It's a promised possession. Acts 7, 5. It's a purchased possession
as we read here in Ephesians 1. Now let's read the last three
verses in Genesis chapter 49 in closing. Verse 31. There they buried Abraham and
Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah,
his wife. And Jacob said, there I buried
Leah. The purchase of the field and
of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth. And
when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered
up his feet into the bed and yielded up the ghost and was
gathered unto his people. As soon as Jacob gathered his
feet up into that bed, and he yielded up the ghost, he was
gathered into the arms of Christ, his Savior, and gathered unto
his people. Now that's what we got to look
forward to in death. That being all the saints of
God that went before him, gathered unto his people. And friends,
that's a grave that I can lay down in. That's a death that
I can die. For to die in Christ is blessed,
precious, and nothing but gain. May God enable us to live in
Christ. If we do, death is a promotion,
it's gain. May God be pleased to never let
us look at death the same way again. It's not anything to fear.
It's something to look forward to, actually.