Let's open our Bibles together
to Genesis chapter 28. Genesis 28. Wednesday night, Frank had mentioned
these Old Testament pictures. I'm particularly drawn to this
one. Look beginning with verse 10 of Genesis 28. Here we read Jacob. went out
from Beersheba, and he went toward Haran, and he lighted upon a
certain place. He tarried there all night because
the sun was set, and he took the stones of that place and
put them for his pillows, and he lay down in that place to
sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth,
the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God
ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above
it and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham, thy father. The God
of Isaac. The land where on thy lies to
thee will I give it that I see. And I see shall be as the dust
of the earth. And thou shalt spread abroad
to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south.
And in thee and in thy seat shall all the families of the earth
be blessed. And behold, I am with thee. Listen to these four
promises. I am with thee. I will keep thee
in all places whither thou goest. I'll bring thee again to this
land, for I will not leave thee. I'll not leave thee until I've
done that which I have spoken of. I just want us to look briefly
this morning at this passage of Scripture. Jacob, as we see
in verse 10, it says, Jacob went out from Beersheba and he went
toward Haran. Consider what we know about the
man Jacob. Just a few things. His name means
supplanter, thief. One who takes the place of another
through force or through plotting. Jacob was one of those guys,
I'm just confident, if we'd have seen him walking our way, we'd
have probably reached back and grabbed our billfold. And probably
when he walked away, we'd have done the same thing again to
make sure it was there. Jacob deceived his father. He
stole his brother's blessing. He tricked his brother Esau.
into selling his birthright to him. Jacob had made some beans,
and Esau had been out in the field. And when he'd come back
in, he was tired and hungry. And he says he was faint. He
was faint. And he went to his brother, and
he said, give me something to eat. And Jacob saw an opportunity
there. So he told him, he said, sell
me your birthright. Now here's his brother, just
so we know what kind of fellow this is. Here's his brother,
he's faint. And he says to himself, if I
don't eat, I'm going to die anyhow. So he sold him, he sold him his
birthright for a pot of beans. He had to run, Jacob had to run
from his father's house and from the wrath of his brothers. And
while he was running, while he's running away, while he's fleeing,
Here we see God met Him. God crossed His path and revealed
to Him the way to God. He revealed to Him, all the way
back here in the Old Testament, He revealed to Him the Lord Jesus
Christ. Look at verse 11. It says, He
lighted upon a certain place and He carried there all night
because the sun was set and He took of the stones of that place
put them for his pillows, and he laid down in that place to
sleep. So here's Jacob. He's out there. He's out there alone. He's away
from his house. He's away from his family. For one reason. His sin. His sin. Proud, covetous, lonely, unhappy,
away from God, under the curse of the law, Without strength,
without help, without hope, without God. Why? Because of sin. Because of sin. Isaiah, turn
over to Isaiah chapter 59. beginning with verse 1 of Isaiah
59. Behold, the Lord's hand is not
shortened, that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy, because
it cannot hear. But your iniquities, your iniquities
have separated between you and your God, and your sins have
hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Your hands are
defiled with blood, Your fingers with iniquity, your lips have
spoken lies. Your tongues have muttered perverseness. None calls for justice, nor any
pleaded for truth. They trusted vanity and speak
lies. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity. They
hatch cockatrice eggs and weave the spider's web. He that eateth
their eggs dieth. That which is crushed breaketh
out into a viper. Their webs shall not become garments,
neither shall they cover themselves with their works. Their works
are works of iniquity. The act of violence is in their
hands. Their feet run to evil. They make haste to shed innocent
blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. Waste and destruction
are in their paths. The way of peace they know not,
and there is no judgment in their goings. They have made them crooked
paths. Whosoever goeth therein shall
not no peace. So that's Jacob's out on that
path. Undeserving, unworthy, and you
know, let me ask you this, do you read of Jacob and just think,
what a scoundrel? How awful, how could anybody
be like that? How could he do that? How could
he deceive his father? How could he steal from his brother?
How could he do those things? Well, let me let you in on a
little something. And you may, I hope you agree
with me. But if you don't, you should.
This room is filled with Jacob's. Everlast pronouns by nature. That's who and what we are. Jacob's a pretty doggone good
description of every one of us. And God's Word declares, all
have sinned. All. All have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. And God's just to condemn us. He's absolutely just to condemn
us and clear when He judges us. Guilty. Guilty before the law. Well, we read that he had lighted
upon a certain place. Isn't that interesting? That he lit a certain place.
You know, as far as Jacob knew, he was fleeing and trying to
get away. That's just where he happened
to stop. It was a certain place. You know, when our Lord Zacchaeus
thought he was chasing to see a man named Jesus. And
it says that when the Lord Jesus Christ came, He climbed up in
that tree. When the Lord Jesus Christ came
to the place, to that place, He looked up. That's no coincidence, is it?
Well, let's read on in our text. Look beginning with verse 12.
It says, He dreamed and behold a ladder. set up on the earth
and the top reached to the heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending
and descending on it. Behold, the Lord stood above
it and said, I'm the Lord God of Abraham, thy father, God of
Isaac, and the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it,
thy seed. Thy seed shall be as the dust
of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and
to the east, and to the north, and to the south, and in thee,
and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be raised.
God spoke, God spoke to Jacob. You know, I thought this could
have just as easily, that verse could have just as easily started
with the word but, couldn't it? But God. Jacob on a road to destruction
and the Lord stops him and he reveals mercy to him. Mercy in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2, beginning with verse 1 of Ephesians
2. You, you, you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sin, wherein in times past you
walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience. among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh or the mind, and were by nature the
children of wrath, even as others. But God, but God, who is rich
in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace
are you saved. and hath raised us up together
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that
in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of
his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Will God's gospel, will it reach
his children? Think about that. Here's Jacob
again out in the middle of the desert, running away from everything
and everyone he knows. And the Lord God comes to him,
and He reveals His mercy to him, reveals His grace to him in the
Lord Jesus Christ. It says, Behold, behold, there
was a ladder, and that ladder, the base of it, it sat upon the
earth. The base of it touched the earth,
and the top of it reached up into the heaven. This can be none other than the
Lord Jesus Christ. He stood on the earth as a man.
We read the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. We know this. He's able to sympathize with
his people. He was tempted in all points
as we are yet without sin. He understands our weakness.
He understands our infirmities, our pains, our tears, our temptations. But yet this ladder. So he was
a man. He was made a man. But yet this
ladder, it also says it reached to heaven. It reached to heaven.
He's God. The Lord Jesus Christ is God. He's the God man. Turn to Philippians
2. Philippians chapter 2. Look at
verse 6. Here we read, let this mind. I've written down
the wrong thing. Verse 5, I'm sorry, look back
at verse 5. Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought
it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation,
took upon himself the form of a servant, was made in the likeness
of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself. came obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. Wherefore God hath highly exalted
him, given him a name which is above every name, that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, things in heaven, things
in earth, every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, through the glory of God the Father. Back in our text,
back here in Genesis 28, It said these angels went up and down
the ladder. There's only one way to God. There's only one
way to God, and that's through the Lord Jesus Christ. He said,
I am the way, the truth, the life. No man cometh unto the
Father but by me. And it's in, by, and through
the Lord Jesus Christ that God comes to His people. It's through Christ. God was
in Christ. reconciling the world unto himself. Look back in verse 13 of Genesis
28. And behold, the Lord stood above
it. Think about that. He stood above
it. God's sovereign. God is absolutely sovereign,
ordering and directing, overruling all things in providence for
the glory of his name and for the good of his people. He stood
above it. He stood above the ladder and
He made these promises to Jacob. So God in Christ, in the same
manner, through Christ, makes these promises to His people,
to His sheep. Eternal life, the glory, the
good of His people, all these things are in Christ. Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ,
in Christ. And unlike man, unlike man, you
know what we say and what we do are two different things. What we say and what we do are
two different things. We can say things and have the
best and tensions, but they don't always come to pass, do they?
What God says and what He does are the same things. It's the
same. Isaiah 46, 11, He said, I've
spoken it. I'll bring it to pass. I've purposed
it. I'll also do it. What He promises,
it's as good as done. It is done. It's finished. So listen to these four promises. We read these opening up here,
but listen to these four promises that God spoke to Jacob in Genesis
28, 15. He said, In thy seed shall all
the families of the earth be blessed, people out of every
nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue under heaven. These promises are not just to
Jacob, but these promises are to all believers in Christ. Now
look at it. First, He said, I am with thee. I am with thee. Don't read that too quick. Think
about it. God said, I am with thee. I am with thee. Turn to Romans
chapter 8. Almighty God is with His people. He's with me. Bring that right
down to He's with me. He said, I am with thee. Look
at Romans 8 chapter 28. Let's just read 28
through the end of this chapter. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, He might
be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate,
Him He also called. Whom He called, Him He also justified,
and whom He justified, Him He also glorified. What shall we
say to these things? God be for us. Who can be against
us? He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who
is He that condemneth? It's Christ that died, yea, rather
that it is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it's written, for thy sake we are killed all day long. We
are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these
things, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For
I am persuaded." Is He with us? He said, I am with thee. I am
with thee. Paul said, I am persuaded that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature that covers it, does it, shall
separate us from the love of God. which is in Jesus Christ
our Lord. I am with Thee. I am with Thee. In covenant mercy, in redeeming
grace, I am with Thee. Moses prayed to God. He said,
if You go not with us, stop us right, don't let us go any further. I am with Thee. The Lord spoke
those same words to Paul in Acts. He said, He said, I am with thee,
and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much
people in this city. He's with you. I am with you. Second, he says,
I'll keep thee. I will keep thee. All whom God
has chosen, all for whom Christ died, all for whom the Holy Spirit
draws to himself, They shall never perish. They shall never
perish. Our Lord spoke these words. He
said, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him
that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. He said, This
is the Father's will which has sent me, that all which he hath
given me I won't lose. I won't lose one. I won't lose. I won't lose one. But I'll raise
him up at the last day. Over in the Old Testament, he
said, I think it was Abigail, she said, you're bound. You're
bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord your God. He's
with His people. He said, I am with thee and I
will keep thee. Is there a safer place than to
be in His hands, to be bound up in His hands? We're kept. Kept by the power of God. I'm
with thee. I'll keep thee. Third, he said,
I'll bring thee. I'll bring thee into this land.
I'll return thee. I'll restore thee. I'll deliver
thee. Turn to John chapter 14. Let's begin with verse 1 of John chapter 14. He said, let not your heart be
troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my father's house are many
mansions, many dwelling places. If it were not so, I'd have told
you. I go. I go to prepare a place
for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I'll come again and I'll receive you unto myself
that where I am, there you may be also. I'll bring thee, I'll
restore thee, I'll deliver thee. The psalmist wrote this, he said,
call upon me in the day of trouble and I'll deliver, I will deliver
thee. 1 Peter 3.18, For Christ also
hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that
he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but
quickened, that he might bring us to God, God who is holy and
righteous and just, God who will by no means clear the guilty,
God whose law must be honored, his justice must be satisfied. And to justify and forgive a
sinner, he must do so in a way that's consistent with his character.
That's why Christ came. That's why Christ came in the
fullness of time to obey the law, to die on the cross, to
suffer for his people, to redeem, to redeem his people. I am with
thee. I will keep thee. I'll bring
thee. I'll bring thee into the land.
And then he says, I'll not leave. I'll not leave until I've done
that which I've spoken. Our Lord, our Lord shall not,
shall not fail. He said, I will, I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee. Well, in conclusion, I want us
to quickly just, just consider three things. Okay. Three, three
things. First, Consider these promises. Consider these promises. I am
with thee. I'll keep thee. I'll bring thee
into the land. I will not leave thee. I just have to wonder, when he
heard those promises, even though he was sleeping on a rock, either
he had to be so excited he couldn't sleep that night, or he slept
like a baby, resting in those promises. I am with thee. I'll
keep thee. I'll bring thee in. I will not,
I will not leave thee. Second, consider who made these
promises. Consider the, we say that consider
the source. Consider where these promises
came from. Consider who these promises came from. Genesis 28,
13 says the Lord, stood above it, he stood above that ladder
and he said, he said these things. Almighty God said these things. God in Christ, above that ladder,
that ladder's Christ, spoke these promises. All the promises of God are in
him, yea, and in him, amen to the glory, to the glory of God.
They're sure and they're certain. God who, God who cannot lie He
made these promises. Consider the promises. Consider
who made them. Consider who he made them to. Jacob, the planter, the sinner. Jacob, to whom God later would
say, thy name shall no longer be called Jacob. We'll stop right there.