All These Things Are Against Me!

Edward Griffin (1770—1837)
 

Genesis 42:36
"Their father Jacob said to them: You have bereaved me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin! All these things are against me!"

When we read the lives of the patriarchs and contemplate only their communion with God, we are ready to think of them as exempted from the ordinary cares and trials of life; and conclude it impossible for them, with such evidence of the divine favor and such a prospect of immortal glory—to have been much affected with the events of this transitory state. Indeed it is strange that a godly man, walking on the verge of eternity, with everlasting blessedness in his eye, should be deeply affected with any calamity. But when we take a nearer view of the patriarchs, we find them to be men of like passions with ourselves, and familiarly acquainted with the common cares and sorrows of life.

Abraham passed many lonely years upon earth after he had lost the wife of his youth; and he felt all the sorrows of bereavement which a godly man would feel now.

Isaac had to witness a deadly animosity between his two sons, and saw one of them compelled to flee and become an exile, for twenty years, in a foreign land.

Jacob passed through a long succession of trials. In addition to a brother's hate and his own protracted exile, he experienced many cares and hardships in Padanaram. Upon his return to the land of his fathers, he and his family were on the point of perishing by his brother Essau's sword. He had the grief to bury his beloved Rachel as well as Leah. Rachel left two children, on whom the patriarch doted with most impassioned fondness. His grief for the death of Rachel had scarcely time to abate, before the eldest of her sons was seized by his brethren and cruelly sold into Egypt. His coat, torn in pieces and stained with blood, was brought to the patriarch to persuade him that a wild beast had devoured his Joseph; and the heart-broken father exclaimed, "I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning."

In process of time a grievous famine compelled him to send his sons into Egypt to buy corn. They returned with the dreadful tidings, that the lord of Egypt, under the suspicion that they were spies, had cast Simeon into prison, and had sworn by the life of Pharaoh that they should see his own face no more unless they brought their brother Benjamin down. How could the aged father part with the last of Rachel's sons, the brother of his lost Joseph?—to put him under the power of a man who had treated his other sons so roughly? But the famine pressed upon him; all the corn was spent; the whole household must perish, and Simeon must die in prison, unless Benjamin is soon delivered up. Under these circumstances his sons pressed their father to let Benjamin go. This drew from the afflicted patriarch the deep complaint of our text:

"You have bereaved me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin! All these things are against me!" He said moreover, "You know that my wife bore me two sons. And the one went out from me and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since. And if you take this also from me, and mischief befall him, you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave."

Under this severe conflict the good old patriarch felt like another man. Notwithstanding all the promises he had received from the God of Bethel, his heart sunk under the weight of this complicated distress; and in his infirmity he pronounced against himself and against the faithfulness of God, "All these things are against me!"

Alas the weakness of our poor fallen nature. How could any circumstance be against a godly man to whom it was secured by covenant that all things should work together for his good? Poor man, how weak is your faith.

Is it so much against you that Joseph is taken from you to be the lord of Egypt and the nourisher of your old age? to prevent the extinction of the family from which the Messiah is to proceed?

Is it so much against you that Simeon is left in a brother's hands?

Is it against you that Benjamin is called away by the yearning affections of the other son of Rachel?

How limited is the poor man's vision. Could he only look beyond the cloud, he would see Joseph yet alive and disguised in glory. He would see Simeon under a brother's care, and Benjamin going to a brother's arms.

He would see that parting scene—that rending of his heart-strings, to be only a prelude to a more joyous meeting with his children.

He would see the temporary loss of Joseph, the detention of Simeon, the call for Benjamin, to be only links in the chain leading to the salvation of his house, and to that succession of wonders which were to fill the world with the glory of God. Before he formed this hasty conclusion, he should have waited to see what the God of his fathers meant by these events. This would have been more dutiful to the Being who, when he wandered an exile from his father's house, had appeared to him at Bethel, and who, when father and mother forsook him, had kindly taken him up.

It was but a few days and Benjamin returned with the transporting tidings that the other son of Rachel lived and was the lord of Egypt! Then it was that the patriarch was undeceived, and fainted under the mighty joy, and cried as he awoke "It is enough. Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die!"

What a change is here. A few days ago and all these things were against him; now "it is enough." The things which he pronounced against him, are turned to a fullness of joy. Who will ever again distrust the faithfulness of God? Jacob could remember this affecting interposition to the day of his death. It was in his mind when he pronounced his dying blessing on the sons of Joseph: "I had not thought to see your face, and lo God has showed me also your seed. The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads."

And he might have added, in the spirit of David: You who have showed me great and sore troubles, have quickened me again and have brought me up again from the depths of the earth. Was it possible after this for Jacob ever to distrust God again? How great a happiness did he then view it that there was a God to take from him his Joseph and his Benjamin. What could have tempted him, on the day he went to Egypt, to transfer his interests to any other hands? How ashamed did he feel of his former despondency; and with what emotions, when he arrived at Beersheba, did he offer sacrifices on the ancient altar of his father Isaac.

My brethren, this is a specimen of the general providence of God towards his people, and of their proneness to draw hasty conclusions against the faithfulness of God under dark and mysterious dispensations.

In numberless instances, the reason of man is incapable of judging what is for his good. With an understanding limited to a narrow circle, he often thinks events against him which in their issue essentially contribute to his happiness. It is difficult to determine from the events themselves, which are appointed in mercy and which in wrath. Many things which are pleasant to sense, like the quails in the wilderness, are sent in judgment; and many things which are very crossing to the flesh, are sent in mercy. The lapse of a few years may show, if not, the explanations of the final judgment will show, that many things on which we fondly doted, were but gilded snares; and that many things which caused our hearts to bleed, were appointed by a Father's love.

The impatience and unbelief of man tempt him to pronounce everything against him which crosses his wishes and defeats his expectations: yet in many instances the gratification of his desires would have marred his peace, if not sealed his ruin. When a dangerous instrument is wrested from the hands of a child, his frettings and cryings pronounce, All this is against me. But his more considerate parent has a different judgment. The youth, eager in the pursuit of pleasure, deems every bar to his gratification as against him; yet his best interest and honor are involved in his defeat. The afflictions which beset his manhood, such as the disappointment of his ambition, the loss of property, health, or friends—are all too hastily pronounced to be against him; when perhaps by means of frustrated hopes and the refining furnace,
his eager expectations from the creature are moderated,
his pride reduced, and
his soul prepared for happiness and for Heaven.

In this valley of tears the hearts of men are often rent by the temporary loss of friends, by their absence and supposed death, by their sickness or the suspension of their reason; and while they are mourning them as forever lost, and crying with desponding minds, "All these things are against me!" they find them restored to them again, and discover that they lost them only to receive them back with greater joy.

Because our Josephs and our Benjamins are idols, they are sometimes torn from our bleeding sides and deposited in the grave. Perhaps the last hope of a family is removed. And when the pious parent, trembling with agony, sees his pious child committed to the earth, this heaving sigh bursts from his breaking heart, "All these things are against me!" "I will go down into the grave unto my child mourning." In an unbelieving hour he views him forever lost; and often in the dim hour of twilight visits his grave, to weep over all that is left of one so dear. But could the veil be drawn aside, he would see his Joseph yet alive and more than lord of Egypt. Soon the chariots of God, animated with spirit and full of eyes, will come to convey him to the arms of his Joseph. And when the dawn of Heaven shall break upon his swimming eyes, and the chariots of God shall appear—and he shall hear that his Joseph is yet alive, and that he is going to his child and to his God—his soul, bending under the mighty joy, will cry, "It is enough!" "It is enough, it is enough!" he will cry as he ascends in his chariot of fire.

And when he falls into the arms of his child—what was the meeting of Jacob and Joseph to this? Joseph fell on his father's neck and wept on his neck a good while: and Jacob said unto Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are yet alive." But in that heavenly meeting there will be no tears—no calculations for death—but all will be rapture and endless life! "O my child, have I found you at last? After all my solitary years, have I found you at last? And shall we part no more?" This is far unlike the hour when I closed your eyes in death. This is far unlike the tedious days that I have lived on earth without you, and the gloomy hours of night in which I have visited your grave and watered it with my tears. O blessed meeting, with greater glory than though we had never parted. I bless you, O my Father, for taking away my idol. Forgive my rebellious sighs. Forgive the distrust which once said, "All these things are against me."

In the complicated government of a world, many things occur, the connection and tendency of which cannot be traced by any wisdom less than divine. Nothing but the discernment of that eye which looks through eternity, can discover what events will be ultimately beneficial to men. Under such a government it is reasonable to suppose that many things will occur for which human reason cannot account. Under many aspects of God's providence the most filial minds are filled with awe, and the wisest minds perceive that "clouds and darkness are round about him." But though clouds and darkness are round about him, yet behind that veil he works with an eye steadfastly fixed on the happiness of his people.

Inscrutable events, which are viewed by Christians as most against them, will prove to be links in the chain leading to their highest happiness. "All things shall work together for" their "good." "All things are yours; whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come—all are yours." As God is an infinitely tender Father, he has no interest distinct from that of his children. Nor has the Lord Jesus Christ any interest distinct from that of his disciples. If then God and his Son pursue their own interest, they will pursue that of the great family of the Church.

In the happy termination of the grievous afflictions of the patriarch, we see a delightful specimen of the result of all the dispensations of providence. How glorious did the providence of God appear to Jacob when he lay enfolded in the arms of his Joseph. What a charming explanation was that of the mysterious dealings of his heavenly Father. We shall not all see such full explanations in this life, but we shall all see them. When the whole skein of providence is unfolded, all will appear as those mysterious events did to Jacob when he met with his long lost son. Love—the love of God—the love of Jesus, will appear to have animated the whole machine of government and to have moved every wheel! And ten thousand voices which once pronounced, "All these things are against me!" will shout and sing, Hosanna to him who made my tears to flow. Everlasting thanks to a Father's care for the furnace in which I was purified for glory. Alleluia. Blessing and honor and glory to him who made my tears to flow.

Have we not then, my brethren, abundant reason to rejoice in the government of such a God? What could we do without God to shape the circumstances of our lives? He knows infinitely better how to plan for us than we for ourselves, even if we had power to execute. But we have no power. Were not the government of the world in his hands, nothing would take place in which a godly man could rejoice; but now there is a sure pledge that all things will have a holy outcome. "The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof!"

If there is such reason to rejoice in the government of God, surely we ought to submit to it with patience and cheerfulness under all possible trials. There are no afflictions but what are appointed by God. The nature of our trials, their magnitude, their duration, and all the attending circumstances, are regulated by infinite wisdom and love. To the disposal of our Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer—let us cheerfully submit. It is best that God should govern his own world according to his own pleasure. This can be no injury to us unless we are his incorrigible enemies: and if we are, we must be wretched whether he governs or not. If he governs, we must be crushed by the hand of his justice; and if his government were suspended, anarchy and ruin would overwhelm the whole creation.

To the enemies of God the very smiles of nature are full of terrors, and every measure for the display of his glory will fill them with eternal torment. But those who sumbit to his government not only perform a reasonable duty, but take the surest way to secure their own immortal happiness.

Will you barely submit? That is cold. Commit all your cares and interests and the keeping of your souls, to God with unwavering trust and with ineffable delight. You had better never been born if you may not have God to reign over you and by well appointed trials to purify you for glory. Let us gather up everything dear to us on earth and commit them all to the hands of a faithful God. It is safe to leave them there. He never disappointed the well grounded confidence of one of his creatures. "He is able to keep that which" we "have committed unto him against that day."

We cannot place too much confidence in him. By how many mercies and faithful interpositions has he supported his claim to our confidence. And shall we distrust him still? Shall we doubt his wisdom, his goodness, or his truth?

"Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength."

"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!" Habakkuk 3:17-18

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man that trusts in you." Amen.