Sermons
Vander Kam on Genesis 49:13
Sermons
Vander Kam on Genesis 49:13Genesis 49:13 – "'Zebulun shall dwell at the seashore;
And he shall be a haven for ships,
And his flank shall be toward Sidon.'" (New American
Standard Bible)
Beloved in the Lord: Paul, in writing to the Corinthian church is very much conversant with the situation as it obtains in that church. And that he is fully aware that it is a large church, that it is in the midst of a metropolis, and that it is therefore also the church that has been drawn out of various areas of life.
Here there are therefore the people of prominence, here are the people of wealth, here are the people that have high position in the church at that time, in the world. But now he is writing to them because of the fact that there are all manner of divisions and that there are all manner of difficulties that are found in the church. And then he also says to them, "There are not many wise, not many noble that are called, but that God has called the weak and the foolish of this world as a church unto Himself."
And that is of course, always one of the most difficult things in the world ever to consider oneself to be common. Ever to consider himself to be among the "hoy-faloy." Because the great majority have the idea that they are also the people of prominence, and that they are the people that are to be reckoned with. And that as a result of that the common people, even though we speak of them gladly, nevertheless many refuse to belong to that group.
And nevertheless those are the ones whom God has chosen in His sovereignty, that is, the commonalty of this world, the common people, and these are the ones that He has then raised to that status so that they may be children of God. These are the ones whom He has elevated to such a position as they would never have attained to in this world. These are the ones whom He has raised far higher than even the nobility of this world, and even those who are in positions of prominence, and He has raised them to such an extent because of the fact that He alone is able to give the place of prominence and of respect to them.
Now when we look upon the various sons of Jacob beloved, there you are also able to see that there are some that have indeed arrived at prominence. That there are also those who in the days to come would certainly have the place of prominence and that they would have the place of honor, place of respect among all the others. And that among the tribes of Jacob there are also of course those who are going to belong to the commonalty, and of such is also Zebulun.
We speak to you therefore tonight on, Zebulun: The Common Man. Noticing in the first place, his despised place; in the second place, the grace that is involved; and finally, its teaching.
Now virtually the only thing that you are able to say concerning Zebulun is this, that the inheritance that he has received is that he has received an address. This is giving him a place where he is going to live, and that is also the only thing that is said about it. The only thing that is said about him beloved is this, that he is going to live by the sea, that he is going to live in the northern part of the country so that his back is to Sidon. And that he is going to live there by the haven of the sea, but nevertheless he is going to have a place.
He is going to have a place that he is going to be able to call his own, and he is going to have that kind of a place where he is going to dwell, so that you are also able to say, Zebulun lives in such and such a place. Now therein of course, is he also already far exalted above Jesus Christ while He was still on earth. And that is precisely the kind of a thing to which Christ also has reference when He says, "Even the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no address." The Son of Man has no place where He is able to lay His head. And as a result of that He is the most despised and rejected of men.
Now even such a one as Zebulun is the one who has a place. He is also able to say to others that such and such a place, that's where I live, that's my place, that is the place that has been assigned me, and that is the place that I have received for an inheritance.
But at the same time beloved, when you compare it to that which has been given to the others, then you realize that it is indeed disappointing. Then you realize that it is indeed so very small, namely that inheritance that he has received, that you are even scarcely able to speak of an inheritance. That you are scarcely able to speak of it that there is any kind of a blessing in this, but that you would rather speak of it that it is something that is so common, something that is so usual, that certainly it does not even demand mention.
For this is the man who is receiving now the most despised place of the people of God. He is going to be way in the north, way at the very top; he is going to be there bordering upon the sea on one side, and Sidon of the Gentiles on the other side, and it is a long way from there to Jerusalem, Jerusalem where the king lives, where the leaders are, where the temple of God is. He is far removed, and perhaps once a year he may go there.
Now that is the kind of a place that has been assigned him by God Himself. And this is also important enough that it is counted worthy to be placed in the Scriptures which, to repeat once more, are very economical with their words. And that it is also necessary that these things shall also be placed before all posterity, that Zebulun has received such and such a place out of the hand of God, and this man is standing here before his dying father, he hears the blessing that comes to a Judah, and even the blessings that come to Levi, and Reuben and others, and he comes to Zebulun and says, "Well, there's a little place for you there, that's all I can say." There is nothing in your future that is going to be glorious. There is no posterity that is going to stand out in prominence. There are no sons that are going to be famous. Here it is Zebulun, "I give you that land in the north, there against Sidon, and that is your place, that's where you will have to live." And that's all!
And then we begin to wonder, do we not, concerning the plan of God that He has, as we also believe, with every individual life. And those are the things, beloved, that He has also here brought clearly before the mind of all of these sons of Jacob. That He is the One who has the plan of their life already before Him, and that He is going to work it out. And that He is going to work it out according to His own sovereignty, and that He is going to work it out in such a way so that it is going to be a blessing for them and that it is going to redound to the praise of God Himself.
He is therefore going to assign to Judah even though he is not worthy of it, but nevertheless he is going to receive a place of honor, whom his brothers are going to honor. And to this Zebulun he says, there is nothing else that I am able to give you but a place, a place to live, a place at such and such an address, and that is the place where they will be able to find you and that is the only thing that can ever be said. And Zebulun accepts. There isn't a word concerning any opposition; he accepts that kind of a place. That is the place that God has assigned to me, and he goes there to the north, and only a couple times in the history of Israel is his name mentioned. He is mentioned in the book of Judges, that he has come and that he has labored and that he has fought valiantly for the name of his God.
That God who has given him an assignment, an assignment that is so common, that is so worthless, but nevertheless he accepts it. He accepts the lot that is given to him, he accepts that despised place, so that from one many ages later is going to say, "Can any good come out of Nazareth, there in the regions of Naphtali and Zebulun there in the north?" It has become a proverb; nothing good comes out of that part of the country. There is nothing of prominence, there is nothing that is famous; it is all so dreadfully common. And Zebulun accepts it; which very few do.
These of course ever to be a striving, a striving that we are going to progress, but at the same time that we are also going to have a striving for progression and that it is at the same time an acceptance of the way the lot that God has assigned to us, the inheritance that we have received. And he accepts it, and he fights valiantly in the battles of the Lord in order that he may also be able to deliver Israel at the appointed time. It is a despised place that he received, and that's all that he has, a place, and that one despised.
Secondly, notice also the grace involved. We are to realize beloved, and that is also the thing that becomes clearer and clearer the more that you study this entire episode and that is that in the case of Leah, for example, she had great difficulty. And one of the greatest difficulties whereby she was faced was this, that everybody was an enemy. The whole world had turned against her, not only the whole world, but the whole universe; God too. Not only had all men turned against her, but also the devil. Everybody was against her. She had lost the love of her own husband, she is not able to understand the way in which God deals with her, the way in which He directs. She sees in her children somewhat of a way out, and there is only the time with Judah when she finally says, "In him will I praise the Lord." And with Zebulun that she says, "Now this is a good dowry." After all, I ought to be happy; I ought to be thankful to my God for giving me six sons. That is a good dowry, that is indeed a blessing of Jehovah.
And this is now the one concerning Judah, certainly there are the greatest blessings that are afforded him – but Zebulun? And yet at the same time beloved, he is the one who is placed in such a position so that he is there at the haven of the sea, that he is there in such a kind of a place as Moses speaks of it later on in his farewell address in Deuteronomy 33. And he says that Zebulun is there right by the haven of the sea, right on the beach, and that he is able – and these are the words that he uses – is able to suck the wealth out of the seas and out of the sand. So that even though the place is despised, that nevertheless as the prophets speak about it when they are speaking about the sea, those are the things that Zebulun has also discovered, that the sea need not be plowed or harrowed, but the only thing that you have to do is reap, and that is the place that he has there to see.
Then besides that, says Moses, there is also that wealth of the sand, that he is there also able to receive the building materials out of that sand there of Zebulun. That he is here placed with his back to Sidon, and with his face toward Jerusalem, and that he has also, as it were, a window upon the whole world. And it was there through the instrumentality of a Zebulun, that the synagogues are spread over the entire then known world. There they are proclaiming the God of the Jews, the God of the Bible, the God of Moses, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and that Zebulun is instrumental in bringing it far and wide.
So that, even though he has received the kind of a place beloved, that is despised, that nevertheless there are also the points of grace that are therein revealed. And that it may also be asked in the centuries to come by a Nathaniel, when he hears concerning Jesus of Nazareth, "Can any good come out of Nazareth?" And that the answer will have to be, "A lot more than ever came out of Jerusalem. A lot more!"
This is the man who has accepted the plan of God, who has accepted that inheritance, who has accepted the way that he was to be led. And it looked as though it was bereft of everything that was glorious, bereft of all wealth. And here he is placed in a position in which he is able to minister to the whole world, in which he is placed in a position in which he is able to drink in the wealth that comes to him. There are also the dangers! He has right at his side the Sidonians. And that these are the ones who are also indeed a stumbling block to him time and again. But nevertheless his face is also toward Jerusalem, and this is the place of Zebulun; that is his inheritance, that is his lot among the sons of Jacob, that is the place where he is going to live, and out of Nazareth shall come One greater than anyone that Jerusalem has ever produced. That, Zebulun had never thought.
Now these were the kind of things, beloved, that are hidden in commonalty. They are hidden in this, that the ways of God are mysterious, they are hidden in this, that there is no way whereby we are ever able to judge the times that are going to come, or the time in which we are living. And those are the things that are brought home to us in Zebulun. That is the one that speaks of the common man, the one who is to be faithful; and that's all! We have so many today who are seeking to revolutionize the world; very few have ever succeeded in that. But they are called to this, to be faithful, faithful. That's all!
That's what you and I are called to, in the place that God has assigned us, in the place that He has given us as an inheritance, and therein to be faithful. And then He fights valiantly the battles of Jehovah. He outdid Himself in these, says the book of Judges. And that is counted to him for righteousness; and then, "Can any good come out of Nazareth?" You'd be surprised! Come and see, come and see; and they came and saw. And Nathaniel stands amazed that such can come forth out of Nazareth.
For here beloved, even though it is a despised place that is assigned to him, at which one would almost turn his back, that nevertheless it is that place that God has for him and that is the place where he is also going to be able to live. And that is the place in which he is also going to have those opportunities such as no one of the other tribes of Israel had. And that he is thus able to be of influence, and that he is a window upon the whole world, to make known Israel's God to all, and finally to give a place of residence to Messiah, who was going to come and live within his borders. The grace of God that is given to the sons of Jacob.
These are the things beloved, that have worked out throughout all the ages. And herein there are prophetic perspectives that are given in the speaking of Jacob to his sons upon his deathbed. When he is giving his blessings to his sons; here are these perspectives as you see it nowhere else. And these are the things that are going to come to pass. Jacob is here not speaking out of the wishes of his own heart, but he is speaking here by revelation of God, he is speaking here by inspiration. And then he says concerning Zebulun, "Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea, and shall be for a haven of ships, and his borders shall be upon Sidon." That Moses says, "Rejoice, Zebulun, rejoice, because of the place that has been assigned you." Nobody else wanted it, Zebulun thought, but nevertheless, that has been given him, and he is to accept it. And then Moses says, "Rejoice." He isn't even there yet at that time. But rejoice, because it has possibilities, it has tremendous potential. And Zebulun is to see to it that the full potentials are drawn out of it.
And finally, notice also its teaching. One would virtually come to the conclusion beloved, that here when he is speaking concerning the blessings to the sons of Jacob, that certainly there are a few of them that can be of a teaching to us and can be of a lesson to us. But at the same time herein does the Spirit of God also speak and speaks in such varied terms. So that we will also see that the blessings that are given to them are no different than the blessings that have been given to us. And that we will also see that not everyone ascends the throne, that not everyone is lifted to the very heights, that not everyone is a Judah who is to give birth to Messiah, that not everyone is a Levi, who is going to be ministering in the house of God. And that we are also to realize that ever so many of these seemingly are never going to be heard of again. And so it is also concerning every generation that has ever lived. And these sons of Jacob are therefore also of that same type. These are also the ones, the one is going to rise to heights and is going to become famous, and the other one is going to be on a very common level. And Zebulun belongs to those.
And he is to realize that nevertheless, even though he is not raised to the heights, nevertheless God has a plan, and that He has a plan for him that is so clearly stipulated here, that he is going to live at such and such a place, and that even though His Son does not have a place to lay his head, Zebulun will. And Zebulun's place shall always be clearly determined.
And this is the thing beloved, that he must also realize, that regardless how unimportant, how common that life may be; even though it is not the mighty, not the great, not the wise, not the noble, nevertheless God has His plan with them; and with them just as well as with the great of the earth. And that we may also realize that the world is not going to be converted by means of kings or princes or ambassadors or ministers, but that the world is going to be converted through the faithfulness of the common man. And that is the thing that he is to proclaim. That he is to be faithful, faithful in the place in which his God has placed him.
And there are so many of course, that conclude that certainly there is not much of a plan that God has for their lives. And if He does have a plan, then they begin to murmur against it, because if this is also in His plan, that there are so many difficulties and so many obstacles, that those are the kind of things that might well be left out of a plan of the all-wise God.
And Zebulun speaks to us beloved of this, that God has His plan, also among the commonalty. And that He has that planned just as well among those who are going to have the place of prominence. And that this place that He has for them is planned by Him from A to Z, and that it is planned by Him with every day included. That speaks to us, that there is nothing in your or my life, or His plan covers it. He covers even such things that Zebulun is going to live by the sea, with his back to Sidon, and is going to live there on the beach. And Zebulun is not to murmur against it, but he is to accept it, to accept it.
To accept the lot, literally, the inheritance that has fallen to him. To accept the plan of God that He has for him, to accept that plan in its entirety, and to accept it believingly. For he is to realize beloved, that God is also able by means of the commonalty of this world to overthrow the thoughts and the intentions of princes. But also by the commonalty He is able to overthrow all of the plans of man, and that also even though it may look very common at the moment, that it may also rise to the very heights. And Zebulun knows that Messiah would make His dwelling place within his borders. Aw, that would have changed the whole countryside, that would have changed the whole appearance. Here are parents, and they labor, and they belonged to the commonalty; no one knows about them. About the only thing you can say is, they live at such and such a place. The only book that records them is a directory. And then there isn't much to life.
Not according to the wise of this world, but God says, "I have plans for your life just as well." And here in the years to come there lives a Joseph, a Joseph who is to take care of Messiah. That has also come there, into the borders of Zebulun. That is to be accepted believingly, and which means this beloved, that it is to be done faithfully. That even though our only claim is to fame is this, that we have a certain address, nevertheless, there we shall be faithful in instructing our sons after us. And then we live in hopes that these may rise to higher heights, but woe to those who are unfaithful in the little things, for they shall also be found unsuitable for the bigger things. That's what we think. But this is also precisely the thing that is involved in what Jesus says – the text that is maligned so many times, and nevertheless quoted again and again – "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." And He is the Truth and the Life, by the way, only because He is the Way.
Now, "I am the Way." And wherever that Way leads, its His. Where that Way leads, that brings into the very presence of Jesus Christ, and so it needs to be acknowledged. Yah, "I am the Way!" What does that mean? That is that Way that you and I are to follow, wherever He has put us. And that we will also use it in such a way so that therein we follow in the way of Jesus Christ. Not many mighty, not many wise, not many noble has God chosen, for they find their own wisdom and their own importance and their own nobility a stumbling block. They had their own way, and Christ says "I am the Way!" And then you almost have to be bereft of everything else except your address, before you are able to walk that Way which is Jesus Christ, and therefore has He chosen the common, the despised of this world.
And the church finds it so difficult to understand it, finds it so utterly abhorrent. James must come to them yet, even so late and say; "Now if there come among you a man with a gold ring, and a man of prominence, you say to him 'have the best seat.' That is wrong." And today, if one of the greats of the earth confesses Jesus Christ, for that I will give thanks, but no more than for one whose only claim to fame is that he has an address. That, our young people many a time cannot understand. One who has gone through the depths and then is drawn up again; what else is it but a celebration of the grace of God that has been revealed, and not of the individual.
And that we may learn to understand; not many mighty, not many noble, not many Judahs, but ever so many Zebuluns have been chosen. And there He also guides the way, and He directs it in such a way so that Zebulun might have said at the beginning, "nothing will come of it; I am always going to be poor, I am never going to amount to anything there." And look what happened. And to some of the others, great things came from them, and they were not faithful. Those things speak to us, that Jesus Christ is the Way, and that is also the way, many a time, which is not noble, not rich, not famous, but calling to discipleship, to deny this, that and the other things. And then comes "follow me." The common man, and of that, churches are built, and of that, nations are built, and of that, the kingdom of God is full, for He has chosen them. Amen.
We thank Thee, heavenly Father, for the Word wherein Thou dost instruct us. We plead with Thee, Lord, wilt Thou graciously apply it to our hearts, in order that in humility we may come to Thee, that we may seek the things above, that we may follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Grant us Thy blessing further, lead us by Thy Spirit; forgive our sins, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
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