Sermons
Vander Kam on Genesis 49:20
Sermons
Vander Kam on Genesis 49:20Genesis 49:20 – "'As for Asher, his food shall be rich,
And he shall yield royal dainties.'" (New American
Standard Bible)
Beloved in the Lord: the Bible tells us that we are in this world but we are not of it. And that is also a very nice proverb and a very nice maxim that we are able to use time and again, that we are certainly different from the other people of this world, and that we are in it, but not of it.
And yet at the same time beloved, it also shows us one of the most difficult problems whereby we will ever be faced, and that is this, that you and I are living in this world, this is the world in which we have to make our living, this is the world in which we have to work, this is the world that we are to use, and this is the world therefore in which we spend all of our time.
And then to live in it in such a way as possessing it and yet not possessing it, as possessing it and yet having nothing. That is the call of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And then we also hear such very strange things as also in the passage that I read to you tonight. We read of this, that a man who has been blessed so abundantly so that it can also be said concerning him that we was very rich, and that he had kept all the commandments of God. That is the confession that he has made, and in one of the other Gospels we also read that Jesus loved him, and then nevertheless comes to him with this impossible assurance that the only way that he is going to enter into the kingdom of God is this, that he sells everything and gives it to the poor.
Those are the kind of things whereby we are faced again and again, and it is soon going to be Thanksgiving Day. And then you and I will also again give thanks to God for all the blessings that He has given, and then the blessings that He has given are the ones that you and I are able to count. The counted blessings that is, we are able to see it in this part of the material things, and in that part of the material things, and there will also be those who are older who will say, "How much better we have things now than some years ago."
And with that all, we have not even yet touched what is the teaching of Scripture concerning it, and that you and I also better look upon it very closely in order that we will also be able to discern there what is our duty, and what is our responsibility.
We speak to you tonight on Asher: Prosperity Without Blessing. Then notice in the first place, the roots; secondly, the dangers; and finally, the surprising end. For here beloved, as we have also seen in regard to all of the others that have gone before, of the sons of Jacob, there we are dealing with the kind of a family life that certainly is not one that is to be used as an example for others. But it is rather, that kind of an example that is held up before us to show us how it ought not to be, and that is in the home of this patriarch.
Here we are therefore dealing with an individual who has his roots in that kind of a family where it has come out of covetousness. And that that covetousness is found in his father and also in his grandfather. And that these two, Jacob and Laban, are vying one with another in order that they may also see who is able to gain the most; who is able to gain the most even at the expense of the other. And as a result of that, they have been blessed. That is, they have been blessed in this way, that they did obtain it, and that they did obtain a great deal, so that they became very rich, and became among the richest people of the East. And if you want to call that a blessing, then they were blessed more than all of their fellows.
But at the same time beloved, we are also here called upon to see, and to see very clearly, that it is prosperity without blessing. That they indeed are prosperous, and that they have a prosperity that was unheard of, even in that day. That it was prosperity so great that Jacob is also almost at his wits' end, knowing what to do with it all. And he says to his God when he comes back into the land of Canaan, "With my staff I crossed over this river, and now we are become two bands. And these are the ones who make it difficult for me when I have to face Esau."
Here is a prosperity that has been gained through covetousness and, pardon the expression, but God has blessed that covetousness with tremendous wealth. And that they have also gained it at an enormous expense, and that there is no spirituality there that is apparent.
And now he is to come to the blessing upon his sons, and in that blessing, as we have also seen in past weeks, a blessing that he is to give; this blessing is more a curse than anything else. It is a curse upon Reuben, a curse upon Simeon and Levi, it is a curse upon Gad, Naphtali, Dan and now also upon Asher. For he says, "My son," and he is speaking prophetically, "these are the things that are going to happen;" this isn't merely the wish of the father, but he says to him, "My son, you are going to deal with the very fat of the land, you are going to have the bread of plenty." But Moses, when he is speaking of it in his speech at his retirement says, "that Asher has dipped his foot in oil. He is going to receive the greatest, the best of the land of Canaan, and he is going to have in such abundance so that it cannot be counted."
And then Jacob stops – it's only verse 20. Out of Asher, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. That's the only blessing you have? That's right! That's it! That is the only blessing that he has for Asher, no more than this. You're going to be very, very successful; you're going to possess the very best of Canaan; your bread is going to be the bread of fat, you are going to yield royal dainties. And as far as spirituality is concerned, "I'm sorry, but I don't have anything for you. I have nothing to give," says Jacob, "and you are also not the one who is going to walk in that way, you are not going to be blessed with the blessing of Jehovah; not going to be blessed with that blessing of the covenant. But you are going to be in such a position so that you're to have in such abundance; but that's all."
Now that is also sufficient for many people, and there are many people today too that when you speak to them concerning their children; the children are prosperous, and they're doing very well, thank you. They are doing even better than their parents; they're getting ahead. And Jacob looks upon Asher and he says, "That's going to be it! You're going to be rich. And at the same time you're not going to be worth anything."
For this is also the way in which it has proceeded in that history. And in that history of the tribe of Asher they were given the very best of the land of Canaan, and everything grew abundantly so that Asher never suffered. So that Asher can have Thanksgiving Day every day of the year. He is there able to bring forth royal dainties; he is going to be able to set the table for the king. But at the same time we also read in Judges that he has left all of the Canaanites living there, in his midst. He was way ahead of his time and he has in such abundance so that there is room for them too. And who knows, you might be a blessing to them sometime. But God had said, "Those are to be expelled, expelled completely lest the world stays in the church, lest the Canaanites stay in the midst of Israel. They stayed! Asher has enough, and his very bounties make it possible that also the Canaanites are going to remain within the bounds of the tribe of Asher.
And Deborah rebukes him and says, "Where were you when we needed you, where were you when we had to go up against Sisera; where were you when Barak called, you stayed at home, and you didn't help out?" Because when you have plenty, then you're not so concerned about those things.
Asher has in such abundance, but now he also feels as though he is totally self-sufficient, and he is able to take care of all things. He let the Canaanites in his midst, the world in the midst of the church, and the world won; the world won. Even though Asher was in the majority in that particular area in which he had been given a place, nevertheless they are led so far astray so that none comes out of Asher to give leadership in Israel. You're going to be rich, says Jacob, and Asher is very happy with it, and also considers that to be sufficient.
For secondly, notice also, the dangers that are connected with it. And the Bible has spoken of that again and again and it speaks of it on virtually every page. And it speaks of it in such a way beloved, because of the fact that that is also one of the greatest dangers whereby we are ever faced, and that is worldliness. And then you must not mistake the symptom for the disease; we have done that sometime in the past. But there were various symptoms that you are able to see that mean worldliness. And you are able to see these symptoms from a distance, and you say, "That's it!" There wasn't. Surely those symptoms were also part of it, but it is far more subtle than that, and it goes ever so much deeper than that. And here it is, right in the family of Jacob, here it is right in the midst of the covenant people. That's where the worldliness is. And that's where it is also at the present day.
And in that chapter that I read to you tonight, in Luke 18, there we also have the remarkable passage dealing with this rich young ruler. And this is also incorporated into the Scriptures in order that our Savior may teach us. And He says to this man, "even though you are the kind of a man that is looked up to, the kind of a man that is an example for others." This man who has everything, who has an abundance, who is very rich, and then besides that walks before God according to the commandments; Thou shalt not steal, or kill or any of these things. He says, "I have kept them all from my youth on." And says Jesus, "and now there is still one thing lacking, you better get rid of your prosperity. That is the thing that is standing in your way."
This is not the universal command that all those who are rich must get rid of it all; of course not. He does not say that to an Abraham, He does not say that to a Jacob, He does not say that to a David, nor any of the others. But with this rich young ruler, this man who has that Pharisaic tendency, this man who has his riches as his stumbling block, who now puts his trust in those; that's all that he sees. "Then," says Jesus, "get rid of it. Give it to the poor, but get rid of it. Because it's going to bring you into hell."
Those are the kind of teachings that are difficult. When you are standing before that type of a thing, then you also begin to wonder, now then, who can be saved? "Leave that to your God," says Jesus; "and the things that are impossible with men are still possible with God." That's not your question, first of all. But it is this, that it is far better to cut your hand off, or to pluck out your eye, and to go maimed into the kingdom of heaven, than having all this prosperity without blessing. For this man is miserable; he comes to Jesus, having assurance of faith; none.. And yet, "I have kept all these things from my youth on." Now you would think then you would also have the assurance, I am a child of God, all is well. But he comes to Jesus and says, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Because I don't have it. "Now," says Jesus, "then you'd better get rid of it."
James speaks of it and he rebukes the rich; he condemns them. Condemns them if they use it in such a way as they have many a time done. As though these are the things that are going to blind you to the reality, are going to blind you to the important things, and that they will also therefore learn to see that it is indeed necessary that they will evaluate, and evaluate properly before there is going to be any possibility of the assurance of salvation.
For that is the kind of a world beloved, that is here not found in symptoms; the symptoms are simply not there with this rich young ruler. He does not have any of the symptoms, and we have in the past sometime, you know, singled out various symptoms, and to me, that is perfectly all right. When it was stated for example, already by the Synod of 1928, certain symptoms of worldliness; I can go along with that, and I have no difficulty. At the same time, that we will also not mistake those symptoms as being the disease. This rich young ruler doesn't have those symptoms. "All these things have I kept from my youth on." Now, there is still a worldliness there, says Jesus, that is so pervading, that is still so all encompassing within you; the disease is going to slay you.
And then it comes far closer to home. Then we can walk outwardly so that there are no symptoms visible, and then we can walk in such a way so that we will also receive the plaudits of men. But nevertheless, that the eye that sees everything, the eye that looks into the heart, sees there is worldliness. And that is so often, so often accompanied with this prosperity.
And therefore these are the things beloved, wherein you and I will have to see also in these affluent times in which we are living. That it is indeed more than this, and that there is indeed ever so much more, and that the most important, if you are ever going to be able to compare any of the commandments; is still the first, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." And that you are not going to make a god of anything else, but that you are going to rid yourselves of them, and that you are going to serve the only true God, who has spoken to us in this Word.
That covetousness is accursed, it is accursed in the Law, it is accursed in human life, it was accursed in the life of Jacob. It is going to be accursed in the life of Asher. And, pardon the expression, but covetousness is utter stupidity. There are things more important and, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." And that's more important. For you see it when you stand at the bedside of one who has labored all his life, and then he comes to the end. "Yah, now what is this all about?" Not his riches, not his riches.
And that is so self-evident, so that to repeat, covetousness is utter stupidity, and yet it holds us in its grip. And virtually everyone is guilty. And then Asher speaks, and that so-called blessing that is here pronounced upon Asher, "Thou shalt eat the bread of fat, thou shalt yield royal dainties, thou shalt dip thy foot in oil." You can't put it any stronger than that to show how affluent he is going to be. And that's all you have. Those are the dangers.
And finally, notice also, the surprising end. For beloved, we are here dealing with the tribe of Asher, and as also with the others, we seek to show the covenant history that is connected with it. And then you also read where very little concerning the tribe of Asher, because of the fact that they had never shown, they never had shown any kind of leadership whatsoever. They never brought a judge to the tribes of Israel. There was never one who was outstanding there in the land of Israel that had come out of the tribe of Asher.
And now we come to the New Testament. And there when we are dealing with the birth of Jesus Christ, and when they are presenting Him in the temple, when you are in the middle of the second chapter of Luke, there you read, "there was Anna, a prophetess, of the tribe of Asher," mind you. And Luke considers it necessary, and considers it important, that we shall also be reminded of that, that this woman, this widow is of the tribe of Asher, and thereby also revealing to everyone, as if they didn't know, that those who are speaking even until today, that the ten northern tribes have been lost. And there are even those who believe that the American nation and the British nation together form now the ten northern tribes.
And that here in Luke 2 it is already presented to us that she was able to trace her lineage to Asher. So that Asher also had those that came back out of captivity and that joined themselves again to Judah.
Now this woman comes into the temple at the time that they are presenting Jesus Christ. This is the woman who is a prophetess, this is the woman who comes from the tribe of Asher, and Luke also considers it important that he will even mention her father's name, who was Penuel, which is the Greek of the Hebrew, Peniel. And that's where Jacob had been, that's where Jacob had wrestled with his God and had become a prince of God, and his name was changed from Jacob, the deceiver, to Israel, the prince of God.
Now here is another Pagiel, Phanuel, and Anna is of that tribe, and this was her father. And Asher's tribe that has shown through this that they were very, very prosperous, but that it was a prosperity without blessing, and that the prosperity had become a curse. Here now you see the very opposite, and here you find now this widow, eighty four years old, having been a widow sixty years, that departs not from the temple. And that eats, according to that day's standards, the dry bread of widows and is then able to fast.
Here we see the surprising end of Asher, for this is the last that you read of him. And the surprising end is this, that were all affluences gone, and here is one who is in great need, who is in great poverty; and that is the one who has everything. And that is so ironic. To Asher, says Jacob, is going to be given the fattest, the best, and Asher lived in that affluence. Anna comes into the temple in great poverty, has nothing, and she praised God, for she held, she saw, Jesus Christ. And worshipped God, and spoke of Him to all those waiting for the salvation in Jerusalem. That's the answer.
And there it has run, as it were, full circle. There it has run that kind of a course so that there also in the history of the world as the great One who sitteth upon the throne, and who commands all history. Who holds the book of history in His hand, who causes history to happen, and He draws the lines in such a zigzag way, so many a time, and then we see Asher that is there bathing himself in wealth, but when Deborah needs him, he isn't there. And now finally, leveled to this kind of a poverty, that Anna comes into the temple and sees Jesus Christ, and has everything. As possessing all things, as not possessing them, as having nothing, and yet possessing all things, says the apostle. That is the believer's walk in life.
And thereby beloved, is she also like unto the One whom she has here seen in the temple. He also speaks of it and uses Himself as an example. And he says to those who would follow Him, "Remember that the birds of the heaven have nests, and the foxes have holes, but the Son of Man has not where to lay His head." Now if you want to come along, all right. But then you have to be different than Asher. Oh, of him too we read, for it has ended so surprisingly, and of him we read, that when the book of Revelation opens, "that there were also 12,000 sealed out of the tribe of Asher." Anna is among them, and the rich young ruler wonders, and he went away very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And then this Anna stands miles above him, having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
We're going to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, and then we are not going to do it according to Genesis 49, verse 20. And that would really be the reason for thanksgiving in the eyes of the majority. But this having nothing, and yet possessing everything; "Thy lovingkindness," says the Psalmist in Psalm 63, "is better than life." You better think about that. We all better think about that. "Thy lovingkindness is better than life," and everything that life contains. But then you have everything when you have Jesus Christ. Amen.
Father, we thank Thee for Thy Word. We pray that Thou then wilt also apply it, that Thou wilt use it, and Thou wilt thereby lead Thy people. That Thou wilt thus draw them unto Thyself in order that they may experience Thy goodness, Thy mercy, Thy lovingkindness. Bless us further, keep us near to Thee, and grant that with grateful hearts we may then also come into Thy house on Thursday morning, to give Thee thanks for what Thou art, for that which Thou hast given, 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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