JANUARY 20.—MORNING. [Or February 8.] “Follow thou Me.”

GENESIS 24:50–67

LABAN, having heard Eliezer’s story and seen the jewels, which were no doubt great arguments with his mercenary mind, consented that Rebekah should go with him to Isaac.
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the LORD hath spoken. (It is always right for young people to seek the consent of parents and natural guardians in such an important business.)
52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. (He was too devout a man to fail to adore ingratitude; too many, however, only pray in need, but forget to worship in thanksgiving.)
53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. (He was a wise steward, and knew what arguments weighed most with Laban.)
54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. (God’s servants should imitate this steward, and never be loiterers.)
55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. (We ought not easily to be delayed from duty. To loiter is to disobey. When God speeds us we should speed indeed.)
57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.
58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. (How happy would ministers be if all young people could be as readily led to the great Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus. He accepts the willing mind. He asks for the heart. Alas, how many deny their consent to his loving claims.)
59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.
60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. (The blessing of parents is a precious dowry.)
61 ¶ And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
62 And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the south country.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide; (This good man, in his choice of a suitable place and time for one of the most heavenly of occupations, is an example to us all. If we meditated more we should be far more gracious than we are;) and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and behold, the camels were coming.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.
66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. (Happy is that servant of God who dare tell his Master in heaven all that he has done. What a sad account would some have to render; for, “who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?”)
67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

  In all my Lord’s appointed ways,
     My journey I’ll pursue;
  “Hinder me not,” ye much-loved saints,
     For I must go with you.

  Through floods and flames, if Jesus lead,
     I’ll follow where he goes;
  “Hinder me not,” shall be my cry,
     Though earth and hell oppose.


  My spirit looks to God alone;
  My rock and refuge is his throne;
  In all my fears, in all my straits,
  My soul on his salvation waits.

  Trust him, ye saints, in all your ways,
  Pour out your hearts before his face;
  When helpers fail, and foes invade,
  God is our all-sufficient aid.

Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 39). Baker Book House.

November 22 | The Reluctant Patriarch

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come” (Heb. 11:20).

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When you disobey God, you forfeit joy and blessing.

Isaac is a fascinating Old Testament character. He was Abraham’s long-awaited son, the covenant child, the child of promise. Yet aside from that, he was rather ordinary, passive, and quiet. Just over two chapters of Genesis center on him, whereas the other patriarchs (Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph) command about twelve chapters each.

In the final analysis, Isaac believed God and submitted to His will. But overall, his spiritual character seems more reluctant than resolute.

After a famine prompted Isaac to move his family to Gerar (a Philistine city on the border between Palestine and Egypt), he received a vision from the Lord. In it God passed on to Isaac the covenant promises He had made to Abraham: “Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. And I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 26:3–4).

You would think such promises would infuse Isaac with boldness and confidence; yet no sooner had he received them when he lied to the men of Gerar about his wife, Rebekah, because he feared they might kill him to have her (v. 7).

It was only with great difficulty and prodding that the Lord finally brought Isaac into the Promised Land, where He once again repeated the covenant promises (vv. 23–24).

Later in his life Isaac even sought to bless his son Esau after Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob (27:4; 25:33). Only after he realized that God’s choice of Jacob was irreversible did Isaac acquiesce.

Isaac is a vivid reminder of how believers can forfeit joy and blessing by disobeying God. But he’s also a reminder of God’s faithfulness—even toward reluctant saints.

 Is your obedience reluctant or resolute?

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Suggestions for Prayer: Thank God for His unwavering faithfulness to you. ✧ Seek His forgiveness when your obedience is reluctant or withheld altogether. ✧ Ask Him to teach you to love Him in the same unwavering, resolute way He loves you.

For Further Study: Read about Isaac in Genesis 25:19–26:33.¹

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¹  MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1993). Drawing Near—Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith (p. 339). Crossway Books.

November 20 | Passing the Test

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called.’ He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead” (Heb. 11:17–19).

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A willingness to sacrifice something precious to you is proof of genuine faith.

John Bunyan had a little blind daughter, for whom he had a special love. When he was imprisoned for preaching the gospel, he was deeply concerned about his family, especially that little girl. He wrote: “I saw in this condition I was a man who was pulling down his house upon the head of his wife and children. Yet, thought I, I must do it; I must do it. The dearest idol I have known, what ere that idol be, help me to tear it from Thy throne and worship only Thee.”

Despite his personal grief, Bunyan was willing to sacrifice the most precious thing he had, if God so willed. So it was with Abraham. Every promise God had made to him was bound up in his son Isaac.

Abraham believed God’s promises, and his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6). But the moment of truth came when God instructed him to offer his son as a sacrifice. Abraham realized that to kill Isaac was to put to death God’s covenant. So he reasoned that surely God would raise Isaac from the dead. He believed in resurrection before the doctrine was revealed in clear terms.

God tested Abraham, and Abraham passed the test: he was willing to make the sacrifice. And that’s always the final standard of faith. Jesus said, “If any one wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24). Romans 12:1 says, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

I pray that you are willing to sacrifice whatever is necessary to minister most effectively for Christ.

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Suggestions for Prayer: Thank God for those you know who are passing the test of a sacrificial faith. ✧ Pray for the courage and grace to follow their example.

For Further Study: Read the account of Abraham’s test in Genesis 22.¹

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¹  MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1993). Drawing Near—Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith (p. 337). Crossway Books.

13 october (preached 16 january 1859) | Jacob and Esau

“Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” Romans 9:13

suggested further reading: Ezekiel 33:11–20

My soul revolts at the idea of a doctrine that lays the blood of man’s soul at God’s door. I cannot conceive how any human mind, at least any Christian mind, can hold any such blasphemy as that. I delight to preach this blessed truth—salvation of God, from first to last—the Alpha and the Omega; but when I come to preach damnation, I say, damnation is of man, not of God; and if you perish, at your own hands must your blood be required. There is another passage. At the last great day, when all the world shall come before Jesus to be judged, have you noticed, when the righteous go on the right side, Jesus says, “Come, ye blessed of my Father,”—(“of my Father,” mark,)—“inherit the kingdom prepared”—(mark the next word)—“for you, from before the foundation of the world.” What does he say to those on the left? “Depart, ye cursed.” He does not say, “ye cursed of my Father,” but, “ye cursed.” And what else does he say? “into everlasting fire, prepared”—(not for you, but)—“for the devil and his angels.” Do you see how it is guarded. Here is the salvation side of the question. It is all of God. “Come, ye blessed of my Father.” It is a kingdom prepared for them. There you have election, free grace in all its length and breadth. But, on the other hand, you have nothing said about the Father—nothing about that at all. “Depart, ye cursed.” Even the flames are said not to be prepared for sinners, but for the devil and his angels. There is no language that I can possibly conceive that could more forcibly express this idea, supposing it to be the mind of the Holy Spirit, that the glory should be to God, and that the blame should be laid at man’s door.

for meditation: The love of God towards a sinful Jacob should surprise us more than the hatred of God towards a sinful Esau.

sermon no. 239¹

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¹  Spurgeon, C. H., & Crosby, T. P. (1998). 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 1) (p. 293). Day One Publications.