"By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshiped, leaning
upon the top of his staff" (Hebrews 11:21).

Jacob was a man of faith. It did not look like it when he clothed himself with his brother’s
raiment, and put on the hairy skin of a kid in order that his father might think he was Esau. Yet
there was an element of faith in it, just as we have seen there was faith in Sarah even when she
laughed so incredulously. We can see that Jacob prized the blessing, as he had prized the
birthright. He had not faith enough to count upon God to make good the blessing to him apart
from himself. Because of his artifice to secure the blessing which he prized, he became a wanderer
from home, spending the best of his life out of the land of Canaan. The same deception he himself
had practiced on his brother and father was practiced upon him by Laban as to the wife he had
bargained for; it was God’s governmental retribution which Jacob could not fail to realize. He was
deceived, too, by his own children as to their awful sin in the matter of Joseph.

In all the life of Jacob, where shall we glean an example of faith that we can follow? The vision
of those opened heavens and God’s promise to him at Bethel was pure mercy. His little schemes
to get the wealth of Laban did not savor of faith surely, nor his contrivances to meet his brother
Esau, nor his building in Shechem after his return to Canaan. But now we see him at last, his
experiences over, an old man, a weary pilgrim, leaning upon the top of his staff. For how many
of us does it take a lifetime to learn to lean!

Why should not the brightness, the vigor of youth be accompanied with the simplicity of faith that
absolutely leans upon the arm of God? Jacob was not a worshiper at Bethel when he awoke and
said, "How dreadful is this place!" Nor at Jabbok when he was struggling with the angel. But here
at last he had learned to trust and to worship.

(From Lectures on the Epistle to the Hebrews.)

FRAGMENT
Not at death I shrink nor falter,
For my Saviour saves me now;
But to meet Him empty-handed,
Thought of this now clouds my brow.

Oh, ye saints, arouse, be earnest;
Up and work, while yet ’tis day,
Ere the night of death o’ertakes you;
Work for Christ while yet you may.