III. The third thing in our text is THE SECRET STRENGTH. “The arms of his
hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.” First,
notice, concerning his strength, that it was real strength. It says, “the
arms of his hands,” not his hands only. You know some people can do a great
deal with their hands, but then it is often fictitious power; there is no
might in the arm-there is no muscle; but of Joseph it is said; “the arms of
his hands were made strong. It was real potency, true muscle, real sinew,
real nerve. It was not simply sleight of hand-the power of moving his finger
very swiftly-but the arms of his hands were made strong. Now that strength
which God gives to his Josephs is real strength; it is not a boasted valor, a
fiction, a thing of which men talk, an airy dream, an unsubstantial
unreality, but it is real strength. I should not like to have a combat with
one of God’s Josephs. I should find their blows very heavy. I fear a
Christian’s strokes more than any other man’s for he has bone and sinew, and
smites hard. Let the foes of the church expect a hard struggle if they attack
an heir of life. Mightier than giants are men of the race of heaven; should
they once arouse themselves to battle they could laugh at the spear and the
habergeon. But they are a patient generation, enduring ills without resenting
them suffering scorn without reviling the scoffer. Their triumph is to come
when their enemies shall receive the vengeance due; then shall it be seen by
an assembled world that the “little flock” were men of high estate, and the
“offscouring of all things” were verily men of real strength and dignity.
Even though the world perceive it not, the favored Joseph has real strength,
not in his hands only, but in his arms-real might, real power. O ye foes of
God, ye think God’s people are despicable and powerless; but know that they
have true strength from the omnipotence of their Father, a might substantial
and divine. Your own shall melt away, and droop and die, like the snow upon
the low mountain top, when the sun shines upon it, it melteth into water; but
our vigor shall abide like the snow on the summit of the Alps, undiminished
for ages. It is real strength.
Then observe that the strength of God’s Joseph is divine strength. His arms
were made strong by God. Why does one of God’s ministers preach the gospel
powerfully? Because God gives him assistance. Why does Joseph stand against
temptation? Because God gives him aid. The strength of a Christian is divine
strength. My brethren, I am more and more persuaded every day that the sinner
has no power of himself, except that which is given him from above. I know
that if I were to stand with my foot upon the golden threshold of heaven’s
portal, if I could put this thumb upon the latch, I could not open that door,
after having gone so far towards heaven, unless I had still supernatural
power communicated to me in that moment. If I had a stone to lift, to work my
own salvation, without God’s help to do that, I must be lost, even though it
were so little. There is naught that we can do without the power of God. All
true strength is divine. As the light cometh from the sun, as the shower from
heaven; so doth spiritual strength come from the Father lights, with whom
there is neither variableness nor shadow of a turning.
Again: I would have you notice in the text in what a blessedly familiar way
God gives this strength to Joseph. It say, “the arms of his hands were made
strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.” Thus it represents God as
putting his hands on Joseph’s hands, placing his arms on Joseph’s arms. In
old times, when every boy had to be trained up to archery, if his father were
worth so many pounds a year, you might see the father putting his hands on
his boy’s hands and pulling the bow for him, saying, “there, my son, in this
manner draw the bow.” So the text represents God as putting his hand on the
hand of Joseph, and laying his broad arm along the arm of his chosen child,
that he might be made strong. Like as a father teacheth his children; so the
Lord teaches them that fear him. He puts his arms upon them. As Elijah laid
with his mouth upon the child’s mouth, with his hand upon the child’s hand,
with his foot upon the child’s foot, so does “God put his mouth to his
children’s mouth, his hand to his ministers’ hand, his foot to his people’s
foot; and so he makes us strong. Marvelous condescension! Ye stars of glory,
have ye ever witnessed such stoops of love? God Almighty, Eternal,
Omnipotent, stoops from his throne and lays his hand upon the child’s hand,
stretching his arm upon the arm of Joseph, that he may be made strong.
One more thought, and I have done. The strength was covenant strength, for it
is said, “The arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty
God of Jacob.” Now, wherever you read of the God of Jacob in the Bible, you
may know that that respects God’s covenant with Jacob. Ah! I love to talk
about God’s everlasting covenant. Some of the Arminians cannot bear it, but I
love a covenant salvation-a covenant not made with my father, not between me
and God, but between Christ and God. Christ made the covenant to pay a price,
and God made the covenant that he should have the people. Christ has paid the
price and ratified the covenant; and I am quite sure that God will fulfil his
part of it, by giving every elect vessel of mercy into the hands of Jesus.
But, beloved, all the power, all the grace, all the blessings, all the
mercies, all the comforts, all the things we have, we have through the
covenant. If there were no covenant; if we could rend the everlasting charter
up; if the king of hell could cut it with his knife, as the king of Israel
did the roll of Baruck, then we should fail indeed; for we have no strength,
except that which is promised in the covenant. Covenant mercies, covenant
grace, covenant promises, covenant blessings, covenant help, covenant
everything-the Christian must receive, if he would enter into heaven.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
