Jacob And Me Series

JACOB AND ME

HOSEA 12:2-14 (2-4)

ROM 12:1

INTRODUCTION: DID YOU EVER HAVE A MEASURING WALL OR DOORWAY AT YOUR HOUSE. THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE YOU WOULD STAND AND YOUR MOTHER OR FATHER WOULD MARK YOUR HEIGHT AND THEN WRITE A DAY NEXT TO THE MARK. IT WOULD THEN BE POSSIBLE TO ACCUMULATE A FAMILY HISTORY OF AGE AND HEIGHT. YOU CAN SEE NOT ONLY WHAT YOU WERE DOING, BUT HOW YOU MEASURED UP TO OTHERS IN YOUR FAMILY. PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST SHORT, YET MONUMENTAL MOMENTS OF DEPRESSION FOR ME WAS WHEN I HAD TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR SON HAD SURPASSED ME IN HEIGHT. IN A SENSE, “HEIGHTWISE”, I WAS NOW MEASURED BY HIM, AND HE WAS NO LONGER MEASURED BY ME.

IN THIS PASSAGE OF HOSEA, WE HAVE A SIMILAR MEASURING SCENARIO GOING ON. THIS TIME IT IS THE NATION OF JUDAH AND THE PATRIARCH JACOB.

SO, IN OUR TIME TOGETHER, I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THE CHALLENGE OF GOD TO THE NATION OF JUDAH REGARDING JACOB, AND THEN SUGGEST A PROPER COURSE OF ACTION FOR US AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST.

I. THE MOVEMENT OF JACOB FROM SELF TO GOD

A. JACOB’S EARLY LIFE OF DECEPTION

1. THE FIRST REFERENCE (11:3) IS THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN JACOB AND ESAU IN THE WOMB OF REBEKAH

2. THE NAME JACOB MEANS, :ONE WHO FOLLOWS ON THE HEELS OF ANOTHER; SUPPLANTER”

3. THE IDEA IS ONE WHO GRABS THE HEEL OF ANOTHER IN ORDER TO GET AHEAD OF THEM. USING DECEPTION TO GET AHEAD OF THE PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU.

4. JACOB SUPPLANTED THE BIRTHRIGHT OF ESAU FOR A BOWL OF STEW

5. JACOB, THROUGH DECEIT STOLE THE BLESSING FROM HIS BROTHER AT THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER

6. JACOB THOUGH THAT HE COULD HANDLE GOD THE SAME WAY HE HANDLED ESAU. NOTICE THE TEXT – “AS A MAN HE STRUGGLED WITH GOD”

a. TRIED TO GET AHEAD OF GOD

b. TRIED TO USE DECEIT WITH GOD

Genesis 28:16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it."

HOW CAN WE NOT BE AWARE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD? ONLY BY SUPPRESSING HIM IN OUR LIVES

Genesis 28:20-22 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."

JACOBS FIRST TRIP TO BETHEL TAUGHT HIM THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN HIS LIFE, YET JACOB WAS UNWILLING TO LET GOD LEAD HIS LIFE, RATHER HE WAS WILLING TO BARGAIN WITH GOD!

HOW MANY OF US TODAY ARE WILLING TO BARGAIN WITH GOD – TO TRY TO GET HIM TO DO FOR US, WHEN WE ARE UNWILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIS PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES, HIS SOVEREIGNTY OVER OUR LIVES, AND LIVE HIS WILL THROUGH OUR LIVES.

WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES, “ARE WE A HEEL GRABBER?”

B. JACOB’S MIDDLE LIFE OF FAITHLESSNESS

1. FLED ESAU AND WENT TO LABAN

2. RUN FROM ONE PROBLEM AND ULTIMATELY RAN INTO ANOTHER ONE

3. WAS DECEIVED IN HIS MARRIAGE TO RACHEL, AND AS SUCH WORKED FOR LABAN MORE THAN 20 YEARS IN ORDER TO MARRY RACHAEL.

4. RELATIONSHIP WITH LABAN WAS BASED ON DECEIT AND IT NEVER GOT ANY BETTER.

5. IN GENESIS 31, GOD COMES TO JACOB AND TELLS HIM TO RETURN AND GO BACK TO HIS FAMILY.

Genesis 31:3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you."

6. JACOB IS HAPPY TO TRUST GOD – RELATIONS WITH LABAN ARE BAD, SO LEAVING IS GOOD

7. ON THE WAY HOME, JACOB ARRIVES AT THE RIVER JABBOK, AND REMEMBERS ESAU.

8. SEND SERVANTS TO ASSES HOW HE WOULD BE RECEIVED, AND THEY RETURN TELLING HIM ESAU IS BEHIND THEM

9. NOW TRUSTING GOD IS OUT OF THE QUESTION.

10. JACOB TRIES TO PLACATE ESAU.

a. SENDS 200 FEMALE GOATS – NOT ENOUGH

b. SENDS 20 MALE GOATS – NOT ENOUGH

c. SENDS 200 EWES – NOT ENOUGH

d. SENDS 20 RAMS – NOT ENOUGH

e. SENDS 30 FEMALE CAMELS AND THEIR YOUNG – NOT ENOUGH

f. SENDS 40 COWS – NOT ENOUGH

g. SENDS 10 BULLS – NOT ENOUGH

h. SENDS 20 FEMALE DONKEYS – NOT ENOUGH

i. SENDS 10 MALE DONKEYS – STILL NOT ENOUGH – ALL LOOKING TO PACIFY ESAU. WHERE WAS THE GOD WHO TOLD HIM TO RETURN?

11. NEXT DAY, JACOB STARTS AGAIN. HE HAS NO MORE STUFF, SO HE NOW SENDS FAMILY