Today we are continuing our family series called This is US. Everyone has a family and every family has a story.
What we want to get pressed deep within our hearts through this series is that God is an integral part in your Family Story. We’re going to take a look at several Bible Families and see, first, that none of them were perfect and, second, that we can see our own Family Story reflected in these families.
Last week we brought you the story of Isaac and Rebekah. Today we get to look at their son Jacob and how God changed him into the person he wanted him to become.
Big Truth: Change in our families begins with change in us.
What would you most like to change about yourself? If you could change one thing – what would it be? All of us change over time. Each one of us is getting older. But the great tragedy of life is that sometimes we don’t change for the better. Most people are interested in change. I looked up some the top selling self-help books that are out there. One of them is titled: “Get Out Of Your Own Way – Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior.” Another one is titled: “Self Help – How To Change Your Life In The Next 15 Minutes.” Now – I am not endorsing either one of these books – but it interesting to know that people want change – and most people want it quick. But do you know the truth. Most change takes T I M E. It usually does not come instantaneously. In Genesis chapter 32 we see the process that God uses in changing Jacob. God is helping him become a different kind of person – a better person. The incident recorded in this chapter was a turning point in Jacob’s life and serves as a dramatic example of how God can change us too.
Last week we introduced you to Jacob where he had tricked his father into giving him a blessing that was intended for his older brother Esau.Jacob’s father could not see very well and the father had sent Esau out to hunt some game and make some stew for him. While Esau was away – Jacob came in with some stew and pretended to be Esau. Jacob had pulled it off – he had tricked his father. Isaac blessed Jacob – Esau became angry and Jacob had to run for his life. Jacob’s name means “deceiver” or “cheater." But several years later Jacob was returning home. He knew that he would see Esau again and that was an uncomfortable fact. "How would Esau react? Would he still be mad? Would he try to kill me?" These were questions that were running though Jacob’s mind. It was at this point that Jacob had an encounter with God that would change the rest of his life forever. It was such a transforming experience that he was never the same again. Let us pick up the story in Genesis 32 verse 24.
And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” (Genesis 32:24–30).
In this story we have a clear expression of a four-step process that God used to change Jacob – four steps that would radically alter his life forever. If you are following along in your bulletin we are going to look at four steps that God uses to change us into the people God wants us to become.
1. The first step is CRISIS
Verse 24 says
And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. Genesis 32:24
This was no ordinary man for later on in our text Jacob says: "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved." Some will tell you that Jacob wrestled with an angel. Others would say that it was a pre-manifestation of Jesus himself. I am inclined to believe that Jesus – but no matter who it was it was a supernatural event that caused a crisis in Jacob’s life. Jacob found himself in a wrestling match with a heavenly being. He was having a real struggle – and worst of all he came to realize that he was in a no-win situation. By daybreak Jacob was getting tired. He was not going to win and his opponent was not giving in. Both had locked their horns and Jacob was not going to let go – he was in the middle of a crisis.
Here is the point: God often uses a crisis to get our attention.
Jacob was in the middle of a wrestling match – but more than that he was in the middle of crisis. It was as if God was saying to him, “Jacob you can’t win – you’re only going to get more and more tired – so what are you going to do Jacob?” God wanted to get his attention. Have any of you ever gotten yourself into a real crisis that you can’t get out of? I know that I have. Sometimes we bring crisis on ourselves – sometimes we don’t. But the truth of the matter is that all of us will experience crisis at one point or another – Jacob did.
If we’re experiencing a crisis right now it could be because God is trying to get your attention – that God is trying to draw you closer to His side. Some of us will never get closer to God because we pretend that we’re doing alright on our own. But the Bible says:
When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me. (Ps 86:7).
Unfortunately many of us never change until we find ourselves in the middle of a crisis. When we get miserable enough – we finally get motivated to let God do something in our lives. A mother eagle will take the nest of her young and stir it up. She’ll make them uncomfortable and miserable, then kick her offspring out and force them to learn to fly – for their own good in life. God does that in our lives too. He makes us uncomfortable if that’s what it takes to motivate us. That’s because He knows what is best and He wants us to grow. He will allow a crisis or a problem or an irritation or a frustration in our lives to get our attention. Here is why: God allows crisis because we typically don’t change until our fear of change is exceeded by the pain we’re experiencing. Crisis is the first step of change in our lives.
The second step God uses to change us into the people God wants us to become is:
2. The second step is COMMITMENT
Look what the man and Jacob said:
Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (Genesis 32:26).
Jacob was committed – he was persistent – he stayed with the situation until he received a blessing.
He was in a situation he didn’t like – it was frustrating – it was getting him down – he was getting tired – but he said, “I am 100% committed to staying with the situation until God blesses me.”
Here’s the lesson we get from this: After God gets our attention with a crisis – He doesn’t solve it immediately.
He waits a little longer to see if we really mean business. Most people try to take the easy path. Most people bail out before the blessing. Most people will miss God’s best for their lives because they give up too soon.
Do you remember this story in the Bible:
Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:19–20).
I wonder if that person continued following Him after that day—after Jesus told him that to follow him was going to be uncomfortable sometimes – that it was not going to be easy – that it was not going to be convenient. The Bible doesn’t tell us if the scribe continued following Jesus – but I can tell you this – some people give up too early. Some people give up because the path is not easy. Some people give up because it’s not convenient. It takes us six weeks of doing something every day before it becomes a habit in our lives. Think about New Years Resolutions. It takes commitment to achieve something worthwhile.
The third step God uses to change us into the people God wants us to become is:
3. The third step is CONFESSION
After Jacob tells him was not going to let go until he received a blessing – God said to Jacob:
What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” (Genesis 32:27).
The purpose of that question was to get Jacob to acknowledge his character by stating his name – his name means “deceiver” or “cheater”. Jacob had a long history of cheating and scheming. He had cheated his brother Esau. He had lied to his father and deceived him. So the question was asked: “What is your name? What are you really like? Who are you really?”Jacob answered, “My name is Jacob.” By saying his name Jacob admitted, “I’m a deceiver” “I am a cheater.” He admitted his weaknesses. When he identified himself as “Jacob,” he was admitting his character flaws.This is an important process in God changing us, because we never change until we honestly face and admit our faults, sins, weaknesses and mistakes. ”God will not go to work on our problem until we first admit that we’ve got a problem. We need to say, “Lord, I’m a mess. I’ve got a problem and I admit it.” It’s at that point that God can go to work.”
The Bible says:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
In this event in Jacob’s life it was much more than just a wrestling match. It was an example of how God wanted to change his life. First He brings a frustrating crisis – he was in a wrestling match he was not going win. Then there is a point of commitment – how long will you hold on. Then there is the point of confession – who are you really. But it’s not over...
The fourth thing God uses to change us into the people God wants us to become is:
4. The fourth step is COOPERATION
After Jacob confessed to God – God said: Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28).
Jacob did not argue with God about the name change. After he had a personal encounter with God he knew that his life would no longer be the same. The Lord does not let Jacob’s past define his future. And the same is true for you. God forgives us through Christ and no longer hold’s our sin against us. God changed Jacob from a deceiver and cheat to an Israel – which loosely means God fights or God strives.” God changes our names too. From Sinner to Saint. God saw all of Jacob’s weaknesses and faults – but He also saw Jacob’s potential. God always knows how to bring out the best in a person’s life. He knows how to do it better than we do. But that’s not all – in verse thirty one we find:
The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. (Genesis 32:31).
While Jacob had been wrestling – Jacob’s hip was dislocated and as a result he walked with a limp for the rest of his life. That may seem a little unfair until you think about it a little. There could be three reasons that Jacob would walk with a limp. First, is the fact that thigh muscle is one of the most powerful muscles in your body. God touched Jacob’s thigh and it became a reminder to Jacob for the rest of his life that he was no longer to trust in his own power or his own might – but he was to trust in the power of God. The same is true for us.
This leads me to my 5th and final principle:
5. For lasting change in our lives we no longer live in our own strength but in God’s strength.
The second reason God inflicted Jacob was because when he typically got himself into trouble he would simply run away. God put a limp in his walk to slow him down. Never again could Jacob just run away from a difficult situation. For the rest of his life he would have to stand and face his problems – not in his own strength but in God’s strength. Jacob would have to learn walk with a limp because of his encounter with God.
The third reason is Jacob was an example of God using a person with all his faults and flaws to be a great leader of a nation. That is why God told us this:
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. (1 Co 1:26–27).
God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things – not because we are flawless – but because God is a graceful and life changing God. In the Crisis, Commit to hold on and don’t quit, confess to God your sin and weakness, and watch God change you into the people God wants us to become.
Pray
