Heroes of the Bible: Jacob
Scott Bayles, pastor
Blooming Grove Christian Church: 7/25/2021
NOTE: This sermon was adapted from my book, Holy Heroes of the Bible. If it's a blessing to you, please consider buying my book which includes chapters/sermons on 17 additional Bible heroes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SBNJTSZ
If you’re just joining us, we started a brand-new series two weeks ago on the Heroes of the Bible. Everyone loves heroes—superheroes, action heroes, real-life heroes! And the Bible is full of heroes. They don’t wear spandex or fly around in capes and cowls. But their stories—which are full of action, adventure, intrigue, drama, and even supernatural power—instill us with faith, hope, and love. They inspire us, encourage us, and model true heroism from a biblical perspective.
Two weeks ago, we explored the story of Noah and learned that Noah became a hero by being different, devoted, and diligent. Then last Sunday, we focused on Abraham, who wielded a prompt faith, a patient faith, and a proven faith, making him the quintessential hero of faith.
The next hero in our series is Abraham’s grandson—Jacob.
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Jacob was not an only child, though. Sibling rivalry is a common theme in Scripture as well as superhero stories. Marvel’s most famous sibling rivalry is that of Thor and Loki, the sons of Odin, King of Asgard. As the “God of Thunder,” Thor is his father’s son—a mighty warrior and man of action. As the “God of Mischief,” though, Loki is a cunning trickster who relies on his cleverness rather than strength. When Thor stands to inherit the throne from their father Odin, Loki utilizes his powers of deception and illusion in an attempt to steal his brother’s birthright and claim the throne of Asgard. Over the course of multiple movies, Loki establishes himself as a villain with selfish ambitions. Loki betrays Asgard, impersonates Odin, and leads an alien invasion of New York. However, when Thanos, a much more menacing villain, threatens to kill his brother along with half of all life in the universe, Loki experiences a change of heart. He chooses heroism and redemption by making a last-ditch effort to save Thor and stop Thanos. Even though he started out as a villain, in the end, Loki dies a hero’s death.
The next hero in our series shares a similar origin story.
When Abraham’s son Isaac grew up, he married a woman named Rebekah who gave birth to twin boys—Esau and Jacob. Much like Thor, Esau grew up to be his father’s son, a rugged outdoorsmen and skilled hunter. Like Loki, Jacob was physically weaker and relied on his cleverness and cunning. As the firstborn son, Esau was entitled to a special birthright and blessing. The birthright included a double portion of the inheritance from their father, consisting primarily of land and livestock. The blessing would grant patriarchal leadership of the family as well as divine favor. Jacob’s selfish ambition and jealousy over his brother’s birthright and blessing led to a sibling rivalry of biblical proportions and set Jacob on a journey from villain to hero. As Jacob’s story begins, his villainy is evidenced by his duplicity.
• JACOB’S DUPLICITY
Jacob first demonstrates his duplicity when his brother Esau returns home from a fruitless hunting trip exhausted and hungry. Esau smells some stew Jacobs is cooking and says, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (Gen. 25:30 NLT). Rather than freely sharing his stew with his starving brother, though, Jacob takes cunning advantage of the situation, saying, “First sell me your birthright” (Gen. 25:31 NIV). Convinced he’s about to die of starvation, Esau concedes, “What good is my birthright to me now?” (Gen. 25:32 NLT). So, right there Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother for a bowl of stew.
Sometime later, while Isaac laid on his deathbed, Jacob took a page out of Loki’s playbook, disguising himself in order to deceive his father and steal his brother’s blessing, too. Isaac called Esau to his bedside and said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.” (Gen. 27:2-4 NIV).
Esau immediately grabbed his gear and set out into the fields to hunt. Meanwhile, with the help of his mother Rebekah, Jacob devised a clever deception that would take advantage of his nearly-blind, aging father. Jacob disguised himself as Esau by dressing in his brother’s favorite clothes. He also covered his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skin of a young goat to make himself appear hairier like his brother. Then he brought a delicious meal to his father Isaac, saying, “It’s Esau, your firstborn son. I’ve done as you told me. Here is the wild game. Now sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing” (Gen. 27:19 NLT). Isaac may have been old but he wasn’t stupid, so he says, “Come near so I can touch you, my son. Then I will know if you are really my son Esau” (Gen 27:21 NCV). So, Jacob came near to his father, then Isaac touched him and said, “Your voice sounds like Jacob’s voice, but your hands are hairy like the hands of Esau… Are you really my son Esau?” (Gen 27:22, 24 NCV). Jacob assured him one last time, “Yes, I am” (Gen 27:24 NLT). Finally, Isaac catches the scent of the outdoors on Jacob’s stolen clothing, which convinces him, and he agrees to bestow his blessing upon Jacob.
Hours later, Esau enters his father’s tent expecting to receive his blessing. It doesn’t take long for Isaac to figure out that he’d been deceived, but what’s done was done. The blessing was irrevocable. Jacob would become the next patriarch and eventually give rise to the Hebrew nation promised by God to Abraham. Filled with fury and hate, Esau swore to kill Jacob. So, fearing for his life, Jacob fled his home and sought refuge at his uncle’s house in a distant land.
Jacob’s duplicitous behavior didn’t work out the way he hoped. He managed to steal his brother’s birthright and blessing, but now he’s alone, empty handed, and on the run. Playing the villain always ends badly. If you’re willing to lie, cheat and steal to get what you want in life, you may or may not get what you want, but you’ll definitely create some enemies along the way and possibly destroy the relationships that matter most. Jacob learned the hard way that duplicity and deception weren’t the path to success or satisfaction.
The next step in his journey from villain to hero is Jacob’s dream.
• JACOB’S DREAM
When I was a kid, few toys were more entertaining and engaging than Transformers! Optimus Prime, Bumble Bee, and their motorized buddies have been captivating kids since the 1980s! In addition to the successful toy line, Transformers have appeared in cartoons, comicbooks, video games, and several live-action movies. Transformers have remained popular for more than thirty years because of their unique ability to, well… transform. What could be more fun than giant talking robots that can transform, or change, into semi-trucks, sportscars, or an F-22 Raptor? Like a kid playing with a Transformers action figure, God delights in transforming people. And that’s just what God does with Jacob.
On the way to his uncle Laban’s home in Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. With no pillow and few provisions, Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. As he slept, Jacob dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.
At the top of the stairway stood God himself, who said to Jacob, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth!” (Gen. 28:13-14 NLT). Then God adds, “What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.” (Gen. 28:15 NLT).
Jacob suddenly woke up and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it… How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28:16-17 NIV).
In the Old Testament, God often spoke to people through dreams and visions, so this dream was more than just Jacob’s overactive imagination; it was a genuine encounter with God—an encounter that would change Jacob’s life forever.
The next morning Jacob got up early, took the stone he had used as a pillow, and set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then Jacob vowed: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey… then the Lord will certainly be my God. And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God.” Genesis 28:20-22 NLT).
Jacob’s dream, his encounter with God, left him a changed man. This time Jacob didn’t merely change his clothes. It’s wasn’t just an external illusion. It was a real, internal change. Seeing God’s greatness and realizing that God actually cared about him, started Jacob on a lifelong journey of faith that molded him into a good and godly man. God wants to do the same for each one of us.
I heard a humorous testimony this week. A recent convert was asked to share her testimony in church about the difference accepting Jesus had made in her life. She nervously walked up to the pulpit and declared, “I’m so glad I got saved. Jesus has really turned my heart around. For example, I have an uncle I used to hate so much I vowed I’d never go to his funeral. But then I met Jesus, and now I just can’t wait to go to his funeral!”
Seriously— People who have encountered God in very real ways are seldom the same afterward. God’s ultimate goal is to change our hearts and lives, to transform us into the image of his Son Jesus. The Bible says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2 NLT). God changes things. He changed Jacob and he can change you too.
Finally, after beginning his hero’s journey, Jacob’s defining characteristic is his determination.
• JACOB’S DETERMINATION
After twenty years in the land of Paddan-aram—during which time Jacob grew in his faith, married, had many children, and prospered in everything he did—Jacob decided to return home and make amends with his brother Esau. On the way, Jacob sent his family on ahead of him and camped alone near the Jabbok River. During the night something unusual happened. The Bible says, “a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break” (Genesis 32:24 NLT). The Bible doesn’t reveal the events that triggered this wrestling match or the identity of this mysterious challenger, but as their struggle stretches into the early hours of the morning, it soon becomes obvious that this was no ordinary opponent.
After hours of grueling grappling, the Bible says, “When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man” (Genesis 32:25 NLT). Even with a dislocated hip, however, Jacob refuse to let go! Despite excruciating pain and exhaustion, Jacob remained determined to hold on to his unnamed opponent. Why? What was so important? When the stranger demands to be released, Jacob responds, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:26 NLT).
Jacob knew that there was something special, even supernatural, about this stranger. Finally, the man conceded, saying, “Your name will no longer be Jacob. Your name will now be Israel, because you have wrestled with God and with people, and you have won” (Genesis 32:28 NCV). Then the stranger blessed Jacob.
The name Israel literally means “wrestles or struggles with God.” In case the changing of Jacob’s name to Israel didn’t make the stranger’s identity clear, Jacob voices his relief, saying, “I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared” (Genesis 32:30 NLT). This mysterious man with whom Jacob wrestled all night long was none other than God himself in human form. What a bizarre and strange scene this must have been—two grown men wrestling and rough-housing all through the night, and one of them was God! The new name that God gave Jacob summarized his life. Jacob struggled with God and people, but he never gave up and that made him a hero.
Life is a struggle for many of us. Maybe you’re struggling in your relationships, or maybe you’re struggling at work, or with your faith. Sometimes we may want to just give up and throw in the towel. But heroes don’t give up. They don’t quit. They don’t let go. Jacob’s life teaches us the importance of determination. If we want to overcome, to be victorious in life, then we need to determine never to let go of God—no matter what else happens in life, never, never let go. Only then will we experience God’s blessing the way Jacob did.
Conclusion:
Following his struggle with God, Jacob (now named Israel) returned home, reunited with his brother Esau and eventually had twelve sons, who became the twelve tribes of Israel, fulfilling God’s promise to make Abraham’s children into a great nation.
Jacob experienced quite the journey from villain to hero. Despite his villainous origins, Jacob became a holy hero by abandoning his life of duplicity and deception when he encountered God in his dream and growing into a man of determination, who refused to give up, and never let go of God. By learning from his mistakes and following his example, we can become godly heroes too.
Invitation:
Maybe you can relate to Jacob’s journey. Maybe you’ve been willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get what you want in the past or even the present. What you need—what we all need—is a genuine encounter with God to change our hearts and set us on the right path. Thankfully, God tells us that if we seek him, we’ll find him because he’s not far from each one of us. So, that’s what I want to encourage you to do right now. In a moment, we’ll all stand and sing, but you can stand and pray. Reach out to God and seek his help in becoming the person he wants you to be. Let’s sing together.
