2024.08.25.Sermon Notes. Genesis 32. Jacob’s Surrender. Wrestling for the Blessing.
William Akehurst, HSWC
BIG IDEA: Jacob’s Surrender. A strong man’s journey of deceit and lies, that must be wrestled and broken to receive the promised blessing complete with a new name.
Scriptures: Genesis 32:1-32, Genesis 21:3, Hebrews 13:2, 2 Kings 2:1-3, 2 Kings 6:16-17,
1 John 1:9, Psalms 103:12, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Philippians 4:19, Hebrews 4:16, James 4:10, 2 Chronicles 7:14-15, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Matthew 6:9-13, Matthew 6:13,
Revelation 2:16-17, Revelation 3:11-12
Jacob’s Journey, Angels, A Wrestling Match and a New Name.
Jacob’s Fear, Prayer, Brokenness, Surrender and Blessing.
The Abrahamic Covenant was the promise of a Land, a Nation and a Blessing.
From that blessing would come the Messiah, who would be a blessing to every Nation, all people.
The Land of Israel, the Nation of Israel, and the Blessing of Israel through MESSIAH JESUS CHRIST for all people.
Genesis 12:3 (NKJV)
3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
RECAP
Jacob left Canaan when his brother Esau threatened to kill him.
Jacob has been gone for 20 years, and this thought hasn’t left him.
He has left Laban’s camp, and is now headed back home, so that prior thought of his brother gave him great concern.
JACOB’S JOURNEY AND ENCOUNTER WITH ANGELS
Genesis 32:1-32
Vs. 1-2 Two Camps.
1 So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp.” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
MAHANAIM means 2 camps.
Jacob’s Camp, and God’s Camp of Angels.
We don’t know exactly what it means by “the angels of GOD met” Jacob. But he saw them. It doesn’t appear that he interacted with them. But their presence was known to him.
We know that 2 angels met with Abraham and talked with Abraham, and when they left Abraham, they went to Sodom and Gomorrah and interacted with Lot before destroying the city.
We know that scripture speaks of angels around us, and that they normally remain unseen to us, but sometimes we meet them without realizing it.
Hebrews 13:2 NLT Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
20 years before, Jacob had a dream during his journey to Laban’s country. In his dream, he saw the ladder of angels ascending and descending from heaven to earth.
Jesus spoke of the heavenly hosts ministering to himself and to us.
But for some reason, Jacob was now given sight of these angels around him.
POINT: This shows us how great GOD’s care is for his people.
Whether or not those angels were seen or unseen, they still would have been there.
Having his eyes opened to see them probably gave Jacob confidence to continue home to face his brother.
POINT: Angels are all around us, whether we see them or not. They are ministering to us, helping us, protecting us.
As believers, we must understand that we live in Mahanaim, our camp, surrounded by God’s Camp of Angels!
POINT: The LORD is present with HIS people and HE cares for you.
This revelation of GOD’s presence and care came after Jacob left Laban, a worldly man.
POINT: Separation from the world often leads to greater insight for the believer to be able to understand the invisible (spiritual things).
The angels didn’t JUST show up at this time, they had been with Jacob all along, and Jacob finally was given sight to see them.
POINT: Angelic protection, though we rarely see it, is present.
In his book Angels, Billy Graham relates the story told by Reverend John G. Paton, a trail-blazing missionary in the South Pacific in the New Hebrides Islands. The story illustrates how God provides angels to protect and care for His believers.
One night Paton and his wife found themselves threatened by hostile natives who surrounded their mission headquarters. The Patons thought for sure that the natives would burn down the headquarters and kill them both. They prayed throughout the night asking God to protect them from harm. The next morning they were astonished when they realized that the natives had gone away. They had no idea where or why they had left. The missionaries again prayed and thanked the Lord for saving them.
About a year later, the chief of the native tribe who had threatened them became a Christian. He came to visit the Patons. When he was asked about the incident of that night of terror, the chief told the Patons that he and his men were too fearful to carry out their plans of attack. They had seen an army of giant men in “shining garments with drawn swords in their hands” surrounding the mission grounds. Paton and the chief agreed that there was no explanation other than that God had sent angels to keep the missionaries from harm.
Other times when angels were seen.
2 Kings 2, Elisha saw Angels come for Elijah.
2 Kings 6:16-17 (Elisha’s servant’s eyes opened to see Angels surrounding them)
16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
Another story of another missionary in a similar situation, was that a bible study group of 21 men somewhere in the USA were led to pray for a missionary in a hostile land. That night, a tribe was to attack the missionary camp, but stopped in their tracks when they saw 21 tall men with flaming swords around this missionary’s tent.
POINT. We must understand that our prayers release and send out the Armies of Heaven to minister to those in need.
And KNOW THIS. GOD cares for you, and surrounds you with HIS heavenly hosts.
Vs. 3-6
JACOB’S FEAR OF HIS BROTHER ESAU
3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, “Speak thus to my lord Esau, ‘Thus your servant Jacob says: “I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.” ’ ”
6 Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”
Remember, 20 years before, Esau swore to kill his brother Jacob.
Esau was the manly man, who might act on his threats.
Jacob wanted Esau to see his wealth, not to boast, but rather to know that Jacob had not come to take anything from Esau.
Esau was coming to meet Jacob with 400 men.
Jacob knows he deceived Esau, and feared for his life.
2 things have happened.
Laban came from the East to confront Jacob, and now Esau was coming from the West. Both with armed men. And Jacob confronts both.
But the difference is, Jacob was in the right with Laban, but in the wrong with Esau.
In Genesis 31, Laban had come with his militia to confront Jacob, but Jacob boldly stood up to Laban and spoke his mind for his mistreatment.
Now Jacob was to meet up with his brother, who had sworn to kill him at their father’s death.
Jacob was now confronted with the guilt of his deception toward his brother Esau.
He remembered all the wrong he had done with Esau, so he was afraid.
POINT: Many believers are hindered by the memory of their past sins and failings.
It’s interesting that Jacob was being confronted from the East and the West to deal with his past sins. Which reminds me of these promises in GOD’s Word.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Psalms 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
REMEMBER THE PROMISE: Once you confess your sin, HE is faithful and just to forgive you of your sins, and cleanse you from your unrighteousness.
And once your sins have been forgiven, they are separated from you as far as the east is from the west.
Moving on. Remember that Rebekah told Jacob that she would send for him when Esau calmed down. She said “in a few days”. It’s now been 20 years, and that message never came.
Jacob had reason to believe that Esau was STILL out to kill him.
Due to Jacob’s fear, he failed to remember GOD saying that HE would be with him.
REMEMBER: Your problems are real, but GOD is greater.
Vs. 7-8
7 So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies. 8 And he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape.”
Jacob divides his people into 2 companies.
It’s almost as if Jacob had forgotten about Mahanaim, the 2 camps, GOD’s Camp and Jacob’s Camp.
Vs. 9-12
JACOB’S PRAYER. He doesn’t want to be murdered.
NOTE: THIS IS THE FIRST RECORDED PRAYER IN THE BIBLE!
Previously, Isaac prayed for Rebekah to have children, but his prayer wasn’t recorded, only that he prayed.
9 Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’: 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. 11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. 12 For You said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”
BREAKOUT Vs. 9-12
Vs. 9 – THE COVENANT RELATIONSHIP
JACOB APPROACHES THE “GOD OF MY FATHERS ABRAHAM AND ISAAC.”
He approaches the ‘Covenant Loving GOD’ with the ‘Covenant Relationship’ of Abraham and Isaac. Considering the Divine Faithfulness of GOD.
This was a prayer of Faith.
POINT: We come to GOD, not as the “GOD of our Forefathers”, but as THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!
When we pray to OUR GOD and HEAVENLY FATHER and IN JESUS’ NAME, We are LITERALLY PRAYING IN THE COVENANT RELATIONSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST!
Vs. 9 – GOD’S PROMISES “THE LORD WHO SAID TO ME”
Jacob STANDS on the WORD of GOD, the PROMISES of GOD.
He reminds THE LORD how it was promised to return to the land so that GOD would deal with him.
NOTICE: JACOB REMEMBERS GOD’S PROMISES IN HIS PRAYER.
POINT: Just as Jacob Stands on the Words of GOD and HIS PROMISES…
We too must stand on the WORD OF GOD and HIS PROMISES.
Many of our prayers fall short because there is very little of GOD’s Word in our prayers.
Many of our prayers fall short because there is very little of GOD’s Word in us!
2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for thee.”
We are to come to the Throne of Grace with HIS PROMISES of HIS WORD.
Philippians 4:19 reminds us, “My God shall supply all your need.”
We can take these very words to HIM, “FATHER, YOU have said that YOU would supply for all my needs”
Vs. 10 – HUMBLE THYSELF. Jacob prays in humility.
Jacob Acknowledges his lack of worthiness.
Jacob came to FATHER GOD in Humility, not worthy of the least of all of GOD’s Mercies.
‘I’m not worthy of YOUR Mercy, but YOU Promised.’
Jacob relied on GOD’s Promise, not on his own worthiness.
POINT: WE too must approach the LORD in Humility
WHILE WE CAN APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE BOLDLY…
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
…WE ARE TO COME IN HUMILITY.
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
2 Chronicles 7:14-15 (NKJV)
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.
NOTICE: Normally we only think of vs. 14, but when we push forward to verse 15, we see GOD’s Response. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer made in this place.
WHAT IS “THIS PLACE”? A Humbled heart of repentance.
I read somewhere that “We must get down in the dust before GOD if we are to receive HIS BLESSING”.
We must come before HIM empty if HE is to fill us.
We must own our worthlessness before HIM, if we are to receive HIS GRACE and answers to our prayers.
Vs. 10b – Two Companies – A house divided.
“I have crossed over this Jordan and now I have become two companies”
Jacob has divided his household and possessions in two. He is creating his own Mahanaim.
This shows his lack of faith, and yet he pleads with GOD…
Vs. 11- “Deliver me I pray”, the purpose of Jacob’s Prayer.
11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children.
Jacob’s true motive in prayer is revealed here.
Vs. 12 – YOU SAID
A FURTHER PLEADING OF GOD’S PROMISE WITH AN EYE ON GOD’S GLORY
12 For You said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”
GOD HAD PROMISED, But Jacob reasoned that if his wife and children were dead, how could GOD fulfill THE PROMISE?
And reasoned that GOD had to keep HIS PROMISE so that HE would be glorified in it.
SCRIPTURE TELLS US that whatever we do, in prayer or in everything else, WE ARE TO DO IT TO THE GLORY OF GOD.
1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
WHY DO WE PRAY for our loved ones to be saved?
FOR GOD’S GLORY
WHY DO WE PRAY for the sick?
FOR GOD’S GLORY
WHY DO WE PRAY…
FOR GOD’S GLORY
Matthew 6:9-13 as JESUS taught the disciples to pray.
The “Lord’s Prayer” ends with “for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV)
9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, (COVENANT RELATIONSHIP)
Hallowed be Your name. (OUR HUMILITY - HIS GLORY)
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. (PROMISES OF THE KINGDOM)
11 Give us this day our daily bread. (OUR NEED)
12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. (OUR FORGIVENESS)
13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. (OUR PROTECTION)
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (FOR YOUR GLORY)
Vs. 13-21
INSTRUCTIONS TO THE HERDSMEN. DELIVER THIS MESSAGE.
THESE GIFTS ARE FOR YOU FROM YOUR SERVANT JACOB WHO IS BEHIND US.
NOTE: JACOB’S PRAYER WAS BETTER THAN HIS FAITH.
13 So he lodged there that same night, and took what came to his hand as a present for Esau his brother: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals. 16 Then he delivered them to the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put some distance between successive droves.” 17 And he commanded the first one, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going? Whose are these in front of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us.’ ” 19 So he commanded the second, the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, “In this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; 20 and also say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he said, “I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” 21 So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.
JACOB sent an impressive series of gifts. Valuable animals. A very generous series of gifts.
JACOB was wealthy and was sending the message that he didn’t want anything from ESAU.
JACOB was NOT TRUSTING GOD. JACOB would come AFTER the gifts.
HAD HE BEEN TRUSTING GOD, JACOB would have been IN FRONT of the gifts.
POINT: Do we as Christians trust more in our own ways and thoughts?
Do we surrender to GOD, the same way that Jacob hoped to bribe Esau?
Jacob refused to surrender himself to GOD.
POINT: Jacob surrendered all his possessions, but Jacob had not yet surrendered himself.
POINT: How many times have I done the same, have YOU done the same?
Not fully surrendering ourselves to GOD, and trying to do things on our own, in our own thinking?
Vs. 22-23 NO RETREAT
22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had.
24 Then Jacob was left alone…
NOTE: JACOB LEFT NO RETREAT. He sent everything he had across the river. And now, finally, Jacob was left alone.
GOD had Jacob to be left alone, so that HE, GOD, could command Jacob’s full attention.
THE STAGE WAS NOW SET FOR A TURNING POINT IN JACOBS LIFE.
Vs. 24-27 BROKEN AND BLESSED
24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.
25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.
26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”
But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”
27 So He said to him, “What is your name?”
He said, “Jacob.”
A “Man” wrestled with Jacob.
Jacob didn’t wrestle with HIM, HE wrestled with Jacob.
GOD came to wrestle, to take something from Jacob.
It doesn’t say that Jacob wrestled with the Man,
It was “The Man” wrestling with Jacob, to take something from Jacob.
Until the breaking of day, a long-extended wrestling match.
Jacob was unyielding to GOD. And he had to be broken.
WHO IS THIS “MAN”
HE’S NOT…GOD THE FATHER
NOT…GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.
RATHER, HE IS “GOD IN FLESH”…
GOD takes on the form of A Man, GOD in human flesh is CHRIST.
A Battle of JESUS CHRIST in HIS incarnated form, wrestling with Jacob.
Jacob was a very determined man. Determined in self-will. GOD wrestling his self-will from him.
Contending with GOD. The rebellious individual.
And it required that Jacob be broken.
GOD allows wrestling to continue to exhaust Jacob. But Jacob is not giving up. Then in a moment, GOD touches Jacob, dislocating his hip, breaking him.
GOD BROKE JACOB.
Touching the socket of Jacob’s hip. Excruciating pain that would make any grown and strong man cry and fall to the ground.
And yet, Jacob hangs on. Desperately clinging to this MAN, even while defeated.
GOD was wrestling all the self-will out of Jacob.
Jacob needed to learn his submission to GOD.
DON’T MISS THIS…
KEY POINT: We are actually seeing “THE PROMISED BLESSING” wrestling with Jacob, so that Jacob would surrender himself TO GOD, so that he would receive “THE BLESSING” promise of GOD.
THAT BLESSING is JESUS CHRIST, the MESSIAH who would bring the Blessing of Salvation to ALL who will surrender themselves to HIM and the Cross, through faith, believing, trusting and following after HIM.
POINT: GOD ALSO CONQUERS US.
We all wrestle with GOD.
And GOD wrestles with us.
For some of us, HE must “break us” for us to surrender.
HE may “break you” to reshape you.
We must understand we serve a GOD WHO is GREATER than us.
Whose WAYS and THOUGHTS are above our understanding and capacity.
And we can’t conquer anything until we let GOD Conquer us.
Jacob needed to learn his submission to GOD.
GOD overcame Jacob, and Jacob came to GOD for his blessing with weeping.
Also notice that GOD doesn’t heal Jacob afterwards, as he continued to walk with a limp.
Vs. 26 – I WILL NOT LET GO UNTIL YOU BLESS ME.
26 …But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”
Jacob once again, held out for “the blessing”.
Vs. 27 – WHAT IS YOUR NAME?
27 So He said to him, “What is your name?”
He said, “Jacob.”
What’s the point?
Why would GOD ask Jacob, whom HE wrestled with, whom HE know, his name?
We have to understand the name “Jacob” of that time period, not current day 21st century.
Back then, It wasn’t the best of names.
“My name is Jacob” – Jacob, a deceiver, a liar, a supplanter, a grabber of the heal, one who tries to get ahead by any means.
GOD is calling Jacob to recognize what he was called, but then…
Vs. 28 – A new Name. ISRAEL, Empowered by GOD, Struggled, Prevailed, and Victorious
28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
From “my name is Jacob, liar and deceiver” to…
YOUR NAME WILL BE CALLED, “ISRAEL”.
EMPOWERED BY GOD, PREVAILING OVER MAN.
VICTORIOUS IN GOD.
OUR VICTORY COMES THROUGH CHRIST.
VICTORY IN JESUS.
POINT: When we surrender ourselves to GOD, to JESUS CHRIST, HE calls us by a new name, HIS NAME. And we take on HIS NAME as CHRIST-ians. But more importantly, GOD gives us a new name that we will learn someday.
Revelation 2:16-17 (NKJV)
16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’
Revelation 3:11-12 (NKJV)
11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
YOU BELIEVER, HAVE A NEW NAME!
Vs. 29-32 WHAT IS YOUR NAME? (Nevermind)
29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”
And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.
30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.
Why do you ask MY NAME when you already know who I AM!
JACOB names the place Peniel, for I have seen GOD face to face and am alive!
CONCLUSION:
Jacob had a Life Changing Experience.
He had a stronghold in his life.
From Jacob, the liar and cheater that took advantage of others to fulfill his own desires
to surrender from himself to GOD as…
One who Prevails, Triumphs and is Victorious. ISRAEL
Your name shall be called Israel, for you have fought with GOD and with man and have won.
Striven and strived in battle.
Broken and yet Empowered by the struggle to become Empowered by GOD.
As we look upon the covenant. A land, a people and a blessing (JESUS).
We see that Israel is empowered spiritually – with God – and physically – with men – and prevails.
The mission of Israel and all who share the faith in the God of Israel is to be empowered by our struggles to prevail over evil. God empowers us spiritually and materially to accomplish this task.
Let’s Pray,
FATHER GOD,
We come before YOU knowing we have nothing to offer except ourselves, surrendering to YOU. We thank YOU for YOUR MERCY and GRACE towards us, that the Blessing of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob extends to us today, through JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. FATHER, we ask for YOUR Blessing today. And that YOU would surround us with YOUR Protection. And that we would be led by the POWER of YOUR PRESENCE HOLY SPIRIT, into all truth. Order our steps today and every day. Refresh our hearts in the Joy of YOUR SALVATION for our eternity. All for YOUR Glory and Praise. And we come boldly before YOU, in the Covenant Relationship we have, in JESUS CHRIST, who was, who is, and who is coming again! Amen.
Be blessed and be a Blessing,
Bill
