EXPOSING THE PROPHESIED PRINCE
CENTRAL TEXT Genesis 32:24-28 - KJV
24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
PROPHETIC TEXT Genesis 25:21-23 - KJV
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
PROPHETIC BLESSING TEXT Genesis 27:29 - KJV
29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee
JACOB – He was one of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah, he was the brother of Esau. He was named Jacob because, at the birth of the twins, "his hand took hold of Esau’s heel" (25:26). HIS NAME MEANT TRICKSTER, DECEIVER. ACCORDING TO THE ACCOUNTS IN GENESIS, JACOB CONTINUED TO "TAKE HOLD OF" THE POSSESSIONS OF OTHERS—HIS BROTHER’S BIRTHRIGHT (25:29-34), HIS FATHER’S BLESSING (27:1-29), AND HIS FATHER-IN-LAW’S FLOCKS AND HERDS (30:25-43; 31:1).
THE MOST DRAMATIC MOMENTS IN JACOB’S LIFE OCCURRED AT
A. Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22)
The experience at Bethel occurred on his journey after receiving the news that his brother was going to kill him. As he was on his way, he stopped for the night at Bethel, he had a dream of a staircase reaching from earth to heaven with angels upon it and the Lord above it. He was impressed by the words of the Lord, promising Jacob inheritance of the land, descendants "as the dust of the earth" in number, and His divine presence. Jacob dedicated the site as a place of worship, calling it Bethel (literally, House of God). More than 20 years later, Jacob returned to this spot, built an altar, called the place El Bethel (literally, God of the house of God), and received the divine blessing (35:6-15).
B. River Jabbok (Genesis 32:22-32)
The experience at the ford of the River Jabbok occurred as Jacob returned from his long stay at Haran. While preparing for a reunion with his brother, Esau, of whom he was still afraid (32:7), he had a profound experience that left him changed in both body and spirit.
At the ford of the Jabbok, "Jacob was left alone" (32:24). It was night, and he found himself suddenly engaged in a wrestling match in the darkness. This match lasted until the breaking of the dawn. The socket of Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he struggled with this mysterious stranger, but he refused to release his grip until he was given a blessing. For the first time in the narrative of Genesis, Jacob had been unable to defeat an opponent. When asked to identify himself in the darkness, he confessed he was Jacob-the heel-grabber, the trickster, the deceiver
But Jacob’s struggling earned him a new name. For his struggle "with God and with men" in which he had prevailed, his name was changed to Israel (literally, Prince with God). In return, he gave a name to the spot that marked the change; it would be called Peniel-"For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" (32:30).
WHAT IS INTERESTING IS THAT EVEN THOUGH GOD CHANGED HIS NAME, HE WAS STILL REFERED TO AS JACOB UNTIL BEFORE HIS DEATH
C. In Egypt
With the great famine predicted by Joseph being felt in Canaan, Jacob sent his sons down into Egypt to purchase grain. He retained Benjamin, his youngest son, afraid that harm might come to him. His sons returned with a good supply of food and told him that they had been taken for spies and could only disprove the charge by carrying Benjamin to the "lord of the land." Jacob’s credulity was greatly tested when his sons came home the second time with the news that "Joseph is still alive." Convinced, however, of the truth of their story, he decided to go and see him before he died. On his way he was encouraged by a vision at Beersheba. He came to Egypt and was affectionately received by Joseph (chaps. 42-46), about 1871 B.C. Joseph presented his father to Pharaoh, and he and his family located in Goshen (42:1-47:1-12). This pharaoh was doubtless one of the powerful rulers of the splendid Twelfth Dynasty (2000-1780 B.C).
Genesis 45:27-28 - KJV
27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
28 AND ISRAEL SAID, IT IS ENOUGH; JOSEPH MY SON IS YET ALIVE: I WILL GO AND SEE HIM BEFORE I DIE
Genesis 46 - KJV
1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.
2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes
D. And on his deathbed (Genesis 49)
After living seventeen years in Egypt "the time for Israel to die drew near,"
At the end of his life, Jacob-now an aged man (47:28)-gathered his 12 sons around his bed to tell them what should and would happen to them "in the last days" (49:1). Jacob addressed his sons in the order of their birth.
· Reuben - the firstborn, who was rejected by his father for his sin (49:3-4)
· Simeon - who were cursed for their anger and cruelty (49:5-7)
· Levi - who were cursed for their anger and cruelty (49:5-7)
· Judah - who would be praised by his brothers and whose tribe would be the source of royalty, even the ruler of the people (49:8-12)
· Dan - called "a serpent" and "a viper," a life-which would be marked by violence (49:16-17)
· Joseph - Jacob’s favorite son (49:22-26). Jacob acquainted him with the divine promise of the land of Canaan and took from him a pledge that he would bury him with his fathers. He then adopted Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own and pronounced his benediction upon his sons. And when Jacob had finished blessing his sons, he "drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last" (49:33), dying at the ripe age of 147 (47:27-49:33) about 1854 B.C.
Following this scene, Jacob died (Genesis 49:33; 50:2). By his own request Jacob was carried back to the land of Canaan and was buried in the family burial ground in the cave of the field of MACHPELAH (Genesis 49:29-32; 50:13).
