There’s a story about a little girl who climbed up on the lap of her great grandmother and looked at her white hair and wrinkles and then asked, “Did God make you?”
“Yes,” the great grandmother replied.
Then the child asked, “Did God make me, too?”
Grandma again replied, “Yes.”
“Well, said the little girl, “don’t you think He’s doing a better job now than he used to?”
Often we as Christians feel the same way about the Old Testament. It is old. I mean really old. It’s age is evident. It certainly isn’t relevant to today. Look at it’s wrinkles. People don’t travel in caravans anymore. Why they didn’t even know who Jesus was. The New Testament is all that matters now.
This morning I want us to stop and look beneath the wrinkles of the Old Testament at individual much like ourselves and lessons God has through him for you and me.
The text this morning is from Genesis 32:22-30. Let’s read it responsively.
Jacob was the son of Isaac, the grandson of Abraham. From the moment of his conception in his mother’s womb he was conceived by the grace and love of God. He was conceived out of his parents, Isaac and Rebekah’s, obedience to God. Jacob was born into a home of believers, probably much like you and I were. He was raised knowing God. He tried to follow God’s will. And,yet, he didn’t quite trust God enough to fulfill what God had promised that he, Jacob, would be a father of a strong nation and God would bless him for his obedience.
You see, Jacob could have been born into America today for a US News and World Report recently began with these insightful and yet profound words:
If America has any national religion at all, it is not the Christianity of its found fathers; nor is it, as the cynics would have it money. It is rather the belief that we are each in full control of our own lives and our destinies.
Without intending to, this article identifies the fundamental problem with humanity – which is as old as the first man and the first woman – our struggle with God over who is going to be in control of our lives. Jacob struggled with the same thing. Here in lived in a nation of religious people but his religion was not of God if was of power.
Jacob since he was in his mother’s womb and tried to live his life his way. He always wanted to be first, to be the one in control. Jacob was a twin. He was to be born second and he struggled with that grabbing a hold of Esau’s ankle. As a young lad he was consumed with the desire to have the power of the birthright giving him control over all of his families heritage. He was determined to have his way. No one or anything would stand in his way.
When Isaac, Jacob’s father was old and nearly blind, Jacob and his mother, Rebekah, conceived a plan to give the power that was rightfully his brother to him. Jacob dressed in his brother’s clothing, covered his smooth skin with goatskins and went to his father disguised as Esau. Isaac thinking Jacob was Esau blessed him giving him authority and possession of all that he had. Jacob had won he had stolen Esau’s blessing.
When Esau learned of the deception, he cried out in anguish. Esau’s pain from losing his birthright and blessing gave way to anger. He vowed to kill Jacob. Rebekah warned Jacob of Esau’s vow and Jacob fled from his brother’s wrath to Paddan Aram (pay-duhn air-uhm). He had what he wanted now all he had to do was live out his life far from the threat of Esau. He married Leah and Rachel. He fathered many children and he prospered. And then in Genesis 31:3 the Lord spoke to Jacob and commanded him, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives and I will be with you.”
Can’t you just hear Jacob, Lord you want me to do what? You want me to go where? back to the land of my fathers? Whoa, wait a minute Lord, Esau lives there. Remember Lord, Esau hates me. He has vowed to kill me. Surely Lord you don’t want me to go back there, do you? (Pause)
Sound familiar? Have you ever heard God’s voice, his command for your life and then tried to talk him out of it. Surely God this isn’t what you want me to do? God you must of made a mistake, I can’t do that. Send someone else. (Pause)
I remember when I first felt God’s call into the ministry. I had heard God’s voice and I was willing but Lord until he said, “Go into youth ministry.” Please, God, don’t send me into youth ministry. You know I will relate better to adults. Beside adults are so much more civil than youth. You know I am getting old, too old to keep up with a bunch of teenagers. I just don’t think I would do a good job in youth ministry, you must have made a mistake. What I didn’t understand then was that if I hadn’t gone into youth ministry that would have been the mistake.
Like Jacob and myself, are there times when you want to argue with God when you are afraid to obey. Times when even though you know God you hesitate to trust your life to Him, fearing to follow his will?
And so, Jacob wrestled with God’s command. He gathered all of his possessions. He gathered his flocks and his family and he headed home. He even prayed, Chapter 32: vs 9-12 (READ).
And then after having prayed and putting things into God’s hand Jacob takes back control of his own life. You know God I know your are suppose to strong and power but sometimes I think you needed a little help to make this work out the way the right way. Jacob wanted to control his own destiny. He could say the words, “I trust you God.” But when it really came down to it, he trusted himself more.
He would fix it to where Esau’s anger would be soothed and would welcome him and his family back into the land of their father. Jacob would say, that’s okay God I got it all under control. I really don’t need you right now. I have my own plan. And so Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to greet Esau, to try and soften Esau’s anger.
Genesis Chapter 32 verse 4, Jacob instructed his messengers: “This is what you are to say to my master Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord (Esau), that I may find favor in your eyes.’” But the words did not seem to be enough to pacify Esau’s anger. Verse 6, “When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you and four hundred men are with him.”
Jacob was frightened. He didn’t have an army. It was just him, his wives and children, and a few shepherds and herdsmen. How could they ever stand up against an army of four hundred men. To follow God’s command meant he would have to put his life at risk. To continue on meant he had to put everything he loved and cherished on the line and yet ...
Jacob wanted to obey God. But could He really trust God to handle Esau’s anger? What if Esau attacked? Fearing Esau more than he thought he feared God, Jacob made a decision to handle it again by himself. He divided his people and flocks into two groups. If Esau attacked one group, the other group would still have a chance to escape. He would put them out in front of him. That would give him a little more time to figure out how to hand things. Jacob sent gifts to Esau.
Verse 14: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. He put them in the care of this servants, each herd by itself and said to his servants, ‘Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.’
He instructed the one in the lead: ‘When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ’To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and who owns all of these animals in front of you?’ then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’
He also instructed the second and the third and all the others who followed the herds: ‘You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. And be sure to say Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’ For (Jacob) thought ‘I will pacify (Esau) with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.’ So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp. (Genesis 32:14-21)
Jacob tried to sleep. He tossed and he turned. He fluffed up his pillow, of course in Jacob’s time his pillow was probably a rock. He straighten his covers. He kicked off the sheets. He pulled up the covers. He did everything he could to get comfortable but sleep wouldn’t come. He was afraid to meet Esau face to face. Have you ever been so worried about something so much that you couldn’t sleep?
Jacob gave up. He go up out of his bed. He had to come up with a plan, a plan to win, win in the way Jacob wanted. He sent his wives, maidservants and sons across the river. Esau would never believe they would move at night. Jacob would stay behind and ambush Esau when he came looking for them.
And Jacob was left there all alone. He thought his greatest fear was having to face Esau but in the darkness when everything and everyone else was away. Jacob had stand alone and face himself. Memories flooded over him. Memories of when he had taken matters into his own hands. Bruising recollections of the way he had deceived Esau out of his birthright and Issac’s blessing crowded in on him. Guilt and anguish haunted him. He doubted God and God’s ability to care for him. Jacob faced what he greatest foe and it wasn’t Esau.
Verse 24 “So Jacob was left alone and wrestled with a man…” It is not revealed at first with whom Jacob was wrestling. In fact it is not clearly stated until in Hosea 12:3 that the man is revealed to be an angel of God. Jacob must of feared it was Esau attacking him in the night. Fear gripped Jacob’s heart He struggled, wrestled and fought. He twisted and turned, punched, kicked. He was fighting for his dear life.
And then the realization came to Jacob, the same realization that come to every soul that has tried too long to evade the truth. Jacob wasn’t wrestling with Esau. He was wrestling with God. He was wrestling with his obedience to God’s will and command for his life. To disobey God meant letting go of God totally, forever. But to hold onto God meant letting go of control in his life and facing the consequences of his own decisions.
He thought he could handle everything. He thought he was stronger and better able to handle things than God. He could wrestle with any situation and come out the winner and then with a single touch of God Jacob realized he was a broken man unable to stand on his own.
Suddenly Jacob knew the only way he could win was to hold on. And so Jacob held on. He held on to God believing in a life more precious than tantalizing power of this world. He wrestle not to defeat the man but to stand victorious with him.
Verse 26, “then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ The man asked, ‘What is your name?” ‘Jacob,’ he answered.”
The question was asked not because the angel did not know with whom he was wrestling. For you see in the Old Testament time, a name was more than just what you were called. It reveal something profound about you. The name Jacob meant supplanter, trickster, an ambitious man who lived by his own wits. By confessing his name Jacob was confessing and exposing his true nature to God. He was confessing his short comings and sins. He had been living his life his way. Jacob had believed in God but had not surrender his life in obedience to God. In confessing his name Jacob sought the blessing of forgiveness that comes in committing ourselves to following God’s will and command for our lives. Jacob didn’t win the fight by holding on. He surrendered. He surrendered his will to God.
And daybreak came. The sun’s morning rays light crept over the horizon. The light of God, flowed over Jacob. And Jacob was given a new name, Israel, meaning literally, “God prevails.” It meant from now on Jacob’s life would take a new direction. Jacob had faced a crisis, a turning point in his life and he had come out victorious. He became victorious when he realized the supremacy of God and surrendered to God in obedience. Jacob would rather take the chance of dying at the hands of Esau then to disobey what God in his mercy had planned for his life.
As the sun rose, a new light burned in Jacob. He rose with a new determination, a new commitment to follow God, no matter what the cost. He gathered his family and he went out to meet Esau. Chapter 33, Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two maidservants. He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced his neck and kissed him. And they wept.
Jacob had learned what every man, woman, youth, and child needs to learn. On our own we can prevail over mankind like Jacob prevailed over Esau in taking of the birthright and blessing. But only when God prevails, not by our overpowering and wrestling with him, but by our holding on to him and pleading with Him for a blessing from him, then and only then will God prevail and we will our lives ever be lived to the fullest, in the full abundance of life. When God prevails, we prevail. Read Chapter 33:1-4.
In Oct, 1995 off the coast of Newfoundland there was an exchange between the Canadians and Americas. The Canadians radio message said please divert your course 15 degrees to avoid a collision. The American message said, you diver 15 degrees to avoid a collision. The Canadian message said divert 15 degrees to avoid a collision.
The American message said, “This is the captain of a United States navy Ship, divert your course 15 degrees to avoid a collision.
The Canadian message said you divert your course.
The American message said, “This is the USS Lincoln, the second largest ship in the Atlantic fleet. We are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers, and a number of support vessels, you divert 15 to avoid a collision. I demand you change your course 15 degrees or counter measures will be taken.
The Canadian message said, “This is a light house. Your call.”
