William Borden. Heir to the Borden Dairy Estate, graduated from high School in 1904 a millionaire. His parents gave him a trip around the world, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. He wrote home saying, I’m going to give my life to prepare for the mission field.
When he made his decision, he wrote in the back of his bible two words: No Reserves.
He turned down high paying jobs after graduating from Yale University he entered two more words into his Bible: No Retreats.
After completing his studies at Princeton Theological Seminary, Borden sailed to China to work with Muslims, stopping first at Egypt for some prep.
While in Egypt he was struck with meningitis and died. What a waste – some might say.
But that is not God’s perspective:
In his bible under the words No Reserves, No Retreats, he wrote: No Regrets.
From God’s perspective William Borden arrived where God wanted him to be Living a Life Of Full Surrender.
From the World’s perspective: William Borden was a man who had it all and threw it away.
From God’s perspective: William Borden was a man who had nothing at all and gained everything.
Let’s face it –at the end of it all each of us stands before God. What is better to be holding – everything from the world’s perspective? - everything from God’s perspective?
This is what we see with Jacob. In our Scripture, Jacob appears to have it all, but a powerful encounter with God shows he needed to surrender to gain it all.
Round 1 – God Desires An Encounter With Us. We desire it too, but are unaware. Jacob is going to have a life changing encounter with God. It is not his first encounter. He grew up knowing about God, but really had no relationship. He first encountered God at his lowest point in his life. He gained a profound awareness but being aware of God, is not the same as knowing God. Yet this awareness did produce a faith in God.
He encounters God again when he is struggling with his uncle Laban. He is further aware and his faith is stronger. But he still heavily relies on himself to do things, helping out God. Still, he realizes things work out better with God. Though he hasn’t seen, it is all Godm, now he encounters God again. Not like the last encounters – this God will change him for good.
This is not a random, running into God – that never happens. God has him exactly where he wants him. Jacob is really not a good guy, with a true heart. God want to change that.
Here – pay attention- What God desires for Jacob, is what God desires for us. A heart ready to follow his lead. God will do anything needed to bring us there.
Many of us think God desires us to have a blessed life. He does – but not how w see it. We see, material and carrier success, peace and tranquility. We see this as what God want for us, in other words, the good life. But this is not true. If it where, Jacob who is very wealthy, wouldn’t need anything more. He has wealth. He has success. A wonderful family...But what God wants, number one thing, close relationship with an open heart, he did not have.
Not only does God desire this changing encounter, but so does Jacob. So do we – we may just not be aware. Jacob, again looks as if he is running away from a difficult situation. But he is really running toward God.
Round 2 – When We Are Out Of Options We’re In The Ring.
Jacob is in the process of moving – from twenty years of difficult work with an uncle who cheated him at every turn. But still God made sure he was blessed. Since his uncle couldn’t get ahead no matter how difficult he made it on Jacob, he had grown jealous, and had an attitude towards him. He is not welcome where he has come from but he is not welcome where he is going, His cheated brother, Esau, who swore he would get revenge and kill him is up ahead.
When his servants come back they bring ambiguous news. Your brother is coming with 400 men. A welcoming party? A raiding party?
Jacob knows this could be the end, so he does two things: Sends gifts ahead, a common thing at this time. What it shows is this: Sender is the servant of the receiver. Jacob is trying to appease his brother hoping to overwhelm him with gifts. But there is more, he is hoping to show he is the servant three times over.
He divides up the family and camps alone. He does this in the hope that if things go down in a bad way, some of his family will survive. He camps by himself so that if Esau finds him, he will be the only one killed.
Doesn’t sound like a man who fully trusts God. He still thinks he is the one who made his wealth grow. He is not fully aware of his dependence on God not yielding to the Spirit of God. Jacob is out of options, making things happen on his own. God is ready to step in.
Round 3 – We Need Awareness Of Who We Are, Really Are. Verses 9-12 Jacob Prays and reminds God of his promises, 9, 12 Which promises prosperity, and the fact he will make it home. So where is his faith? In some ways it is human nature. Really, what it shows is that he has not surrendered to God. He is aware of God, he knows God, not deeply though, has faith in God, but he needs to surrender to God.
Significant verses – 10 -11.
10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.
First time he shows he is aware that he is unworthy. In other words he has done nothing to deserve what God. Because God’s grace and mercy is a gift - Then as it is now.
Let’s be clear: It is not simply because he is in a difficult situation that his coming encounter with God is fruitful – he’s certainly had that before. It is fruitful because he is now aware of his sin. Aware of how unworthy he is.
Round 4 – The Point Of The Struggle Is: Surrender
So then we come to this curios verse, verse 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.
Our first thought might be – Esau. But it becomes clear as we read that it is none other than God himself. Some have speculated that his is a dream or that he is wrestling in prayer, but the Hebrew doesn’t say that. It is clear, straight out, Jacob is wrestling with God.
OT Professor – Patrick Miller.
Expert on the Psalms – very devote man, very kind, quite the scholar.
We had new Neighbors in Seminary housing and it turns out our new neighbor Steve is a close family friend of the Prof Miller’s family, from back in Memphis.
Well the Prof got new remote control, needed help programming it. So Saturday morning, Steve and I went over to help him. He was anxious didn’t want to miss his favorite show: WFW – World Federation of Wrestling. I was shocked. World renownd expert on the Psalms – Big Time Wrestling?
When the Scripture says wrestling here – it means non other than wrestling.
What I love is – for the first time, he is honest. God loves that.
The beginning of Verse 25 – stands out doesn’t it? When the man saw that he could not overpower him, how cold God not overpower – he is God isn’t he? God cannot make, Jacob, you or I surrender. We have to do that. If he could make us, our love for him would not be real.
God has brought him to the line, but Jacob has to step over it. So they continue. Jacob here is just hanging on, clinging...He realizes he has something and doesn’t want to let go. He is literally being Jacob – grabber, the meaning of his name. The point of this struggle, Jacob and in our lives – is surrender.
We must surrender to God.
This as a necessary experience. God needs Jacob to surrender. If he is going to move him on a create him the man he wants him to be, if he wants to leave that past behind, he must struggle, he must surrender.
Round 5 – We Are Given A New Identity.
When God asks his name it is not because he doesn’t know. It is an act of surrender. God does not give his, Jacob has no power over God. God asks his name - because he will now change his name. Why? Because Jacob has now surrendered to him.
He was Jacob – Grabber – not a great name, but fit him well.
Now he is Israel - what God will make him, how God sees him. Very literally – God Fights, taken as fights with God, here. Root related to Arabic and Ethiopic - giving the sense of healing. Really, a fighting which brings healing and even more – struggle, overcome.
God will bring to us a point of surrender – whatever it takes, how ever long it takes.
Round 6 - An Encounter With God Will Cost You.
There is a point where we will pay anything. Jacob was at a point where he would do anything to get out of his predicament. That is exactly where God wanted him to be. Jacob will never walk the same way again. The point is, the symbolism is: Jacob is reminded with every step: By the grace of God go I - By God’s power, not my own power.
What is it going to cost you, surrendering to God?
Question: Do you think Jacob would want to go back?
If you have been with us you have seen Jacob run from his sins and they always caught up with him. But now he has surrendered to God.
God has transformed his life and now he is about to prove it to him.
Next Week: Now God expects us to do what we don’t want to.
Jacob, now Israel, faces with fear what he has been running from for his whole life. He will have to face is brother Esau. He will have to face is old sin.
Where as before he would certainly have failed. But now, with God, he can only succeed.
