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Wrestling
with God
Introduction: A. Catching up to the past. 1.
It’s strange how we convince ourselves that we can escape the
past and not reap what we’ve sown. a)
We try to forget our sins, but our sins don’t forget us. b)
What Jacob did to his father and brother was forgiven by God,
but neither time nor geography could change the consequences of those acts. 2.
As you study Jacob’s actions during this crisis time in his life,
you see illustrated the conflicts all of us experience between faith and fear,
trusting God and scheming, asking God for help and then acting as though we don’t
even know God. 3.
How do you deal with crisis in your life? a)
How did Jacob deal with it? b)
What can we learn from him? I.
The Crisis: Fear of the
Unknown (Genesis 32:1-8) A. From Laban to Esau 1.
Two decades before, Jacob had fled from Esau to Laban a)
Now he was fleeing Laban only to be confronted by Esau! b)
After twenty years, Jacob’s past was catching up with him, and
he was afraid. 2.
Laban had left him and gone back to Padam Aran and so Jacob headed
toward a)
But Jacob knew that eventually he had to meet Esau because he
would come near where Esau lived (Genesis 33:16). b)
“A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city” (Proverbs
18:19). c)
Anticipating a difficult reunion with Esau, Jacob took the wise
approach and sent messengers ahead to inform his brother that he was coming. 3.
But instead of committing the whole matter to the Lord, who had
protected him from Laban, Jacob took things into his own hands. B. God’s Protection 1.
Imagine Jacob’s surprise when he saw an army of angels before
him! a)
“This is God’s host [army]!” he exclaimed, and he called the place
“Mahanaim,” which means “the two camps,” Jacob’s camp and God’s camp. b)
Twenty years before, Jacob had seen the angels at c)
But now he discovered that God’s angelic troops were there to
protect him and fight for him. 2.
So there was no reason to be afraid. “If God be for us, who can
be against us?” (Rom. 8:31, KJV) C. Faith or Fear 1.
As Jacob and his family, servants, flocks, and herds traveled
toward a)
Expecting the worst, Jacob jumped to the conclusion that his brother
had come to take vengeance on him and his family. b)
A guilty conscience often makes us see the darkest possible picture.
2.
When faith is crowded out by fear, we tend to start scheming and
trusting our own resources. a)
A lady said to evangelist D.L. Moody, “I’ve found a wonderful
verse to help me overcome fear”; and she quoted Psalm 56:3: “What time I am afraid,
I will trust in thee” (KJV). b)
“I can give you a better promise,” said Moody, and he quoted 3.
Believers who are walking by faith need not fear the enemy or
whatever bad news may come their way. “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings:
his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord” (Psalms 112:7, KJV). a)
But Jacob was “greatly afraid and distressed” (Genesis 32:7, KJV)
and therefore reverted to his old ways of scheming. b)
Instead of remembering the encouraging vision of God’s angelic
army, Jacob divided his camp into two bands so that if one group was attacked,
the other group could escape. c)
Jacob would have been much better off to trust the Lord to see
him through. II. The Basis of Prayer and Faith (Genesis 32:9-12) Jacob’s prayer is one of the great prayers recorded
in Scripture, and yet it was prayed by a man whose faith was very weak. Everything in this prayer says that Jacob had a profound
knowledge of God’s ways and God’s character, and yet he was praying in desperation
and not in confidence. Note the arguments he presented to God as to why the
Lord should deliver him from Esau. A. Jacob’s Prayer 1. God’s covenant (Genesis 32:9a) a)
God in His grace had called Abraham and made a covenant with him
(12:1-3), and that covenant was affirmed both to Isaac and to Jacob. b)
It was on the basis of that covenant that Jacob asked God for
the help he desperately needed. c)
God’s people today approach the throne of grace through Jesus
Christ on the basis of the New Covenant that He made through His own blood (Heb.
8:6-13; 12:22-24). 2. God’s command (Genesis 32:9b) a)
Jacob certainly was happy to get out from under Laban’s control,
but it was God’s idea that he leave Padan b)
Jacob forgot that God’s commandment always involves God’s enablement,
for the will of God will never lead us where the power of God can’t protect us
and provide for us. 3. God’s care (Genesis 32:10) a)
As Jacob reviewed the past twenty years, he reminded God of the
wonderful way He had cared for him. b)
In every trial and burden that came to Jacob, God had been faithful
and kind to care for him. c)
Why would God care for him for twenty years and then leave him
with no help? 4. God’s purposes (Genesis 32:11) a)
Jacob wasn’t thinking only of himself, but he had his family and
God’s great plan in mind as well. b)
Jacob’s sons would multiply and become the nation of c)
The Savior would come from the tribe of d)
God will not allow His eternal purpose to fail! 5. God’s promise (Genesis 32:12) a)
Jacob reminded the Lord of the promises He had made to him at
b)
Remember what God promised Jacob at (1)I am with you (2)I will keep you (3)I will bring you back (4)I will not leave you c)
While we don’t want to imitate Jacob’s fear, unbelief, and scheming,
we would do well to pray the way he prayed. d)
He claimed God’s promises, remembered God’s goodness, and rested
completely on God’s character and covenant. e)
No matter what circumstances we may face or what fears may grip
our hearts, we can trust God to be faithful to His character and His Word. “I
will trust and not be afraid.” B. Jacob’s Lack of Faith (Genesis 32:13-21) 1.
You would think that a prayer with that kind of solid theological
content would have brought God’s peace to Jacob’s heart, but it didn’t. (1)In his restlessness, he decided
to put together an expensive gift of 580 valuable animals. (2)He divided them into separate
herds and commanded the herdsmen to keep a space between each herd so that Esau
couldn’t help but be impressed. b)
Even more, each of the herdsmen was to make the same speech to
Esau: “They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau”
(v. 18). c)
Jacob planned to follow behind the last herd, hoping that the
gifts would prepare Esau to forgive him and welcome him when they finally met. 2.
Faith = Acting on God’s commands = Living without scheming a)
We’ve already learned that faith is acting on God’s commands
and that means living without developing your own schemes. b)
But before we criticize Jacob, we need to examine our own hearts
to see if we’ve ever been guilty of praying piously and then depending on our
own schemes and resources. (1)It’s true that “faith without
works is dead” (James 2:20, KJV), but Jacob’s gift wasn’t a work of faith because
God didn’t command it. (2)True faith is based on God’s
Word (Rom. 10:17); and whatever we do that isn’t motivated by faith is sin (Rom.
14:23), no matter how successful it may appear. c)
But Jacob’s real problem was not Esau; Jacob’s problem was Jacob! d)
Now God is going to solve that problem. III. God’s Principles of Change (Genesis 32:22-32) A. Principle #1 -- Get alone with God (Genesis 32:22-26) 1.
Jacob moved his family across the river to what he hoped was a
safe place. a)
Apparently he forgot about God’s army to protect his family. b)
Now Jacob was alone. c)
When we’re alone and at the end of our resources, then God can
come to us and do something in us and for us. d)
God often wants to do something personal in us and He needs
to get us alone with Him to do it. e)
It is important to get alone with God. 2.
When we’re alone, we can’t escape into other people’s hearts and
minds and be distracted; we have to live with ourselves and face God and His
solutions to our problems all by ourselves. a)
Twenty years before, Jacob had met the Lord when he was alone
at b)
During that “dark night of the soul,” Jacob discovered that he’d
spent his life fighting God and resisting His will, and that the only way to victory
was through surrender. B. Principle #2 -- Get real with God (Genesis 32:27-32) 1.
More than anything else, Jacob wanted the blessing of the Lord
on his life. a)
But before we can begin to be like the Lord, we have to get
realistic and admit what we are in ourselves. b)
When we get alone God is able to ask us the hard questions: “What
is your name?” (Genesis 32.27b). c)
As far as Genesis is concerned, the last time Jacob was asked
that question, he told a lie! d)
His father asked, “Who are you, my son?” and Jacob said to his
father, “I am Esau your firstborn” (27:18-19). 2.
To Jacob that question meant more than simply what people
called him. a)
It meant he had to answer God concerning his character. b)
Jacob had always lived up to his name: a schemer and a deceiver.
c)
“What is your name?” meant, “Are you going to continue living
up to your name, or will you admit what you are and let Me change you?” 3.
It wasn’t a physical battle, but an emotional and spiritual
battle that night. a)
It was a battle within. In b)
There was much prayer and weeping that night for God to strip
away everything superficial in Jacob’s life. c)
Jacob was not willing to just have a religion -- He wanted
God! C. Principle #3 -- Get changed by God 1.
In the Bible, receiving a new name signifies making a new beginning
(17:4-5, 15; 2.
The new name God gave him was “Israel,” from a Hebrew word that
means “to struggle”. a)
Some translate it “one who wrestles with God” or “God strives”
or “let God rule.” b)
The explanation in verse 28 is that Jacob had gained power because
he prevailed. c)
He lost the battle but won the victory! d)
Like Paul, who had his own battle to fight, Jacob became strong
only when he became weak (2 Corinthians 12:1-10). 3.
Once again Jacob gave a special name to a significant place, this
time Peniel [Penuel, a)
He thought that seeing God’s face would bring death, but it actually
brought him new life. b)
It was the dawning of a new day for Israel/Jacob (v. 31): (1)He had a new name; (2)He had a new walk (he was
limping); and (3)He had a new relationship
with God that would help him face and solve any problem, if only he would exercise
faith. 4.
The great test was about to come, for Esau had arrived on the
scene. 5.
But now Jacob was ready to meet Esau. 6.
When you get alone and authentic with God, the next thing
that WILL happen is change. a)
God will change you. b)
Jacob hung around the whole night waiting for answers. c)
God honors that kind of persistence. 7.
Jacob wrestled all night long with the angel of God (Jesus). a)
He would not let go of God’s presence until he established without
a doubt whom God was going to be in his life. b)
Nothing else mattered! And it changed his whole life. 8.
The questions are already in your own mind. a)
“How about me? b)
Am I ready to do business with God like that? c)
Do I want God that much? d)
Am I willing to get alone with Him, get real with Him?” 9.
If you are willing -- He is willing to meet you and your life
-- like Jacob’s is going to be different. a)
“I’m not sure about that.” Neither was Jacob. b)
“I’ve never done that before.” Neither did Jacob. c)
“I don’t see how......” Like Jacob, you don’t have to see
beyond your need for God. d)
You only have to see that you need and want Him more than anything
else. e)
Grab hold of God and don’t let go! f)
You will never walk the same again! |
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