|
Starting Over with God Introduction: A.
Chapter
35 1. Moving from a) The
atmosphere in b) God is mentioned ten times in chapter 35; and He used His name El Shaddai, which means “God Almighty, the all-sufficient One.” c) Best of all, in chapter 35 you see Jacob making progress and arriving at the place of God’s appointment. 2. However, Jacob’s new step of faith didn’t prevent him from experiencing new problems and trials. a) During this period of renewal, Jacob buried both his father and his favorite wife; and to add burden to bereavement, his firstborn son committed a terrible sin. b) Being a victorious Christian doesn’t mean escaping the difficulties of life and enjoying only carefree days. c) Rather, it means walking with God by faith, knowing that He is with us, and trusting Him to help us for our good and His glory no matter what difficulties He permits to come our way. d) The maturing Christian doesn’t pray, “How can I get out of this?” but “What can I get out of this?” B. Jacob Returned to 1. All of us need to walk closer to God! 2. But sometimes a believer’s heart grows cold and complacent and indifferent. a) The flesh reigns in their life. b) They seek the pleasures and comforts of the world. c) They have no longer have a testimony for the Lord. d) They need to clean up their lives, repent, and turn to God with a new commitment to follow Him as never before! e) They need to start over with God in their lives. 3. This is the subject of this great passage of Scripture - the first recorded revival in the Bible. a) God’s call (v.1). b) God’s message (v.2-3). c) Repentance (v.4). d) Obedience to God and God’s presence and deliverance (v.5-7). e) A new power to confront day to day trials (v.8). f) A special blessing by God (v.9-12). g) Worship of God (v.13-15). I.
God’s
Call (v. 1) A.
A
New Start 1. Part of the good news of the Gospel is that we don’t have to stay the way we are. a) No matter how many times we’ve failed the Lord, we can go home again if we truly repent and obey. b) It
happened to Abraham (13:1–4), Isaac (26:17), David (2 Sam. 12), Jonah (Jonah
3:1–3), and Peter (John 2. God spoke to Jacob (v. 1). a) For
several years, Jacob had lingered thirty miles away from b) But
now the Lord spoke to him and told him to move to 3. Jacob had built an altar on the property he had bought near Shechem and had called it “God the God of Israel” (Gen. 33:20). a) But
God wasn’t pleased with this altar because He wanted him worshiping back at b) The Lord reminded Jacob of his desperate situation over twenty years ago and how He had delivered him and blessed him. c) At
B. Incomplete Obedience and Conscience 1. Many of the problems in the Christian life result from incomplete obedience. a) We know what the Lord wants us to do, we start to do it, and then we stop. b) When we don’t continue to obey God and accomplish His will, even what we’ve done starts to die. c) What
Jesus said to the church in 2. Jacob knew that he had not set a spiritual example before his children. a) He had not given them the needed spiritual and moral guidance. b) He had often demonstrated a weak character before his children. c) He had lived a carnal, worldly life, and the impact upon his children was now being reaped. 3. Jacob had a deep sense of disobedience and backsliding. a) There
was no excuse for his continued disobedience, for b) The power of God’s Spirit was working on Jacob, convicting him of his disobedience and backsliding. c) Jacob was also deeply bothered that he had allowed idolatry within his own house. d) Jacob had not made God the Lord of his household, and he was now being forced to face up to his failure. 4. With all the trouble that had fallen upon him and his family, Jacob had to search and find out what was wrong, what had caused God to remove His protective hand from him. a) Jacob found that the fault lay within his own heart - in his own disobedience. b) And now God was dealing with him. 5. But God had always been dealing with Jacob. a) God had never left him alone. b) It had just taken a long time for Jacob to face up to his failures. c) It took a crisis to get his attention. 6. God’s message to Jacob: a) move
up to b) build an altar there where he and his people could seek and worship the Lord. (1) “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17). II.
Cleansing
and Repentance (vv. 2-4) A.
Jacob instructed his household (vv. 2–3).
1. It’s refreshing to see Jacob take command of the situation and boldly bear witness to what God said to him and what God did for him. a) These
instructions applied not only to Jacob’s wives and children but also to the
servants he had employed in Padan 2. Jacob called for a time of cleansing for everybody, and the first thing they had to do was get rid of their idols. a) Rachel had stolen her father’s household idols (31:19, 34–35), and Jacob knew that other false gods were hidden in the camp. 3. The second instruction was “purify yourselves and change your clothes” (Gen. 35:2). 4. In Scripture, washing the body and changing clothes symbolize making a new beginning. a) Like
dirt, sin is defiling and must be washed away (Psalms 51:2, 7; Isa. b) Our
old garments typify the old life with its failures (Isa. 64:6), but God in
His mercy gives us “new garments” so we can make a fresh beginning (Gen.
3:21; Isa. 61:10; Zech. 3:1–5; B. Repentance (v. 4) 1. All the people obeyed Jacob’s commands and gave him their idols and the jewelry that were identified with pagan gods. a) The people were obviously convicted of their sins and aroused to seek God. (1) They gave all their idols and all the rings in their ears to Jacob. (2) The earrings were jewelry that was considered to be either symbols of worldliness or idolatry. (3) Jacob then took and buried the symbols of worldliness and idolatry under an oak tree near Shechem. b) The picture is that of repentance. (1) The people were turning away from their old life, giving up everything that took their thoughts and hearts off God. c) They
were ready to go to c) III.
Deliverance
from Evil A.
God protected Jacob and his household (v.
5). 1. Jacob was afraid the people of the land would attack him, but God kept His promise (28:15) and cared for Jacob and his people as they moved toward Bethel (Psalms 105:7–15). a) God intervened and put fear into their hearts to stop them. b) The “terror of God” c) This
same “terror of God” went before 2. When God’s people are doing God’s will in God’s way, they can depend on God’s provision and protection (Isaiah 41:10, 14; 44:2, 8; 43:1–5). B. God’s Deliverance 1. God delivers His people, always delivers those who turn to Him. a) God delivers us from all trouble and evil. (1) “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10). b) God delivers us from our enemies. (1) “He
delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they
were too strong for me” (Psalm c) God delivers us from all fears, even from the fear of death. (1) “For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” (Psalm 56:13). d) God delivers us from temptation and evil. (1) “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). e) God delivers us from pestilence and disease. (1) “Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence” (Psalm 91:3). 2. Jacob and the people obeyed God. a) Once they obeyed God, He delivered them by His mighty power. b) You cannot walk with God if you do not obey Him. IV. Comfort in Trials (vv. 6-8) A.
Trials Will Come (vv. 6–8) 1. We all want to ask God for blessings and a new revelation of Himself, but trials still come! a) b) 2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 2. Jacob’s first trial was in the death of Deborah – death of a loved one is the greatest of trials! a) Deborah had helped to raise Jacob years before. b) She had nursed him as a baby and taken care of him through his childhood and teenage years. c) She
was Rebekah’s maid (24:59) and she had come from B. Comfort 1. God’s presence brings comfort and power to confront day-to-day trials. a) Jacob named the oak tree where she was buried: Allon Bacuth, which means “the oak of weeping”. b) There must have been a deep love of Deborah by Jacob and his family. 2. God’s presence will always give us a new strength to face whatever confronts us, even the worst trial and enemy of all, death. V.
Worship
(vv. 9-15) A.
God’s Blessing (vv. 9–13) 1. In
his first 2. God
reaffirmed Jacob’s new name “ 3. He also reaffirmed the promises concerning the multiplying of Jacob’s descendants and their possessing the land, assuring Jacob that nations and kings would be among his descendants. 4. God’s promises are sure and we can rest in every promise God has made! B. Worship (vv. 14-15) 1. Jacob set up a pillar and dedicated it to the Lord. a) He not only poured oil on the pillar, but he also poured out a drink offering of wine. b) The
drink offering was a supplement to the regular sacrifices and was poured out
on the altar as the sacrifice was burning (Ex. 29:40–41; Num. c) It
was a symbol of dedication, the worshiper’s life poured out on top of the
sacrifice to the Lord (2 Sam. 2. Jacob’s restoration was now complete. a) He was back in the place of God’s choosing; he had offered himself and his sacrifices to the Lord; the Lord had spoken to him; and the covenant promises had been reaffirmed. b) He
had come from the house of Laban to the house of
God; and though he still had much to learn about his walk with the Lord,
Jacob was starting to be “ 3. From
that time on, Jacob publicly called the place a) He
gave public testimony to the fact that God had met him at b) Restoration of your walk with God will always lead you to do two things. (1) Worship God (2) Bear testimony to God’s work in our lives. 4. Going
back to a) Back to a remembrance of our first love. b) Back to the better life we once knew. c) Back to God’s Word. d) Back to active service for the Lord. 5. God
is calling each of us back to our |
|
Copyright © 2008, by ToBeLikeHim
Ministries