Good morning,
Jacob the deceiver, has been deceived. God commands him to leave Laban and go home.
On the way, he has an encounter with the angel of God, and his life is radically changed.
Jacob comes to God with a humble and repentant attitude. God blesses him, changes his name to Israel, and reminds him of the covenant He made with Abraham and Isaac. Jacob builds an altar to God and a pillar where God spoke to him.
This week we will study this transformation.
Jacob wrestles with the Angel of God (Genesis 32:24-26)
“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.”
Jacob blessed (No longer deceiver but a prince of God) (Genesis 32:27-30)
And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 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. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
A. Here is a man through whom the purposes of God are to be wrought.
1. Through him shall come a nation.
2. Through the nation shall come a savior.
3. Through the savior redemption for the world.
B. Jacob has one great weakness.
1. He is too strong in himself, too resourceful.
2. As long as he is able by his wit and cunning to master every situation, he will never experience the great power of God. His strength will always be limited to himself.
3. His problem was never that he did not believe in God.
a. He believed in God second, himself first.
b. He felt that God needed his help.
C. Why he crossed Jabbok to spend the night alone not known.
1. Some suggest to pray.
2. I think to get good night’s sleep.
D. The wrestling match.
1. The crippling, “When he saw that he prevailed not against him.”
2. The crowning – What is thy name.
a. Name expressed character.
b. Your name shall no longer be heal-catcher, but governed by God “Israel”
(Chuck Smith: Sermon Notes for Genesis 32:24-28)
The blessing of God did not come till Jacob humbled himself, was stripped of his power, and allowed God to change him.
Then God blessed him, changed his name, made a great nation through him, through the nation shall come a Savior, and through the Savior redemption for the world. All because Jacob humbled himself and obeyed God.
This should be our attitude. Humble ourselves and obey God.
What could God do with us?
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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