In the Ring With God

May 26, 2024

Introduction

Genesis I. Introduction: The Hanging Stove

As the story appeared in The Joyful Noise Letter, a psychologist, an engineer, and a theologian were hunting when they stumbled upon a cabin where a potbellied stove was suspended in midair by wires attached to the ceiling. The psychologist theorized, “The lonely trapper has elevated his stove so he can curl up underneath and feel the warmth as if he has returned to the womb.”

“No,” said the engineer. “By elevating the stove, the man is simply distributing the heat more evenly in the cabin.”

“Actually, lifting up fire has been a religious symbol for centuries,” explained the theologian.

About that time the trapper returned, and the three hunters asked him to explain why he had suspended his stove in the air.

“I had plenty of wire,” he replied, “but not much stove pipe.”

Think about the life that Jacob and endured. For 20 years he lived on complex strategy deception manipulation and more. But now he begins to mature period. He's traveling and following God's call and becoming a man of prayer. A man trusting God.

So if sometimes you feel like you are taking a while to learn the lessons that God has for you take heart. It took Jacob more than 20 years to start to mature in his faith. God is quite persistent.

As we look through these two passages, these two chapters we’re going to see themes of revival and reconciliation get weaved together. Jacob’s faith and God is revived and he is called to walk more closely with God, but that walk of revival is closely married to reconciliation.

as we walked through these passages, I am by each of you to consider how in your life God‘s work of revival is linked to your capacity to be reconciled with those who need to be reconciled with.

Jacob’s Prayer of Humility

‌ Jacob shows us that in a moment of crisis for a believer. It is a moment to turn to God to find the Hope that we need. It’s a moment for us to find peace in a relationship with God.

Genesis 32:1–2 ESV

1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

It's interesting this place that Jacob refers to as mahanaim later is the levitical city in gad it is the place that David seeks refuge when absalom rebels and takes over the Kingdom temporarily.

Genesis 32:3–8 ESV

3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, 4 instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’ ” 6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, 8 thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”

So apparently this encounter with angels became a wake up call as Jacob takes his family into his brother's territory period. He is not more than 100 miles north of the area where his brother lives and and it's time to send messengers ahead period. And of course their return and all they can say is that they've seen esau on his way and he's got about 400 men with him. Now when we look at other passages throughout the Old Testament this number of 400 men is kind of a standard number for militias you see this number repeated 4 different times in first Samuel. So really there's nothing to set jacob's mind at ease right now he had good reason to be concerned.

So this is a moment of well it's it's tough to decide whether to admire jacob's strategy in dividing his camp up to save as many people as possible. Or on the other hand we should point out that God promised he would protect and watch over Jacob and now Jacob is instead of trusting God resorting back to his strategies.

Genesis 32:9–12 ESV

9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”

It's interesting these verses have the first prayer that we have on record of Jacob and the only extensive prayer in the book of genesis.

It's fascinating Jacob approaches God as the God of his father and he remembers the promises that God made. But he also comes to God with an attitude of dependence on God. He realizes he doesn't deserve God's provision.

But he also comes to God as God's servant. He looks to him to be saved from his brother.

A few lessons that we can learn from jacob's prayer here. Jacob came to God with dependence and humility. Jacob recognized honestly his own sin. And Jacob reminded God of his promises. He repeated God's promises back to him.

Let's approach God with humility and dependence and let's not be afraid to pray God's promises back to him to remind ourselves and repeat to God in prayer the promises he has made.

A Plan for Peace

it can be tempting to try to buy peace with gifts, but we need to remember that true peace true hope true deliverance comes in relationship with God and not in the favors that we can buy.

Genesis 32:13–16 ESV

13 So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.”

He's sending a total of 580 animals. This is both a testimony to how wealthy Jacob was and how invested he was in fixing this relationship.

Genesis 32:17–18 ESV

17 He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’ ”

Jacob knew that esau might be shocked when he saw this but he wants to do whatever he can to get this relationship right.

Genesis 32:19–21 ESV

19 He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, 20 and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.” 21 So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

The Hebrew word here it means to pacify to wipe anger from one's face. Jacob is hoping to buy forgiveness.

The Wrestling Match at Peniel

What we need to remember as we look at this passage here is that sometimes God blesses us through prayer. But sometimes the growth and the blessings that God wants to give to us come through physical struggles that come with physical enduring side effects. God wants to grow us and bless us and sometimes it will take struggle.

Genesis 32:22–28 ESV

22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

This is always a curious passage. If Jacob is wrestling with God how is it that God or God's Angel doesn't immediately overcome him. The only thing we can assume is that God has lowered himself to some sort of even playing field.

Jacob struggles and wrestles with him until Daybreak and being unable to defeat Jacob the man disables Jacob. And yet it seems like Jacob realizes there is something special going on. He demands a blessing and the man asks his name.

And Jacob has to say his name which means deceiver. That's what Jacob has been for much of his life. And then Jacob gets a new name. Instead of being the one who takes something away from someone else he is now Israel. He's now the one who struggles with God. He is now the patriarch of the land.

Genesis 32:29–32 ESV

29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.

It's not really clear whether Jacob should have naturally known who he was fighting with or simply that it's not that important.

The important thing for us to see in this struggle is what's happening spiritually. God is ready to hear jacob's prayers to respond to and to provide for Jacob.

God is ready to hear and respond to our prayers.

So what we need to see through this passage as that God is preparing and providing and demonstrating his faithfulness to Jacob. He's working to make jacob the man that God needs him to be.

The Reunion

Genesis 33:1–3 ESV

1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. 2 And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

It's fascinating he divides the whole family into groups but unlike previous times he steps up to take the lead. He goes on ahead before his family and servants it's just him leading the family. That's leadership.

Genesis 33:4–7 ESV

4 But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down.

Jacob has almost comically over organized this parade coming through. Clearly demonstrating how much he was feeling the weight and guilt of his past actions. Esau on his part seems almost surprised.

Genesis 33:8–11 ESV

8 Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 10 Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. 11 Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.

Notice that by the end of this passage the word for gift is replaced by the word for blessing. It's almost as if Jacob is trying to return the blessing that he took.

Nevertheless what we can see is Jacob willing to go to great lengths to demonstrate his repentance.

Returning Home to Schechem

Genesis 33:12–15 ESV

12 Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” 13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” 15 So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

It might have been that esau thought that Jacob was coming back to just visit but nevertheless Jacob understood that their communities couldn't exist together. A traveling farming community didn't travel at the same pace as a group of fighting men. But also more to the point I think Jacob realized that it was simply wise to establish separate places for the two brothers and the two families to live.

And more to the point now that Jacob has got his relationship with esau fixed that's really the only thing he has to be afraid of as he comes back to the land. He doesn't need an escort now.

Genesis 33:16–20 ESV

16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. 18 And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

It's interesting this place where Jacob lands is not entirely back into the land that God had promised to his family. So some commentators see this as a bit of a failure on jacob's part. But nevertheless Jacob is close to home country.

It's interesting there are two themes that kind of weave their way through these two chapters revival and reconciliation. Jacob's faith in God is revived. He has a renewed capacity to seek God out and trust and follow him. But that revival is tide to his willingness to be reconciled with his brother. A lesson for modern families and modern churches is that revival of your relationship with God and reconciliation in relationships with others go hand in hand.

Conclusion

Genesis IV. Life Application: Lessons from a Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are among the smallest warmblooded animals on earth and (although many refuse to acknowledge it) among the meanest. They have virtually no social behavior, and individual survival seems their only concern.

Although we think our little feeders allow them to survive, they get most of their energy sipping nectar from flowers—seven to twelve kilocalories of energy every day. One kilocalorie equals one thousand calories which, when translated into human terms, would mean an adult eating 204,300 calories a day—roughly 170 pounds of hamburger! A hummingbird must find as many as one thousand flowers a day to keep up its weight in nectar just to stay alive. During the breeding season the male broadtail hummingbird typically flies more than forty runs an hour to a feeder in order to drive off rivals. Seasonally they fly as far as two thousand miles.

Hummingbirds display amazing resilience, energy, and strength—but virtually no calm or trust. While we might admire their physical feats, if we lived either our spiritual or physical lives that way, we would be burned out in no time. The nervous, frantic, adversarial hummingbird offers no model for the Christian life.

Perhaps one of the most important theological lessons of Genesis 33 is humility.

Commentator Bruce Waltke says this:

Genesis IV. Life Application: Lessons from a Hummingbird

“Only in giving up his rights does Jacob fully become the family leader. Israel’s role prefigures the role of Christ (Phil. 2:9–11). So also God gives up his Son who humbly gives up his rights to be equal with God, to reconcile the world to himself (see 2 Cor. 5:16–21; Phil. 2:6–8). Their model of servitude is an example to the church (Matt. 5:24; Phil. 2:5)” (Waltke, 457).

Prayer