Good morning everyone, it is so good to be here this morning with you all. Right now we get to send out the kiddos to their class where you have the opportunity to learn about God in a way that makes sense to you. Then, remember, you gotta pay attention real good so that you can come find me after service and tell me something you learned today. Then of course we also want to welcome those of you joining us online, etc.

You know something that has been largely lost in today’s generation of Google or Apple maps is the fun of laying out your trip. I remember going on long drives and we would look at a map ahead of time and get a rough idea of where we were going so we know how to get there and then we would have the maps in the glove box in case we got lost ya know. There were times as a kid I would go out with my dad for his job in Dallas and there was this book called a Mapsco and it was just a map of the Dallas metroplex. It was like maybe 1.5” or 2” thick. Anyway, dad was a locksmith and he would get called all over the Dallas metroplex to go open locks, or rekey homes, or whatever. So, when he would get a call, he would get an address, and then he and I would need to look it up in the Mapsco and then we would plan out the drive for the best way to get there. We would look for shortcuts and ways to get around high traffic areas, or away from stop lights that would take longer so we could keep moving. See, back in the 90’s in dad’s work van we had 2x60 air conditioning, which meant we had two windows going 60 miles an hour for our air conditioning, and if we could avoid stops or slow downs that would keep us from baking in the 100+* Dallas temps. So what we would do is recon our trip and make sure we knew what we were doing and how we were going to get there. Then, if we ran into something, I would take the book, and I would have to find a quick work around as we were driving to in order to keep our air conditioning working. You see, recon was a pretty big and important part of that day. The same is true to alot of family vacations. Many families will plan their vacations around what they can see or what bonus activities they can experience on the road trip. We did that for our kids a few times as we would travel down to see my family down in Texas a few times. Many times that recon kind of made the trip extra special for everyone involved because it planned out what you were going to do and how you were going to do it.

Well, today we are going to see a little bit of Jacob’s recon plan that he put into place on moving day. A couple of weeks ago we talked about moving day and what that looked like for Jacob and how many times the Lord will speak to us in various ways to get us moving in the direction that he wants us to go in. Actually, there is something that I have been saying pretty much through this series and it’s important enough for us to repeat it pretty much every week, so here it is…In the life of the trusting Christian, there are no accidents, only appointments. Thats right, in other words, in the life of the Christian, God is in control and you can trust that what is going on in your life is being overseen by the Father for your good. Listen, let me just say this real quick. That doesn’t mean that everything that is going on in your life is good…but that everything is your your life can be made good with the Father of Life. Evil still persist in this world, but what man means for evil, God means for good, and that is so important to remember as you are working through various situations that you are dealing with right now. This is a concept that you would think that Jacob would know by now, but he is just genuinely struggling with this concept, even now as he is planning his trip home and sending out some folks ahead of him to do a little recon work ahead of him. We will close out this morning looking at a prayer that Jacob prayed to God that appears to be a great prayer recorded in Scripture. However, it is prayed by a man whose faith is not strong, but weak. Let’s go ahead and take a look at the first part of our passage this morning looking at

Genesis 32:1–8 ESV

Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim. And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 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.’ ” 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.” 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, thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”

Now let’s take a look at

Jacob’s Recon

Ok, it’s time for Jacob to head towards Bethel. This is the place that God had prepared for him, and had promised to him as a family inheritance. However, Jacob knew that eventually they would have to go near Mt. Seir as they travel towards Bethel and that is where Esau is living and so he will be forced to meet Esau eventually. However for Jacob, today, there are three parts of his recon plan. There is Setup, Security, Scheme, so let’s take a look at those briefly this morning. First of all…

Setup:

So this is really interesting…I say it’s really interesting becuase I’m pretty sure a chunk of us will relate to exactly what Jacob is doing here. You see, Jacob is anticipating a rocky reunion with Esau. However, instead of committing this matter to the Lord and relying on the promises of the Lord that have just clearly been confirmed by seeing this army of angels with him, Jacob decides to do things in a way that seems right to man. Does that sound familiar? Instead of trusting the God who had just kept him safe from Laban, Jacob adopts a condescending attitude that is not fitting for the man that God has chosen to carry on the Abrahamic covenant. How many times do we have to continue to trust ourselves and the wisdom of this world before we will finally trust the truth of Scripture?

Look…you know the situation that you are dealing with that you are currently, even today overlooking what you know for a Biblical truth you need to be doing because it is more comfortable and easier to do things the way that they world has told you to do things. Maybe it’s time to stop listening to the world and start listening to God this morning. That’s not all though, next we see…

Security:

Take a moment and think about Jacob’s reaction when he saw an army of angels in front of him. “This is God’s camp!” That’s what Jacob yelled out, then he called that place, Mahanaim, meaning, 2 camps. Jacob’s camp and God’s camp. Here’s the deal…twenty years ago Jacob had seen angels at Bethel and learned that God was and would be with him…now he discovered that not only God would be with him, but that God’s angelic army is there to protect and fight for him too. Man…there is literally no realistic reason to be afraid…

I mean let’s put it this way. Let’s say there is an assassin out to get you because you have spoken up against some crime family. Now, normally, you would go into witness protection and that would be adequate to protect you from harm. However, because of who you are are, and the importance of what you are saw, you need better protection just to make sure nothing happens. So, you don’t get the witness protection with the US Marshalls. You get witness protection with the US special forces, and you have all of the US special forces teams, not only at your disposal, but they are on task protecting you around the clock. Like, there is no way, anyone, or any thing, is getting through the most trained, and best equipped special forces military in the world. Now, that is like playing with G.I. Joe’s compared to what Jacob has just seen is assigned to him. In other words…At this point in history, Jacob is the most secure person on the planet, with an angelic army, however, we are going to see in a moment that this is not enough for him…

Now, in the midst of this recon, we have a setup where Jacob is attempting to manipulate Esau by addressing him as lord and giving him gifts, we have seen that God has provided the security, so what is the

Scheme:

What is Jacob doing here? I mean, hasn’t he learned anything over the last twenty years here…Really there is a big issue that Jacob has never dealt with. You see, Jacob has a guilty conscience. He has been convicted for years and he has had the opportunity to seek to make things right, but he has ignored that opportunity, and now he is guilty of these sins. You see, 20+ years ago, Jacob began tricking and manipulating Esau until he was able to have both his birthright as well as his blessing from his father Isaac. Then, 20 years ago he ran away and he has never returned until now when God did not give him an option.

So, Jacob has flocks and parts of his tribe heading towards Bethel which will pass directly by Mt Seir where Esau is. He will have no option but to interact with Esau, there is no way around it. That is why he was sending gifts ahead of him to Esau in hopes of buying him off. Really, that was kind of part of Jacob’s recon mission. Now they have brought back terrifying message that Esau is coming with 400 men. Now, this should be understood that this is not just 400 people that are coming, this is an army of 400 men coming. This would have essentially been the infantry being sent out in a battle, at least that is what Jacob would have been expecting. Jacob jumped to the conclusion that his brother had come to take vengeance on him and his family. You see, a guilty conscience often makes us see the darkest possible option.

Many times, our faith is crowded out by fear and we are prone to start scheming and trusting in our own resources.

There was a lady once who said to an evangelist named D.L. Moody one time, “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). Moody replied, “I can give you a better promise,” , and he quoted Isaiah 12:2: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid” (kjv).

You see, those who are beleivers don’t need to be afraid the enemy or whatever bad news may come your way. Oh for sure I’m not saying you should not be wise in your actions and in your words, I am however saying you don’t need to be fearful when you are trusting the Lord and not yourself.

Genesis 32:7 (ESV)

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. (so he went back to his old ways of scheming and manipulating)

Instead of remembering the awesome vision of God’s angelic army, Jacob divided his camp into two camps so that if one group was attacked, the other group could escape. It was a poor strategy against four hundred men, and Jacob would have been better off to maintain the original two camps—his company and God’s army of angels—and trust the Lord to see him through.

That leads us to a prayer that Jacob prayed also. Let’s read that together right now.

Genesis 32:9–12 ESV

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,’ 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. 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. 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.’ ”

Jacob’s Prayer

So Jacob went to the Lord in prayer to ask in desperation for the Lord to protect not just him but his whole family…the family that God provided for him. This story is interesting to me because Jacob is praying as a man who knows what God has promised, but also with a faith that is very weak. Much like many of us any day of the week…much like the father of a demon possessed child that Jesus healed in Mark 9 who cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” You see, every statement in this prayer shows us that Jacob has an intimate knowledge of God’s ways and of God’s character. Yet, even in knowing these things he is praying not in confidence, but in desperation.

There are five ways that Jacob is appealing to God so that he will save him from Esau. As we look at these, think about which way you appeal to God most often. First off…

God’s Covenant (v.9a)

In God’s grace he chose Abraham to make a covenant with. That covenant was then affirmed to Isaac and then again to Jacob. This was the basis oh which Jacob could go to God for help. It is on the basis of the new covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ that you and I are able to come to God today. Next we see…

God’s Command (v. 9b)

Jacob was ecstatic to get out from under Laban’s manipulation and control. However, it was not Jacob’s idea to leave Laban, it was under God’s direction that he left that place to begin with. Jacob has already forgotten that when God commands him to do something that God will always enable him to do that thing. I don’t know who said it first, but this is a sentiment that we see throughout Scripture. The will of God will never lead us where the power of God can’t protect us and provide for us. Here’s the problem though…for Jacob, and maybe for you…his imagination ran ahead of his theology and he was sure that Esau was coming to destroy him. Then we see…

God’s Care (v. 10)

Jacob thinks about the past twenty years and about how God has grown him from a man with a staff to a man with a large family and multiple herds with a large staff to care for him family and herds. He has started with the clothes on his back and God has grown him to far more than he could have imagined. This is what Jacob is reflecting on as he is praying to God. The question he is not asking himself due to his own fear is, why would God build him up to this point, simply to have him murdered by his brother. Many times in our own fear we loose our truth, and we are only left with our runaway fears, which is exactly what Jacob was experiencing in these moments..not so much faith, but runaway fear, which is why he is crying out to the Lord. Now then we get to see how Jacob acknowledged…

God’s purposes (v. 11)

Jacob wasn’t thinking only of himself, but he had his family and God’s promised plan in mind as well. Jacob still did not understand how everything would work out, however, he did know that God promised that through this family that is walking towards Esau God has promised to bless the entire world. That means that in some way God must save Jacob’s family. You see, the savior would come from the tribe of Judah and die for the sins of the entire world…including you and I here today in Leaf River. Paul, the guy who penned the New Testament and took the Gospel to the Gentiles would come from the tribe of Benjamin. Would these things fail because of the anger of man named Esau? Would Esau be bigger than God? Jacob knew that Esau wasn’t bigger than God, but functionally he feared he might be…maybe Jacob was afraid God had forgot his promise. That’s what Jacobs talks about next…

God’s promise (v. 12)

Jacob reminded the Lord of the promises He had made to him back at Bethel twenty years ago, as if the Lord has forgotten, but you know…just in case. You see, God told Jacob that he would bless him and multiply his descendants. God told Jacob that he would be with him and bring him back to Bethel and that he would accomplish his purpose in and through him. Here’s the truth…and this is what Jacob felt he needed to remind God, if God allowed Esau and his men to kill Jacob and his family, then none of those promises would have been fulfilled and that would have made God a liar. Since God is not a liar, Jacob just needed to remind God of what those promises were just in case God had forgotten.

Here is the deal. God didn’t forget…Jacob forgot…Jacob forgot to live as if the things that God said were actually true. Of course that same thing is true of you and I today, is’t it? How many of you here today are guilty of living your life having forgotten the promises the God made to you throughout Scripture. How many of you here today, or joining us online are guilty of living your life in fear of what might be or what might not be or based on what is easier no matter what God has already promised you over and over again.

Listen, here’s there deal…this may be your last chance to repent of what you have or haven’t done and I don’t want you to leave before having that conversation with the Lord this morning. Do you actually believe in the promises of the Lord?…are you living your life like you do? Jacob prayed and in his prayer it seems that he is trying to convince himself as much as he is trying to convince the Lord. Maybe that is what you need to do. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief, and then you go through the various promises that God has made

Let’s Pray: pray that God will work in all of our hearts to show us where our unbelief is and where we need to recommit our hearts to him.

Communion:

Explain the elements being stacked and being a reflection for the believer. While you are taking this communion this morning, please take a moment and reflect on the promise of eternity that you have been given as a Child of God. If you are here this morning and you have not made a conscience decision to follow the Lord, then I’m going to ask you to refrain from taking communion and take a moment and reflect on whether you wish to make that commitment this morning. If you are here and you have made a decision to follow the Lord with your life, and you have not yet followed the Lord in baptism since you have made that decision, then please reach out and let’s talk about what baptism is and if that is the next step on your faith walk. As we all wrap our heads around the promises of what Jesus has done for us this morning, let’s read about what happened that last evening when Jesus met with his disciples up in the upper room before he was arrested, beaten, crucified, buried, and rose on the third day.

Read:

Mark 14:23–25 ESV

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Let’s pray: Pray that God will

While we don’t want to imitate Jacob’s fear, unbelief, scheming, and his proneness to jump to conclusions, we would do well to pray the way he prayed. He claimed God’s promises, remembered God’s goodness, and rested completely on God’s character and covenant. 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.”