God Allows U Turns

Genesis 32:24–32 KJV 1900

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 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. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 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. And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.

I never thought I would say the following statement. I have fallen in love with Pennsylvania. There are definitely a few things that I could do without, mainly the cold and snow. I mean I am a Florida boy who grew up where heat was not something you had to turn on. It was something you had to keep out. If there was something that I wish I could change about Pennsylvania is the road system. Between the color routes and the winding roads. It is easy to get lost. I can’t tell you how many times in the past two years of being here that I have had to

In Genesis 32 We come to what is widely known as the climax for the life of a man named Jacob. Here we read the account of his all night physical struggle with God after his 20-year spiritual struggle. Jacob’s name when translated is actually translated into a variety of things. Supplanter, One who takes you by the heel, Cheater! His whole life Jacob had lived up to this name and even deceived his father into giving him his brother (Esau’s) blessing. We know that as a result of him deceiving his brother, Esau is basically out to kill him, which is why he is on the run. Let’s jump right in and in a message I’ve entitled “God Allows U-Turns” I’d like to take a deeper look at this directionless and destitute man that can be found in each and every one of our lives.

Wrong Devotion (Genesis 28:20-21)

For context, Jacob has just experienced a dream in which God speaks directly to him and tells him all that he is going to do. God makes this amazing and beautiful vow. He tells Jacob that he is the Lord, what he will give him, that he will be with him, and that he will not leave him until it is done. Jacob responds pitifully. He chooses to bargain with God.

Jacob’s Conditional Service

If God will

Be with me

Keep me

Give me bread to eat

And clothed me

Allow me to return to my father’s house

Then and only then will I serve him, then and only then will I tithe to him

There are so many people that only come to God when they want/need something

They’re about to take a test

Job interview

Sickness

Personal

Financial

It is not surprising to me that Genesis 28 ends with Jacob talking to God and giving him conditional service and then in the very next chapter he winds up working 7 years only to marry the wrong woman. Rather than marrying Rachel, he marries Leah.

Then working an additional 7 years to marry the right woman.

In total, he goes on to work for his father-in-law for 20 years.

Along the way, has a whole slew of problems

Because of Jacob’s Conditional service, we see this confrontational struggle which serves as the climax of his life. The turning point. The U-turn moment in his life. (Genesis 32:24-32)

Jacob encounters a man

We’ll never get his name but we get some insight into his identity (Hosea 12:3-5)

Angel Lord of Host

Physical image of God

John 1:18 tells us that in order for this to take place, Jacob had to wrestle with God the Son. He wrestles with Christ.

Colossians 1:15 “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature”

Now growing up with three brothers I learned thrown around like a rag doll when we wrestled. During the summer, we would take every couch cushion, pillow, blanket, and sometimes mattress in the house and we had a legit WWE wrestling ring. Being the youngest brother, I often didn’t have a fighting chance. We had rules about what a clean fight would look like. That being said, I learned that when they decided to gang up against me, when I was overpowered and outnumbered, I was going to do whatever I had to in order to survive even if that meant biting, scratching, punching, and kicking.

Don’t miss this and don’t misunderstand this (V.25)

When you wrestle with God, he does not play fair

He is just, loving, Holy, Perfect

He’ll do whatever it takes to win

The same God that we sing the hymn Victory in Jesus, the same God that we know conquered death, the creator of all things never loses.

He touched Jacob’s hip and put it out of joint

Because that’s what he needed to do

Nearly impossible to fight with an out of joint hip

The same overwhelming love of God that pursues you is the same love that will apply the needed pressure to get your attention

Right Description (v.26-28)

Jacob’s defeat caused him to come to the end of himself

It caused him to realize who he was and fully see the life he had been living

James 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

Jacob-Supplanter. Deceiver

Shamefully said Jacob

I’ve used people my whole life

I would imagine that Jacob no doubt knew what his name meant, he no doubt realized he lived up to his name, but most likely was never confronted with it until this very day! He would never forget what manner of man he was. Because God had confronted him with it!

Now Israel

Prince of God, God rules, Struggling with God, God mastered man

The man that left Canaan known as the guy that would do whatever it took to get his way now returned as the God mastered man

When I think about someone who had a name change, I think of Paul.

Paul had it all and had gained great prosperity

Philippians 3 “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,”

Counted it as dung

So that his Identity would be in Christ

Our identity should be found in Christ and not in the things we can earn, things that can be done by our own might, not in what God has given us because the very things that he has given for us to steward can be gone in an instance.

Recalculated Direction (V.29)

After Jacob had wrestled with Christ all night long and his mindset shifted from what Christ could do to who Christ is.

By asking who this was in verse 29, he has proven he is more interested in knowing this person, not what that person could give him.

The blessing that he wanted over 20 years ago back in chapter 29, had come to fruition but it took him making a complete U-turn, a complete about face in how he viewed God.

Jacob knew who he was dealing with

The only person who had the authority and power to change a name

Because God is in the name changing business

When I think of a name being changed my mind instantly thinks of the disciples - specifically Saul to Paul

The man went from a protester of Christ to the greatest preacher of Christ

As special as those name changes are, can I tell you that the one that matters most to me is my own. When I look back and think that I who was once a foe to God am now considered family to God.

I can’t help but say thank you Lord.

Jacob’s new direction caused him to build another altar. The first one was called Bethel or house of God because God was present while he was asleep and he did not know it.

This one was called Peniel because he was awake and saw the face of God

When you have an encounter with God

You’ll walk away different

It is impossible to have an encounter with God and stay the same

Jacob’s limp was a testimony

When others asked about his hip

He would respond with his encounter with God

Changed direction completely

Was empowered by God to continue in his new direction

The rest of his problems seem to fade away

God was already working on the heart strings of Esau to forgive his brother

After he got right with the Lord

He got right with Esau

He was able to return to the place that he had run away from for the past 20 years.

He was able to return home.

The same could be said about us

We ran away from home (God)

For so many years

Doing what we thought was right and it wasn’t until we got things right with the Lord that we were able to return back to him and able come back to the place that we once were able to find refuge in.

When I was a a junior in high school down in Florida, we often had gym outside and on this particular day the teacher had us essentially entertain ourselves. A group of us had decided to play a pick up game of basketball on this concrete court. All was going well, I believe my team was even winning at the time. All of a sudden as I had gone up for a lay up, this freshman somehow clipped my legs from underneath me. Not having enough time to react, I fell and in the process I fractured the right side of my hip. To make matters worse, the next day, my family and I were scheduled to go on a cruise. Needless to say, the first day or two of that cruise was not enjoyable for me at least. To this day, this hip still gives me some trouble. I could not imagine the pain that Jacob suffered with for the rest of his life.

It took this pain, it took this confrontation for this man to became one of the founding fathers of Christianity. He had to first be broken and as a result was able to do great things for the Lord. He had to give up everything that he had ever known as his life and submit to the plan that the Lord had already put into place. He had to give up everything he was trying to pursue on his own, to realize that God had it all waiting for him. I wonder how many of you have been struggling with God. Have been running from him in order to avoid His will. I’ve already said it once and I’ll say it again! The Lord will do anything He needs to do in order to get our attention. I have one question to ask.. What will it take for God to completely break you and for you to surrender to his will.

I realize that if we were to open up the floor, we could all give testimony of a time in which we wrestled with God for the throne of our hearts. Maybe you are here and for your whole life, you have decided that you are the master of your own fate. Let me caution you and listen closely, that this life will bring you absolutely no joy, no happiness, no peace. It wasn’t until his name was changed to Israel that he was to have peace with men and with God. God stands ready to change your name from foe to family.