God Breaks Us to Remake Us

Introduction

Opening Illustration - Broken Bones: Men are notoriously bad at going to the doctor’s office. Sometimes we can let a problem linger so long that it becomes much worse because we never dealt with it right away. And the body is so interconnected and complicated that a problem in your left foot can end up causing pain in your right knee. In severe cases, it is not uncommon for doctors to realize that a patient had a broken bone that never was set correctly. And often, the best way to heal the problems the body is now experiencing is to rebreak the bone and set it correctly. Of course, rebreaking a bone is a painful experience, and can leave a scar. But in the long run, it sets the body correctly.

Personal: There is a proper setting for the soul. When the soul is set right, in alignment with God's design, life flows out properly. Many think the challenges in their life are due to their spouse, or their financial situation, or their personality, or their political situation. But that's not it. Many of the knots we find ourselves in, are worship issues first and foremost. Because God loves you, there will be times in life when he confronts you directly in order to set things in order. This process hurts, but it heals.

Context: Today we continue through our sermon series through Genesis. And we come to the story of Jacob wrestling with. Jacob is Abraham’s grandson. Abraham has Isaac. Isaac had Jacob. Jacob is the promised of the covenant. Before he was born, God had declared that through Jacob the covenant promises made to Abraham would continue. That should be his identity. That should the frame upon which every decision of his life is made. But, like many of us, it’s not. Jacob’s life is a mess. The story we have before us today, is the story of God breaking Jacob, in order to reset his life properly. Jacob enters this night with the name Jacob, a name which quite literally means deceiver. When the night is over he will limp out with a new name and a new identity, Israel.

Main Idea: God often breaks us in order that He might remake us. Let us read our text.

Genesis 32:22–32 “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. He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 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. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 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.” 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. 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.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 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.”

Meaning & Application

God often breaks us in order that he might remake us. How does he doe this in Jacob’s life. There are three movements in this story that are emblematic of how God does this in each of our lives.

GOD BREAKS US THROUGH DIRECT CONFRONTATION

First, God got Jacob all alone where the truth could be brutally confronted. We see this very directly in verse 24 where after Jacob sends his family away, we read:

Genesis 32:24 “And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.”

Jacob’ is Relatable: In order to understand this point, we have to go backwards in Jacob’s life. I am going to play Jacob’s life on fast forward for you so that you can get a sense of what is taking place leading up to this night. And as I do this, I want us not only to realize how broken Jacob’s life has been.

Jacob’s Highlight Reel:

Genesis 25: Jacob was born back in chapter 25 as a twin. Esau, the twin brother, was delivered first, but Jacob was grasping his heel during the delivery. And so the name “Jacob” in Hebrew means something like “He who grasps the heel.” In those days that was a metaphor for a cheater/deceiver. Jacob’s name is quite literally “cheater.”

Genesis 25: When these two brothers are young men Jacob cheats his older brother out of his birthright inheritance. In a rather bizarre story, Esau comes in from a field exhausted, and Jacob refuses to give him stew until Esau gives him his birthright.

Genesis 27: Last week we saw as Thomas preached, the disfunction of Jacob’s family. Everyone was cheating each other. Jacob, knowing his father had gone blind in old age, dressed up in his brother’s clothes, and pretended to be him, and got his father to bless him instead of Esau his brother.

Genesis 27: That story ends with Esau, the older brother, becoming murderously enraged. And so at the end of chapter 27 Jacob flees to his uncle Laban’s house in a distant land. This is where the story gets even more interesting.

Genesis 29: Laban had two daughters, Rachel and Leah. Jacob fell in love with Rachel and wanted to marry her. Laban made him work as a shepherd on his land for seven years before he could marry her, which Jacob did. And on the night of his wedding, Laban swapped out Rachel for Leah. And so, Jacob accidentally married the wrong woman, and doesn’t realize it until the sun rises the following day. Jacob is of course angry about this (as any rational man would be) and determines to work another seven years for Rachel’s hand in marriage.

Genesis 29: He finally marries Rachel, and now he’s got a real problem. He’s married to two women who are jealous of each other. Polygamy never works in the Bible. This jealousy leads to bizarre behavior by everyone. The wives are angry. The servants become involved. Rachel ends up so desparate to give Jacob a son, that she resorts to some ancient form of witchcraft. Throughout all of this, God continues to be gracious to Jacob.

Genesis 31: Finally Jacob determines its time for him to leave Laban’s household with his wives and his children and property. But Laban sets out to cheat him again. Laban and Jacob proceed to bizarrely cheat each other in order to gain possession of the sheep.

Genesis 31: When Jacob finally leaves the house, his wife Rachel (the one whom he loved) stole her father Laban’s household gods, which enrages Laban all the more, and is confusing because Jacob and his wives are supposed to be following God alone.

Genesis 31: Where we find ourselves in Jacob’s story today is Jacob and his wives and his servants and his sheep returning to the land of his fathers. There’s only one problem. He hasn’t seen his brother Esau, whom he cheated, in nearly twenty years. And the last time they saw each other, Esau wanted to kill him. As his caravan approaches the land of his fathers, Esau is on the horizon, not just by himself, but with 400 men.

Does What He Always Does: Jacob’s life is a comedy of errors. His story is one of constantly taking measures into his own hands. There are moments in those previous chapters we see that Jacob has a real faith in God. I believe he is saved well before our story today. We not only see some legitimate prayers of his, but we also see God speaking to him. And so what we seem to have is a man who has been saved from Hell, and yet still deeply identifying with the old ways of the flesh. He’s a deceiver. And whenever he is put into the squeeze, that old flesh comes out.

A Man Wrestles: Then, one night when his greatest hour of trial and anxiety comes upon him, a man come to him when he is all alone, and that man begins to wrestle with him. Notice, the text does not say Jacob began to wrestle with the man, but the man began to wrestle with Jacob. What is the identity of this man? Who is Jacob wrestling with? There has been debate across the millennia who this man is. He is certainly more than just a man.

Verse 25, he breaks Jacob’s hip with the touch of his hand.

Verse 28 he renames Jacob.

Verse 29, the man refuses to give his name.

Many of the ancient rabbinic schools of thought believe this to be a very high ranking angel, perhaps the arch-angel Michael. The problem with that is verse 30.

Genesis 32:30 “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.””

When Jacob realizes who he has been wrestling with all night, he realizes it is none other than God himself. This is one of those rare and yet very clear examples in the Old Testament where God takes on human flesh. Theologically, we call this a “theophany.” When God takes on flesh, who are we speaking about. It is the pre-incarnate Christ. Before the Word of God was born in human flesh on that very first Christmas, the Word of God from time to time took on flesh, in order to deal with his saints.

Summarize: Here is Jacob, who has a worship issue. The center of his life is off. Everything else flows out of that center. Who a man is, as he stands before a Holy God determines everything in that man’s life. He is either joyfully underneath the authority of his God, or he is wrestling with his God. His whole life has been marked by wrestling (wrestling with his brother, with his mother, with his father, with his uncle, with his wives). And the truth underneath all of that, who he was really wrestling with, was God. and so the Lord brings what has already been Jacob’s reality, to a physical confrontation.

Application: This first part of the message on how God breaks us, I would like to apply to two different kinds of people in the room today.

Unbeliever: First, let me address those in the room today who are not Christians. Perhaps you have come on the arm of a friend. If you have not surrendered your life over to Christ, then your life is by default set up out of its proper alignment, because you were made for one overarching purpose, to glorify God by enjoying him forever. You can tell yourself you don't need God, and you can tell yourself that you can rely on yourself. But the truth is, there is a weight of sin over your life that is heavier than you realize. As it stands right now you are separated from God. What you need more than any other thing in your life, is a direct confrontation with Jesus Christ, where he gains mastery over you. He wants to break you of your self-reliance, and make you a vessel of God's glory in every area of your life. There is no greater calling life. If God is wrestling you right now, be like Jacob. You cling and you plead until the Lord blesses you with the faith to believe.

Believer in the Flesh: Second, let me address those who maybe are like Jacob in this room. You placed your faith in Christ many years ago, but you haven't been living into it. You may be saved from hell, but you're not glorifying God in your life. Sinful habits and patterns self-sufficiency have gained a footing. You need another confrontation. Not one to cause you to be "born again", that may be already true of you. But you need a confrontation to realign you. The challenges you've facing cannot be overcome through self-sufficiency. You need to confess your sin to God. You need to repent of the idols of the heart. And you need Christ to gain mastery over your life again.

God breaks us through direct confrontation.

GOD REMAKES US THROUGH GRACE UPON GRACE

The second half of our time together is on how God remakes us. God remakes us by bestowing grace upon grace on our life. Grace comes into our life in waves. It is as if we are sitting on the beach with our feet in the water, and wave upon wave laps up upon our legs, ceaselessly. That is how grace operates in our life. I want to show us two waves of grace in this story.

The Grace of Wrestling: First, the grace of wrestling. As Jacob wrestles with God, there is a moment in verse 25 that must have surprised Jacob greatly. Up until verse 25, Jacob perhaps thought he was an equal match for this enemy. But then we read:

Genesis 32:25 “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.”

That first half “When the man saw he did not prevail” does not mean that the man was not able to win. It simply means that Jacob did not stop wrestling. Then we read “he touched his hip socket” and his hip was put out of joint. That word “touched” might be able to be translated as struck, but it seems based on the context that God simply touched his hip. It seems from the passage that Jacob immediately realizes “that was different.”

Why Wrestle: Why did God allow Jacob to fight him the full ten rounds, when he could have knocked him out in the opening round with his finger? Well, because very often there is grace to be found in the wrestling.

Personal: Sometimes we find ourselves in a season where we feel as though we’re wrestling with God. Maybe there are strange doubts that have emerged, and though you have prayed, they seem to be lingering.

Maybe you have entered a season where a trial has come upon you, and you have called on God, but it feels like he is distant, and in your soul you’re wrestling.

Maybe there is a desire you have that is so overwhelming, and it just feels like God is not giving you the desires of your heart. What is God doing?

Illustration - Wrestling: The truth there is grace in the wrestling that cannot be found any other way. If you think of actual wrestling, there are some things you can only learn in the fight. Your coach can tell you how to defend against a certain attack. But that’s just head knowledge, until that attack has been used on you. And then you learn, “Okay if I put my leg out when I’m in that situation, he can hook my leg and twist and then I’m wrapped up, so don’t do that.”

God’s Not Done: What precious and tender grace that God is forming something in you, oh precious saint. There are some truths that can be truly learned experientially. You must “taste and see the Lord is good.”

The Grace of Pulling Up Roots: Second, is the grace of pulling up roots. Any of you who ever taken care of a garden know that when weeds grow in the garden, you must pull the weed up by the root. You’ve got to get in deep, and wiggle it, until the whole root comes up. If you don’t get at the root, it just comes back the next day.

From Wrestling to Clinging: This scene of this wrestling match is incredible. God comes down and wrestles with Jacob all night. He then breaks puts hip out of socket. And he stands over Jacob as the clear victor. But now Jacob has changed positions. He realizes he can no longer wrestle this man, he’s been defeated. So now he’s simply clinging and pleading. Make sure you understand that God will wrestle with you, until you learn to cling intead of wrestle.

Pleading!: Then Jacob pleads, “Bless me.” You can hear that little boy, who was directed by his mom to deceive his dad and steal his brother’s blessing. God is getting at the root. “Bless me!” he cries out. Of course, we know the great irony here. Jacob was already blessed, before he was born. He was the son of the covenantal blessings. God had already spoken that truth, Jacob just didn’t believe God’s Word.

The Name Jacob: While Jacob is clinging to God, crying out for a blessing. God looks down on him and says:

Genesis 32:27 “What is your name?”

God is asking “Who are you?” Jacob, you can imagine with tears in his eyes, holding onto the ankle of God refusing to let go, cries out “Jacob! My name is Jacob.” And he knows what that name means. “Cheater! That’s who I am. I’m a liar!” And it is almost as if God looks down and says with great love and patience and that wounded man and says, “Okay, now we’re getting somewhere.”

Genesis 32:28 … “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.””

The New Name Israel: He changes his name to Israel. Let me explain this name Israel to you. The name is a combination of two words in Hebrews. The first portion is the verb [sora] which means to strive, to wrestle, or to contend. The second portion is the name El, which is the name of God. So many, have believed this name to mean something like “He who wrestles with God.” That is one way to interpret it. But I think that is incorrect. There are many names in the Bible that end in El. Daniel means God Judges. Gabriel means God is my strength. Hiel means God lives. You notice that in every other time the interpretation is that God is the one doing the action. Which leads many scholars to reason that Israel should be no different. It is not Jacob who is wrestling with God, but God who is striving over Jacob. And that is precisely what happens in this story. The meaning that best captuers that idea is something like “He whom God commands.”

Experiential: What was Jacob’s root problem, that God had to pull up like a weed. At his core, Jacob’s chief identity, was that he was a deceiver. And that went with him wherever he went. The grace of pulling up roots. This is hard. How do you figure out a person and figure out what is the root problem in a person’s life. God may use pastors and friends to help you identify these things, but this is the grace of God working in the lives of those whom he loves.

Fatherlessness: Some in this room, your answer is “fatherlessness.” You look at some of the cahllenges you have faced in your life, and the knots your life has gotten in. You see that your marriage has some pain points that just seem like they won’t go away. And you see some of the same sinful patterns in the way you treat those who are close to you. And if God were to get you alone on the River Jabbok, and really wrestle with you and ask your name, your identity, you would cry out “Fatherless.” But that same God, through Christ Jesus wouldn’t leave you unchanged. He would place a new name over you. He would say, “That is who you were, but that is not you are. You are not defined by fatherlessness. You are one whom God commands. And your life has one new overarching purpose and power, and it is not to live in the pain of an identity built around a father wound, but in an identity built on who you are in Christ. Israel!

Trauma Survivor: Some in this room, your answer is trauma survivor. You look at the challenges you are facing in life, and the patterns of behavior that cause you wounds, and deep down you know that these things in your life are connected. You experienced trauma at some point. Someone did you wrong. Someone hurt you. And now you have all kinds of security measures in place, and coping mechanisms to guard against being hurt like that again. You experience anxiety in different situations. And if God were to get you all alone on the river Jabbok, and wrestle with you all night, and ask you your name, you would cry out “Trauma Survivor.” And Christ would look back, as you cling onto him, and he would say, “That is who you were, but that is not who you are. I have broken you in order that I might remake you. Your life has one overarching purpose and power, and it is to live as one whom God commands, an identity built on Christ. Israel.”

Good Kid: Some in this room, your answer to the question is “good kid.” You look around and your life isn’t necessarily in knots. You’ve figured out early on how following the rules can get you quite far. It can build normalcy and consistency in your life. But when you come to church, and you hear about the depth of a relationship with Christ, and the holiness that you are called to, you know that somewhere deep down inside your core identity is missing something. If Christ were to get you alone on the river Jabbok, and ask you your identity in raw truth, what would come out is, “Good kid.” As you plead and cling to Christ he would look to you and say, “That might be who you were, but I’m not leaving like that. You are far too precious to me. You are one whom God commands. Israel.”

Summarize: Waves of grace. God is in the business of changing people. His great purpose is to squeeze glory out of you. His great purpose is to magnify his name through your life. He’s not done with any of us. May none of us ever get to a place where we stop clinging and pleading with God to reveal new weeds in our life that need to be removed.

Conclusion

The story of Jacob wrestling with God, is the story of grace upon grace. God had to break Jacob in order to remake him. May we have the kind of fatih that does not run when God confront us, but pushes in, that clings and pleads for the blessing.