Striving with God and Man

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 119:113-120

Psalm 119:113–120 ESV

I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God. Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope! Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually! You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain. All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross, therefore I love your testimonies. My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments.

Scripture memorization: Genesis 50:19-20

Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Scripture Reading: Matthew 10:26-33

Matthew 10:26–33 ESV

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Sermon:

Good Morning Church!

I was Glad when they said to me let us go and worship ion the house of the Lord!

One of the things I have done for myself to. Maybe sort of counteract my ADHD… and also for me, it's to have a goal and a plan for what I consider the most important part of my Job and responsibility here, which is preaching… Is that before I start any series. I sit down and I map out, and I schedule the entire series, so I already know now when we are going to finish our series through the Book of Genesis I plan in breaks for Advent and things like that, and and I really try my hardest once a a sermon is in the schedule. Once I have decided, because I spent a lot of time before we start reading through praying about cutting it up, doing all that stuff. Once I decided, I do my best. Not to change it, not to change the schedule at all.

However. Sometimes, things happen. A few weeks ago, I was gone at a funeral service for my cousin, and we had a guest preacher so that messed with the schedule. But, I, I didn't mess with the way we were preaching. I just moved everything a week and just you keep on moving along.

And that's mostly true. But every now and again? I reserve the right to realize I might have gotten it wrong. And this Sunday is one of those.

I had originally planned on preaching Genesis 32 over the course of two sermons. But as I, I hope we'll see as we get into it… about Tuesday afternoon, I was finishing up what I thought was going to be the outline and just realized there was something missing. And I realized that the something missing was the second half really of Genesis chapter 32.

So this morning? We're going to turn our attention to the entire chapter Genesis chapter 32.… I am messing up my schedule. What was originally 79 sermons is now 78 is how this is going to work out.

But I hope you'll see as we work our way through the the comparison that's being made, the lesson that Jacob's learning. And I think it's an important lesson for us To learn as well.

There's some exciting things that are going to happen. Jacob is on his way home. I would argue the most famous story from Jacob's life.… Maybe it's a battle. The first we've already talked about. That's the the latter in going up to heaven with angels going up and down... the other is that Jacob is going to wrestle with God. And have his name changed, and so that's what we will be looking at today.

That's all that's going to occur here in Genesis chapter 32. We're going to read it in large sections. We're actually going to read the sections as I was planning on preaching them over the course of two weeks, so we're going to start reading verses 1 through 21 this morning.

Genesis 32:1–21 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.” 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.’ ” So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 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 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?’ 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.’ ” 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, 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.” So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

These are the words of the Lord for us this morning. Let's open our time together with the word of prayer.

Dear Lord. We thank you for your steadfast love and your faithfulness. Though, we are unworthy of all of your goodness and Grace. Still, you call us, you save us, you wash us, and cleanse us. You bless us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Thank you for the precious gift of your son. I ask this morning that you would open our eyes, give us ears to hear, and eyes to see all that you have said and done. May you speak to our hearts. I asked this morning that you'd speak through your servant and speak with Clarity he goodness of your word. It's in Jesus name that we pray. Amen.

This is really One narrative. Though it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. As we end this story? The presents are being sent. Esau is coming with his army of 400 men. Jacob has a plan. We don't know what's going to happen of it. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.

But what's the point? What's being told us here? Well, originally, I had. Named this sermon when it was just one sermon. “The consequences of our actions”. If we remember context here, the last time we saw Esau, he wanted to kill Jacob. Jacob is not wrong in feeling this idea that his brother is going to be out to get him. The last time we saw Esau was conspiring as soon as my dad's dead. I'm killing Jacob... the day it happenes, I'm done. This is why Jacob was sent away. And so the consequences of Jacob's actions are. Now, he has to face this brother.

Now, he has to deal with the the seeds of his sin, and that's certainly part of it.

But at its heart. We're, we're seeing Jacob and how he's operating. And in this portion. What we see is that Jacob fears man.

Jacob FEARS Man

This is in fact what we're expressly told Genesis chapter 32:7.

Genesis 32:7 “Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed.”

Again, probably rightfully so. Esau is coming. That might be news. We'd like to hear! great! We're going to see my brother. Maybe he's forgiven me.... Esau is coming with 400 men with him... Not so great.

That is an army. That's. In fact, a powerful Army that's an army that can do some damage.

So, what's Jacob's solution? Well, it's twofold with one overarching principle… . It's important to see both thoughts, I think. The first is. He divides everything he has into two camps. This is good thinking from Jacob. No judgment here. I think this is a good plan. I'll divide everything into the people who are with them all the flocks, all the herds.

Verse 7 tells us he breaks them into two. This is his thought. If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it. The other Camp Will Survive. We're putting One Wife, one handmaiden. Well, there's 11 Sons at this time, but half my son's in this group, we're putting one wife, one handmaiden the other sons in this group. Half the flocks half the Sheep, half the camels, half the servants. We split it in two. Attack this one with your 400 men.... They'll probably conquer us, but at least the other one will escape. Vice versa. He comes and attacks this one, at least the other one will escape. I won't lose everything. That's his thought.

It's important to note. And this is what we'll talk about this week in our Grace. Jacob correctly assesses. That God has blessed him mightily and that is the only reason he can even DO this plan....

He came across. He crosses the Jordan to go to Laban. What does he have? We've talked about this at length. Absolutely nothing. He returns with so much blessing, overwhelmingly overflowing blessing of God upon his chosen. That he can divide all that he has, and it is two full camps. The thought here is Jacob's so blessed that half of his stuff looks like an incredible amount that Esau would assume is everything. That's how the other ones are going to escape.

And so, part of his plan is, I won't put all my eggs in one basket. I won't loose all of this If I even lose anything.

But in doing this, and here is the principle… WE can make plans and we can do things, but we must understand that it is all a work of God....

Jacob spends his time in the middle here acknowledging who God is and trusting in God's promises.

Verse 9: Oh God, of my Father, Abraham, God of my father, Isaac.

We're talking about who this is… God, the one God!

We're not like Laban where we're gonna mix and match and pick which gods we want to worship. God of my Father, Abraham, God of Isaac, and importantly, The God Who said to me come back. Come back and I'll bless you.

You have blessed me. I have so much I can divide into two camps, but. Esau's coming with 400 men! My brother, who last time we talked, wanted to kill me, is coming with 400 men. So, please, God, protect me.

In short, He relies on the promises of God. You said verse 12: you said, I will surely do you good God, you said, if I return, you'll care for me. You said, when I come, I'll have descendants outnumbering countible numbers... You said these things God.

And here's my thought, it is as if Jacob is saying to God, here's my thought: If Esau kills half of my kids, if Esau destroys half of what you blessed me with, if I lose half... It's gonna be hard to see your promises coming true. You said, I'll do good, losing half of all that I have that doesn't feel good.

Behind even that is This is this thought I've already struggled and strived. I've dealt with Laban. I've done all this stuff... I had to flee in the cover of Darkness, we had to do all this other stuff but you protected me. Did you protect me from Laban and all that was going on there just to have me come across here and have Esau kill half my people.

Is that really what's going on God?

Here he pleads with God.

The overarching theme here is that We're pleading with God, Jacob fears man… But he knows who has Authority… Jacob fears, man But he knows who rules… Jacob fears man, but he knows that God is in control of everything, and God can protect him. And so this fear of man drives him to the one who can protect him.

And he thinks and he plans, and he trusts God.

I think that's an important lesson if you're going to learn one practical take-home lesson here. This is a good one. We should plan. Jesus said, which one of you before building a tower wouldn't come and count the cost and figure out all it's going to cost? Because if you don't, what's going to happen, you'll get halfway done. You won't finish, and everyone will know you're not the smartest tool in the shed, sharpest tool, brightest crayon, whatever phrase we want to put there. We count the cost, and then we trust the Lord.

So, Jacob counts the cost and he divides everything in two. but he's actually still not done.

I said his plan is two fold with a principle… His plan is. Divide everything.

And TWO: show to my brother grace and humility.

It's interesting that he calls him he sends to him when we first see this. You shall say to, this is verse 4.

Genesis 32:4 “instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob,

So, before Jacob was stealing Birthrights, he was conning out of blessings. He was doing all of these things. Now, he comes back. He has humility say to my Lord Esau, the one to above me, the one who has that Authority as the Elder, your servant Jacob. The Lesser is here.

Though the prophecy is the older shall serve. The younger Jacob is acting with humility. Humility and Grace AND generosity.

The details of his plan play out like this, he is sending exorbitant gifts…

200 female goats and 20 male goats. It's one herd.

200 ewes's and 20 Rams. It's another herd.

30 million camels and their calves. That's another herd

40 cows, and 10 bulls. That's another herd,

20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys. That's another herd.

These herds, each to a group of servants. And then he sends them off one at a time.

You servant with the female goats and male goats go. And then you, you wait a little while. Then the next servant, the one with 200 ewes and 20 Rams. You go. And as soon as you get to my brother Esau, this is what you're going to tell him: “These are a gift for you, they're yours to have. Take em… And just so, you know, these are from your brother and your brother's on his way.

This is - Jacob's envisioning this - Let's imagine we are Esau for a moment: we're walking down the road. We have our army of 400 men behind us. And we're walking. And we come to the point where? We see a herd. We see the first or it's 200 female goats and 20 male goats. And they're like, this is a gift from your brother, Jacob. Maybe it starts to quell your murderous rage? That's a lot of goats. And female goats AND male goats so you can breed, and it's the possibility of having any more. And then you're walking and all of a sudden. Now you have 200 ewes's and male goats Rams. So, this is a herd that can make itself into a bigger, better herd. This is a gift from your brother, Jacob, he's right behind me.

Maybe you're rage is quelled a little more? Now, you get to the camels same deal. This is a gift from your brother Jacob… and Jacob's right behind us. The thought is each generosity each sacrifice that Jacob is making here will appease his brother Esau.

One quick question that will have the same answer we have seen OVER AND OVER AND OVER again is: How in the world Could Jacob do this? God has blessed him mightily. Two Herds, two flocks, he. He now has two camps worth of things, and it's so overwhelming and abundant that he can send to him, 200 female animals and 20 male ones with the Rams and the cows. A little more 30 milking camels, 40 cows, 20 donkeys. this is just another picture of Overwhelming blessing, overwhelming blessing, and with the opportunity that that blessing will just grow and grow and grow.

The blessing to Jacob is turned to a gift for Esau… one that If Esau cares for it, this will last him forever.

So big picture question for the lesson here: How does Jacob operate?

He fears man, but he trusts God. And he lives the way God would have called him to with humility and generosity and goodness.

Well, what's gonna happen? I don't know.... I do, but. We end on a cliffhanger, the present has passed ahead of him. And Jacob stays the night. Jacob has learned to operate how God has called him to, though he fears man... rightfully in many ways. You know, I don't know. I don't think the lesson of this is, you shouldn't fear man. He's right, his brother wanted to murder him last time we saw him. But I'm going to trust God, and I'm going to do what God's called me to.

It doesn't matter. What the resolution is? I think that's part of the lesson.

18:25

But the story continues. Not with Esau... Jacob fears man. And what man can do to him And then: Jacob wrestles with God.

Jacob WRESTLES WITH God

Picking up in verse 22,

Genesis 32:22–32 ESV

The same night the same night. there's our timing the same night? Esau is coming 400 men. I've sent off these flocks, I'm I'm hoping this will work. I have half my family over here, half my family over here, half my flocks over here, half my flocks over here, half my servants over. We're split in two… Jacob is plotting and getting ready… What’s his plan for himself… I don't know… maybe be somewhere in the middle. So whichever one is getting attacked, he'll go with the other one. I, I don't know what his plan is there. It's not super explicit. 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. Taking my family! He collects what he loves the most and is most dear. Flocks can be replaced the service. This sounds brutal, but servants can be replaced. Can't replace this family? He crossed the fort of your book. And he took them and sent them across the stream and everything else that he had. And Jacob was left alone. he middle of all of his fearing of God. They're fearing of man. He's doing what he thinks is right. He's divided this up. He's sending him off. He's protecting himself and his family and his Goods… And here, he stands… 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.

Jacob.… Now, Israel. Wrestles with God. This is the great reveal of this entire chapter here. Jacob is making all these plans and he's dealing with all of this stuff, and he's having all these struggles and he's crying out to God. And he finds himself IN all these things. I'm sending my family here. I'm crossing the river here. I'm doing this, and he finds himself alone. And we first opened. He's just wrestling. It's a man, it's some man. He's wrestling with. And they wrestle through the long hours of the night Jacob by himself.

Fear for his life from man. Wrestling. Now, with one who's just described as a man. But it turns out, it's not just a man.

The man won't tell Jacob his name. Jacob still knows who it is.

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.””

I have been saved. I've been wrestling. With God.

Jacob feared man but yet up till now Esau Has not done him any harm.

Esau in fact, did nothing to Jacob. All we know of Esau is here. He comes with 400 men. All we got? Who's the one? Who is in Jacob's life? Who's the one who is orchestrating these things? Who's the one who is blessing Jacob? Who's the one who is caring for Jacob? Who's the one who leaves Jacob with a constant reminder for the rest of his life that he's the one who's been watching over caring for him, looking after him, providing for him and doing all of this? It is GOD

The reason I felt the need to include this here. Because this is the point of the WHOLE story.

God is Sovereign. God is greater. That is bigger. God will care for us in his way. He'll look after us. As we need.

Our biggest issue in life. Our biggest issue in all of life. Is not the man who hates us and his army of 400 men coming to attack us. The biggest issue that we have in all of life Is not. What am I going to do If I lose half of everything I have? Our biggest issue in all of life is not anything to do with man, though we may fear man, though man may be able to harm us, though man may come to steal, kill, and destroy, though we like sheep may be being led to the slaughter by man. Our biggest issue is not man.

As we go through all this stuff, and we worry about all of these things, and we make plans. And we do that. There's nothing wrong with doing that, but at the end of the day, our biggest issue and problem is not where we stand with man.

Where do we stand with God? Jacob learns that he has right standing with God. Why? Because he saw the face of God and lived? He walks around with a limp for the rest of his life. His, his hip is dislocated, and it's never going to fit right. And this is long before the time of any hip replacement surgeries or anything like that. This was a permanent now limp he walks with for the. Limping upon his hip till the day he dies.

Constant reminder.

My standing with God? Is most important. He wrestled with God. You probably should have lost his life. Instead. He sees God, goodness, and Grace.

We follow what God has said. We live the way God has called us to. And then we worry. About that.

We don't worry... We should not worry, it's a better way to say this. About what man's gonna think, what man is going to do, how man's going to respond if I am doing what God has called me to. I'm okay.

What if? Esau does not accept these presents. What if each herd, instead of calming Esau, drives him further and further into rage? Because Jacob's hoping he sees every like he sees all the camels and and the male and female came was, like, man. Maybe Jacob's changed. He sees the next herd. Maybe Jacob's changed. He sees an extra, maybe Jacob's changed. But there's another way this story plays out. He sees the first herd, and he says, like what? He thinks this is going to help me. He thinks this is going to help him? He thinks this gets make up for all that he did to me. And then he sees the next herd. And he's like, now he's just flaunting. Oh, look at how rich I am. I can give you this. I don't want your hand-me-downs. I want to kill you. And then he sees the next turn. And he's, like, does this guy never stop? I know he's only tricking. I know there's something I more and more mad every time.

There's a way it plays out that way.

There's a way Esau hears your say to my Lord Esau, your servant, Jacob, he says. I know Jacob doesn't believe that way, I've we've. We've played this game. I know this is not how this goes.

It could play out that way…

It doesn't matter.

It Does not matter how Esau responds... you do, what God's called you to. And let the rest work itself out.

Esau and Jacob's action towards Esau is the foil, the fancy. Literary term to say. is here to show us that what really matters are Jacob's dealings with God.

Jacob's deals with God matter above everything else as he fights alone all night wrestling alone. That's what his life boils down to and what it ends up becoming Striving… and God blessing him?

He calls him Israel. Israel has two meanings, the ESV. They help you if you have your ESV every ESV you have in the footnote by the first instance of anyone's name. What it means … it's helpful. Israel here. It actually can mean two things we have what it says here.

Israel: for you have striven with God and with man.

Right. The way this breaks down is. ISRA- Strives, EL - God.

But we have something like this. It's actually difficult to pijn it down and it has an intentional double meaning… . It could mean strides with God, which is what we're told. Says, you got it

But also, you could read it. Sort of backwards. And it means God strives. The message to Jacob is this? You worry about me? And then I'll fight for you.

This is our hope.

We. Though not in literal ways like Jacob does. Strive with God and man.

But as we engage in this striving know that only one matters....

We Face these difficulties. What do you care about more? The lesson from Jacob's life is. Look to God. Deal with that first. And worry about the rest later.

We're gonna see what's gonna happen? That's what we have next week.

We're gonna see how God works all of this out. For Jacob. And it may shock us, and it may surprise us. But I've just gotten to the point where what God does doesn't shock or surprise me anymore. Because he always does better when we look to him first.

Let's pray

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