And We're Back!

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 119:121-128

Psalm 119:121–128 ESV

I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. Give your servant a pledge of good; let not the insolent oppress me. My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise. Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes. I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies! It is time for the Lord to act, for your law has been broken. Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.

Scripture memorization: Genesis 50:19-20

Genesis 50:19–20 ESV

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: Ephesians 2:11-16

Ephesians 2:11–16 ESV

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

Sermon:

Well once again, and as always, good morning church. I was glad when they said to me: let us go and worship in the house of the Lord!

Jesus in his ministry commented, as he was being driven out of Nazareth, where he was from. That a prophet is not without honor... except in his hometown. In other words, the only place a prophet gets no respect, is his hometown. There's a thought that sometimes it's hard to go back home. When I'm driving to Cloudcroft or Ruidoso, I am always grateful for the bypass around Alamogordo so that I don't have to go back to Alamogordo. I can just bypass that because it's tough to go there. And I would wager that my reasons to not wanting to go back to Alamogordo are NOTHING like Jesus problems with Nazareth, but possibly are a lot like Jacob's reasons for fear and trepidation as he heads back home. In short, I don't know who I'm going to see, and there's a lot of people from Alamogordo. I'd rather not see.

Jacob as he heads home. There's some people that he feels might be out to get him. And by people. We mean person, and by person, we mean his brother, Esau. His brother that he conned. The last time we saw Esau, Jacob was lying to his father, stealing Esau's Birthright, and Esau was planning: “the day my father dies. I'm going to kill Jacob, I'm sick, and tired of his nonsense.” And so Jacob was then sent off.

So, today's sermon, we'll be looking at Genesis chapter 33. In many ways it's the conclusion of what we started last week. Jacob fears Esau on his return home, God intervenes in the midst of all of this. He wrestles with Jacob, changes his name to Israel, dislocates his hip. But in many ways, this is the conclusion of the story that began way, way, way, way, way, way, way back in Genesis. Chapter 27. When Jacob conned his father really, this is the conclusion of a story that began way, way, way, way, way, way, way back in chapter 25. Where we read: Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebecca. Love Jacob,

we we have to figure out how is Jacob, The Blessed son, the one God has covenanted with, the one that God met with at Bethel, the one that God met with again and dislocated his hip, the one through whom the promises will flow. That was a prophecy given to Rebecca. How is that trickster, scoundrel of a son, the one chosen by God going to return?

So that's what we will be looking at today. Genesis chapter 33.

Genesis 33 ESV

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. And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 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.” Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 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. 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. Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” 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. 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.” 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.” So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 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. 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. 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. There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

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

Oh Lord, we thank you for your goodness and Grace. For the kindness that you show to us. For the great love with which you have bestowed upon us in your son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord. We thank you for your word given to us that we might know you. And that We might understand your love for us, your grace, your goodness, your protection, but also what you have called us to. I ask this morning that you would work through your word to conform us into the image of your son. Teach us all that we need. May we be a people changed by the hearing of your word. It's in Jesus name that we pray. Amen.

With this? We're back! The Saga of Jacob exiled in padan-Aram, though he wasn't truly exiled. That's likely what it felt like for him laboring under Laban. It's over. Being separated from the land that God promised - it's over. And so as we come to the end of this- Jacob has come full circle.

Physically. Sort of

geographically yeah.

But also spiritually.

There's a profound change that has happened in Jacob's life. Laban. Though a scoundrel. Though a vile. Deceitful manipulative man. What he intended for evil God intended for good? To bring it about that, Jacob would be blessed mightily that Jacob would be Sanctified that Jacob would be been worthy of inclusion in the proclamation that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God has done something profound FOR and IN Jacob!

There are three main thoughts that come across as we read this story that are worth looking into and worth our time this morning. The first section, what we see is that all of Jacob's fears were unfounded. Jacob's not the only one - It seems - that has grown and even matured. Because as we start. This is not about appeasing a brother. This is not about fleeing from a brother. This is not about fighting with a brother. Instead, it's about reconciling. With a brother.

RECONCILING with a Brother

Genesis 33:1 “And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold… “

The way this flows. We're there's a little difficulty here because we covered the first half last week, and now it's been a week for us. For Jacob, these are mere moments... he's wrestling with God all night long… I mean just WHOLE picutre...

so he spends the day before all day stressed. He hears his brothers coming with 400 men. He makes this plan. He gathers his flocks 200, plus 20.… 200, plus 20. All these camels. All these cows, he gathers his flocks. He gathers his servants. He sends them off in waves. Then he crosses the river. He has his family with him. He sends his family ahead, all of a sudden behold. He's wrestling with a man. All night long. He wrestles with this man exhausted and tired. This man dislocates Jacob's hip. It turns out this man is a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. He has seen God wrestled with God and lived. God changes his name, and Jacob lifts up his eyes. And behold, Esau was coming.

The hits keep coming. Jacob one after the other after the other. He's exhausted. He it's not just that he didn't sleep last night.

How appropriate this Sunday, the one Sunday of the year where everyone gets one hour less of sleep. And I don't know you, but I'm feeling it. It may have to do with the fact that I stayed up too late, watching an F1 race as well last night… I don’t know... but I'm tired. Jacob got zero hours of sleeep... wrestled all night. And all of a sudden, Here Comes Esau. So, what does he do? Well, the beginning. We might want to judge Jacob. He starts diving of the families. He's, like, okay, servants, and your kids.... We like you, the least. You're gonna go in the front… Is this fair, I don’t fully know… but for certain This is how this feels.

Then Leah with your six kids, you'll be next. Rachel Joseph, you guys are in the back. If something goes crazy, Rachel and Joseph have the best bet of living. Leah and her kids next.. servants and their kids, you guys are probably cooked. That's the way this reads.

And we might want to judge him, but he does the noble thing here. Verse 3, he himself, goes on before. Sure, there may be a hierarchy of how he's going to protect his family. But he'll put his neck out first. So, let's give him a little bit of credit.

As a side note: I had a realization yet just yesterday. I'm a very judgmental person. I've known this for a long time. It was brought to my attention again. And I do my best. I'm working on it, but I found there's one place I, I find it easy not to judge. And for some reason, that's the biblical characters that we are called to... Look up to in many ways.

So, yeah. Jacob's kind of scuzzy organizing his family this way… but what else is he going to do? But even more so, and how we can see at least a little bit of change in Jacob is that he puts himself out first. And as he's going, he's bowing seven times. Seven here a mark of completeness, but also just a mark of his total humility. He doesn't just bow once to his brother seven times Esau.... I'm here bowing before Esau, your servant, Jacob. This language he's used earlier.

But then a beautiful scene. Reminiscencent of The story of The Prodigal Son? Here Comes Jacob, fearing Esau's come with an army 400 men with him. What's going to happen to me?

He tried to appease his brother, sending gifts. He tried to maybe buy his brother's affection.… but no purchase necessary… His brother loves him.

Jacob's here, bowing before him bowing, hoping for respite bowing, hoping Esau doesn't kill him bowing with all this stuff. And Esau runs to meet him.

If you were just reading this and hearing it for the first time, you might think Esau ran to meet him. He's probably has a sword. But he doesn't. He Embraces him. He falls on his neck. He's he's hugging him. And he kisses him and they weep.

He hasn't seen his brother in 20 years.

The anger. The hatred. The angst. The ill feelings. They've passed with time. And here's his brother. Weeping as he meets it. The brothers are reconciled. Esau came with a with an army of 400, not to attack. But to come alongside to protect, to be with, To care for his brother.

Esau saw his brother and now he's weeping with joy with his long-lost brother. They are reconciled, and then he looks up and sees his. Two wives, two servants, and eleven kids. He says, who are these with you? Those are Esau's nieces and nephews. We've said a lot about Esau. He's a worldly minded man, the the New Testament is not kind to Esau, though he would seek repentance and tears. It will not be given to him. He will not get his Birthright back. But here in in this narrative. We see that even if our brother's not the best, we can still love him.

And here, Esau. The one who we would think is not the best... is the one showing the love. He sees his nieces and nephews. The sisters-in-law. Who are these with you? Jacob. Rightly acknowledges. “These are the servants God has given to your servant.”

God's blessed me. God said, I'd have a lot of kids and I'd come back with a lot of kids. God was right. God has blessed me greatly.

And in the same way. Jacob lined them up here they come. First we see that The servants come and their children. They bow. Humility. Though the older Shall Serve the younger here humility. They come in bow, then Leah and her children, and they come and bow, Finally Rachel and Joseph they come. They bow.

And then Esau is like: “by the way… what was all this ridiculous flocks you were sending before. Like, what? What was that circus that I walked by on the way here? Jacob. Thought that Esau would be appeased by all these gifts these flocks. If if we remember, we could go back in chapter 22, starting verse 14, it's 200 female goats, 20 male goats. It's 200 ewe's and 20 Rams. It's 30 milking camels and their calves. It's 40 cows and 10 Bulls. It's 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys.

All these herd after hers after herd. Jacob thought that would appease his brother. His brother was single-minded in his Focus. I want to see Jacob.

He runs to meet him. He hugs him. He falls on his neck. He kisses him. He's excited, ecstatic, Overjoyed, overwhelmed to see his brother. What Jacob thought would appease his brother, Esau was like, this is just ridiculous. What is going on?

Jacob explains, I thought I'd have to find your favor, I thought would would hate me.. side Esau was like, I don't need your junk. I don't need even these flocks. I don't need your stuff. I love you. I have enough.

Esau, it turns out, has been blessed, though Jacob took his Birthright. And his Blessing. God's still working in Esau's life as well. Esau has a lot.

He doesn't feel the need to take more of Jacob's things. Jacob Insists, please take it just please.

Maybe there's some guilt in Jacob's heart? I think what's going on is this is some recompense. Having been tricked and conned, having had his wages changed 10 times by Laban, having gone through all of this nonsense that he's gone through. I think Jacobs had an epiphany, like I did not treat my brother well. Esau, please take this. I havemore than enough. Please take this blessing. Let me bless you.

Esau relents. And here's our scene, two brothers. A long, strife-ful life. One more beloved by the father, one more beloved by the mother. One who's been taken advantage of by the brother, the other taking advantage. They come back and they find peace and unity. They reconcile.

When God brings Jacob back to the promised land, He does so in his perfect way. He removes The Strife and trouble that he had with Esau. He finds a way. God works this out in such a way. That Esau can go to his place to SEIR and God will look after HIM. And Jacob can fulfill the prophecy that God spoke over him multiple times.

God has worked all of this out. What some intend for evil, Jacob's stealing of his Blessing, what he intended for evil, Esau's anger, and hatred in his heart, what he intended for evil Laban's plan, planning and scheming, and changing of his wages. What he intended for evil God has worked out for good. The good here, in particular. Is the reconciling of a brother? A shattered relationship made whole. But we have to be careful.

Esau needs to go his way. Jacob. Needs to enter the promised land. So as our next thing unfolds. What's Happening Here is we are avoiding. Another detour.

AVOIDING another detour

This week in our grace group, there's actually a map in your Grace Point, which I know some of us look at that, like.. ugh… but I think it is important… I struggled with a specifically this middle part here. I was reading one of my commentaries. It was hard to like, understand what exactly is going on until you pull out a map, and you sort of see the way all of these things are working here. My goal is try to help us understand that in our Grace point, I don’t want to get a full geography lesson here, so I'll just give you the short, short, short version. Seir is not the promised land. It's down in the land of Edom far Southeast of the promised land.

That is not where you should go. Padam-aran, where he's been with Laban, is far to the Northeast. And the danger here is, Jacob might come. He might come all the way down, and he's approaching the promised land. He's here on the precipice of the promised, and he's just across one more River he has across the Jordan, and he's there. But he runs into Esau. And theexplicit danger here is that, after 20 years out of the promised land with Laban, if you go down to Seir, you're going to miss the boat completely. Jacob, don't do it.

Jacob CANNOT go down to Seer. And so he avoids this detour.

Esau is like, come on down. We're come on down to my house. I got lots of stuff. We're gonna hang out. It'll be great. And Jacob… well I just praised him… but here he can't quite help himself. Instead of, you know what? It's okay, I'm gonna go where God promised me. He makes up this, lie, I mean, you know? The, the children, the the flocks. It's hard. We can't really go on if I even push him for one day. Everyone will die, you know, the flocks will die. Everything I have my kids might die, too. It'll be a tragedy. I, I can't go on you, you. Esau, go on without me.

And I'll just I'll follow right along and we'll meet up.… SEE YOU IN SEIR!

You're lying Jacob… you are NOT going to Seir, and we all know it… Why lie? You probably should have just been honest.

So he's right. In understanding, I can't go there. Just wrong in his execution...

But here we are again, in seeing that God will use this. Jacob's not perfect... No one is. It's okay to say, Jacob, I think, is finally morphed into someone humble and kind and generous and gracious. We should like to imitate him in many things. But he still can't help himself. He still can't not lie. It turns out.

He avoids this detour with a lie, but then he avoids it AGAIN. Twice he has to dodge this bullet… .Esau is like, he says, like, hey, come on, Jacob responds: you know, I can't go, I can't, you know, the kids, the family, the flocks? They're all sickly and will die if I go.

So Esau pushes again: all right? Well, here's the deal. I'll leave some of my people they'll accompany you. Any Jacob's again denies this offer… no, no? I I got this? No big deal. It's okay.

And Esau leaves.

Jacob goes back across the jabuk river. He goes the opposite way. He says, I gotta get home. And home for Jacob. Is nothing short of. The beautiful land promised by God to Abraham - Jacob's grandfather - to Isaac Jacob's father - to Jacob through Isaac - but also in a dream at Bethel. When Jacob opened up his eyes. He saw Angels going up and down a ladder at the head of the ladder, stood God, and God said, I will give you this land, I promise you. You'll come back.

There will be No more detours. No more laboring in padan -aran. No going down to Seer. We are going home. We've got to get back. We've reconciled a brother so spiritually and emotionally. We are ready. We've avoided this detour. He will not go down to Seer.

So, we end with him finally settling. In the promised land.

SETTLING in the Promised Land

First, he goes to Succoth, builds himself a house, and made booths, really tens. He's not setting down Roots. It's still going to be a little while before he has to get home, but finally, Verse 18 Jacob came safely. That is by the grace of God.

There's a little note if you have your ESV, it's. It's sometimes important to note these right, if there's a little number, you can look down at the bottom of the page. What's going on here? In the Hebrew it is Jacob came in SHALOM to the city of Shechem.. There is a broad range of what shalom can mean.. it can mean safety, but I think in the context Jacob came peacefully and actually think that reading's the better reading, given the context of everything we've just seen.

We've we've dealt with with Esau. We've dealt with Laban. Finally, Jacob is at peace. And when he is at peace, now he can enter into the promised land. Jacob came peacefully to the city of shechem. Which is in the land? Of Canaan.

He's here!

Place names matter a lot. This is again what we'll talk about in Grace group a little bit. Just note this, this is smack dab in the middle. This is the the spine of the promised land. He's here. He's made it back. God has blessed him mightily with flocks and servants and female servants. He has it God's blessed him mightily. He has 11 sons. Here he is. And he sets up camp before the city, but he's not done yet. Jacob will do something in this passage. It's been long time coming. We have been waiting for this moment. Since Genesis chapter 12.

In Genesis, chapter 12, God told Abraham leave, get up and go from your country. Go to the land that I will show you.

Genesis 12:7 “Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.”

Genesis, chapter 12, verse 7, the Lord appeared to Abram. This is before his name is changed. The Lord appeared to Abram. This is the the introductory note to Abraham. God appeared to Abram. And said to your offspring, I will give this land.

But Abraham. Only bought a grave site for his wife that he ended up being buried into. We didn't read anywhere that Isaac got to buy any land. None of this land was owned by any of them. Chapter 33, 21 chapters. Three generations later.

Genesis 33:19 “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.”

In small ways... This isn't full possession of the promised land yet... that's not going to come for a long time. But, here we have it. He's bought land.

Jacob is livng a good life now… God has blessed him. He comes to the land in peace at peace with Esau peace with Laban.... He comes here at peace with God. And God blesses him, and he finally here buys for a hundred pieces of money a plot of land to live on… he owns land in the promised land!

The promise is coming true.

So, what does he do? He worships. Ultimately THIS is the picture we need to see.

What is imitatable in Jacob's life? Should we be generous and kind and humble? Yes. Should we lie like he did about our family needing to like take a break because they might get sick and die? No, we shouldn't lie. What should we imitate in the lives of Jacob? The same thing we should imitated in Isaac, the same thing we should imitate in Abraham, they walk by faith and not by sight. And walking by faith causes you to worship.

Jacob buys land the first thing he does THE first thing we are told… He erects an altar and calls it E;-Elohe-Israel.

God is the god of Israel.

This name is not accidental. This is explicit... a lot of names we look at, and you're like, you know, I'll say, oh well, he came to shechem. I said, this is, like, the back. It means back or shoulder like, sometimes it's literal, sometimes, like, oh, this sounds like the word. And we did that with all the sons, oh LEVI… that. sounds like the word for Attached.. and Judah, that SOUNDS LIKE the word for praise… this is not sounds like, Jacob did not take any subtlyty classess here… In fact, you can't get any more explicit.

If you can read El-Elohe-Isreal, you can read. That's what it looks like in the Hebrew. You just have to know what the letters sound like.

EL God - El-ohi is the god of, Israel… that one you got Israel. God is the god of Israel. It means what it says. But Jacob is building an altar, saying God, is MY God, the God who promised who God who I saw on a ladder, The God Who I wrestled with, the God who changed my name? Jacob refers to himself here as Israel,

God. Is the god of Israel for JACOB/ISREAL means: God, you are my God!

Let everyone know on this parcel of land that I have bought the first piece of land that we own. That's not a grave site. This is where he LIVES, This is where he's going to put his roots. And here, he proclaims, God is MY God.

God has brought him, not just back, but All the way back.

His time suffering his time languishing in HARAN, at the hands of Laban, his time fleeing from Esau. All of this time, God has worked to bring Jacob to HERE

Jacob is a man mightily blessed, profoundly and powerfully blessed by God.

What a powerful and important thought.

God is good though we struggle.

God is gracious. Though we are tricksters.

God uses us.. Even when our? Maybe our intent is good, but our actions fall short.

God has given us a Ministry of reconciliation.

Because God is worthy of all glory honor. And praise. Let's pray.

COMMUNION:

The Prodigal Son

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Youth Group

Grace Groups

Worship Leadership Meeting

Baby Shower

Showers REUNION

Five Sundays this Month

EASTER Potluck!