Untitled Sermon

Genesis 32:24 KJV 1900

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

Wrestling With God

Study Links:

Sermon by William Hughes : https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=619081120566

Thoughts about the context:

Jacob was leaving Laban whom he had served for 20 years in Padan-aram and returning to Issac his father in Canaan.

He had gathered together his wives, his children and his cattle all of which he had built during his time in Laban’s house.

Rachel had stole images from Laban and he pursued the convoy and confronted them about the missing idols. After Laban confronts them he and Jacob make a covenant that they will not pass over the spot where they met in an attempt to do one another harm. (A note about covenant agreements in OT times)

Jacob and Laban depart their separate ways and Jacob gets word that his brother Esau is heading his way. Not knowing the intentions of Esau, Jacob is fearful and begins to scheme and plan for dealing with Esau.

Jacobs Character:

It would be valuable to make some comments on the character of Jacob. His life was marked by a continued reliance on self. He was a man who knew God but had never learned to surrender and trust God. This can be seen in the promise that God made about Jacob when he was born.

23 And the Lord said unto her,

Two nations are in thy womb,

And two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;

And the one people shall be stronger than the other people;

And the elder shall serve the younger.

Observations on the text

After all the scheming and planning - Jacob was alone

God came to Jacob - often it takes a moment of complete solitude before we recognize the presence of God

Wrestling - who is this man? Pre-incarnate Christ?

Until the breaking of the day - this was an extensive meeting that lasted through the night - we could draw from this that it was a season of wrestling

The Lord was not prevailing against Jacob - How we resist the Lord so often and fail to submit to his authority - The moment we are saved Jesus is Lord of our lives but practically speaking there are many Christians who resist his Lordship. God does not force his hand on us in a continual manner.

Many times we think we are wrestling with Satan when we are really wrestling with God

The hollow of his thigh - what is the significance of this part of the human anatomy?

How did this change Jacob?

As God is wrestling with Jacob something happens - Jacob begins to hold onto God with a grip that would not let go!

What is the significance of this grip of Jacob’s?

God wanted Jacob to understand himself - “what is thy name” - this is the beginning of growth in our walk with God - when we see ourselves as God knows us we have a place to start - this may be the most significant moment of the narrative. Jacob comes to grips with his natural man! He sees himself!

God tells Jacob he has prevailed - what happened - Jacob came to terms with his own condition and was humbled by God - this is identified as prevailing - this is victory! This is much different than the victory we would describe

Why did Jacob ask God his name? What does this mean?

Main Theme

Jacob’s will/ability to trust himself is broken!

Failure in Jacob’s life to surrender to God resulted in a meeting with God that forever changed him. Instead of a voluntary surrender to God’s authority, the Lord wrestled Jacob into a position of submission by touching the very heart of Jacob’s human strength.

Jacob had met the Lord. He had a personal experience with the God of Abraham and Issac and had moved from a mere familiarity with his fathers God, to a personal relationship that made the God, his God. Although Jacob had a personal relationship with God, he was still scheming, planning and controlling his own life. This lack of surrender in Jacob’s life climaxed in a moment that would forever change his life.

God came to Jacob and wrestled him into a posture of submission. Resistance to God results in a touch that will forever require dependance and remind us of our insufficiency. Perhaps we have had a similar experience in our own life.... Perhaps we are like Jacob and we know the Lord but we resist his will, fearing God’s providence. Down deep we know God, we have a salvation experience, but there is not a genuine communion that can only be the result of a surrendered life.

General Outline

Introduction:

-Who Jacob was

-What brought Jacob to this point

Main Body:

-What are the particular facets of this meeting with God?

-What was the result?

Conclusion:

-Like Jacob many of us resist the practical surrender that the Lord calls us to. It is one thing to make Jesus the savior of our soul it is deeper matter to trust him with our life