Jacob Wrestles with Life
UTAWALA BAPTIST CHURCH11-03-2007
Jacob Wrestles with Life
Scripture Genesis 32:24-28
William Borden
Heir to the Borden Dairy Estate
Graduated from high School in 1904 a millionaire
Parents gave him a trip around the world, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Wrote home saying, I’m going to give my life to prepare for the mission field.
When he made his decision, he wrote in the back of his bible two words: No Reserves
Turned down high paying jobs after graduating from Yale University he entered two more words into his Bible: No Retreats.
After completing his studies at Princeton Theological Seminary, Borden sailed to China to work with Muslims, stopping first at Egypt for some prep.
While in Egypt he was struck with meningitis and died.
What a waste – some might say.
But that is not God’s perspective:
In his bible under the words No Reserves, No Retreats, he wrote: No Regrets.
From God’s perspective William Borden arrived where God wanted him to be
Living a Life Of Full Surrender.
From the World’s perspective:
William Borden was a man who had it all and threw it away.
From God’s perspective:
William Borden was a man who had nothing at all and gained everything.
Let’s face it –at the end of it all each of us stands before God.
What is better to be holding – everything from the world’s perspective?
- everything from God’s perspective?
This is what we see with Jacob
In our Scripture, Jacob appears to have it all,
But a powerful encounter with God shows he needed to surrender to gain it all.
Round 1 – God Desires An Encounter With Us.
We desire it too, but are unaware.
Jacob is going to have a life changing encounter with God
It is not his first encounter. Genesis 28:11-13
He grew up knowing about God
But really had no relationship
He first encountered God at his lowest point in his life
He gained a profound awareness
But being aware of God, is not the same as knowing God
Yet this awareness did produce a faith in God
He encounters God again when he is struggling with his uncle Laban
He is more aware of God and his faith is stronger Genesis 29-30
But he still heavily relies on himself to do things
Helping out God
Still, he realizes things work out better with God
Though he hasn’t seen, it is all God.
Now he encounters God again
Not like the last encounters – this time God will change him for good
This is not a random, running into God – that never happens.
God has him exactly where he wants him
Jacob is really not a good guy, with a true heart
God wants to change that
Here – pay attention
What God desires for Jacob, is what God desires for us.
A heart ready to follow his lead.
God will do anything needed to bring us there.
Many of us think God desires us to have a blessed life
He does – but not how we see it.
We see, material and carrier success, peace and tranquility
We see this as what God want for us
In other words, the good life.
But this is not true
If it where, Jacob who is very wealthy, wouldn’t need anything more
He has wealth
He has success
A wonderful family
But what God wants, number one thing, close relationship
With an open heart
Not only does God desire this changing encounter
But so does Jacob
So do we – we may just not be aware
Jacob, again looks as if he is running away from a difficult situation.
But he is really running toward God
Round 2 – When We Are Out Of Options We’re In The Ring.
Jacob is in the process of moving – from twenty years of difficult work
With an uncle who cheated him at every turn
Genesis 31:18; 54-55
But still God made sure he was blessed.
Since his uncle couldn’t get ahead no matter how difficult he made it on Jacob
He had grown jealous, and had an attitude towards him
He is not welcome where he has come from
But he is not welcome where he is going
Cheated brother, Esau, who swore he would get revenge and kill him.
When his servants come back they bring ambiguous news Genesis 32:3-6
Brother is coming with 400 men
A welcoming party?
A raiding party?
Jacob knows this could be the end, so he does two things
Sends gifts ahead
Common thing at this time
What it shows is this
Sender is the servant of the receiver
Jacob is trying to appease his brother
Hoping to overwhelm him with gifts
More: hoping to show he is the servant three times over
Divides up family and camps alone
He does this in the hope that if things go down in a bad way
Some of his family will survive
Placing Rachel
Camps by himself so that if Esau finds him, he will be the only one killed
Doesn’t sound like a man who fully trusts God
He still thinks he is the one who made his wealth grow
He is not fully aware of his dependence on God
Not yielding to the Spirit of God
Jacob is out of options, making things happen on his own.
God is ready to step in.
Round 3 – We Need Awareness Of Who We Are, Really Are.
Verses 9-12 Jacob Prays.
Reminds God of his promises,
Which promises prosperity, and the fact he will make it home.
So where is his faith?
Some ways it is human nature
Really, what it shows is that he has not surrendered to God.
Aware of God
Knows God, not deeply though
Has faith in God
Needs to surrender to God
Significant verses – 10 -11
First time he shows he is aware that he is unworthy
In other words he has done nothing to deserve what God
Because God’s grace and mercy is a gift
Then as it is now
Let’s be clear
It is not simply because he is in a difficult situation that his coming encounter with God is fruitful – he’s certainly had that before.
It is fruitful because he is now aware of his sin. Aware of how unworthy he is.
Round 4 – The Point Of The Struggle Is: Surrender Genesis 32:24
So then we come to this curious verse, verse 24
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak
Our first thought might be – Esau
But it become clear as we read that it is none other than God himself.
Some have speculated that his is a dream
Or that he is wrestling in prayer
But the Hebrew doesn’t say that
It is clear, straight out, Jacob is wrestling with God
When the Scripture says wrestling here – it means non other than wrestling.
What I love is – for the first time, he is honest
God loves that!
The beginning of Verse 25 – stands out doesn’t it
When the man saw that he could not overpower him,
How cold God not overpower – he is God isn’t he?
God cannot make, Jacob, you or I surrender.
We have to do that.
If he cold make us, our love for him would not be real.
God has brought him to the line, but Jacob has to step over it.
So they continue
Jacob here is just hanging on, clinging
He realizes he has something and doesn’t want to let go
He is literally being Jacob – grabber, the meaning of his name
The point of this struggle, Jacob and in our lives – is surrender.
We must surrender to God
This is a necessary experience.
God needs Jacob to surrender
If he is going to move him on a create him the man he wants him to be
If he wants to leave that past behind
He must struggle
He must surrender
WE must surrender as well!
Round 5 – We Are Given A New Identity Genesis 32:28
When God asks his name it is not because he doesn’t know
It is an act of surrender
God does not give his, Jacob has no power over God
Asks his name - because he will now change his name
Why because Jacob has now surrendered to him
He was Jacob – Grabber – not a great name, but fit him well.
Now he is Israel - what God will make him, how god sees him.
Very literally – God Fights, taken as fights with God, here
Root related to Arabic and Ethiopic - giving the sense of healing
Really, a fighting which brings healing
Other – struggle, overcome
Later on: simply people of God
Always that sense of struggle
We are given a new name as well CHRISTIAN!
God will bring to us a point of surrender – whatever it takes, how ever long it takes
Round 6 - An Encounter With God Will Cost You.
There is a point where we will pay anything
Jacob was at a point where he would do anything to get out of his predicament
That is exactly where God wanted him to be
Jacob will never walk the same way again
Point is, symbolism is:
Jacob is reminded with every step: By the grace of God go I
By God’s power, not my own power.
What is it going to cost you, surrendering to God?
Question:
Do you think Jacob would want to go back?
Jacob, now Israel, faces with fear what he has been running from for his whole life.
He will have to face is brother Esau
He will have to face is old sin
Where as before he would certainly have failed
But now, with God, he can only succeed.
