Reconciliation - Part 2
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Reconciliation - Part 2
Reconciliation - Part 2
24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.
pray
Confession of Faith
Confession of Faith
I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name
I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name
Introduction:
last week we began this series on Reconciliation!
When we last left Jacob -his brother Esau had gathered 400 hundred men to meet Jacob!
Why because Esau had no idea what Jacob was up to!
6 Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”
This ship Jacob to the core in fact a terrifying fear and distress came through his body
7 Jacob was terrified at the news. He divided his household, along with the flocks and herds and camels, into two groups.
Jacob thought his attempt at reconciliate with his brother had failed and Esau was apparently still out to get even by killing him. So what could he do?
There was only one thing he could do and that was to pray and seek the guidance and the face of the Lord!
I remind us
hen we seek reconciliation, the worst sometimes happens. The person is unwilling to be reconciled. He or she …
• wants nothing more to do with us
• claims to be too hurt, too far beyond forgiveness
• claims to be too angry, too bitter to make peace
Even though Jacob had not come to fight, but to reconcile with his brother - he had to also go about and do the business of following God and moving into his destiny!
10 So don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.
1 Now this is what the Lord says. He created you, people of Jacob; he formed you, people of Israel. He says, “Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you.
So now we find Jacob praying and we find Jacob seeking the Lord’s deliverance in this situation.
In Jacob's mind he was facing a desperate in a hopeless situation.
He had no hope other than to throw himself upon the Lord and that’s exactly what he did.
Now only God could help him!
9 Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’:
During Difficult times it’s only God who can help and it’s only God who can deliver!
So, we see Jacob at this point declaring God to be the Lord of salvation and the Lord of redemption.j
Jacob had to confess That he was not worthy of God’s mercy and kindness because of the things he’s done.
He was not worthy of God’s faithfulness which God had so abundantly showered upon him throughout his life.
10 I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps!
See God has blessed some of us even in the midst of our mess!
In this prayer to God I see Jacob confessing that he has always been unworthy and was still unworthy of the blessings from God
still unworthy of the faithfulness still unworthy of the mercy from God
still unworthy of the kindness of God from God
But Our God is not like man he continues to give us his mercy
he continues to give us his kindness
even though we know we don’t deserve it!
So think back for a moment when you didn’t have anything!
When you asked God for just a little! When you asked God for a job - when you didn’t have a job and he blessed you!
When you asked God to heal your body and he healed you
When you asked God to fix your relationship and he fixed it!
When you asked God for wisdom and he gave it to you!
When you asked God for protection and he protected you!
So it’s time now - in this journey of reconciliation
to begin to thank God and realize the blessing his brought in your life even when you didn’t deserve them
Just like Jacob he was acknowledging God’s blessings.
That God had taken him when he had nothing but a staff in his hand and given him everything he had now
God had given him wealth so great thatt it was divided into 2 groups
Now he was asking God to deliver him from his brother Esau!
Now the offended is afraid that he will become the one offended!
Just like Jacob, many of us are afraid!
11 O Lord, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children.
12 But you promised me, ‘I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore—too many to count.’ ”
Side Note
Jacob was afraid that he would not fulfill God’s will and bear the promised seed! The promised seed was to create a great nation of people and to make sure that the precious seed bore our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
So where is our hope when an offended person threatens us or refuses to make peace with us
Jacob shows us our hope is always in prayer our hope is always in crying out to God for deliverance!
18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2 And he said: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
15 They will call to me, and I will answer them. I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue them and honor them.
8 Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.
Good Intentions
Jacob had to show Esau that he had good intentions and God obviously heard Jacob’s prayer and God planted within Jacob’s mind a very unique way to seek reconciliation with Esau.
That way was of sending Esau several gifts of good intention or goodwill.
By doing this Jacob could be clearly showing that his intentions of meeting with Esau were peaceful! Gen 32:14-15
14 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams,
15 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys.
16 He divided these animals into herds and assigned each to different servants. Then he told his servants, “Go ahead of me with the animals, but keep some distance between the herds.”
So God gave Jacob the plan and the plan was to present gifts to Esau
This is what happens when we go to God in prayer
Each group of cattle was to be divided and driven separately to Esau
They were to keep a distance between the herds
By doing it God’s way Esau would receive five different gifts
five different herds of animals at five different times
So Esau would be bombarded with gifts of goodwill
Gifts of good intentions and reconciliation from Jacob
17 He gave these instructions to the men leading the first group: “When my brother, Esau, meets you, he will ask, ‘Whose servants are you? Where are you going? Who owns these animals?’
18 You must reply, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob, but they are a gift for his master Esau. Look, he is coming right behind us.’ ”
19 Jacob gave the same instructions to the second and third herdsmen and to all who followed behind the herds: “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.
20 And be sure to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’ ” Jacob thought, “I will try to appease him by sending gifts ahead of me. When I see him in person, perhaps he will be friendly to me.”
21 So the gifts were sent on ahead, while Jacob himself spent that night in the camp.
By doing this Jacob was acknowledging that Esau had been offended by him
He was acknowledging Esau had to do the forgiving
Jacob was acknowledging Esau had to and had to accept the offer of reconciliation.
Jacob had done wrong and he wanted to make peace!
He wanted to reconcile and he was doing all he could to let his brother know where his heart was.
He wanted his brother to receive him in peace
So where is your heart! Is it bitter?
Is your heart angry?
Is your heart afraid?
Is your heart still broken?
If that is you - it’s time to reconcile!
You may have been offended or you may be the offender!
Either way - If that’s you - it’s time to go to God and seek guidance, direction and wisdom!
Next week we will conclude this series on reconciliation and find out what happened to Jacob as spent the night in the camp!
God Bless You and God Keep you until next time