Sermon Tone Analysis

Tuesday August 22, 2006

Genesis: Genesis 32:9-12-The Eight Essential Elements of Jacob’s Prayer

Lesson # 191

Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 32:1.

Before we took our summer break, we left off in Genesis 32:12.

Therefore, by way of review, let’s note the following:

In Genesis 32:1-2 we saw Jacob encountering the angels of God as he was returning to the land of Canaan and naming the place, “Mahanaim,” which means, “two camps.”

Jacob’s encounter with the elect angels of God was designed to reassure him once again of the divine presence and protection.

In Genesis 32:3-6, we saw Jacob sending a delegation to his brother in order to communicate to him his desire to reconcile with him but Jacob receives information from the messengers that Esau is coming with four hundred men to meet him.

Then in Genesis 32:7-8, we have the record of Jacob’s response to this information, which was to divide his family into two companies in order to save lives.

In Genesis 32:9-12, we saw Jacob praying for protection from Esau and claiming the covenant promises of God (32:9-12) in order to meet his fear of Esau.

This evening we will study eight essential elements that are contained in Jacob’s prayer, which will guide and help us in our prayer life when we are in the midst of adversity.

Genesis 32:1, “Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him.”

Genesis 32:2, “Jacob said when he saw them, ‘This is God's camp.’

So he named that place Mahanaim.”

Genesis 32:3, “Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.”

Genesis 32:4-5, “He also commanded them saying, ‘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 and donkeys and flocks and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.’”

Genesis 32:6, “The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, ‘We came to your brother Esau, and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.’”

Genesis 32:7-8, “Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies; for he said, ‘If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape.’”

Genesis 32:9-10, “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 relatives, and I will prosper you, I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies.’”

The first element that we see in Jacob’s prayer is that he recognizes and claims his covenant relationship with God as indicated in the statement “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord.”

Church age believers when entering into prayer with the Father need to recognize and pray in accordance with their eternal union and relationship with Jesus Christ.

When we pray “in Jesus name” we are acknowledging that we can only approach the Father boldly in prayer based upon the merits of Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross and our eternal union with Him (John 14:13-14; 16:23-24; Eph.

5:20; Col. 3:17).

John 16:23, “In that day you will not question Me about anything.

Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.”

The first prerequisite for an effective prayer is that one must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as one’s Savior.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”

The second element in Jacob’s prayer is obedience to God’s Word where Jacob reminds God that he has been obedient to His command to leave for Canaan as indicated in the statement “O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives.”

Obedience to God’s Word is another prerequisite for an effective prayer.

Proverbs 28:9, “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.”

John 15:7, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.”

Obedience to God’s Word constitutes being filled or more accurately influenced by the Holy Spirit since when we obey the Word of God we are obeying the Holy Spirit who speaks to us through the Word of God.

Ephesians 5:18, “And do not permit yourselves to get into the habit of being drunk with wine because that is stupidity, but rather permit yourselves on a habitual basis to be fully influenced by means of the Spirit.”

Genesis 32:9-10, “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 relatives, and I will prosper you, I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies.’”

The third element in Jacob’s prayer is that he recognizes his own unworthiness in the sense that he acknowledges that he cannot approach God based upon his own merits nor has he been blessed because he merited it and this is indicated by the phrase “I am unworthy.”

Jacob states in the prayer, “I am unworthy,” which is an acknowledgement on his part that he merits nothing with God and that all He has been promised and has received from God is a gift of His sovereign grace and is casting himself upon God’s mercy and compassion.

His use of this expression expresses his humility and that he has finally come to realize that all the prophecies about him and the all the blessings were based not upon his merits but upon God’s grace.

The believer cannot approach the Father in prayer based upon his own merits but on the merits of Christ and the believer has not received every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies based on his own merits but upon the merits of Christ and His death on the Cross.

Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

1 John 2:12, “I am providing information in writing at this particular time for the benefit of all of you, little children in view of the fact that for the benefit of all of you, your sins have been forgiven-past, present and future on the basis of His merit.”

Genesis 32:9-10, “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 relatives, and I will prosper you, I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies.’”

The fourth element to Jacob’s prayer is that he acknowledges the character and nature of God and in particular His unconditional, loyal love and faithfulness and this is indicated by the phrase “all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness.”

“Lovingkindness” is the noun chesedh (ds#j#) (kheh-sed), which means, “loyal or faithful love” to Jacob and which loyal or faithful love Jacob attributes to God who remained faithful to His covenant promises to Jacob by remaining with him and protecting and prospering him while he was in exile with Laban.

This word chesedh involves the inferior partner depending on the kindness of the superior to meet a desperate need.

Therefore, we see that Jacob attributes his prosperity to God’s loyalty and prays that he can count on the Lord again to follow through for him on this dangerous journey and meet his need as a covenant partner and give him protection from Esau.

“Faithfulness” is the noun `emeth (tm#a$) (eh-meth), which is used by Jacob to praise the Lord’s faithfulness, and reliability and trustworthiness in keeping His promises to prosper and protect him while with Laban.

Psalm 33:4, “For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.”

When taken together, these two noun chesedh, “lovingkindness” and `emeth, “faithfulness” express the continued stability and reliability of God’s unconditional love towards Jacob.

Psalm 25:10, “All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.”

When approaching the Father in prayer, the believer must be aware and recognize the character and nature of God in that He is a God of unconditional, loyal love and faithfulness.

1 Corinthians 1:9, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Genesis 32:9-10, “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 relatives, and I will prosper you, I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies.’”

The fifth element is that Jacob recognizes he is under the authority of God, which is indicated by the phrase “Your servant.”

The believer must recognize that he is under the authority of his heavenly Father and therefore, is under His protection.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

The sixth element is that Jacob acknowledges that he was bankrupt when he arrived in Paddan Aram but now as he enters the land of Canaan he acknowledges God has prospered him beyond all that he could have ever asked for and this is indicated in the statement “for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies.”

The believer must acknowledge that prior to salvation he was spiritually bankrupt but now because of his faith in Christ, he has been blessed by the Father with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies because of his eternal union and identification with Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:3, “Worthy of praise and glorification is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places because of our union with Christ.”

Ephesians 2:4-7, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Genesis 32:11, “Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children.”

The seventh element of Jacob’s prayer is that he deals with his fear of Esau by first acknowledging his fear to God and then petitions God to deliver him from Esau in order to deal with the fear and this is indicated by his statement in Genesis 32:11.

The believer must deal with his fear in adversity by first acknowledging the fear to God and then petitioning God to deliver him from the adversity in order to deal with the fear.

Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

1 Peter 5:7, “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

Psalm 56:3-4, “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.

In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid.

What can mere man do to me?”

Psalm 31:2, “Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; Be to me a rock of strength, a stronghold to save me.”

Psalm 34:17, “The righteous cry, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

Genesis 32:12, “For You said, ‘I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.’”

Jacob’s statement in Genesis 32:12 contains the eighth and final element of his prayer, which is that he claims the promise that God would protect and prosper him in order to deal with the fear of Esau.

The believer must claim the promises that God has given to him in His Word, which speak of both spiritual and material prosperity as well as protection.

Hebrews 13:5, “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU.’”

Hebrews 13:6, “so that we confidently say, ‘THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID.

WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?’”