Read Psalm 34 to start the service
Read Genesis Chapter 32.
This is a story about coming to the end of yourself - so that God is finally free to work. It’s also a story about reconciliation. As a man, Jacob was still quite self sufficient, and he still retained much of the old nature in his life. He had already acknowledged that God was working for him as he talked with Laban. So we might look at that as his salvation moment but it’s easy to talk about God when you’re comfortable and quite another to trust him in the midst of a great trial. And Jacob was about to enter in to one of the greatest trials he had faced yet. He had left home as a deceiver without regard for God. He was returning in obedience to God - returning to who knows what may happen.
To no small extent, Jacob is preparing to die; he hasn’t forgotten that Esau had Sworn to kill him. In the face of this problem Jacob teaches us the answer to two questions that we face continually.
The first question is:
"Will God protect and deliver when he has sworn to?"
and second to that is the question,
"What will it take for God to protect and deliver?"
The answer to the first question comes in the next chapter at the meeting of Esau; it’s a resounding YES.
The answer to the second question is, God’s word combined with humble faith. If God has sworn to do something than he will do whatever he must to make the vessel of his grace prepared to receive his grace - even if that means breaking your hip (Gen32:25, 31) or some other form of discipline (Hebrews 12:6,10) even death (1 Corinthians 11:31-32).
Jacob is forced to come to the end of himself – and to throw himself exclusively upon God. God is not content to let Jacob remain a waffler who may find himself once again capable to defending himself – so God will in fact cripple him to make him dependant. And he accomplishes his work in three days.
The passage is a type of mankind’s struggle in the transforming burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For three days Jacob descends into despair and hopelessness, yet as dawn breaks on the third day - he prevails with God and receives a new name - even as we receive a new name from Christ.
And it begins on the first day with a sacred meeting…
Day 1 (v1-12)
A sacred Meeting with God’s Messengers (v1-2)
Remember Psalm 34:7 which we read at the beginning of the service. As Jacob meets these angels, it’s as if their appearance was given to Jacob in order to buttress the idea that God is going to surround and protect him even in the most trying circumstances. As far as Jacob is concerned those circumstances are about to come upon him when he finally meets his brother.
Jacob Meets up with these angels on his return trip to Canaan. You can see on the map the location is to the East and center of the Land of Israel.
Jacob’s name for the place (Mahanaim) means "Two camps" apparently Gods’ camp as Jacob states here, and also his own is in mind. But in just a few verses we’ll see that two camp theme continues as Jacob divides his people into two groups or camps, using the same Hebrew word. That juxtaposition is intentional as it’s meant to bring Focus to God’s power on Jacob’s behalf (v10) which is a major theme of this growth experience for Jacob.
The Meeting he has with the angels however is set directly against the meeting he is preparing to have with Esau a meeting brought on by his own messengers, which he sent to his brother.
An Unwelcome Meeting Because of Jacob’s Messengers (v3-12)
Before he even sends the messengers he starts trying to grovel before his brother. He calls him "lord" as a desperate attempt to buy favor. When he sends them off he doesn’t expect his brother to come and visit him with gladness. So when he hears Esau is coming he immediately assumes the worst and starts running through in his mind all the terrible things that are no doubt going to happen to him.
We all know what that’s like, and on our part it typically shows the same weaknesses of Jacob. We worry about the unknown by painting and repainting the scenario in our head over and over again, primarily because we don’t trust in God’s deliverance.
Jacob wasn’t taking any chances, he separates the camp into two groups and then realizing he hasn’t got much choice he turns in verse nine to prayer.
Everyone of us here could testify, that there’s nothing like a little stress in life to improve your prayers.
Jacob’s prayer begins to turn upon God’s promises to Him. This is the very best place to run to in prayer - especially in time of stress. The promise that Jacob first clings to is the word for "prosper" The idea is more than financial prosperity but general wellbeing.
This is where Jacob shows himself to be a lot more like us than we might prefer. Even as he’s praying out of absolute desperation - he’s not really trusting. We know he’s not trusting earlier because he has already taken action to appease Esau by calling him "lord" and he’s already tried to defend at least 1/2 of the possessions and people he has acquired by separating them. Further he’s about to take even more action by trying to purchase Esau’s favor.
Let me ask you this. Do you pray for God’s assistance all the while formulating in your mind a backup plan "just in case God doesn’t come through"? Is that what it means to trust God? I don’t think so.
That’s living in self sufficiency; which is the very problem that led Abraham to lie about Sarah as his wife. It’s the same prideful sin that led Rebecca to plot against her husband. And it’s the same sin that has guided Jacob from the day he lied to poppa until this very moment.
God wants to get the glory for working - not you for your plotting. In order for that to happen he’s going to have to knock the last few pegs out from under Jacob till he literally hasn’t got a leg to stand on.
In the interim, Jacob begins to fully acknowledge God’s work in everything good that had come to him. the plotter has finally turned into the pleader. For the first time in his Life, Jacob doesn’t trust in his worthiness – he instead asks God to act based upon the words of his own promise to prosper and defend Jacob.
But the lesson hasn’t exactly come home yet.
Day 2 (v13-21)
He stays the night where he’s at and as Day two dawns – Jacob takes matters back into his own hands and sends his brother a series of gifts, 580 animals in all; and all in the hope of buying his brother off. He places a lot in hoping that he’s giving enough.
But it’s not enough for God. That evening Jacob puts the rest of his belongings and his family across the Jabok river until he alone is left on the north bank. And it’s there, that a mysterious visitor attacks Jacob and begins to bring him deliverance from his own self-sufficiency.
Day 3 (V22-32)
A real life WWF match (Wrestling With The Father.)
(Hosea 12:3, NLT) "Before Jacob was born, he struggled with his brother; when he became a man, he even fought with God." explains the identity of the "man" that Jacob wrestled with. Throughout the night they fought, until the rising of the Sun was near. Most translations say that the man "touched" Jacob in the hip, and while we’re used to the translation the English has lost the force intended. Jacob was more than touched in the hip, he was hit so hard that his Hip popped out of it’s socket.
Somehow in that, Jacob realized who he was dealing with. This was no mere man! As the man asks for release, Jacob demands a blessing. But before the blessing he has to give up.
In asking "what is your name" the visitor (a now revealed angle of God) accomplished two things. Giving your name was a bit like saying "uncle" it was a concession of defeat. And second and most importantly it forced Jacob into a confession of sorts. Remember the meaning of Jacob’s name was literally "He grasps the heal" and metaphorically stood for "deceiver". In giving his name, Jacob was forced in the context of the moment to acknowledge what his name meant.
Hearing his name, God now changes Jacob’s name from "deceiver" to "God fights". In the ceremonial formula God declares "You have fought with God and men and have prevailed." Clearly in this instance "prevailing" does not imply victory but rather persistence. This doesn’t mean that Jacob had defeated men, or that he had defeated God. It means he had finally yielded submission; and that is God’s covenantal requirement of Jacob. Having achieved his purpose, God blessed him.
When Jacob asked for his attackers name he was refused. This would be no mutual loss or mutual win. Jacob was the loser, he was injured and he had given his name.
Like the new name echoing in his ears the echo of the encounter continued with his wounded hip. Jacob - that is - Israel was now reduced to limping and leaning on a staff where only the day before he was utterly self sufficient and making plans to save himself he was now leaning on God to survive. After all if he had seen God and lived, surely he will see just the man Esau and live.
The Wrestling match with God accomplished a clear purpose: To prove to Jacob his own incapability to deliver himself and to teach the patriarch that God’s grace was sufficient.
If God has sworn to do something than he will do whatever he must to make the vessel of his grace prepared to receive his grace - even if that means breaking your hip (Gen32:25, 31).
How much better to humble ourselves before God now, and trust him in the midst of the trial. But God is gracious. He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it, (Philippians 1:6)
