Genesis 32 - 33

Genesis 32:1-21 – Gripped With Fear

Jacob had tricked Esau into giving him his birthright making Esau angry enough that he wanted to kill him.  Jacob had to flee Canaan for his life.  Now after 20 years Jacob was returning to Canaan and knew he would have to meet Esau sooner or later.  He was fearful and couldn’t know if Esau had forgiven him or not.  He may still want to kill him.  There was scary uncertainty ahead.  God did not want Jacob to feel alone so He sent angels to help him.  When Jacob saw the angels, he named the place Mahanaim meaning 2 camps – Jacob’s camp and God’s camp.  Jacob is surrounded by angels, yet he is still afraid. 

Angels are real beings and God commands them to guard us.  The word “angels” means messengers. 

Facts about Angels:

Genesis 32:1-2 – God sends angels to help us.

Psalm 34:7 – The Lord encamps angels around those who fear Him.

Daniel 6:22 – God sends angels to protect us.

1 Corinthians 6:2-3 – The saints (Christians) will judge the world and angels.

Hebrews 1:14 – Angels are sent to serve those who inherit salvation.

Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau and instructed them to say, “Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now.  I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants.  Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.”  - Gen. 32:4-5.  Maybe Jacob called him lord to ease any concerns Esau may have on Jacob coming to claim lordship over him.

The messengers brought no message back from Esau other than reporting Esau was coming and had 400 men with him.  Oh, no!  Jacob knew that he could not defeat Esau.  Jacob was in great fear and distress so he divided his people and his flocks into 2 groups.  Then if Esau came to attack one group, the other group could escape. 

Jacob knew the pain of deception and what it meant to be taken advantage of.  Now he understood how Esau felt.  Guilt and fear produced panic.  So Jacob turned to God and prayed. – Gen. 32:9-12.

Jacob’s prayer was a good example of how we should pray.  Each part of the prayer is important, because it guides the focus on God and not the situation.  God loves for us to plead His own promises back to Him.  Jacob’s prayer was a mature prayer, a sign that he was growing.  He didn’t complain to God or second guess Him.  He didn’t blame God for putting him in this situation or point his finger at God.

Jacob’s prayer is a good example of how to respond to adversity.

Praised God - He called on God, recognizing who He is.

Remembered God’s Word- He reminded God of His promises.

Confession of sin - He was humble and repented.

Thankfulness to God - He thanked God.

Prayed specifically - He asked God for specific help.

Exposed emotions to God - He poured his heart out to God about his problems.

Believed God - He confidently reminded God and himself of God’s Word and purposes.

Before he prayed, he showed fear and guilt.  His attitude changed after he prayed.  Instead of running away he stayed the night.  He was not just sorry.  He repented.  To repent means to be convicted, to be sorry and turn away from sin. 

Principle:  When fear grips you, rely on God through believing prayer.

Jesus’ death removed the barrier between us and God.  Now we can take everything to God.  Prayer is a place of truth.  It’s where we invite the truth.  The truth will set you free.  It’s a place for healing, hope and purpose.  It transforms fear to faith and cleans out our hearts by confessing our sins.

God desires a relationship with you.  His scriptures are His way of speaking to you and your prayers are His way of hearing from you.  He wants you to spend time with Him.  It breaks His heart to see you walk through life without Him.  He is more concerned with your relationship with Him, which is eternal, than He is with your current comfort, which is temporary.

Do you have guilt over a sin or an attitude?

What do you need to confess to the Lord? 

What are you going to thank Him for today?

Next, out of Jacob’s wealth he prepared enormous gifts and sent them ahead to Esau hoping to appease his anger.  Jacob spent the night in camp.  These gifts were several herds of all kinds of animals: goats, sheep, camels, cows, and donkeys. 

Genesis 32:22-32 – Broken But Blessed

Jacob said all the right things to God, but was not ready to fully trust Him.  Scriptures say that night Jacob wrestled with “the man”.  This was Jesus Himself.  Why did they struggle?  We know that God could overpower him, because God’s power is infinite.  This may have been to test Jacob’s persistence.  They struggled all night.  Jacob wanted His blessing and would do anything for it.  Jacob wouldn’t let the man go until he blessed him.  The man gave in and changed Jacob’s name to Israel, because he struggled with God.  “Your name will no longer be Jacob but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” – Gen. 32:28.  Hosea 12:4-5 tells us that it was Jesus he struggled with.  This new name was significant.  It was a sign of a new place with and a new phase of faith.

Prior to this encounter, Jacob had always overcome and prevailed over people through trickery and deceit.  But there in this spiritual warfare and his encounter with God, he hung on and didn’t give up until God blessed him.

As they wrestled God touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it.  When we wrestle with God we lose, but we also win.  Jacob was left with a limp to remind him of God’s power is perfect in our weakness.  Jacob did not force God to bless him, because you cannot force God to do anything.  Jacob just realized and accepted God’s blessing.  Jacob was always interested in spiritual things, but now he personally knew God.

God was the aggressor here.  Jacob was only defending himself.  God wanted to bring Jacob to the end of his self-dependence.  All Jacob’s life he had struggles and schemed to get the blessing he thought was taken from him.  Now he was his own enemy.  God had to wrestle him into submission to reveal this to him.

We are all like Jacob.  We build things up in our mind.  We think there is an enemy out there to get us, when the problem is usually us – our sinful flesh, our selfish nature and desires.  So God has to reveal this to us before we can be delivered from it.  God could have overpowered Jacob.  God can solve our problems immediately, but He wants to see if we will surrender.

What limp keeps you dependent on God?

Do you ever wrestle with God?

Do you try to do your will instead of God’s?

Do you think up excuses why you should do or not do something?

Is God wrestling with you?  We don’t see God like Jacob did, but He still breaks us down so we will surrender to Him.

Principle:  God blesses us as we cling to Him in our brokenness.

Genesis 33:1-20 – The Reunion

Jacob made peace with God and his deception, but has no idea how Esau felt.  Jacob finally met up with Esau.  Both Jacob and Esau had changed over the years.  Jacob showed great humility and bowed 7 times as Esau approached.  God changed Esau’s attitude and heart.  When Esau saw Jacob, he ran to meet him.  They met with an embrace.  They kissed and wept together.  Both were very happy to see each other.  This reunion is powerful beyond words.  It was not one-sided.  Both had felt the pain of a broken relationship and now they rejoiced in tears at the restoration.

This reminds me of the story Jesus told about the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32.  When the prodigal returns, the father sees him a long way off and runs to meet him.  He embraced him and kissed him.  We see Esau extending grace toward Jacob who is the prodigal. 

Forgiveness can produce many emotions.  Jacob did not deserve the kiss and the embrace.  Notice he never confessed the wrong he had committed against Esau or asked forgiveness.  Jacob insisted Esau accept the gifts he had brought for him.  Esau tried to refuse the gifts and offered to accompany Jacob and his family back to Esau’s home.  This showed that Esau was not selfish. 

Jacob acknowledged Esau and reconciled with him.  Esau forgave Jacob.  The broken relation was mended.  Wouldn’t it be great if all broken relationships ended that way?  We break our relationship with God over and over when we sin.  We hurt God with our disobedience and rebellion.  God doesn’t have to forgive us, but He does.

Are you willing to admit when you are wrong?

Are you forgiving when you’ve been wronged or do you hold grudges?

What blessings might you miss out on when you hold grudges?

Where do you need to restore a broken relationship?

Principle:  Because God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus, we can reconcile with each other.

Esau’s home was in Seir which was later known as Edom.  He asked Jacob to travel with him to Seir, but Jacob lied and made excuses.  He should have told him that God wanted him to go to Bethel.  He was right to refuse, but should have been honest.  Then after Esau left, Jacob didn’t go to Bethel.  He went to Succoth.  Then he went to Shechem when God had directed him to go to Bethel in Gen. 31:13.  Jacob was showing incomplete obedience.  He was living by the flesh and by faith.  He was the new man, “Israel”; but he was still acted like the old man, Jacob.  Partial obedience is disobedience. 

What changes are in your character for others to see God’s grace?

What circumstances will you surrender to God so you will grow?

Do you want people to be impressed with you or who is on the inside?

The story ends with Jacob setting up an altar and naming God “El Elohe Israel”, the God of Israel.  Jacob was not perfect, but had changed.  God is the reason.  He had to learn the hard way.  He got a new name and purpose.  God was at work in him before Jacob was born.  He continued pursing Jacob and He is persistently pursing you.  He wants you to change and have a life He has planned for you.

True Reconciliation:

If a broken relationship is to be repaired, trust must be built again.  Both Jacob and Esau took bold steps to start trusting again. 

There must be humility.  Jacob showed humility by bowing down 7 times to Esau.  True reconciliation requires a humble attitude by all involved. 

There needs to be generosity.  Be willing to genuinely give of yourself for the benefit of the one who was hurt.  Jacob had stolen his brother’s birthright and blessing.  As they reunited he offered a generous gift to Esau in the effort to reconcile.

There also needs to be forgiveness.  Jacob wanted his brother’s forgiveness.  Esau was willing to forgive and to reconcile.  He ran to me Jacob and hugged and kissed him.  They both wept. 

There needs to be communication.  Jacob and Esau talked more than they ever did before in the past.  To rebuild a broken relationship there should be honest, respectful communication.

Do you have a broken relationship that needs reconciliation?

What is keeping you from forgiving a person who has hurt you?

Jacob’s ongoing struggle to trust God is a realistic picture of the life of a Christian.  Spiritual maturity is not immediate, but is a gradual progress.  We will mess up from time to time, just like Jacob.  If you are trying to grow spiritually but it seems like nothing is happening, don’t stop trying.  We must stay the course and stay in God’s Word daily.  God rewards those who seek Him and we must have faith to see the process through.  We must wait for what will be revealed to us over time.  It doesn’t happen automatically or instantaneously. “Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our savior, Jesus Christ.” – 2 Peter 3:18.

Join me here next week for the next chapter in Genesis.  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Genesis 30 - 31

 

Genesis 30 – Jacob’s Family

There were a lot of conflicts and jealousy in Jacob’s family.  Rachel was jealous because she was not having children like Leah and probably a little afraid that Jacob would stop loving her.   Rachel blamed Jacob and confronted him with the problem.  Rather than being gentle and understanding like a husband should, he responded in anger.  He should have been the spiritual leader of his family and helped her to seek the wisdom and comfort of God in her pain.

Since Rachel wasn’t having children, she gave her maidservant to Jacob so she could build her family.  The maidservant bore 2 sons, Dan and Naphtali.  Again Jacob wasn’t a good family leader.  He should have suggested that taking her maid would bring all kinds of problems as it did for his grandfather by taking his wife’s maid, Hagar.  He should have helped her wait on the Lord for a child. 

Leah was jealous because Jacob only loved Rachel.  She desperately wanted Jacob’s love and thought she could get love by giving him more children.  When Leah stopped having children, she gave her maidservant to Jacob and she had 2 sons, Gad and Asher.  Then Leah had 2 more sons, Issachar and Zebulun.  Later Leah had a daughter, Dinah.  Then God remembered Rachel and she had a son and called him Joseph.  Then in chapter 35 Rachel died in childbirth with another son, Benjamin.  In all Jacob had 13 children.

I don’t mean to get off on a rabbit trail, but I have always wondered why so many men in the Bible had multiple partners with so many children and why God allowed it.  God intended for marriage to be between one man and one woman.  Monogamy was always God’s plan from the beginning.  If you study the biblical instances of polygamy in detail, you will see that none are condoned or portrayed in a positive light.  All had serious problems with strife, jealousy, distrust and some even led to idolatry.  They were all disastrous with a lot of heartbreak. 

I think one reason God allowed this is to protect women.  Women were often uneducated and relied on their fathers, brothers, and husbands for provision and protection.  Unmarried women were often subjected to prostitution and slavery.  Also this enabled a much faster expansion of humanity fulfilling God’s command to be fruitful and increase in number in  

Genesis 9:7. 

I guess we have to remember that we all have free choice and we don’t always make good decisions.  Maybe God only allowed polygamy to solve a problem, but it was not ideal.  Then when Jesus came, He made new provisions to protect women and raised their standing in society.  The New Testament speaks of the relationship between husbands and wives and reaffirms God’s plan in Genesis that marriage is to be between one man and one woman.  God restored marriage to His original intent. 

As for all the children in the Old Testament, Children are a blessing from God.  They are a gift from Him.  The Bible says that they are a reward.  Because of this, God cares about them and how they are raised and nurtured.

Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church.  Although the church isn’t always lovely, God loves her anyway.  Thank God for that.  A husband’s job is to love his wife with the view of her becoming all that God wants her to be.  It’s the same for a wife to her husband.  We should always show Christ-like love toward each family member.

Principle:  Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church.

Jacob was a good servant to Laban.  He respected his authority even when Laban was deceitful and unfair.  Jacob obeyed his rules and worked 14 years for Rachel and Leah.  There is a lesson for us in this story.  We as Christians are to be honest and should always work hard and obey the rules of those in charge even when they are not watching.  We are to work as if working for the Lord.  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” – Col. 3:23.

Genesis 30:25-43 – Jacob’s Wealth

Jacob wanted to leave Laban and return home, but Laban persuaded him to wait.  Laban offered to pay Jacob for his work, but Jacob turned the tables on Laban.  He out-coned him by staying and offering to tend his flocks and removing the weakest for himself.  Laban agreed.  Jacob wasn’t being dishonest, but he was looking out for himself.  Laban continued to cheat Jacob, but God made Jacob wealthy.

God promised to bless Abraham and his descendants and that’s what He was doing.  Jacob was a good steward with what God had given him.  Through Jacob’s wisdom in taking care of the flocks, his flock grew large and he became prosperous with many maidservants, menservants, camels and donkeys.

Are you being a good steward with the wealth God has given you?

How are you squandering the prosperity God gives you?

Genesis 31 – Jacob Flees Laban

Finally God told Jacob to leave Laban and return to Canaan.  Jacob had stayed with Laban for a total of 2o years and he knew it wouldn’t be easy to leave.  If he told Laban he was leaving, Laban may have not let him take his wives with him or Laban may have talked him into staying like he had done in the past.  So out of fear, Jacob and his family left without telling Laban. 

Laban represents the world.  He’s crafty and tosses around spiritual language as if he believes in the Lord.  He is a hypocrite.  He was not the kind of guy that you say goodbye to.  He was a con artist.

Laban may have been a con artist, but so were Jacob and Rachel.  Rachael stole her father’s idols when she left.  Why would she do that?  Maybe she still mixed idolatry with her worship of the Lord.  Or maybe she was trying to secure an inheritance from her father that she was worried about in verse 14.  She was acting just like the world by trying to take the world’s security blanket along on the trip.  Jacob should have been more honorable when he left by stating his intentions and letting Laban say goodbye to his relatives.  He should have trusted God to protect him; instead he left by fear and deception.  He lacked confidence in God and His promise and relied more on his own wisdom and ability.

Three days later Laban heard Jacob had left.  He chased Jacob and caught up with him.  In spite of Rachel’s theft and Jacob’s schemes, God graciously protected them.  God intervened and warned Laban in a dream to not force Jacob to return.  Laban knew he could not win against God and that God would protect Jacob.  Laban and Jacob made a covenant together that they would stay apart and that their sons would not fight each other.  Laban knew that making a treaty with Jacob would protect him in the future because someday Jacob would be greater than him.

God had already told Jacob that He would be with him, but Jacob wasn’t totally trusting God.  He was attempting to trust by leaving the world of Laban and heading home.  He feared Laban, but now he would face his fear of Esau. 

Many Christians today never break away from the world.  They try to have to best of both worlds like Rachel.  They keep their stash of idols to pull out in case God doesn’t work.  They are following self, not Jesus.  A true follower of Christ breaks from the world, denies self daily and follows Jesus because He is the true and living God.

Principle:  God protects His people as they seek to live separately from the world.

Who are you like?

Laban – You use God to help you prosper, but if He doesn’t seem to be working you try something else.

Rachel – You know the true God, but you’re still carrying your idols.

Jacob – You’re seeking to obey God and trying to get away from the ways of the world.  You need to keep growing in God’s direction and not go back to your old ways.  You have the joy knowing that God is protecting you everywhere you go.

Join me here next week for the next chapter in Genesis.  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Genesis 29

 

Genesis 29:1-30 – Jacob’s Love for Rachel

Isaac had sent Jacob away to escape the wrath of his brother and to find a wife among his mother’s people.  So Jacob left and came to the land of Paddan Aram.  He saw shepherds in the field watering their flocks from a well.  There he saw Rachel.  She was very beautiful and it seemed He loved her at first sight.  Remember in Genesis 24 Jacob’s mother, Rebekah was at a well where she gave water to Abraham’s servant and his camels; soon after Rebekah left with the servant to marry Isaac. 

Jacob was overcome with emotion and kissed Rachel and wept with tears of joy.  He had come to the end of his journey and found his mother’s family.  He told her he was a relative of her father and the son of Rebekah.  She ran and told her father Laban.  Laban probably remembered the wealth he received from Abraham’s servant when he let Rebekah be taken to be Isaac’s wife, but Jacob came with nothing.  He saw an opportunity to exploit Jacob, but knew he would inherit a great fortune.  So Laban invited Jacob to stay in his home probably hoping he would marry one of his daughters, Leah or Rachel.  Jacob asked to marry Rachel, but Laban took advantage of him and had him work for 7 years first.    

After the 7 years Laban arranged the wedding, but Laban was deceitful and gave him Leah, the oldest daughter instead.  The bride wore a veil as was the custom and Jacob didn’t realize that it was Leah he had married.  When he did realize it, he asked Laban why he had deceived him.  Laban explained that it was the custom for the oldest daughter to be given in marriage before the youngest.  Laban unfairly forced Jacob to continue working for him 7 more years for Rachel.  Jacob loved Rachel so much that he agreed.  When the time was up, Jacob married Rachel.  Now he had 2 wives and each wife had a maid.  Just because something is recorded in scripture doesn’t make it God’s will.  With many wives there is always conflict and jealousy.

I think Leah was probably in on the deception.  She was a plain woman and probably had no prospects for a husband.  She may have thought this was her only chance.  I’m sure it was not Rachel’s choice.  She had to go along with it, because Laban was her father and she had to obey.

Remember Jacob had deceived his father and cheated his brother.  Jacob reaped what he had sown.  He deceived Esau out of his birthright.  He deceived Isaac to receive his blessing.  Now he was getting a dose of his own medicine.  God can forgive sin, but sin still has consequences.  Our disobedience may not stop God’s plan but it will greatly affect how we end up experiencing it.  Working so long for someone like Laban will teach many lessons.  Through all this Jacob learned patience, discipline, responsibility, to endure hardship, and to wait on God’s timing.

Do you ever feel like Jacob? 

Do you feel stuck in your job or your marriage?

How have you seen the consequences of a past sin?

God was with Jacob the whole time.  God had a purpose for him and He has a purpose for you.  God is with you the whole time.  You may not have to wait 14 years or maybe you will wait even longer.  No matter how long it takes things will change.  God is with you.  Jacob’s self-sacrificing love for Rachel is an illustration of Jesus’ self-sacrificing for us.  We are his bride.

Principle:  God is always working to accomplish His will.

Genesis 29:31-35 – God’s Love for Leah

 God watched over Jacob and his family as He had promised.  Jacob never really loved Leah, but accepted her as his wife.  When God saw that Leah was unloved, He showed compassion and helped her to have several children.  She had 4 sons:  Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, Judah.  Leah grew in faith with the births of her sons.  God comforted her through her children.  She is known as the mother of Israel, because through her son Judah’s line would come Jesus.

If you are living unloved, God knows your pain.  God loves you no matter what.  Leah turned to God and found faith and praised God in her pain.  This is a lesson for you.  Are you turning to God, counting your blessing and praising Him in what you do have?

Principle:  God will develop our character through personal hardships as we trust in Him.

How is God disciplining you?

What longing would you be willing to surrender to God in your Pain?

Join me here next week for the next chapter in Genesis.  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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