1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,680 Well, if you weren't on the edge of your seat, you are now. 2 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:10,920 The build up to this text is frightening, full of drama. 3 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:15,200 We've been working our way through Genesis. 4 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,840 As was mentioned, text is called or sorry, the sermon series 5 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:23,240 called A Legacy of Blessing, asking of the Bible the most 6 00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:26,600 profound questions of all, What am I, who am I and why am I 7 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,200 here? The early chapters of Genesis 8 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:32,280 are devoted to ask, answering the question, What am I? 9 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:37,600 What does it mean to be a human being created in the image of 10 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,880 God, male and female, body and soul? 11 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:45,640 What does it mean to be human? As we continue to advance 12 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:47,720 through the chapters, we're learning more and more questions 13 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:49,200 about what does it mean to be human? 14 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:54,520 In a line of humans descended from ancestors, we're learning 15 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:58,560 the stories of Abraham and Isaac, and now Jacob. 16 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:02,920 Stories also deliver an answer to purpose. 17 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,280 Why am I here? What's the point of this 18 00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:11,200 existence? And it's important for us to 19 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,160 think these things through because you live, my friends, in 20 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:19,560 a culture which is a marketplace of competing ideologies 21 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:26,400 wrestling, offering answers to these questions, some of them 22 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,320 very destructive. But not only are you in a 23 00:01:29,320 --> 00:01:33,360 marketplace of ideas, those ideas come to you and to me 24 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:39,520 through stories. The stories that we are steeped 25 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:44,600 in shape our lives. And whether they are stories 26 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,400 that we watch on screens or stories that we read in the 27 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:52,720 pages of a book, or stories that we hear in the songs that we 28 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:59,240 listen to while we drive or walk, these stories are shaping 29 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:00,600 us. I was thinking a lot about this. 30 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:07,480 This week is Andrew Peterson's new album dropped a live concert 31 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:12,640 recording of him and his band covering Rich Mullins. 32 00:02:12,640 --> 00:02:16,120 Rich Mullins died years ago, back when I was in college, and 33 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,440 Andrew Peterson is a living artist who has taken up many of 34 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,440 his songs and handed them off to another generation. 35 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:26,680 These name. If these names mean nothing to 36 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,840 you, that's fine, but I do think that it's good for me to share 37 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:34,640 with you places where myself and my family have drawn deep 38 00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:38,160 encouragement. The name of this album is called 39 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,920 A Liturgy, a Legacy. Note that word and the songs of 40 00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:45,800 Rich Mullins Live by Andrew Peterson and his friends. 41 00:02:45,920 --> 00:02:49,240 One of my favorite Rich Mullins songs, and it's it is on this 42 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:54,320 album as well, has to do with Rich Mullins thinking in the 43 00:02:54,320 --> 00:03:01,320 song about what it must be like for Jesus Christ to grow up and 44 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,480 be a little boy. Just like Rich grew up. 45 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:10,360 Rich of all places grew up in Indiana, just like some of 46 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:14,080 y'all, just like me. And he wonders in the song, what 47 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,960 what is it like for Jesus to grow up as a little boy around 48 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,440 Galilee? And he kind of toggles back and 49 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,560 forth between his life and Rich's life and thinks about 50 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,320 what it must be like. And he he comes down to this 51 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,040 idea in the song that, wow, you know what? 52 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:33,680 Jesus heard the same stories growing up that I did living in 53 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:38,960 a Christian home. What profound thought after all 54 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,200 these hundreds of years, centuries to think. 55 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,440 But if you know the stories of the Bible that you have a common 56 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:48,840 cultural experience with Jesus Christ himself. 57 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,800 This is the recurring theme in his song as he sings. 58 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,000 This is Rich's voice asking Jesus, and did they tell you 59 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:03,280 Jesus? Stories about the Saints of old, 60 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:08,120 stories about their faith. They say stories like that make 61 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,720 a boy grow bold. Stories like that make a man 62 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:18,040 walk straight. Our stories shape our souls, and 63 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:22,720 it is vital that the stories of the Bible are the centerpiece of 64 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:29,200 your narrative life. We are all rehearsing and living 65 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:33,120 out these stories, just in different ways, for they are 66 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:37,720 about fundamental, fundamental things about sin and grace and 67 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:41,480 faith, life and death, God, heaven and hell. 68 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:49,640 So as we have noted, the stories of the patriarchs come through 69 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:58,440 with repeated activity from a revealing God, giving promises 70 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,920 to Abraham and Isaac, and now Jacob. 71 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:07,280 Promises regarding a land or place to live in, promises to 72 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:11,680 become a great people, to have a family place where they belong, 73 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,040 where they are known, where they give and receive. 74 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:21,800 But also promises to have a mission, a common vision, 75 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,600 something to do together. And this is so important right 76 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:29,600 now in a time and a place where people are despairing from a 77 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:35,920 lack of people and total loneliness, despairing from a 78 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:41,000 lack of purpose, not knowing what this is all about. 79 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:47,280 They feel hopeless and lost because that's frankly what sin 80 00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:49,680 does to us. If we don't receive from God 81 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:54,320 gracious provisions related to these categories our life, we 82 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:58,000 will flounder. Sin wrecks these categories. 83 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,520 Instead of a place to live, you have homelessness. 84 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,560 You have exile. You have to leave as Adam and 85 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:07,120 Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden, and as Jacob had to leave 86 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:11,160 his home when his older brother became murderously angry after 87 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:13,800 Jacob tricked him. You have to leave. 88 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:18,800 You don't have a place anymore. Sin wrecks our closest 89 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:21,520 relationships. Indeed, the first natural born 90 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:27,280 humans in existence or Cain and Abel. 91 00:06:27,280 --> 00:06:31,800 Everybody's excited. Look the boys, until there's 92 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:38,360 enmity, rivalry and murder. Indeed, we're in suspense if 93 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:42,600 this Jacob and Esau story is going to be a Cain and Abel 2 94 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:48,600 point O. And as far as our mission in the 95 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:53,400 world to bless and be a blessing, sin makes us selfish 96 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:58,760 and it turns our encouraging words into discouraging words. 97 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:05,720 It turns honour into dishonour, gossip, slander. 98 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,520 It turns our truthful words into deceit and lies. 99 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,960 In fact, Jacob's name means deceiver. 100 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:19,240 So we need God. We need God to intervene with 101 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:23,360 His precious promises so that we are not likewise without a home, 102 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:29,400 without a family, agents of lies, deception, and death 103 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,600 instead of truth, goodness, beauty, and life. 104 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,600 This text this morning is the fulfillment text of an earlier 105 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,960 episode when God came to Jacob at night as he was on the run 106 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,960 from his brother. God comes to him in chapter 28 107 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,880 and gives him a great vision of a stairway to heaven and an 108 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:53,640 Oracle repeating to him the promises of Abraham and Isaac 109 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:59,480 before him. Jacob responds to this amazing 110 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:04,080 revelation. Verse 2021 Then Jacob made a vow 111 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:07,320 saying, if God will be with me and will keep me in his way, 112 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:12,320 that I go and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so 113 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:16,480 that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord 114 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:21,000 shall be my God. And with this oath on his lips, 115 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,800 he has to leave the land. And as we've been learning in 116 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:32,799 the text, spends 20 long years oppressed by his Uncle Laban, 117 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:37,000 who turns out to be a bigger trickster than tricky Jacob. 118 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:40,720 But through this time of oppression, we learn that Jacob 119 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:45,200 is changing through the suffering, and he finally last 120 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:47,840 week leaves. Uncle Laban is on the run, and 121 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:50,520 there was an exciting chase scene as Laban catches up. 122 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:52,560 And what's going to happen? They're searching the tents. 123 00:08:52,560 --> 00:08:58,360 And only by God's grace this resolves peacefully. 124 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:04,920 But then it seems that Jacob is out of the frying pan and into 125 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:16,960 the fire, for angry Esau is still out there somewhere, out 126 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:18,480 of the firing pan and into the fire. 127 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:23,280 Do you ever feel that way? Things just seem to go from bad 128 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:30,960 to worse. That's actually a famous title 129 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:33,000 to one of the chapters in The Hobbit. 130 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:36,720 Out of the frying pan and into the fire. 131 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:41,480 The dwarves and Gandalf and Frodo finally escaped the lair 132 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:43,320 of the goblins and you're feeling a little sense of 133 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,440 relief, only to know it's only going to get worse. 134 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,760 They're chased now by the Wargs. If you don't know what this 135 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,720 means, how sad is your life? No kidding. 136 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,760 But it goes from bad to worse that they need an even greater 137 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:03,360 rescue to get them out of a terrible fix. 138 00:10:04,680 --> 00:10:09,000 So now here we are in suspense. What's going to happen with 139 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:13,840 Jacob? At first we're pretty happy. 140 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:17,000 If you have your Bibles, I'm in Genesis chapter 32 to encourage 141 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,960 you to follow along. Jacob went on his way and the 142 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:23,280 angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said 143 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,080 this is God's camp. So he called the name of that 144 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:30,160 place, Maha Naeem. Exciting text because God 145 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:34,800 promised to be with him. Angelic presence means God's 146 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:38,400 presence is with him. At first we're excited. 147 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:42,760 Jacob is excited. He realizes now it's time to 148 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:48,240 send messengers to go ahead of him to try to find Esau and talk 149 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,480 to him. Verse 3. 150 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:53,920 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the 151 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,880 land of Sere, the country of Edom, instructing them, Thus you 152 00:10:56,880 --> 00:11:00,000 shall say to my Lord Esau. Thus says your servant Jacob. 153 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:02,680 I have sojourned with Laban and stayed there until now. 154 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,720 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female 155 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:10,520 servants I have sent to tell my Lord in order that I may find 156 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:14,440 favor in your sight. It's a different picture of 157 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:18,360 Jacob now, one who had deceived his brother twice. 158 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,680 Now we have him referring to Jay to Esau as my Lord, and 159 00:11:22,680 --> 00:11:25,200 referring to himself as my servant. 160 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:29,520 Now you can read this cynically, but I think Jacob, at this point 161 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:38,840 the narrative is a changed man. Verse 6 and the messengers 162 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,800 returned to Jacob saying we came to meet. 163 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:45,240 We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you and 164 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:49,360 there are 400 men with him. Let's stop right there. 165 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:56,680 That's like military language. That's terrifying. 166 00:11:56,680 --> 00:12:00,160 That isn't the welcome to the neighborhood, Jacob. 167 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:04,880 I brought 400 dudes to say welcome to the neighborhood, 168 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:06,520 Jacob. That's terrifying. 169 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:08,960 That sounds like an army, a big one. 170 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:17,200 So of course, verse 7, Jacob responds appropriately to this 171 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:21,280 news. Then Jacob was greatly afraid 172 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:23,680 and distressed. Have you ever felt afraid? 173 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,680 Terrified. So scared that you were shaking, 174 00:12:28,680 --> 00:12:31,920 your knees were knocking, you had no idea what you were going 175 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:37,120 to do? Totally exposed what's going to 176 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:46,200 happen to me? Greatly afraid and distressed, 177 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,200 he divided the people who are with him in the flocks and herds 178 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,840 and camels into two camps, thinking if Esau comes to 1 camp 179 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:59,040 and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape. 180 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,320 He begins to make plans. And what you're going to see in 181 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:11,480 this text is Jacob's actions and plans above and below a prayer. 182 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:15,640 And often in Hebrew, you're supposed to look for things that 183 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:18,640 are sandwiched like that. And the main point is between 184 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:24,000 and what we'll see is that as Jacob is doing these actions, 185 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,720 defensive actions, thinking through what the plan is, he's 186 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:31,400 also going to engage God in a tremendous prayer. 187 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:36,000 Now, when you read these narratives, there aren't always 188 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:41,000 examples to follow, but what Jacob does here actually does 189 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:46,680 follow other patterns in Holy Scripture of how how we ought to 190 00:13:46,680 --> 00:13:52,640 work with God in our lives. Saint Augustine says pray as 191 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:55,240 though everything depends on God and work as though it all 192 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:56,880 depends on you. And then we're supposed to do 193 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,480 these things sort of simultaneously and together. 194 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:05,280 And you kind of see that here. So my first point, the point of 195 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,080 this scene, first half the chapter is to pray according to 196 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,680 the promises We're going to see Jacob doing seeing what we 197 00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:15,560 should do in a similar type of example to follow. 198 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:22,840 Pray according to the promises, the prayer, Are you ready in 199 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:25,960 verse 9? And Jacob said, oh, God of my 200 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:33,240 father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, He situates 201 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,600 himself in this prayer according to his context. 202 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,920 He's in the story, he's in the story of his grandfather. 203 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:41,760 He's in the story of his father before him. 204 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,600 He addresses the covenant keeping God of his Father's. 205 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:48,880 Then it becomes specific to himself. 206 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:52,800 Oh Lord, who said to me, return to your country and to your 207 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,960 kindred, that I may do your good. 208 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:00,440 He reminds God of his own promises to him, of his own 209 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:05,680 instructions. To him we get penitent, humble 210 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:07,200 language. In verse 10. 211 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:12,680 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love 212 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:16,400 and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant. 213 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:21,840 For with only my staff I cross this Jordan, and now I have 214 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:26,160 become two camps. God, I'm not worthy. 215 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:33,080 This ambitious, wrestling, grasping, deceiving trickster 216 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:36,560 has been tempered by 20 long years of suffering and under 217 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:40,840 rivalry and oppression. And he's humbler and he gives 218 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:42,520 credit to God for what has happened. 219 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,400 And now his supplication, his request comes in verse 11. 220 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:48,040 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of 221 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:53,680 Esau, for I fear him that he may come and attack me, the mothers 222 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:59,200 with the children. And he reminds God of his own 223 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,480 word in verse 12. But you said I will surely do 224 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:05,520 you good and make your offspring as a sand of the sea, which 225 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:09,320 cannot be numbered for multitude. 226 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:13,640 So he praise according to the promises. 227 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,960 God, how can you let my brother kill me and all of these 228 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:19,720 children? Because you've promised us a 229 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:23,480 multitude. I have to return, but you've 230 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:28,280 promised to do good. Meet me in my great need 231 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:32,320 according to your provision and your protection, according to 232 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:37,920 your promises. O, we're going to see. 233 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:40,320 Now. After his prayer, he continues 234 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:43,080 to act. So he stayed there the night and 235 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:47,000 from what he had with him, he took a present for his brother 236 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:49,720 Esau. His strategy is going to be 1 of 237 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:55,040 waves of presents, like the 12 days of Christmas here. 238 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:59,120 It's going to keep bringing forth presents for Esau. 239 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:07,440 Maybe I can gain a hearing, soften this relationship. 200 240 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:11,359 female goats and 20 male goats. 200 ewes and 20 Rams. 30 milking 241 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:15,720 count camels in their calves. 40 cows and 10 bulls. 20 female 242 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:20,000 donkeys. 10 male donkeys. 5 golden ring nose. 243 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,200 It's not there. Just making sure you're paying 244 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:26,160 attention. What's the point? 245 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:31,720 Massive amounts of wealth going forward. 246 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:35,000 The guy who's trying to steal everything is now giving things 247 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,880 back. Verse 16 These he handed over to 248 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,280 his servants, every drove by itself, and he said to his 249 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,640 servants, pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove 250 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,640 and drove. He instructed the first, when 251 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:50,080 Esau, my brother meets you and asks you to whom do these 252 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:51,920 belong? Where are you going and whose 253 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:54,760 are these ahead of you, then you shall say they belong to your 254 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:57,080 servant Jacob, your servant Jacob. 255 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:03,400 They are present sent to my Lord Esau, and moreover, he is behind 256 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:05,240 us. He likewise instructed the 2nd 257 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:07,480 and the 3rd and all who followed the droves. 258 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:10,120 You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him. 259 00:18:10,120 --> 00:18:13,680 And you shall say, moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us. 260 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:17,040 For he thought I may appease him with a present that goes ahead 261 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:19,840 of me, and afterward I shall see his face. 262 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:23,240 Very important phrase, See his face. 263 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:27,160 It's a phrase in the Bible of reconciliation, and it's a good 264 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:30,080 one because when you have an enemy, you don't want to look at 265 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:31,280 them. You want to look at the floor, 266 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:33,240 you want to look at the wall, you want to look anywhere but 267 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,640 their face. I shall see his face, and that's 268 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:38,320 going to come up again at the end of the chapter. 269 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,720 Very important. May see his face. 270 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:46,680 Perhaps he will accept me. So the president passed on ahead 271 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:50,720 of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp. 272 00:18:51,360 --> 00:18:55,040 So he's praying, he's planning, he's acting, he's praying 273 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:58,040 according to the promises that God has given him to have a 274 00:18:58,040 --> 00:18:59,360 place. He's supposed to go back to the 275 00:18:59,360 --> 00:19:02,080 land. The promise is that he's going 276 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:04,520 to have a people, a great nation that are going to come from all 277 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:08,600 these children and that he's going to have a purpose as well. 278 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:12,480 But we also see him referring to the past, the present, and the 279 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:15,880 future, which is also very helpful for us. 280 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:21,320 He's going back and rehearsing with God, God's prior revelation 281 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,280 and promises to him. This is a good practice for us. 282 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:27,880 The Christian life is always retrospective. 283 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:32,120 That means a looking back to the previous promises and 284 00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:35,320 deliverances of God. They are part of your testimony. 285 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:37,560 They are holy. They are precious. 286 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:39,880 They should be rehearsed in your homes. 287 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:43,320 Parents tell those stories. Grandparents tell those stories. 288 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:45,440 Cousins, uncles tell those stories. 289 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:48,520 Home groups tell those stories. Let me tell you about a time 290 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:53,840 when I was hopeless. I was afraid, I was terrified. 291 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:57,400 I was alone, and God met me in my need. 292 00:19:57,400 --> 00:19:59,840 Let me tell you. Let me tell you. 293 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:02,440 Let me tell you. So he looks back. 294 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,800 He looks back, but he also looks forward. 295 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,280 Because promises imply something that's coming, don't they? 296 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:16,520 I promise means future. God, you got to make good on 297 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:20,200 your promises because they're directly threatened by the 400 298 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:24,080 person welcoming committee. This is terrifying. 299 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:26,920 And he looks to the future. A Christian. 300 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:30,760 We look back, but we also look forward to the fulfillment of 301 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:34,600 all blessing and promise that our Lord has given us through 302 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:37,880 Holy Scripture. And by looking back and looking 303 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,080 forward, we have an anchor point, even if we're shaking 304 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:47,120 with fear for the present, that we may be with him and know that 305 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:51,040 we are never, ever alone. Pray according to the promises. 306 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:56,200 But the the text now shifts. It shifts into one of the 307 00:20:56,200 --> 00:21:00,720 strange but very holy texts of Holy Scripture. 308 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:06,160 There are many of these, particularly, like extra holy 309 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:10,880 spots in Scripture, right when Moses meets God in the burning 310 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:14,040 Bush on Sinai and things get really weird. 311 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:19,360 The text has all kinds of deliberate ambiguities to give 312 00:21:19,360 --> 00:21:24,600 you a sense of wonder and mystery and hush tones, and it's 313 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:27,720 actually going to raise a lot more questions for you than it 314 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:31,480 does give satisfying answers. And friends, that's exactly the 315 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:34,520 point. That's exactly the point. 316 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:41,080 Jacob has been wrestling since he was in the womb. 317 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:45,880 Remember the story? The twins are inside Rebecca and 318 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:48,280 they're wrestling. They're jostling together with 319 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:51,560 such force that she's terrified. She thinks that she's going to 320 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:52,720 die and the twins are going to die. 321 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,640 Even in the birth narrative, he comes out still holding on. 322 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:03,440 I got you by the ankle. That becomes a motif for his 323 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:08,520 life, this grasper, this overly ambitious younger brother who 324 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:13,760 lies and tricks and steals until Esau has had enough and he has 325 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,640 to flee. But now we have Jacob the 326 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:20,040 wrestler wrestling with a different type of something. 327 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:25,600 Let's read the text together. I'm in verse 22. 328 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,200 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female 329 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:33,160 servants, and his eleven children and crossed the floor 330 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:36,560 to the Javik. He took them and sent them 331 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:38,960 across the stream and everything else that he had. 332 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:45,760 And Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until the 333 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:49,320 breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not 334 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:52,920 prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket and 335 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:56,080 Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 336 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,120 Then he the man said, let me go, for the day has broken. 337 00:23:00,120 --> 00:23:02,520 But Jacob said, I will not let you go unless you bless me. 338 00:23:03,120 --> 00:23:04,600 And he said to him, What is your name? 339 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:08,640 And he said, Jacob then he said, your name shall no longer be 340 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:12,480 Jacob, but Israel. For you have striven with God 341 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:14,000 and with men, and have prevailed. 342 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:17,160 The name Israel means he strives with God. 343 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,320 Verse 29 Then Jacob asked him, Please tell me your name. 344 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:23,560 But he said, Why is it that you asked my name? 345 00:23:24,120 --> 00:23:28,120 And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the 346 00:23:28,120 --> 00:23:32,960 place Peniel, saying, For I have seen God face to face. 347 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:36,360 Remember I said, we're going to see that again face to face, and 348 00:23:36,360 --> 00:23:42,360 yet my life has been delivered. The sun rose upon him as he 349 00:23:42,360 --> 00:23:44,600 passed Penuel limping because of his hip. 350 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:47,560 Therefore, to this day, the people of Israel do not eat the 351 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:51,840 sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket because he 352 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,560 touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew of the thigh. 353 00:23:56,240 --> 00:24:00,280 Fascinating text. I was a wrestler in high school. 354 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:06,440 The longest match of my life was 8 minutes and 30 seconds, a 355 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:10,080 double overtime nightmare. It's awful. 356 00:24:10,360 --> 00:24:13,960 It was only 8 minutes. How do they wrestle all night? 357 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,600 That I have no idea. And who is he wrestling? 358 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,120 It says a man. But then later Jacob says I saw 359 00:24:19,120 --> 00:24:21,600 the face of God. And if you read in Hosea, it 360 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,160 implies an Angel. We don't know. 361 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:30,280 But what are the takeaways that this wrestling man is finally 362 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:34,440 wrestling with the right one? He's wrestling with God and 363 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,240 wrestling for Christians throughout centuries and even in 364 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:42,720 the Bible has to do with the toil, the struggle of wrestling 365 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,520 with God, even in prayer. And if you talk to old Saints, 366 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:47,920 you'll hear them use this language. 367 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:52,960 Oh, I'm wrestling with the Lord about that. 10 Me and Jesus, we 368 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:56,600 had to go to the mat because I just don't think my heart's in 369 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,520 the right place. And they describe a toil. 370 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:02,520 They describe a grappling. They describe hanging on with 371 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:06,760 the Lord until something changes, until there's a 372 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:08,960 wounding, or till there is a blessing. 373 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:15,360 It's a common testimony of the Saints from this text all the 374 00:25:15,360 --> 00:25:21,320 way down. Jacob is injured by his opponent 375 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:24,360 so bad that he's going to have a chronic limp. 376 00:25:24,360 --> 00:25:28,160 He's going to walk with a limp. The blessing that he received 377 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:31,960 seems to be involved with his injury, but he also is renamed, 378 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:35,800 and instead of being called deceiver, he's called one who 379 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:43,000 overcame. He's blessed and renamed, and he 380 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:46,160 testifies that it was only by God's grace I wasn't killed. 381 00:25:52,750 --> 00:25:59,080 You could think for a second about some Jesus parallels when 382 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:01,240 you see Jesus wrestling in the Gospels. 383 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:06,760 Probably the closest thing is his toil in Gethsemane the night 384 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:13,880 before his ordeal, Wrestling in prayer with God all night long, 385 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:18,360 sweat coming down from his brow, his drops of blood. 386 00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:21,080 He goes and wakes. His companions are sleepy. 387 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:24,520 He goes back and he prays. He's wrestling. 388 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:29,040 He's wrestling in prayer, but he hangs on, doesn't he? 389 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:33,800 And he comes up from that prayer to meet his arrest with so much 390 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:38,800 poise and determination and even a weird sense of tranquility as 391 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:42,920 he goes through the most horrible suffering imaginable, 392 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:47,200 physical and spiritual. He's a type of Jacob. 393 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:53,640 He's a type of New Israel. Jacob's wounded on the side. 394 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:57,680 Our Lord is wounded many places, but also in his side. 395 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:06,040 Jacob walks forever with a limp and holy scripture seems to 396 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:08,640 imply that Jesus bares his scars even in heaven. 397 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:12,800 Look one like a lamb that looks like it's he's been slain. 398 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:17,240 His post resurrection body invites the disciples to touch 399 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:21,520 the holes. Jacob walks with a limb. 400 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:28,000 Jesus bears the scars. Jacob overcomes and is given a 401 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,640 new name by grace. Jesus overcomes and the Bible 402 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:34,160 even says that he is given a new name, Nazing. 403 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:39,120 So as we consider the life of Jacob and the life of Jesus, we 404 00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:44,240 consider our own lives, that we are those who wrestle with God 405 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:47,280 and we wrestle with God until he blesses us. 406 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:52,400 He blesses us with His precious promises. 407 00:27:53,120 --> 00:27:56,000 He blesses us with His divine presence. 408 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,280 But sometimes, my friends, he even blesses us through 409 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:06,160 afflictions, doesn't he? And perhaps your testimony is a 410 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:10,880 similar one to Saint Paul. There was given to me a thorn in 411 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:14,400 my flesh. I prayed 3 times for it to be 412 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:19,320 removed. It was not removed, and it was 413 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:25,280 given to me for a purpose, purpose of sanctification, 414 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:29,920 purpose for being molded even more and more into the image of 415 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:35,480 the true and greater Jacob. So sometimes he does bless us 416 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:39,840 with afflictions, with injuries. And I'm sure in a room this size 417 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:43,760 we could tell testimony after testimony of that lesson that 418 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:48,360 you learn from that particular affliction that you'll never 419 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:52,640 forget. God shouts to us through our 420 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,320 pain, says Lewis. It's a megaphone. 421 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,320 So he blesses us with promises and presents, but he also 422 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:07,040 blesses us in some strange way with pain that we may shape, be 423 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:15,120 shaped and formed into a servant, humble, contrite, ready 424 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:23,440 for a brand new name. Oh Sinner, Oh Sinner, oh Sinner. 425 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:29,240 Now you are called Oh Christian. Oh Christian, Oh Christian. 426 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:35,320 His naming is a symbol of total change. 427 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:41,120 Awesome. Wrestle with him until he 428 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:43,920 blesses you. That wrestling is going to look 429 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:45,560 like struggle. It's often going to look like 430 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:49,840 the struggle of prayer, hanging on like the persistent widow. 431 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:55,080 One of my most important mentors at Dallas Seminary is John 432 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:57,840 Hannah, professor of church history. 433 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:02,000 And he would teach church history, but he was constantly 434 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:06,440 sprinkling his lectures with the most beautiful Nuggets of 435 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:14,560 wisdom. He said multiple times, Be 436 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:18,240 careful not to be too impressed by the impressive fancy people. 437 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,920 Probably the most powerful and important people in the Kingdom 438 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:30,120 of God are little old widows and poor people that everybody 439 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:38,440 ignores because you know what? They persist in prayer. 440 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:45,000 They are prayer warriors, often out of their great need. 441 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:48,880 John Hannah says they storm the gates of heaven. 442 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:53,480 Don't be too impressed with the fancy people. 443 00:30:55,720 --> 00:31:01,480 And may we too, wrestle with Him until He blesses, often on our 444 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:05,520 knees, begging Him for relief. What's your story? 445 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:08,440 Maybe you've been wrestling with Him for a long time about a 446 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:11,280 specific thing. Maybe it's an unsaved family 447 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:17,600 member or a wayward child, or you're just so tired of being 448 00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:20,200 alone and you wrestle with God in prayer. 449 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:26,800 Take heart, my friends. Hang on until He blesses you, 450 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:33,840 because He's blessing us all along the way. 451 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:42,360 Revelation chapter 3, and I'm going to conclude here. 452 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:51,120 Jesus now is saying to the one who conquers, remember what 453 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:54,600 Jacob's new name, Israel means, the one who strives and 454 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:59,400 overcomes, to the overcomer, to the Conqueror, to the Israel 455 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:03,000 among you, to the one who conquers. 456 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:06,640 I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. 457 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:12,880 Never shall he go out of it. And I will write on him the name 458 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:18,360 of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new 459 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:24,760 Jerusalem which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own 460 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:29,560 new name. Jesus, the overcomer gets a new 461 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:32,520 name. To the one who overcomes, he 462 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:36,560 gives a new name. What's your story, Christian? 463 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:39,240 Keep wrestling with God, unbeliever. 464 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:43,280 Cry out to him for grace and mercy. 465 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:52,720 Ask him for a new name. Cast down your idols and pray. 466 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:56,600 Lord, save me, I am yours. Lord, save me. 467 00:32:56,600 --> 00:33:00,600 I am yours. Lord save me, I am yours. 468 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:05,160 He is most certainly faithful. He cannot break his word. 469 00:33:10,550 --> 00:33:15,350 So this faithful God makes faithful promises. 470 00:33:15,350 --> 00:33:20,510 By these promises we pray and we wrestle with him until he 471 00:33:20,510 --> 00:33:28,240 blesses us with afflictions, with new names, and above all, 472 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:30,640 the fulfillment of his precious promises. 473 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:35,360 Let us pray. The Lord God in heaven, we bless 474 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:38,280 your name, and we thank you, for you have first loved us. 475 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:42,560 Do work in our hearts now. By your Holy Spirit, as we 476 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:46,440 wrestle with you, bless us and give us a new name. 477 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:51,480 It's in the name of Jesus the righteous we pray, and by the 478 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:54,720 Spirit, one God forevermore. Amen.