Equipped 2026: "Jacob's Growth and Development (Gen. 32-36)" by Carl Pollard

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for this day and all the many blessings of it.

The innumerable blessings that have been given to us here in this country that we frequently

forget about. Thank you that we can come together, worship here in peace. Thank you that we can

be here surrounded by like-minded brethren and that we can have our cups filled as we

learn more of your will and have fellowship with each other. We pray that Carl has ready

recollection of all things that were prepared and that we use what we learn here to the

benefits of our home congregations. Help us to focus our minds, forgetting the struggles

of the world, and focus on you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Well, there are some moments in life that you can put off for a while, but you know

you can't avoid them forever. The conversation that you've dreaded, the person that you've

wronged, taxes, the sin you've tried to bury, the place in your life where everything looks

fine on the outside but on the inside things aren't the way they are supposed to be. And

you know most people are pretty good at moving on without really changing. We stay busy,

we fill our lives with noise, we build a routine, and we fill our lives with so much that we

try to ignore the things in our past that we've done wrong. And we like to be busy,

we like to ignore those things, we build those routines, we keep going, and for a while

it almost feels like the past is behind us. And then God, in his providence, brings us

back to the very place we'd hope we'd never have to face again. You know that's where

Jacob is in Genesis 32, and I encourage you to open your Bibles there, and for a few moments

this afternoon we're going to look at Genesis 32-36. Jacob is at a place where he doesn't

want to be, and he has to face a place that he hasn't been in quite some time. And in

Genesis 32 he's been gone for 20 years, he's built a family, he's gained wealth, he's survived

Laban, he's seen God provide. But now God says, go home. And the road home leads straight

back to Esau, the brother that he wronged. And so now he's having to face his past and

what he has done to his family, and God calls him to take this road back. And I think that

as we look at this section and we're seeing God telling him to go home and how he has

to deal with Esau, the brother he deceived, we start to see some things that make this

section so powerful. Because Genesis 32-36 isn't just some random story about a guy that's

told to go home, what we see here is the story of a man, the account of a man who is

being changed by God. And you see the progression as the account unfolds. You know, Jacob has

spent much of his life grasping, deceiving, arranging, protecting, and pushing his own

way through life. Over and over he falls back to his own cleverness, he goes back to what

he believes are his strengths. But God's not going to let Jacob stay Jacob. God is

going to bring him back to what he fears. You see God breaking his self-reliance, you

see God humbling Jacob and bringing him down to a point where he has to stay and cling

to God. He's going to call him to lead his house. God's going to call him to walk through

him in truth, in trust. And by the end of this section, the man that we met that was called

Jacob is being transformed into Israel. And that's why this matters for us today, because I

would like to say that God still works the same way for us. He doesn't just forgive people, he

changes us. He doesn't just call us into his marvelous light and send his son, no, he begins

to transform us with his grace and we are no longer recognizable to who we were at one

point. He doesn't just call us out of the world, he shapes us by his grace. And so the

question for this hour is, well, how does God take Jacob and make Israel? And then the

question for you and me is, what does it look like when God begins to really develop and

really grow someone spiritually? So I want us to notice first, growth begins when we face our

past. Growth begins when we face our past. Genesis 32 opens in a very interesting way.

Before Jacob ever sees Esau and then confronts this painful situation of his past, he sees

angels. And I think this is God letting him know from the very beginning that he's not

alone. That's going to be a much needed reminder for Jacob and what he's about to face.

But Jacob, he sends a messenger to Esau and I want you to listen to how he speaks in verses

four and five. Jacob says, he sends a message to Esau and he says, thus says your servant,

Jacob. And notice how he addresses his brother, to my lord, Esau.

This is the man who once dressed up like his brother. This is the man who lied to his father,

stole the blessing. As we've seen in the past lessons today, we have seen a man who has pushed,

who has grabbed, who has maneuvered, who has changed and influenced things. But now what does

he do? And he's speaking with humility. Something is already changing in him. And so he sends the

messenger to Esau and the messenger returns with terrible news for Jacob. And the messenger says,

hey, your brother's on the way. And guess what? He's got 400 men with him. Now that doesn't sound

like a family reunion that Jacob is looking forward to. That sounds like Esau's coming with

an army. And so Jacob gets this news in verse seven. Look at what it says. It says, Jacob was

greatly afraid and distressed. And for the first time in a long time,

Jacob does something better than scheming and planning. What does Jacob do? He prays.

And this prayer shows real growth. I want you to notice some things about this prayer. First,

he prays on the basis of God's word. Notice how he starts. He says, oh Lord who said to me.

Second, he confesses his unworthiness and he tells God, I'm not worthy to be a part of this plan.

I'm not worthy of you in the relationship I have with you. And then he admits his fear. He says,

but I fear my brother. And then he clings to the promise and he says, but you said.

That's not the Jacob of Genesis 27 that we read of here. That's a man who is finally getting

honest with God. And let me tell you, growth often begins right there. It begins when we

stop managing our appearances and we start telling God the truth in our prayers. When

we start telling him what is hurting us, it begins when we stop avoiding what we've been,

what we face, what we've been avoiding. It begins when we quit pretending that time

fixes everything. You know, time can do a lot of things. Time can create distance.

Time can dull our emotions. It can make something feel less urgent. But let me tell you,

time does not remove guilt. Time doesn't produce repentance and time doesn't heal what we never

bring to light. Jacob couldn't become Israel by running around Esau. He had to face what he

had avoided for 20 years. And I think maybe a lot of us are the same way. We want peace,

but there's still pride in our hearts. We want growth, the connection with God,

but we have compromise in our lives. We want to move forward, but we refuse to confess, to

apologize, to surrender, to obey God. You know, we don't grow spiritually when we avoid

the very things God is calling for us to correct. And Jacob needed to correct that.

And sometimes I would say the first real sign of change and spiritual growth isn't strength,

but it's honesty. Jacob had to be honest with God, but I want you to notice second that

growth deepens when God breaks our self-reliance. Growth deepens when God breaks our self-reliance.

And so here we come to the heart of the passage here. Verse 24 of Genesis 32 says,

and Jacob was left alone. And that line I think is very important as we're setting the scene to

what's taking place here. You have a man who is by himself. His servants are out there. We read that

his wives are out there. His children are out there. The flocks are out there. But what about

Jacob? Jacob is alone. There are moments in life where God deals with you and me one-on-one.

And no one else can be there. Now other people, family, and those that are in the church, they can

pray for you. They can encourage you. They can love you. But there are times where God deals with you

and me on a personal basis. And that's exactly what's happening with Jacob here. It says a man

wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now it's very interesting that we read that word there

about Jacob because Jacob has been wrestling his entire life. If you go back and you look at Jacob,

he wrestled in the womb. He wrestled for the birthright. He wrestled for the blessing. He

wrestled with Esau and Isaac and Laban in every difficult circumstance that came into his life.

What did he do? That's been his whole way of living is wrestling. And now he's in a struggle

he can't control. Verse 25 says, the man touched his hip and Jacob's hip was put out a joint.

Just one touch. This isn't a match contest that Jacob is in. Jacob is being shown how weak he

really is. And that matters because, you know, Jacob has spent the majority of his life getting

by on his own cleverness and persistence and personal force. And anyone that reads about

Jacob will admit he was clever. He knew how to deceive. He knew how to get the things that he

wanted. He always found a way. He always figured out an angle. He's always leaned on himself.

But I would say sometimes God has to touch the place where we feel strongest so that we'll

finally learn dependence. Look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 12. And look at the discussion that Paul

has with God in wanting to remove the thorn. 2nd Corinthians 12 9, my power is made perfect

where? In your weakness. And so what does Paul say? Therefore I will boast all the more in my weakness.

You know, for some people their strength is their talent. For some people it's their confidence.

For some maybe it's our planning and it's our image. Or for others it's their voice,

the illusion that they're in control. Jacob was touched and he realized how weak he was compared

to God. And you notice that Jacob, he leaves this night with a limp. And I find that very interesting

because, you know, a lot of us we want to have a closer walk with God. We want the blessing as

Jacob got. He got the new name. He got the deeper walk with God. But a lot of people don't want to

deal with the limp. But you know what the limp is? God looking at you and looking at me and guess what?

He sees our level of faith, our understanding. And sometimes we lean a little too much on ourselves

and our own strength. God's power is made perfect in our weakness. And often I would say the limp

is part of the mercy of God exposing what needs to change in the heart. The limp also keeps us

from going back to our old way of living. It reminds us that God's strength matters more than

our own. But then as we continue on in this section here, the whole struggle changes. Jacob says,

I will not let you go until what? He says, until you bless me. Earlier in life, Jacob grabbed

and he took. And now what is he doing? He clings and he pleads. I want you to notice the difference

in Jacob. And then comes the question, what is your name? And so Jacob, and now God doesn't need

to know the answer, but Jacob needs to confess it. And Jacob, he says his name Jacob. And what does

his name even mean? The deceiver, the heel grabber, the man he's been. And then God says, your name

will no longer be Jacob, but Israel. I don't think that anyone who reads this would say that Jacob

prevailed because he overpowered God. I think Jacob prevailed because he refused to let go.

He clings to the only one that can truly change him. And let me tell you, brothers and sisters,

that is real spiritual growth. When you cling to the one you know that can change you, not just

learning more, not having a new vocabulary, or having the right words, or being admired by

religious people, real growth happens when a man comes to the end of himself and clings to God.

And some of the best things God has ever done in our life happens after he strips away

the feeling of control. So let me ask you, have you ever been there?

Where you don't have any power, you don't have any say, where your strength wasn't enough, where

your planning couldn't hold it together, where all you could do was cling? Let me tell you, those

are not wasted nights. Jacob experienced this. Verse 31 says, the sun rose upon him, limping

because of his hip. The sun came up on a very interesting night that Jacob had.

He saw, however, still ahead of him, his road hadn't changed at all, but guess who had changed?

Jacob. And sometimes maybe that is what God is doing for you and me, because we keep asking him

to change the road that we're walking on, but what is God doing? He's changing the one who's walking

the road. And so Jacob has changed, he's given a new name, but I want you to notice third,

growth is proven by humility and reconciliation. Growth is proven by humility and reconciliation.

Genesis chapter 33 opens up with the moment that Jacob has dreaded for 20 years.

Genesis 33 · chapter mention

As we saw in a previous session, Esau, after he was deceived, remember how he felt?

He took comfort in the fact that he would be able to kill his brother one day, and that's what

helped him sleep at night after Jacob stole his blessing. And so Genesis 33 opens with that moment

that Jacob has been dreading for many, many years, and he looks up and what does he see? He sees Esau

coming with 400 men, but Jacob isn't the same guy that he was before Pineo. Verse 3 says that he

went ahead before his family and he bowed himself to the ground, notice how many times? Seven times.

Now that's not Jacob just trying to be polite, what is that? That is deep humility. The man who

once exalted himself above his brother, what is he doing now? He's lowering himself. The man who

once took by deception is now approaching and he's surrendering. And then I think one of the

most moving moments in Genesis, Esau runs to meet Jacob, embraces him, falls on his neck,

kisses him, and it says they weep. You want to talk about mercy, I think we see that right here.

But Jacob spent the night wrestling with God and now he comes face to face with the brother he

feared, and instead of finding a battle and fighting Esau with a sword, what does he find?

An embrace. Then Jacob, he says something remarkable in verse 10 after what's happened to

him previously. Verse 10 he says, I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God,

and you have accepted me. At Peniel, Jacob saw the face of God and lived,

and now he sees Esau's face and he receives mercy. And Jacob, he urges Esau to receive

his gifts. He says, please accept my blessings. And that word is very interesting because

years earlier, what did Jacob take from Esau? His blessing. And now what is he doing? He's trying to

give it back. And I think that's what growth looks like, is when it leaves the prayer life

and it enters our relationships. A real relationship with God changes how you carry yourself toward

people. Humility will change our tone. Humility can change our posture. It changes how we handle

situations. Humility changes whether you have to win every argument you enter into. Humility

changes whether you're willing to go first, but humility is found in those who have spent time

at the foot of the cross and it shows up in our relationships. There are Christians who know a

lot of Bible, but they still carry themselves with pride and sharpness. Jacob had a limp before God,

that's true, but what did he have before Esau? Humility. He bowed. Some people would look at

what Jacob did here and they would say, well, that's weak. To submit to his brother like that,

to bow to the ground, but I would say that that is spiritual maturity.

Some people are waiting for the other person to go first.

If you are a human being on this earth, you have been hurt by someone else.

And so my question is, how do you respond when someone hurts you? Do you wait for them to apologize?

Yes. Spiritual maturity means being humble. Some people are waiting for the other person to make

the first move. Some people are rehearsing what has been done to them in their minds over and

over again. You ever done that before? Someone says something to you and you're trying to go

to sleep at night and what are you doing? You're just going over and over in your head what they

said to you. Some are still protecting their pride, but Jesus said if your brother has something

against you, go. Go. Growth is proven in humility and it will show up in our relationships. I want

you to notice fourth. Growth requires spiritual leadership and endurance. Growth requires

spiritual leadership and endurance. You know, one of the reasons this section is so powerful is

because the story doesn't end neatly after Peniel and the reconciliation with his brother.

You're not going to find a, and they lived happily ever after. After Jacob meets with Esau and

they reconcile, what happens? Well, Genesis 34 is very ugly. Genesis 35 is holy, but it's also

very painful for Jacob. Genesis 36 is a reminder that outward success is not the same thing as

being in a covenant relationship with God, and so let's look through these three chapters very

quickly. First, chapter 34 shows us that one great moment with God doesn't mean every problem is

solved instantly. How many people have that idea of a relationship with God? They hear the gospel

and what do they think? That all their problems will just magically disappear. One great moment

with God does not mean every problem is instantly solved. Chapter 34, Dinah is defiled. Shechem and

Hamor, they act deceitfully. Simeon and Levi, they explode with violence. Jacob's house is deeply

troubled. But you know, that's real life. A person can experience true growth and still have a lot to

address at home. There can be passivity to confront. There can be habits that we need to

correct. There's deeper reform that needs to take place in the house, and some people want growth

that they can describe and say, you know what God wants? He wants spiritual growth that can be seen

in the home. In fathers, in mothers, in children, Jacob had changed, but there were still a lot of

things he had to deal with at home. And that's real life. But God, when he looks at us, he wants

us to see change not only in you and me, but also in our homes. Genesis 35, God tells Jacob, get up,

arise, go to Bethel. Now Bethel is where Jacob had first encountered God. This was the place of

promise. Bethel is the place that Jacob never should have forgotten. And before they go,

Jacob finally starts leading his house. He says, put away your foreign gods, purify yourselves,

change your garments. Three things. And that is spiritual leadership. He doesn't ignore the

problem in his house. He speaks, not vaguely, but clearly to his home. This is what we need to do.

They hand over their idols and Jacob, it says, the text says, he buries them.

You know, I think that's one of the strongest images that we find in this section. Some things

in your life maybe don't need to be managed, but they need to be buried. Some compromises

do need to die. Some idols do need to go, and as you well know, idols aren't always statues.

Sometimes the things that we need to bury is the idol of lust. Sometimes it's greed. Sometimes it's

our own comfort. Sometimes it's approval. Sometimes it's our ego that refuses to leave

the throne. But there are idols that you and I will find in our lives that we don't just try

and manage them. What do we do with them? We bury them. We get rid of them. Jacob couldn't move

toward Bethel while still making room for idols in his family. And so what does he do? He shows

spiritual leadership and he says, this is what you must do. And that is a sign of growth.

And then in the same chapter, chapter 35, grief hits over and over in Jacob's house.

Deborah dies. Rachel dies. Isaac dies. Reuben sins. This chapter is filled with worship,

but it's also filled with sorrow. And I would say that that is also real life.

Spiritual growth doesn't mean the absence of pain. It means faithfulness in the middle of pain.

And the truth is, some of the deepest growth that you and I will experience in life

will happen when our hearts are breaking. And you see that here with Jacob. What does Jacob do when

Rachel dies, when Rebecca, when Deborah dies and Isaac dies, when Reuben sins? What does he do in

all of this? He continues to walk. He keeps walking. He keeps worshiping. He keeps burying

the dead and handling the things that need to be handled. He keeps hearing God's word. He keeps

moving forward to the place God wants him to go. And that's maturity. Not that Jacob didn't have

any fear, not that he didn't have any struggles, but he was faithful in the middle of grief.

How do you respond when your heart is broken? How do you live? How do you see God when things don't

go the way you want them to? Jacob experienced a lot of grief, a lot of pain, but he continues

to worship and walk with God. And then Genesis 36. We see the lineage of Esau, chiefs and kings,

territory, strength. It looks very impressive, but we have to keep in mind immediate success

isn't the same thing as having the covenant blessing that Jacob had with God. Esau's line may

look stronger on the surface and Jacob's line, however, carries what? The promise. And I think

that we need that reminder that we don't need to measure the favor of God by who looks established

faster or who looks stronger or more successful in the moment, because oftentimes God works in a

slower, less impressive way. But we see that with Jacob. Esau has these kings. He has this great

lineage, but Jacob had the promise. And it's Jacob's lineage that gives us the hope that you

and I have today. Jacob has a limp. He's got family graves. He's got pain. He's got a promise that's

still unfolding that he hasn't seen yet, but he has God. And that's the biggest difference.

So when you step back and you look at Genesis 32 through 36, you see how God changes a man. I want

you to notice he brings Jacob back to what he has avoided. He breaks Jacob's self-reliance. He

teaches Jacob humility. He calls Jacob to lead his house. He makes Jacob bury his idols. He keeps

working even through grief and pain. And over time, Jacob becomes Israel. And that's how God

works, because he doesn't just forgive you and me and leave us the way we are. He changes us. And so

the question that I need to ask plainly to you and that I need to ask myself is, well, what area

am I still avoiding? What area in my life am I avoiding? Where are we still trying to

muscle our way through instead of clinging to God?

Who do you need to humble yourself before? What idol have you been tolerating? What in your home

needs to change? What grief are you walking through right now? You know, maybe you're reading

through this section and you find that you're in chapter 32, staring down a road that you don't

want to go down. Maybe you're at Peniel and God is bringing you to the end of yourself. Maybe you're

in chapter 33 and humility is the thing that you're resisting. Maybe you're in chapter 35 and

there are gods in the camp that need to be buried. But hear this clearly. God is still taking Jacob's

and making Israel's. When we look at the church today, we see a bunch of people that don't deserve

salvation. But guess what do we have? Eternal life. God still turns Jacob's into Israel's. He still

takes deceivers and turns them into worshipers. He still takes self-reliant people and teaches us

dependence. He still takes the proud hearts and brings us low. And he still takes the homes that

are filled with compromise and calls them back to himself. He takes the wounded and teaches them how

to walk. But Jacob walked into that night one man and he came out another. The road didn't change that

he was on. The circumstances didn't change first. Jacob changed because he came face to face

with God. And I believe that that is the turning point for each and every one of us.

And so if there is a sin, what we learn from Genesis 32 through 36, if there is a sin, bring it out.

If there is pride, we need to lay it down. If there is an idol, we have to bury it. If there's

a broken place, we need to bring it before the Lord. If there's a brother to reconcile with, go.

If there's self-reliance in our hearts,

cling to God until he breaks it. Let him work on you. Let him change you and let him make you into

what he wants you to be. We see that with Jacob. We walk through it in the text and we see a man who

went into it one way, self-reliant, defiant, and he comes out changed. Of course he continues to

make mistakes, but he's no longer the deceiver. He's Israel. And that happened because he came

to God, met him face to face, and clung to him. And so may we do the same. Thank you.