Genesis Ch32v1-31 - Faith and Fear

Next.

Excellent.

Okay.

That would be great.

Thank you, Johnny.

So, I'm Johnny, and this is John.

I met John almost 23, 24 years ago, Kirstie and I, just as we'd finished Bible college,

went to serve and work with the church in Dublin.

John was the pastor there, Grosvenor Road Baptist Church.

I served under him.

He was a mentor and a trainer.

So, all that I know, John has taught me most of what I know.

So, very thankful and grateful for that.

John now serves in London.

He preaches and teaches and pastors in Richmond, in London, Duke Street Baptist Church.

And he's been here this weekend teaching at Munster Bible College.

He does have a great love for the church here in Ireland and for the believers and loves

to serve the church.

So, we're just delighted that you are here today.

So, thanks for coming, John.

Thank you so much.

Johnny.

It's a joy to be with you and particularly to see Johnny and Kirstie flourishing.

And I'm sure you're grateful for them and are looking after them well.

So, let me encourage you to continue to do that.

And let's turn to God's Word together to Genesis 32.

Please.

It's Genesis chapter 32.

Genesis 32 · chapter mention

It's the book of origins.

Genesis means, as I'm sure you know, origins or beginning.

And it's the beginning of God's dealings with his world.

And in particular, with Abraham and Abraham's family, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

And we've reached the point in the story, excuse me, where Jacob has, having cheated his brother,

20 years later, is on his way back home.

And in chapter 32, we read, Jacob also went on his way.

He's been chased by his father-in-law, but finally made the break.

And the angels of God met him.

When Jacob saw them, he said, this is the camp of God, or two camps.

So he named that place Two Camps, Mahanaim.

Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

He instructed them, this is what you are to say to my master Esau.

Your servant Jacob says, I've been staying with Laban and have remained there till now.

I've cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants.

Now I'm sending this message to my Lord that I may find favor in your eyes.

Remember, this is the brother he cheated at the inheritance 20 years ago.

When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, we went to your brother Esau and now he's coming to meet you.

And 400 men are with him.

In great fear and distress, Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,

and the flocks and herds and camels as well.

He thought if Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.

Then Jacob prayed, O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me,

go back to your country and your relatives and I'll make you prosper.

I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant.

I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups.

Jacob said, save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he'll come and attack me,

and also the mothers with their children.

But you have said, I will surely make you prosper,

and will make your descendants like the sands of the sea, which cannot be counted.

Jacob spent the night there, and from what he had with him,

he selected a gift for his brother Esau.

In fact, a whole bunch of gifts that he sends on ahead to try and win his brother's favor.

Verse 21 we'll jump to.

So Jacob's gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants,

and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.

After he'd sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.

So Jacob was left alone,

and the man wrestled with him till daybreak.

When the man saw that he couldn't overpower him,

he touched the socket of Jacob's hip,

so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.

Then the man said,

Let me go, for it is daybreak.

But Jacob replied,

I will not let you go, unless you bless me.

The man asked him,

What is your name?

Jacob, he answered.

Then the man said to him,

Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel.

Because you have, which means God struggles or struggles with God.

Because you have struggled with God,

and with men,

and have overcome.

Jacob said,

Please tell me your name.

But he replied,

Why do you ask my name?

Then he blessed him there.

So Jacob called the place,

Face of God,

Peniel,

saying,

It is because I saw God face to face,

and yet my life was spared.

The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,

and he was limping

because of his hip.

Therefore, to this day,

the Israelites do not eat the tendon

attached to the socket of the hip,

because the socket of Jacob's hip

was touched near the tendon.

Well, let's pray and ask God's help.

Father, please,

in whatever state of mind

or emotion we are in right now,

please would you open

our eyes and our hearts

to see wonderful things in your word.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Well, if God is for us,

who can be against us?

I expect you know that expression from,

sorry, from Romans 8.

But what do you do

when it feels that God is against you?

Maybe you've been given

very difficult parents

or relations.

Maybe you've lost your job

despite acting with integrity,

and you wonder, in fact,

it's because you acted with integrity

that you lost it.

Maybe you just struggle

economically.

You try to be careful with money,

but you never seem to get a job

that does more than enable you

just to bump along

the economic bottom.

Maybe you're struggling

to find a marriage partner,

or you find one

but can't have children,

or you get given children

and one of them,

or more than one,

proves to be an absolute nightmare.

Maybe serious illness

strikes out of the blue,

or a life-changing injury.

Or you lose a loved one,

as they say,

before their time.

Or war breaks out.

We're spared that at the moment,

but imagine

what it's like to be

a Christian in Ukraine.

Maybe it sometimes feels

that not only are specific people

against you,

but God himself

is against you.

Well, if that's how you feel

or ever feel,

then Jacob knew

just what that felt like.

First it was Esau,

then it was God.

And yet there had been

such clear guidance.

If you look back

to chapter 31,

verse 3,

Jacob up north

with his father-in-law,

his family,

hears this word

from the Lord,

verse 3 of chapter 31.

Then the Lord said to Jacob,

Go back to the land

of your fathers

and to your relatives,

and I will be with you.

Chapter 32,

verse 1,

we read,

Jacob went on his way,

and the angels of God

met him.

That's a very strange expression,

isn't it?

The only other time

this occurs

is in his dream

back in chapter 28

when Jacob saw

that famous stairway to heaven

with the angels,

the messengers of God,

going up and down,

up and down.

Well, he calls it

in chapter 32,

verse 2,

the camp of God,

or two camps.

And it must surely

have been an encouragement

to sense that God's army

is camped beside you,

right?

Or is it?

It's God's army,

not his.

But anyway,

Jacob,

we read from

verse 3,

sends messengers,

or it's the same word

actually as angels,

to Esau

with the most

ingratiating message,

say to my lord Esau.

Do you see that?

Say to my lord Esau.

Sorry,

my master,

it's translated,

isn't it,

in the NIV.

Say to my master Esau,

your servant,

Jacob,

says.

Now,

it's as if Jacob

is trying to reverse

the effects

of his earlier theft

of the inheritance

from his brother.

But the intelligence report

that he gets back

is terrifying.

The messages

return,

verse 6,

to Jacob,

and they said,

we went to your brother Esau,

and now he's coming

to meet you.

And by the way,

he's not alone.

He's got 400 men

with him.

You and whose army?

Well,

there are two

sections of what

we're going to be

looking at this morning.

The first is the fear of man,

verses 6 to 21 here

in chapter 32.

The fear of man.

Because we see

in verse 7

that it's in great

fear and distress

that Jacob is left

when he hears this news.

Because he's surely

going to be attacked

and destroyed

by the brother

who for 20 years

has been waiting

to take vengeance

on his kid brother

who cheated him

out of the inheritance.

And what does Jacob do?

Well,

he does two things here.

First,

he schemes

verses 7 and 8,

and we see that

played out

in verses 13 to 20.

He divides his entourage

into two camps

and divides his

five-stage present

to try and appease

his brother

by serial generosity.

His brother's coming

down the road

with these 400 men

and he meets

this herd of animals.

And who are you

and whose are these?

Oh,

this is a gift

from your brother Jacob.

And then the next lot.

And five times

he encounters

these generous flocks

given to him.

It's a clever plan.

And yet,

there's a certain

ambiguity about it.

We're not sure,

is this wisdom from God

or is this human desperation?

And then the second way

that,

or the second thing

that Jacob does

in verses 9 to 12

is he prays.

Then,

Jacob prayed,

verse 9.

Oh,

God of my father,

Abraham.

Now,

it wasn't his first action.

The first thing he did

was the scheme.

But it was his best action.

And he appeals

to God's proven character.

You are,

verse 9,

the God of my father,

Abraham,

the God of my father,

Isaac.

He appeals

to the clear

verbal revelation

he has had from God.

Oh,

Lord,

who said to me,

go back to your country

and your relatives

and I'll make you prosper.

He's convinced

that God means

to do him good,

not harm.

And he twice

quotes God,

back to God.

In verse 9,

we just saw it,

and then verse 12.

But you have said,

Lord,

I will surely

make you prosper.

Lord,

that's what you said

to me.

If you're a Christian,

you'll probably know

that wonderful verse

in Romans 8,

Romans 8:28

verse 28,

that we know

that God works

all things

for the

good

of those

who love him

and are called

according to his purpose.

not for the

bad

or the harm,

but for their good.

Jacob here,

back in

32.10,

is learning

a certain humility.

There is a new

Jacob here

on display.

Do you see that

in verse 10?

I am

unworthy

of all

the kindness

and faithfulness

you have shown

your servant.

And you know,

that is a necessary

milestone

to reach

in every

spiritual journey

with God.

To realise

that you are

unworthy

of the least

of all

his love

and faithfulness.

Do you remember

the story

Jesus told

of the two

men who went

up to the temple

to pray?

the strictly

religious one

who said,

looking around

at others,

I thank you

Lord that I am

not as bad

as others.

And then

in the corner

by himself,

the reject

in society

who said,

Lord have

mercy on me

the sinner.

It's actually

the sinner.

None of the

English translations

as far as I

can work out

have the courage

to actually

translate it

as the sinner.

They always say

a sinner.

But it says

very clearly

in what Jesus

says,

I am the

sinner.

It's as if

all he could

do is look

to God.

He's not

looking at

other people.

He's just

looking at

God,

as it were,

and looking

at himself

and saying,

when I look

at God

and then I

look at

myself,

what do I

see?

I see

the sinner.

There's no

one else

here.

It's just

God and

me.

And there's

a sense in

which that is

such an

important step

to take,

such an

important position

to get to

in a spiritual

journey,

if we're going

to come to

know God

and his

blessing,

is to

realize that

I am the

sinner.

Do you

remember how

Jesus at the

end of the

story is,

he tells the

story and

then says,

which of

these two

do you

think went

home in

right

relationship

with God?

Was it

the one

who looked

around and

said,

thank you,

I'm not

like others.

There are

some people

so bad,

you know.

Or is it

the one who

just looked

at God

and said,

I am the

sinner,

have mercy

on me,

Lord.

Well,

Jesus said,

it's the

second one

who went

home,

right with

God,

because everyone

who exalts

themselves will

be humbled,

but the one

who humbles

themselves will

be exalted.

While Jacob

is finally

humbling himself,

it seems,

I am unworthy,

verse 10,

of all the

kindness and

faithfulness you

have shown your

servant.

And he pleads

for deliverance,

verse 11,

save me,

I pray,

for I am

afraid.

He admits

his fear.

And if

you're a

believer

today,

then

verse 10

is where

we need

to stay

conscious

of our

unworthiness,

of all the

kindness and

faithfulness we've

been shown by

God.

And if you're

not yet a

believer,

it's a place

you need to

arrive and

get to,

realizing that

you're not

worthy.

of God's

kindness and

faithfulness.

But Jacob

is this

swirling mixture

of faith

and fear,

just like us.

And we

sometimes know

we try to

scheme our

way out of

a sticky

situation rather

than pray our

way out.

So the fear

of man.

Secondly,

the struggle

with God.

we learn in

the first

point that we

need to

forget the

fear of

man and

find fear

of God.

Here it

comes in

this struggle

in verses

22 to

32.

Now this

is surely

one of the

strangest

episodes in

the Bible,

isn't it?

God's

love.

Now, I

don't think

this is

about prevailing

prayer, as

some people

try to

understand it.

Jacob did

not decide to

assault the

ramparts of

heaven to

squeeze a

blessing out

of God.

That's not

how it's

recorded.

it.

No, it's

about friendly

fire.

When the

God we

thought was

with us

seems to

be against

us.

It's God

who takes

the initiative.

Do you

see that?

Jacob is

just alone,

verse 24.

And suddenly,

out of the

blue, without

any warning,

a man, who,

well, a

man, wrestled

with him.

Didn't just

come up and

shake his

hand or give

him a fist

pump.

He attacked

him.

Aggressively,

it seems,

physically, in

the dark.

And Jacob

discovers through

this that it's

actually not his

brother or even

himself that he's

been struggling

with all his

life.

It is God.

It is God who

attacks him.

And this is no

dream.

Jacob is left

with a permanent

limp, we read

at the end of

the story.

And yet there is

this strange

ambiguity.

verse 25.

When the man

saw that he

couldn't overpower

him, apparently

the attacker

cannot prevail

against Jacob

yet, when he

saw that he

couldn't overpower

him, he just

touched the

socket of his

hip so that

his hip was

wrenched as he

wrestled with the

man.

And this

out pops the

head of the

femur from the

hip socket.

Jacob, it

seems, is

crippled for

life after

just a touch.

Presumably in

agony when it

happened, at

least.

And strangely, the

attacker does not

wish to be seen.

So, verse 26, the

man said, let me go,

it's daybreak.

But Jacob replied, I'll

not let you go unless

you bless me.

The man asked him,

what is your name?

Jacob, he answered.

Now, getting him to

say his name is not

just an admission of

his identity, it's

like a confession of

guilt.

Remember what his

name means, why his

name was given.

His name means the

heel grabber,

literally.

Or understood by

most as the

grasping cheat.

Who are you?

I am the

grasping cheat.

Ah, nice to

meet you.

And in a

dramatic turning

point, Jacob's

name is changed

from the

cheater of

man to

the

struggler with

God.

The

struggle, which

God surprisingly

says in verse 28,

Jacob has won.

Your name will no

longer be

grasping cheat,

cheater of

people.

But

Israel,

struggler with

God.

Why?

Because you have

struggled with God

and with men and

have overcome.

I'll grant you the

victory.

But it's almost like

if you

challenge a

small child to

an arm

wrestle.

Do you want

to do an

arm wrestle?

And their

little hand can

hardly get

halfway up your

arm.

So you lower

your hand down.

Okay, go.

You beat me.

Really?

Interesting.

Interesting.

And yet,

Jacob is the

one who begs

for the

blessing.

Verse 26,

I will not let

you go unless

you bless me.

And we know

that it's always

the greater

who blesses

the lesser.

So Jacob,

by asking for

the blessing,

is admitting

that he's up

against one who

is greater than

him.

And one of the

other ambiguities,

interestingly,

is that the word

Israel could be

translated

God strives,

God struggles.

It's almost as if,

yes,

Jacob is

struggling,

but God is

also struggling

with Jacob.

He's a hard

to handle man.

Well,

what is clear

is that

the man is

not going to

tell Jacob

his name.

No.

And yet,

Jacob realises

by verse 30

that it was

because I saw

God

face to face

that I'm

calling this

face of God

and yet

my life

was spared.

He realises

he's been

fighting God

and he limps

away from the

encounter,

realising two

things.

Number one,

his life has

been spared

by one who

could have

destroyed him.

Verse 30,

I saw God

face to face

yet my life

was spared.

And the other

thing he realises

is he's not

only been spared,

he's been

blessed

despite

his weakness.

And although

as we read

on,

Jacob persists

in trying

to return

the blessing

he stole

from his

brother Esau,

that seems

to be what

is going

on here.

When he

finally meets

him,

he recognises

this double

favour,

not just

that he's

found favour

in Esau's

eyes,

verse 10

of chapter

33,

no please,

if I've

found favour

in your

eyes,

accept this

gift from

me.

For to see

your face

is like

seeing the

face of

God,

face of

God,

now that

you have

received me

favourably.

These 400

men put

their weapons

down it

seems and

don't attack.

And then

he prays,

verse 11,

please accept

the present

that was

brought to

you,

for God

has been

gracious to

me,

and I

have all

I need.

Favour

with Esau,

favour

with God.

Now

favour,

reconciliation,

with enemies,

if you've

ever been

in a

family

breakdown

situation

where

relationships

have

utterly

broken

down,

it's

wonderful

when there's

reconciliation,

it doesn't

always happen,

but when it

does,

it's

wonderful.

And it

may be

part of

God's

blessing

for us

if that's

what we're

struggling

with.

But it's

not favour

with man

that ultimately

matters,

it's favour

with God,

to know

God's

gracious

dealings

with us,

that is

the ultimate

blessing.

but

it may

mean

times

when God

seems to

be against

us.

We're going

to finish

by going

to 2

2 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

Corinthians

chapter 12

because this

experience

of feeling

that God

is against

us is

something that

the Apostle

Paul speaks

very eloquently

of and

experienced

in his own

life.

2

2 Corinthians 12:7

Corinthians

chapter 12

verse 7

having just

described some

extraordinary

experiences he

had,

he'd had,

he says in

verse 7

to keep me

from becoming

conceited

because of

these surpassingly

great revelations.

There was given

to me a thorn

in my flesh.

We don't know

what it was,

it seems to be

something physical.

A messenger

of Satan

to torment

me.

Three times

I pleaded

with the Lord

to take it

away from me

but the Lord

said to me

my grace

is sufficient

for you

for my power

is made

perfect

in weakness.

Therefore

says Paul

I will boast

all the more

gladly about

my weaknesses

so that

Christ's power

may rest

on me.

That is why

for Christ's

sake

I delight

in weaknesses

in insults

in hardships

in persecutions

in difficulties.

Why?

That's very perverse

Paul

isn't it?

No

because

when I am

weak

then I am

strong.

Do you see

how he describes

this thorn in the

flesh

in verse

7?

It's a

messenger

of Satan.

Satan

means adversary.

This is the one

who's against us

against all

God's people

and yet

this is clearly

something Paul

sees as permitted

by God.

He asks God

to remove it.

Three times

verse 8

I pleaded

with the Lord

to take it

away from me.

Well why do you

plead with the Lord?

Well because

he's the one

who allowed it.

Why?

To keep

Paul humble.

Verse 7

to keep me

from becoming

conceited.

But Paul

surely if God

really loved you

he wouldn't have

allowed this thorn

in the flesh

would he?

He's not for you

he's against you.

Well our adversary

is also the

father of lies.

One of his lies

is that when bad

things happen to

Christians

it's because God

is against them

and that's not

true.

And yet

when Paul

petitions God

and pleads

with him

to take it

away

three times

he says

verse 8

I pleaded

with the Lord

what did the

Lord say

each time

and never

it seems

changed his

mind on this

no

Paul

no

no

no

but Lord

what is going

on here?

Why

are you saying

no to me?

Well here's

why Paul

verse 9

the Lord said

to me

my grace

is sufficient

for you

for my

power

is made

perfect

in your

weakness

no Paul

you're going

to have to

live with

the thorn

in your

flesh

you're going

to have

to walk

with a

limp

for the

rest

of your

days

and if

we're still

struggling

with this

idea

that

the

power

can

come

through

weakness

think of

the Lord

Jesus

on the

cross

my God

my God

why have

you

forsaken

me?

Surely

in

the cross

of Christ

the crucifixion

of our

Lord

Jesus

nothing

is a

more powerful

picture of

weakness

and yet

as we

sang earlier

this is the

power of the

cross

this is the

power to

save us

but it's

the power

of weakness

this is the

logic of

God

the power

to save

the world

is in the

weakness

of the

cross

and we need

to remember

that when

God seems

against us

that this

is how

God works

to bring

strength

and power

spiritual

strength

spiritual

power

into our

lives

and that

is how

we can

say with

Paul

verse 10

that for

Christ's

sake

I

delight

in

weaknesses

in

insults

in

hardships

in

persecutions

in

difficulties

for

when I

am weak

then I

am

strong

we may

struggle

with the

fear of

man

but the

real

struggle

we have

is with

God

the

God

who may

break

us

but only

to bless

us

the

God

who may

seem

against

us

but only

to show

us that

when we

are weak

then

we are

strong

let's

pray

our

father we

thank you

for our

lord Jesus

Christ

above all

thank you

that in the

weakness of the

cross which

you willingly

went to

your power

was seen

supremely to

save us

from sin

and death

and judgment

how we

praise you

for that

powerful

though

counterintuitive

logic

but father we

pray that you

would help us

in our own

lives

as we

struggle

with so

many things

and so

many people

but also

with you

when you

seem to turn

your face

against us

lord help us

to remember

that you

are always

for us

wanting to

show that

in our

weakness

your power

your strength

is made

complete

help us

to trust

you

through the

hard times

for Jesus

sake

amen

aby

with you