Sermon Tone Analysis

Jacob at Jabbock

Gap: Israel comes from the story of Abraham’s grandson, Jacob.

Jacob cheats his brother Esau twice, flees and returns 20 years later.

The joke in the story is Jacob means heel grabber—he had Esau by the heel even out of the womb to try and get ahead of him, but . . .

On eve of meeting his brother, he wrestles with his past and with a man . . .

: The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.

He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had.

Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.

Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.”

But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.”

So he said to him, “What is your name?”

And he said, “Jacob.”

Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans,and have prevailed.”

Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.”

But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?”

And there he blessed him.

So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.”

The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the hip socket, because he struck Jacob on the hip socket at the thigh muscle.

God works not just through faithful Abraham but deceiving Jacob to keep his promise.

Israel means “wrestles with God” or “warrior/prince of God” and Jacob names the place where he met God “House of God,” Beth-el.

Haiku:

On banks of Jabbok

Jacob wrestles with a man

And becomes Is-rael

Transition: Genesis and the rest of the Bible about the steadfast covenant keeping of God and Israel’s struggle — they have been known since and still today — as wrestlers with God or warriors for God (2 possible meanings of Israel).

Later Paul responds to this way God brings life to all nations through Israel in :

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

    How unsearchable his judgments,

    and his paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?”

“Who has ever given to God,

    that God should repay them?”

For from him and through him and for him are all things.

To him be the glory forever!

Amen.

We now call this DOXOLOGY and last night at my niece’s wedding we sang it and I want to sing in response to this story today

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