Wrestling with God
Genesis • Sermon • Submitted
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1. How does the context inform the meaning of this passage? Please consider: a) the literary context (passages before and after the passage), b) the historical context (circumstances of the audience), and c) the biblical context (citations/allusions or historical connections to other books that the author is making).
LITERARY -
Jacob has made his way to Haran and secured 2 brides to which he now has 12 sons as heirs. It seems as if what God had promises was seeing it’s genesis at this point in Jacob. But there is still a problem. He has unresolved issues with his brother back in Canaan. The fear of him is crippling Jacob and it shapes almost every decision he makes. He still leans on his crafty and deceptive personality to get him through life. Even to the point now, that not only has he deceived his father out of his brother’s inheritance, but he has done the same to his father in law. In the midst of this, God calls him to go back to home. So now Jacob is on the run. He’s running headlong back into the hands of his brother, the source of this journey in the first place while what lies behind him is Laban and the mess he left that relationship in. All the while, God has promised Jacob that he would bless him and carry out his plans to bless the world through his lineage.
HISTORICAL -
God had commanded Moses to teach Israel about Himself and His Law and to prepare to go back into the Promise Land by crossing the Jordan. When Moses sent spies into the land, their fear got the best of them. They appeared to be strong and well organized people compared to the nomadic Israelites. Their report was met with great fear and resistence to crossing the Jordan. God committed to allowing them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until all of Moses’ generation had died off. He would not let them see the promise land…including Moses. Moses in recalling Jacob’s encounter, is forcing Israel to face their real fear. Jacob’s wrestling, like theirs, was not with their enemies. It was with their God.
As one pastor I recently heard intimated: “The movement from Eqypt [Slavery] to wilderness to promise land is the the story of God’s people as we wait as well.
BIBLICAL -
Allen Ross observes, “The story of Israel the man served as an acted parable of the life of the nation, in which is here presented its relationship with God almost prophetically. The patriarch portrays the real spirit of the nation to engage in the persistent struggle with God until emerging strong in the blessing. The nation is consequently referred to as Jacob or Israel, depending on which characteristics predominate.”
As one pastor I recently heard intimated: “The movement from Eqypt [Slavery] to wilderness to promise land is the the story of God’s people as we wait as well.
2. How has the author organized this passage? Please a) show the structure in sections with verse references and b) explain what strategies you used to see this structure.
Larger Context:
V. 5-13 - Rebekah conspires to have Jacob Blessed instead
Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’ ”
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”
And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”
So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.” He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’ then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’ ” He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.” So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.
V. 14-29 - Jacob steals Esau’s Blessing
Genesis 32:1-
V. 30-40 - Isaac cannot Bless Esau
- Jacob fears facing his brother
- Jacob wrestles with God
V. 41- 46 - Jacob flees to Haran for Safety from Esau
And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.
Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
- Jacob and Esau meet & reconcile
Smaller Scope:
Genesis 33:1
v.22-25 - Jacob wrestles with God
v. 26-29 - Jacob Discourses with God
v. 30-32 - God blesses Jacob
3. Drawing on your work to this point, state the author’s aim for his audience (in one short sentence).
To warn Israel that God will not allow independent, self-sufficient people to enter the Promised Land but only those who rely on God.
4. What parts of this passage connect to the gospel of Jesus Christ? What part of the gospel is in view?
We can’t outrun our sin and brokeness
The Gospel provides us with a new name - Jacob = Israel
5. Drawing on your work to this point, what conclusion will you argue to your audience (in one short sentence)? What applications will you make for your audience?
THEME:
When we meet Christ, we are given a new name that frees us from living lives yoked to fear of sin and brokeness.
APPLICATIONS:
Minor Application
God is always with his people no matter where they go
God’s plan to bless the earth is perpetuated through the institions of family and church…SO DISCIPLE YOUR CHILDREN & LOVE THE CHURCH
God is ever ready to lead us into righteousness and reconcililation
Major Application
God’ is not indifferent to our sin even when he works his plan through our lives…SO REPENT AND OBEY
God grants us a new name and therefore we are no longer yoked to our former identity under sin and death.
6. What is your sermon title and your preaching outline?Possible Outline -
Sermon Title -
WRESTLING WITH GOD
Sermon Outline -
Sermon Outline -
THE SCHEMING OF REBEKAH (5-13)
THE DECEPTION OF JACOB (14-29, 41-45)
THE LACK OF SELF AWARENESS OF ESAU (30-40)