Sermon Tone Analysis
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! I’m going to begin this morning with a story, a Bible Story.
And this one you might have heard before, but I’m going to try a different spin on it.
It begins with Isaac’s son and Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, at the point that Jacob has just spent 20 years working for his Uncle Laban.
During this 20 year time, Jacob had been quite industrious, and he had turned a good profit.
But Laban’s sons did not see it that way.
Instead, they felt that Jacob had been mooching off of Laban.
Indeed, even Laban was beginning to wonder.
The possibility that Jacob was hard-working and blessed by God would not be considered.
!
! Genesis 31:1-7
Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s; he has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.”
And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him as favorably as he did before.
Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your ancestors and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”
So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah [his wives and Laban’s daughters] into the field where his flock was, 5and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me as favorably as he did before.
But the God of my father [Isaac] has been with me.
You know that I have served your father [Laban] with all my strength; yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not permit him to harm me.
After this Jacob flees in secret with his family and flocks in order not to have to face Laban.
Laban realizes Jacob and family have departed and gives chase.
He overtakes Jacob and…
! Genesis 31:26-28
Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?
You have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword.
Why did you flee secretly and deceive me and not tell me?
I would have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre.
And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell?
What you have done is foolish.
Jacob was renowned for his deceit and trickery.
Christ Himself had Jacob in mind when he spoke to Nathaniel in John 1:47 saying, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
If you are familiar with Jacob and his story, you know that he is a cocky, smug rascal that had cheated his twin brother Esau out of both his birthright and his firstborn blessing from their father Isaac.
When Esau discovered the guile of his younger but craftier twin, he flew into a rage and threatened vengeance, including a vow against Jacob’s life.
Jacob literally was forced to run for his life.
Twenty years with Laban had since past, and God had nonetheless blessed the crafty scoundrel with two wives, many children, herds of livestock and significant wealth.
But now it was time to return home.
Jacob and Laban bid each other farewell after “agreeing to disagree,” but Jacob then had only one direction to go: back home.
And that meant right back to his twin brother Esau with all his deadly vengeance.
The night before meeting Esau, Jacob was rather stressed about the dawn show-down with his brother, and he found himself in that time of stress drawing nearer to God.
This is a direct example of the old phrase, “There are no atheists in foxholes.”
When you’re all alone with death staring you in the face, it’s amazing how quickly you find yourself calling to God!
The night before meeting his brother, Jacob had a life-changing encounter:
! Genesis 32:24-28
Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
25When 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.”
How often does God cause His children to go through a major, life-changing event to act as a mid-course correction in order to get a person back upon the “straight and narrow”?
I have referred to this as a “whap up-side the head.”
God has tried a tap or two on the shoulder, but the wayward, prodigal son ignores them and needs a major “whap up-side the head” get the errant soul’s attention.
In Jacob’s case, a night alone to wrestle with God and God’s intentions for his life (instead of Jacob’s self-centered intentions) became the event that brought him back to God.
So Jacob was now Israel, renamed and re-birthed by God.
He still had to face Esau, but after having a “whap up-side the head” from God, Jacob had matured significantly from the night of wrestling as well as the recognition that he and he alone was responsible for his own actions.
He was renamed as part of the re-birthing process, but now it was morning, and his twin brother Esau was approached with 400 men…
! Genesis 33:1, 3, 4, 10
Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him.
He himself went on ahead … bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near his brother.
But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.
Jacob said, “… truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God—since you have received me with such favor.”
The self-centered, crafty, smug Jacob had matured to the humble, God-fearing Israel, the Israel whose seed would fulfill the promise God made to Abraham.
Note the difference pre- and post-wrestling.
When the going got tough, the old Jacob pulled his old reliable stand-by plan: run.
But the new Israel, recently humbled by God, chooses to be subservient and humble.
Note what Genesis says here: Jacob bowed himself seven times before Esau.
Not once, but seven.
The Jewish people regard three a complete number and seven as an almost perfect number.
In Old Testament times, it was believed that you must forgive a person three times, and that’s why Peter thought he was being really godly when he asked Christ if he should forgive someone up to seven times.
So Jacob, or Israel now, was alone facing Esau and 400 hundred men, and he bowed seven times before Esau.
Jacob didn’t run here: he bowed, seven times.
You can get a lot of running done in the time it takes you to bow to the ground seven times!
And remember that this bowing is exceptionally submissive.
He is giving a vengeful Esau every opportunity to fulfill the 20-year-old vow against Jacob’s life.
But see what happens: Jacob wishes to reconcile with his long-estranged brother, and his brother welcomes him – as a brother!
Well, that’s the Bible story for today; now as Paul Harvey would say; it’s time for the rest of the story…
Please pray with me:
*Psalm 19:14*
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Amen.
When I was a youngster of age 4, I remember having a best friend and playmate named Danny.
Danny was a year younger than I, and we were almost inseparable in the early childhood world of snow forts and swing-sets, toys and birthday parties.
And as children and even the best of friends tend to do sometimes, a minor “dispute” arose between Danny and me one sunny day.
Words were said and a few pushes might have occurred, and next thing I knew, Danny’s mother had him in her lap and on the other side of the room from where my mother held me in a similar configuration.
I don’t know which of us started the fight, but I figure it must have been me since I can’t remember, and if it had been Danny that was at fault, I’m sure that I’d have a much better recollection.
Nonetheless, our mothers realized that we were both denying being at fault, so we were both tasked in our mothers’ respective laps to be the first one to say “I’m sorry.”
What?
Say “I’m sorry”?
To Danny?
No way! I’m 4 years old! Danny’s only 3! I’m a year older, a year wiser!
And much bigger!
Not to mention, I’m special!
I know I’m special because I’m me! Danny is just Danny!
Say, “I’m sorry” to Danny? Yeah!
Like that’s gonna happen!
While I was thinking this through in my mature 4-year-old mind, I remember suddenly hearing a sheepish, almost inaudible “I’m sorry” from across the room.
*I’m sorry.*
It was just that quiet.
Danny had apologized.
I thought I had won, and I was ready to claim victory, but to my surprise Danny was received a lot more attention from his two words than I from my silence.
Soon after that, Danny and I were back to riding our tricycles as best buds, and the incident was essentially forgotten.
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