We all wrestle with God...it's a part of the faith journey. In this sermon by Rod Holmes, by studying the wrestling match between Jacob and an angel, the question will be answered, why does God wrestle with us and what is accomplshed by it?
3. 3 “Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the
country of Edom. 4 He instructed them: "This is what you are to say to my master
Esau: 'Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have
remained there till now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats,
menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I
may find favor in your eyes.' "
6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother
Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him." 7 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. 8 He thought, "If Esau
comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.“
9 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 will make
you prosper,' 10 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. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I
am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12
But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants
like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.' "
4. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the
man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so
that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said,
"Let me go, for it is daybreak."
But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." 27 The man asked
him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered.
28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because
you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."
29 Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my
name?" Then he blessed him there.
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face,
and yet my life was spared."
6. Abraham Isaac Jacob
“For all the land which you see,
I will give it to you and to your
descendants forever" (Gen. 13:15)
"And I will make your descendants as
the dust of the earth" (Gen 13:16).
"And in you all the families of the earth
shall be blessed" (Gen 12:3)
"Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield
to you" (Gen 15:1).
7. Abraham Isaac Jacob
“For all the land which you see, "For to you and to your descendants
I will give it to you and to your I will give all these lands” (Gen 26:3)
descendants forever" (Gen. 13:15)
"And I will make your descendants as "And I will multiply your descendants
the dust of the earth" (Gen 13:16). as the stars of heaven (Gen. 28:4).
"And in you all the families of the earth "And by your descendants all the nations
shall be blessed" (Gen 12:3) of the earth shall be blessed (Gen. 26:4).
"Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield "Do not fear, for I am with you" (Gen 26:24).
to you" (Gen 15:1).
8. Abraham Isaac Jacob
“For all the land which you see, "For to you and to your descendants "The land on which you lie, I will give it to
I will give it to you and to your I will give all these lands” (Gen 26:3) you and your descendents (Gen. 28:13)
descendants forever" (Gen. 13:15)
"And I will make your descendants as "And I will multiply your descendants “Your descendents shall also be like the
the dust of the earth" (Gen 13:16). as the stars of heaven (Gen. 28:4). dust of the earth” (Gen. 28:14).
"And in you all the families of the earth "And by your descendants all the nations “And in you and your descendents shall
shall be blessed" (Gen 12:3) of the earth shall be blessed (Gen. 26:4). all the families of the earth be blessed.”
(Gen. 28:14)
"Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield "Do not fear, for I am with you" (Gen 26:24). “And behold, I am with you, and will
to you" (Gen 15:1). keep you wherever you go”
(Gen. 28:15)
11. “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be
with me and will watch over me on this journey I
am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes
to wear so that I return safely to my father's house,
then the Lord will be my God.’”
Genesis 28:20-21
12. "Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother
Esau, for I am afraid he will 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 sand of the sea,
which cannot be counted.' "
Genesis 32:11-12
15. God wrestles with us to address our sin
God wrestles with us to increase our
faith/dependency
16.
17. Three wrong attitudes
Wrong attitude about his sin
Wrong attitude about his strength
Wrong attitude about his character
18. “He went to his father and said, "My father." "Yes,
my son," he answered. "Who is it?" Jacob said to
his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done
as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my
game so that you may give me your blessing."
Genesis 27:18-19
19. God wrestles with us to address our sin
God wrestles with us to increase our
faith/dependency
God wrestles with us to humble us
21. I LOVED YOU ENOUGH
Some day when my children are old enough to understand
the logic that a parent does, I will tell them:
I loved you enough to ask where you are going, with
whom, and what time you would be home.
I loved you enough to insist that you save your money
and buy a bike for yourself even though we could afford
to buy one for you.
I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover
that your new best friend was a creep.
I loved you enough to make you take a Milky Way back
to the drugstore (with a bite out of it) and tell the clerk,
"I stole this and want to pay for it.”
22. I LOVED YOU ENOUGH
I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while
you cleaned your room, a job that would have taken
me fifteen minutes.
I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment
and tears in my eyes.
I loved you enough to let you assume responsibility
for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh
they almost broke my heart.
But most of all, I loved you enough to say No when I
knew you would hate me for it. Those were the most
difficult battles of all. I'm glad I won them, because
in the end you won too.
Author Unknown
