Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20000227.htm

GENESIS: THE SOURCES OF GOOD AND CALAMITY IN OUR ORIGINS
Part III - God's Ongoing Program Of Countering Man's Apostasy At Babel
X. Round Twenty-Three - Learning To Rely On GOD ALONE When We EXHAUST Our BEST Efforts
(Genesis 32:1-33:20)
  1. Introduction
    1. Though we speak of trusting God for salvation and meeting needs in life, walking the talk of faith can become strained when we run out of options in critical crises!
    2. God has a lesson to teach the believer when he comes to the absolute end of his very BEST efforts to solve his life's problems, a lesson He revealed to Jacob in Genesis 32:1-33:20.
  2. Learning To Rely On GOD ALONE When We EXHAUST Our BEST Efforts, Genesis 32:1-33:20.
    1. From the womb, Jacob had grown up wrestling in his own efforts to obtain what he desired:
      1. He physically wrestled with his twin brother, Esau in his mother's womb, Genesis 25:21-23.
      2. He was still struggling with Esau when he was born, grabbing onto his heel, leading to his being named, "Jacob," meaning "trickster" or "supplanter," Gen. 25:25-26. (Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, ftn. to Gen. 25:26.
      3. Jacob struggled to obtain his brother's birthright in Gen. 25:27-34 and then his blessing in Gen. 27:1-46.
      4. He struggled with his uncle Laban for his due wages in Genesis 30:25-31:55.
    2. However, there came a point in time when Jacob's best wrestlings were insufficient, Genesis 32:1-24a:
      1. Jacob was finally caught between some literal "rocks" and a hard place, between Laban and Esau:
        1. In settling his dispute with Laban, Jacob built a heap of rocks to signal that he would not pass north of that heap to his uncle, and Laban agreed not to pass south of it into Jacob's realm, 31:46-47, 52.
        2. However, Jacob heard Esau was coming to meet him with 400 horsemen, a show of might, 32:3-6.
        3. This worried Jacob who was unable to fight Esau and blocked from returning to Laban, 32:7; 31:29.
      2. Accordingly, he divided his flocks and family so Esau might attack only one, and sent gifts of numerous animals ahead as a pacifying gift to Esau and hoped for the best, Genesis 32:7-8, 13-23.
      3. Then, he was met alone by the Pre-incarnate Jesus Christ Who did some clinical therapy in physically wrestling with Jacob, Genesis 32:24 with 32:29-30 and Leupold, Genesis, v. II, p. 875.
        1. Since Jacob had tried from the womb to achieve his goals by wrestling or supplanting and tricking his adversaries, and was still at it, God sought to reveal to Jacob the futility of continuing such action.
        2. Accordingly, the Pre-incarnate Christ, the Angel of the Lord, physically wrestled all night with Jacob who would have felt threatened by a lone, challenging wrestler like this.
    3. By way of this wrestling match, God revealed to Jacob that he had finally run out of routes to help himself, and needed to look to God in complete faith for the solution to his needs:
      1. In preparation of this wrestling bout, God had begun to hint to Jacob his need to look to Him in faith:
        1. Just after leaving Laban and before being frightened about Esau's coming in force, the Lord revealed to Jacob a host of protective heavenly angels to build his confidence in God's help, Gen. 32:1-2.
        2. Hearing of Esau's show of force, Jacob immediately prayed in desperation for God's help, Gen. 32:9-12. This is the first prayer from Jacob that seeks God's help in the form of pure faith!
      2. Then, while wrestling, the Angel of the Lord merely touched Jacob's thigh and shrank the tendon to the most poweful muscle in his body, his upper thigh muscle, rendering him helpless in the contest, 32:25.
      3. Accordingly, Jacob grasped his Opponent, but not to gain blessing by self-help, but for the first time in pure faith, and God re-named this "Supplanter" man as "Prince" for prevailing by FAITH, 32:26-28!
    4. Accordingly, God arranged for Esau to meet Jacob in peace (Gen. 33:1-16) and Jacob moved in peace into the land and built an altar to keep his promise that God would be his own Lord for keeping His Gen. 28:13-15 promise, cf. Gen. 28:20-21 (Gen. 33:17-20).
Lesson: Jacob had to come to the END of his self-sufficiency efforts to gain the blessings he desired in life BEFORE really TRUSTING the Lord in PURE FAITH. Only THEN did he fully PLEASE God!

Application: We believers please God ONLY by PURE FAITH in His Person and capacity to bless us, cf. Hebrews 11:6. Thus, if we find ourselves helpless in a huge crisis, we are to cease WRESTLING in our own strength to obtain what we desire and ASK in PURE FAITH for GOD'S help!