We’ve been looking at Jacob and
this guy is a guy of strife. He divided his parents, he divided his family, he stole
his father’s blessing, he stripped his older brother of his birth right, he
came into conflict with Laban and then Leah. He caused jealousy in his
household when he was having kids with Leah but not Rachel. This man was a man
of struggles. He pretty much struggles with everyone he has ever known and met.
At
this point in time Jacob is on his way back to meet Esau, his brother, the
brother who’s birth right he stole. Jacob is fearful for his life. He is so
afraid that he gets his wives and kids (in his struggling family as most of his
sexual partners are not fond of any of the others) and he sends them off to
meet his brother with a large gift (think mansion ‘cos that’s the closest
modern day equivalent).
So
we see he is terrified. He is trying to win his brother over and just in case
that fails he isn’t even going to be there when the gift is given and his
people meet Esau’s.
Jacob
himself stays on the other side of the river Jabbock (Hebrew ‘yabbock’ which
sounds like the Hebrew word for wrestle ‘Ye’abeck’ which also sounds like Jacob
‘ya’acob’). The river means wrestle/struggle his name means supplant and
struggle. The Bible is awesome!!
What do you
think he is thinking as he’s there? This is my last night? Is he praying? If so
what is he praying? Something like ‘help me God, shine your favour on me? Bless
me? Protect me?’
Then, while he
is praying the most random thing in the world that could ever happen happens.
Imagine being scared of your life and crying out to God to help when this
random ‘stranger’ shows up and decides it would be a good idea for you two to
wrestle. Firstly I don’t think I’d particularly enjoy that particular method of
communication from God.
I imagine I
would be a bit like ‘ah, d’u mind? I’m in the middle of praying to God here to
help me in my dire and life or death situation. Bugger off.’
Now I’m not
saying that God hasn’t had to wrestle with me. He has, more than you know.
Getting me out of bed on a day that ends in y is a struggle with God somedays
(you know the ones that end in y) and God has to be like ‘Waves, come on I want
to do things.’ And that’s the absolute best example of times God has to wrestle
with me, if I told you any of the other ones I would likely be excommunicated.
One thing to note though, He always wins.
That’s one of
the things that make this piece of scripture so interesting. God isn’t winning
He cannot prevail. When day begins to break Jesus touches Jacob’s hip and blamo
it’s sore. It’s like the opposite of what God on earth will do next time He’s
here (or well the time He’s around longest).
There is a lot
of debate on this topic. Is this dude an angel? Then why does Jacob say he has
seen God face to face? How can God be walking around the earth post ‘Garden of
Eden’ times? Was Hosea doting then? Who’s the ‘Angel of the Lord?’ We could do
a whole other CU time on this but general Christian theology (called
Christology) believes He is a pre-incarnate Christ.
In Exodus it
talks about how God’s name dwells in Him (Ex. 23) His name can literally mean
the ‘Word of God’ and most people who meet Him equate seeing Him with seeing
the face of God. (like Jacob does and Moses does also) as well as that the
Angel of the Lord could forgive sins (Ex. 23:21) and in Mark we see “Who can
forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7). Anyway that’s why I think the Angel of
the LORD is a pre-incarnation Jesus (which is cool).
In my opinion
this piece of scripture is about struggling. Jacob was a man of struggles and
we are people of struggles too. There is a saying that you can only be sure of
two things in life taxes and death; but I think there is one thing you can be
sure of in life and that’s struggles. People struggle with money, with
friendships, with relationships, with workloads, with themselves and with God.
This struggling (as in with ourselves and God) is a normal experience for
Christians and as such is dealt with quite a bit in scriptures.
Jacob physically
struggled with God which is something the majority of us, if not the entire
population of the CU in UCC through all time, will not have the opportunity to
do. I don’t think I would particularly enjoy Israel’s experience by the River
Jabbock. Imagine God appearing on earth and, from what we can gather from the
passage, not saying anything just attacking you (as it may have appeared to
Israel as he sat there worrying and perhaps even praying).
I want to look
very quickly at three scripture passages about struggle. Then a little on the
last question.
1. The
first is found in Romans 5 and will be on the screen.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we
have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we
rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our
sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces
character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame,
because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who
has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ
died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:1-6 ESV)
I attempted to
learn this passage when I was about 16 because I read it and I first went yeah,
struggles are a good thing are they? But it is insane to think about it like
this. There is a saying ‘what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger,’
which is a simplified atheistic version of this passage. Think about all of the
people who make big impacts as Christians. In general they are either well
known or have a story full of struggle that God has turned around to make them
into an amazing witness of the power of God to bless and change lives.
I often look
back on my own life and I think “Lord. I would love to change that time of
suffering and choose a different option at that point.” If God allowed that,
the one I specifically think about, I wouldn’t know His power as much as I do,
I wouldn’t know His presence as much as I do and I wouldn’t be able to speak
about a God that loves so much He could die for someone as wretched as me with
such honesty. My struggles and my mistakes have brought me closer to a God who
cares so much. Now I’m not saying go and make dopey mistakes in the hopes that
it will bring you closer to God but I am saying that your struggles have a
purpose and in your life you can choose the effect they have on you. You can
allow them to produce in you the version of you God designed you to be. I’m
going to say that sentence again because it was a little confusing. You can
allow your struggles to produce in you God’s design for who He wants you to be;
or you can become a victim and wallow in your misery, blaming God and blaming
people. Either way suffering produces character.
2. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the
strength of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to
stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers
over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:10-12 ESV)
I’m not going to
say anything about this one because it speaks for itself.
3. For I consider that the sufferings of this
present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to
us. (Romans 8:18 ESV)
When we find
ourselves in the midst of struggles we need to give them over to God in order
for endurance and character and hope to be formed. We need to involve Him in
our problems and allow Him to comfort us, strengthen us and renew our hope.
This verse is one to hold onto in those times. The suffering, no matter how
bad, is not even worth comparing with the glory that is to come. When you are
in a struggle that feels like hell it is hard to see the good, even into the
future we often only see this struggle, like with the dark side of the force
‘clouded the future becomes.’ (that’s from Star Wars if you didn’t recognise
it.)
Lastly on Jacob
becoming Israel, he had his name changed by God. One of my sins was a thing
that came to define me, some of you know what that was but others don’t and
that’s okay. You just need to know that it became wrapped up in who David
Cowpar was. It was defining, life changing and how I identified myself for a
number of years. Most of you know me as Wavey. I have adopted the name Wavey so
much that my Facebook page is Wavey Tonntach (which is Wavey in the Irish
language). Although I am still David Cowpar I am also Wavey and there is a
difference. It’s as if, in being granted the name Wavey, the past of David
Cowpar no longer has to define me. The identity that was David Cowpar is not
the identity that is Wavey (even though I am the same person). I know that
sounds a small bit insane but when sin becomes wrapped in who you are it makes
sense that God would grant a new name. This was definitely true for Israel who
went from being the supplanter to the one who strives with God. (which is not
necessarily fights with God but maybe strives beside God).
We don’t have to
be defined by our sins and struggles. God’s dealt with those in the death of
Jesus.
It is suggested one YouTube's "Regrets Igniter Media" after reading this as I closed with it.
Please NB the piece on the Angel of the Lord in this and in "TotD: Samuel and God".
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