The Picture of God in Trying Moments

The Bigger Picture that God wants you to see
in your trying & difficult moment (Genesis 32)
A Message by Rev Dr Stanley Lim on 19 April 2009

Introduction
The picture that we have of Jacob is a poster for self-dependence. He was clever. He made his way thro’ life by outsmarting people (Gen. 27:1-41). Though he may not have been a hunter like his brother, he was no slouch in physical strength either (Gen. 29:10). Looking at how Jacob lives his life before the events of Genesis 32, we see a man who does not ask the Lord for help. He lives life without a need for God. He can handle whatever life throws at him. Until Genesis 32 came along.

Jacob had to learn to move away from self-sufficiency to dependence on God’s blessings before God could bless him and use him.

The heart of sin is to live as though God doesn’t exist, as though you do not need Him. All sin can be traced back to the original temptation to be independent of God, to take the fruit and to “be like God …” (Gen. 3:5). And a key part of our salvation is the realisation that we cannot save ourselves, a realisation that drives us to throw ourselves at the mercy of the Lord.

I. Jacob meets the angels of God (Gen. 32:1,2)
After Laban had made a covenant with Jacob at Galeed, Jacob left with his wives, children & possessions and began journeying home. While on the way, the angels of God came and meet him and he declared that place of meeting as God’s camp. And he gave that place a name by calling it Mahanaim (which means Double Camp). It was here that he instructed his men to go to his brother, Esau and to tell him that he is coming to meet him with oxen, donkeys, flocks and servants. His intention was to make peace with him. But when his men returned, they told him that Esau was actually coming to meet him with 400 men. Then fear gripped Jacob thinking that Esau was coming to settle old scores with him. The guilt of his wrongdoings began to play on his mind and he started to make his own plans on how to overcome the confrontation with his brother, Esau.

Jacob forgot that it was the angels of God who initiated the meeting with him in the first instance. Hence, he should know that God’s presence is near to those who would call out to Him. Instead, he relied on his own wisdom, developing his own strategy to handle Esau. What he put in place is indeed a clever blueprint, but he failed to realize that God is different and does not think like man thinks. Isa. 55:8,9 declares: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Application: In difficult times, do you derive intelligent plans to resolve your issues or but seek the direction of the Lord by listening to the still small voice of the Spirit prompting your heart to follow in His leading. The plans & leadership of the Lord will not cause you to be afraid but will give you His inner peace instead.

II. Jacob prepares for the worst (Gen. 32:22-23)
He sends his two wives, two female servants and his 11 sons, over the ford of Jabbok and sends food supplies for them. He gets ready to confront Esau. But that nite, instead of a stand off with his brother, Jacob had to wrestled with a Man. Commentators suggest that the Man was an angel of the Lord, others say the man was a divine agent sent from God, still others say the Man was Jesus Himself. Whatever, or whoever this Man is, we know that this figure is no ordinary human being. Jacob wrestled with him until dawn and did not seem to want to let go of Him.

It is a strange phenomena that a human can actually out wrestle a divine being. Anyhow, what is there to lose for Jacob? He must have thought to himself, “I might also die when I meet Esau my brother, I might as well use this as my practice. Even if I lose and die under the hands of this Man, I do not have to lose face to die under the sword of Esau”. The scriptures say that Jacob held on so tight to the Man that He had to touch the socket of his hips and it came out of joint. But still Jacob did not let Him go. The request for release by this divine being was met with a condition. That He must bless Jacob.

Notice that the Man did not bless Jacob straightaway, but ask for the Jacob to disclose His name. Isn’t it strange for the all-knowing God to ask Jacob for his name? He wants Jacob to own up by his own confession that he is the liar, cheater and conniver. Indeed confession is good for the soul but bad for his reputation. But in this case, it was going to bring about a powerful change in Jacob. The angel of God gave Jacob a new name, Israel, which means Prince with God. One who would no longer lie & cheat but will instead reign with the holy One!

Jacob became a limp from that day. The walk he would experience, in the eyes of man seems to be a walk of weakness, but to Jacob, it was a walk of victory, triumph and transformation. The name change was not enough, the angel of God blessed him.

Application: In difficult & trying times, do not think of the worst that is to come, or do you hold on to God tightly (start a wrestling match with God), and experience your name change (transformation, victory & triumph). When you do that, He will have to do that which He has to do, that is to bless you for your perseverance, faith & trust in Him.

Conclusion
How many of you want a name change? How many of you want a touch from His hand? How many of you want Him to bless you? Are you in a trying & difficult moment and are at your lowest point of your life? If you are, then let the name change begin, let the touch come now, let the blessing flow right now!