Absolute Surrender: The Story of Jacob’s/My Life Part 3

Genesis 32:26

And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

Introduction:

In Luke 18 we have the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. In that account we have our Lord Jesus Christ Himself painting a picture for us of a wicked man, and a righteous man. If we are honest with ourselves, the Pharisee’s description of himself in that account, on the surface reads like the description we would give to a righteous man today. He was not an extortioner, unjust, or an adulterer. He was of a better reputation than the corrupt tax collector. He fasted, not once a month, but twice every week. He also gave tithes of all that he possessed. Now wouldn’t the average modern day church love to have this man as a member of their congregation? I believe he would be perfect for the position of elder or deacon. Especially where the tithing part is concerned. The man is of impeccable standing and character. But those of us who have read this account, understand that, as is said in Luke 18:9, that Christ “spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:” This Pharisee, Christ said, did not go down to his house justified. It is important to see that Christ did not deny anything claimed by the Pharisee, but we understand that all that the Pharisee had going for him, even at it’s best, was still not good enough to make him righteous before God. This man was actually the wicked one.

The other man spoken of in the parable, was the Publican or Tax Collector. He, unlike the Pharisee, would not be as welcomed into our modern day churches. This man recognizing that he had no good thing within himself that he could bring before God. Recognizing that he was not worthy to even stand before God. Did not draw near to God, but stood afar off. He dared not, could not, lift up his head so heavy was it with shame. He beat upon his chest in anguish over his condition, and the helplessness of it. All he could do, his only option, his only recourse, his only hope, was to fall upon and appeal to the Mercy of God. The acknowledgement of his condition and his recognition of the only solution are contained in the words “God be merciful to me a sinner” Luke 18:13. This man, Christ said, was the righteous man and went down to his house justified, rather than the Pharisee.

Background

We have been following Jacob’s life from the time he fled from the face of his brother Esau, who had purposed to kill him because Jacob had stolen Esau’s blessing. We watched as he went into a far country and was miraculously and providentially kept by God. We saw how God orchestrated His perfect will, even in the midst of Jacob’s less than ideal circumstances. We saw that the Jacob’s sons that were born in a troubled household, would eventually be the twelve tribes of Israel. We saw how God increased Jacob’s wealth even though Jacob was trusting in his own tricks and gimmicks, and not in the God who had appeared onto him. Now we have come to the place where God instructs Jacob that it is time to go back to his own land and his own people. This though, is no small issue. For going back to his father’s house, would mean going back to face the reason for him fleeing his father’s house in the first place. Esau his brother.

After Jacob’s confrontation with Laban in the previous chapter, we are told Jacob went on his way and the Angels of God met him. Almost twenty years before when Jacob left his father’s house, we would remember that he also had a vision of God’s host and the ladder that ascended to heaven. This second vision I believe served as evidence to Jacob, that the Lord’s host was with him all along, and that it was God who was behind his preservation. The name he gave to the place was Mahanaim – The two hosts. This means God has his host, and Jacob had his host. Jacob was yet to fully understand what God was doing in his life. He still saw God as being separate and apart from him. He still did not understand and receive the promise that God gave him when he left his father’s house those many many years ago.

Genesis 28:15

And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

He did not realize that God was still with him. Just as He said He would be. He had not left him. Just as He said He would not. So many times in my own Christian life, I heard a clear word from God. A promise that He gave to me. But I did not full receive it. I did not completely grasp the gravity of it. I still see God as being apart from me and not present with me to accomplish his purposes in me. This is how Jacob saw it. God had his camp, and I have mine. Jacob still didn’t understand.

In preparation for his reunion with his brother Esau, Jacob sent ahead messengers with peaceful tidings. He instructed them what they were to say to Esau. Words of humility. Hoping that this would appease his brother. The messengers brought back a report, that Esau was on his way to meet Jacob. Accompanied with four hundred men. This no doubt brought Jacob great distress, and as was his custom he began to think of a way to deal with this new crisis.

Little did Jacob realize though, that it was God himself, who had divinely orchestrated this crisis, to bring Jacob to the point where God could accomplish in Jacob, His perfect will. Make no mistake, crisis and difficulty have always been God’s method of working his work in the life of His elect. A preacher by the name of Rev. James McLoughlin puts it this way.

It has always been the plan of God to prepare his servants through suffering. Mark it down. This often means long periods of failure and rejection. We see this both in Scripture and in Church history.

Jacob was used to dealing with crisis. Most of the time, just like in my own life, it was crisis of his own making. He would use his own wits and devise plans to get himself out of various crisis that he himself brought upon himself. God, however in His sovereign mercy, was behind the scenes working His perfect work using the very crisis that he allowed to come into Jacob’s life. Jacob was a man used to finding solutions to his own problems. You could describe Jacob as extremely self sufficient. He worked things out in his own way, in his own time. He looked out for, and counted on numero uno. The time came however that Jacob had to realize, as do we, that there will come a day when you will be faced with a situation, a crisis, that we in our own strength cannot handle. When all that we would ordinarily trust in, will fail us and we will have not choice but to look to God. Let us look at the experience of Jacob and we will see that at the end of the day, the only thing we can rely on, is the mercy of almighty God.

We must be at the mercy of God because:

I. We cannot depend on our Substance

We read last time that while Jacob was in the land of Haran working for Laban his uncle, he became a very wealthy man. Even so much that Laban’s sons and eventually Laban himself began to despise Jacob. Jacob was a very wealthy individual. The Lord had blessed him greatly. In Genesis 32:10, Jacob himself confesses to God, that when he left his father’s house he only had his staff. But now he had become as large as two bands of people.

In preparation to meet his brother Esau, we see Jacob using humility and attempting to use his wealth and substance to find grace in the eyes of his brother Esau. In Genesis 32:3-5 we see Jacob sending servants ahead of him to meet Esau. He says to them, “Tell Esau that his servant Jacob is on his way. I have lived with Laban all these years and behold I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.” Jacob was hoping that Esau would see how wealthy he had become and because of this show him mercy. Jacob also went a step further and in Genesis 32:13-21 he sent presents to Esau by way of his servants. He sent drove after drove of his herds and of his flocks to his brother Esau. He did this in an attempt to appease the wrath of his brother. He reasoned within himself, that the wealthy gifts will be the solution to this current crisis. Genesis 32:20

I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.

It’s human nature to think that our money, wealth and possessions can fix our problems for us. If we are faced with a difficult circumstance, the first thing we check is our finances, and weather or not we are financially able to deal with the problem. If we don’t have the finances needed, we then turn to someone we know and find out if they have the finances we need. If we are honest with ourselves, God is very low down the list of avenues we turn to as a solution to the problem we are facing, and our finances are usually the first. The reality is that we trust more in our own possessions, or wealth or money rather than in the God who gave us the strength to get wealth.

God in His mercy however, brings us to the place where we realize that there are some problems, some difficulties, some crisis that no amount of money can solve. In fact in most cases, God allows us to come to the place where we have no resources of our own to look to. No money in the bank to reach for. No wealth to trust in. Jacob had sent word to Esau, and gifts to Esau, but Esau was still coming with his four hundred men. Sometimes no matter how much money you throw at the situation, the situation is still there. The crisis is still present. It’s still coming after you. You send drove after drove of presents, but it’s still headed towards you. Jacob’s wealth could not help him. His possessions could not stop the on coming face to face meeting with his brother whom he had cheated.

Do not get me wrong. Money has it’s purpose. Money has it’s place. It is a tool that God has given us to accomplish his work here in the earth. But we in the body of Christ have become like the Church at Laodicia. “We are rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” Our provider and keeper has become our wealth. The thing we look to to solve our problems, is our wealth. The one we trust in is our financial situation. I think of the financial situation all over the globe right now. How many people have lost entire life savings, retirement saving, their jobs, their homes. The things that we have put our trust in instead of God. Beloved the day will come when either the money won’t be there, or the money won’t do any good. Jacob sent drove after drove and still Esau was coming.

II. We cannot depend on our Subtlety

I have said it many times before, how I can identify with this man Jacob. His name means “heel-catcher”, “supplanter”, “leg-puller”, “he who follows upon the heels of one”. Jacob came out of his mother’s womb, holding on to the heels of his brother. When I was growing up and listening to the stories in Sunday School, I always thought that biblical characters were basically good people. When I gave my life to the Lord and He opened my eyes to His word, I realized that most biblical characters were human beings with real identifiable character flaws. Jacob was not a nice person. He was not a good person. He literally was a conniving, manipulative, schemer. He lied, cheated and stole. He tricked his way in and out of everything. It is for this reason more than any that I can identify with Jacob. He relied heavily on his wits. There are those of you out there just like Jacob, who have made a life of surviving on your wits. Looking out for number one. Doing what you have to do, cheating who you have to cheat to stay ahead. But you will realize one day, just like Jacob, that your wits won’t be sufficient, you will run out of tricks and your your lifestyle of trickery will catch up to you.

Jacob when faced with the fact that Esau was coming, first tried to send gifts to his brother. Then he divided his camp into two bands. So that if Esau began to fight with the first, the second could escape. He himself stayed behind. Self preservation was the driving factor here. But Jacob realized that he couldn’t con his way out of this one. He had run out of tricks. He had run out of ideas. He had tricked his brother and his father so many years ago, and his chickens had dome home to roost.

The day had come when he was faced with a situation that was beyond his ability to manipulate and control. It was out of his hands. His trickery would not work this time. There will come a time in our life when we will have to realize that the life of deceit and trickery and manipulation will only take us so far. We will one day meet our match, or a situation outside the scope of our influence. What do you do then, when your power to manipulate is gone. When your tricks are no more. You must indeed be at the mercy of God. Such was the situation with Jacob.

III. We cannot depend on our own Strength

The bible tells us that Jacob and Esau, even though they were twins, were as different as night was from day. Jacob was the type who stayed indoors and mastered cooking. Esau was a hunter, a rugged man, a fighter. It should not be any stretch of the imagination to assume that the four hundred men who were accompanying him were of similar interest and stature. Jacob was not physical match for Esau. Jacob’s camp was a large one, but it was made up of servants and handmaids. Esau’s camp was made up of fighting men. The odds were not in Jacob’s favor. Not to mention the fact also that Jacob was sore distressed and fear in itself can sap ones strength. Despite this fact however, we will see that Jacob still had some fight in him.

The bible tells us that Jacob separated himself from his caravan. He sent them ahead in two bands, and the bible tells us in Genesis 32: 24 that:

And Jacob was left alone;

Solitude. God without fail, brings the ones whom he has set his favor upon, and in whom he delights, and by extension whom he has determined to use, into a place of solitude. Oh beloved check the biblical record. From Moses, to Elijah, To John the Baptist. They all experienced period of isolation and alone-ness. Finally Jacob was in the place where God could deal with him. He was alone. In a dark wilderness place. A place of barrenness. A place of fear and uncertainty. Perhaps you are like Jacob today. The life that you have lived, and the choices that you have made have caught up to you and you find yourself alone. It might be, that the Lord Himself has allowed it to be so, so that he could accomplish his purpose in you. Sometimes God needs to get us to a place where there are no distractions, so that He can have our undivided attention.

The bible says that during the night, while Jacob was alone there wrestled a man with him. Now for years I have heard sermons from this passage of scripture, in which preachers urge believers to wrestle with God, like Jacob did. They say if you want to receive and answer from God, you must wrestle with Him in prayer, just as Jacob did and you will receive your petition. Beloved I cannot stress enough how important it is to search the scriptures for yourselves, and ask God through His Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the truths in His word.

Beloved if you read the account carefully and prayerfully, you will notice that it is the man that initiated the wrestling match, not Jacob. Jacob was alone, in a dark wilderness place. He knew Esau was coming for him. In the middle of the night, he feels a man grab him and attempts to overpower him. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind, that Jacob thought it was Esau. He thought Esau had found him, and had come to kill him. Jacob no doubt put up the fight of his life. His self preservation kicked in again, and though it was not his usual means, he determined that he was going to take the last ounce of his strength to fight for his life.

Isn’t that so much like us. We’ve tried all that we could try, and then we purpose that we’re going to fight this thing with the last strength that we have. We even think to ourselves, that this is somehow noble of us, because we put up a good fight. Jacob didn’t know it was God, so contrary to what some preachers tell us, he was not wrestling with God in prayer. He was wrestling, in his mind, for his life, in his own strength. Not realizing that he was actually struggling against God. Oh beloved, many times, we use our own strength to fight a particular situation that has come into our lives, not realizing that the situation is divinely appointed, and we find ourselves fighting against God. God is trying to use the situation to bring us to a place where He wants us, and we fight Him. With every ounce of our being we fight against God. Oh beloved, let us be honest before God. We all have been there. We don’t recognize God in our situations, and we fight Him. Jacob was struggling against the will of God.

The bible tells us a very fascinating thing. The man who wrestled with Jacob, could not prevail against him. They wrested all night to the break of dawn, and the man could not prevail against him. Even so with us, God will not overpower us with his will, and force us to submit to it like a heavyweight dictator. So He will allow you to continue to fight till you have no more fight left in you. Or he takes away your ability to fight. The bible says that the man touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh, and it became dislocated. God will not force his will upon his child, but he will press you to the place where you will submit to it. At this point I believe Jacob realized who he had been struggling against all along. It was not his brother Esau, but his God Jehovah. It was not an ordinary man, but the Angel of The Lord, I personally believe a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is His words that tell me that at that point Jacob was no longer using his strength to struggle, but to cling.

The Angel said “Let me go.” This tells me that Jacob was now holding on to the man. Before he was struggling against the man, trying to get away from him. Trying to break free. Before he was struggling for dear life, now he’s clinging for dear life. “Let me go.” The man said, and Jacob’s reply was “I will not let you go.” Oh beloved, when you can’t depend on your substance. When your subtlety won’t do any good, and when your strength fails you, all you can do is throw yourself at the mercy of God. Jacob realized that the blessing he had desired so long ago, was in fact God himself. This God was with him all the time. This God had preserved him. This God had prospered him. This God had not left him. It all came together at that moment for Jacob and he realized how foolish he had been, and how merciful God had been. So his only response when the Angel said “Let me go” was to say “I will not let you go”. I know i’m a no good sinner. I know I have made so many mistakes. I know I have brought this crisis upon myself. I know I don’t deserve any of the mercies and blessings that you have given me thus far. I know I have made a mess of my life. But Oh God, you are all that I have. You are the only one who will be there, when everything else is gone. You alone are a sure foundation. You alone are the precious blessing that I have longed for. “I will not let you go.” All I have is your mercy. Jacob clung to the man, and held on, refusing to let go.

Jacob was a no good scoundrel of a man. He was deceitful and manipulative. He was by no means of flawless character. He was just like you and I. When the Lord in His matchless mercy brought him to the place where he realized he had nothing to his account, all he could do was thrown himself at the mercy of God and hold on for his life. He cried on to God “I will not let you go, till you bless me.” The bible says that Jacob’s name was changed that day, he became a new man. No longer was he the manipulative supplanter, but a Prince with God. His name was changed from Jacob to Israel.

Conclusion:

Jacob had done so much, and gone so far in his own way to try and secure the blessing. He used his own means and devices to get there. When it was all taken away, he realized that all he had was the mercy of God. He experienced in reality what was spoken of by the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans, about this very same Jacob:

Romans 9:10-16

10. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11. (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12. It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

14. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Beloved. I urge you by the grace of God to cease from your struggling and like Jacob to cling to God and fall upon His Mercy. This is absolute surrender, and this is the place where God would bring us that we might know Him and be used of Him.