Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / You are Israel - The Book of Genesis

Transcript

You are Israel - The Book of Genesis · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob,
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: but Israel. For as a prince hast thou power with
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: God and with men, and hast prevailed. Genesis 32.28 Dear God,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: as I reflect on my life, thank you, Lord, for
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: the gift of reconciliation and forgiveness. Thank you that even
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: in my wrongdoings, you produce grace moments for me. like
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: Jacob in Genesis 32 and 33, I choose to believe
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: the words of your angels that declare that here is
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: the Lord's place. I declare that my life is the
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: Lord's place. I declare that my business is the Lord's
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: place and that my relationships are in the Lord's place. Therefore,
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: I will not be afraid of seasons when I feel
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: I am wrestling for a new identity, a new blessing,
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: and a new beginning. I confess that I will hold
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: on to you, God, until I receive my newness, and
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: I will not let go even after you bless me.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: You are my waymaker, and you are the God that
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: makes old things new. Thank you, Lord, that even in
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: the midst of dysfunction, you still allow your glory to
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: settle my differences and bring restoration to my life. Thank
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: you for a new name of victory and a new
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: purpose for my life, filled with all your many blessings.
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for making prayer a priority
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: in your life. To hear the Bible come to life,
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: stay tuned for The Bible in a Year, brought to
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: You are Israel. Before this story, we learned of Jacob
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: fleeing the service of Laban. He packed his family and
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: traveled back to Canaan. However, Laban would not let Jacob go.
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: Jacob and Laban bore their souls before one another, sharing
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: the anger that rested in both their hearts. Eventually, the
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: two made peace, and Laban sent Jacob on his way.
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: Now we will learn about Jacob entering into his homeland
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: once again although he feared the wrath of his brother Esau.
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: Wrestling with God, Jacob will cling to the blessings of
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: God and get his name changed, inspired by the book
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: of Genesis.
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: I'm so glad you joined us on the Bible in
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: a Year podcast today. But before we get to today's episode,
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: I want you to know that I would absolutely love
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: to send you my daily devotional that will give you
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: fresh encouragement every single morning and day. From the moment
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: we wake up to the moment our head finally hits
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: the pillow, there are thousands of things demanding our attention.
• 3:13
  Speaker 3: But it's in the midst of all this crush and
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: hustle and bustle that you and I need peace and
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: truth in God's Word. That's why I want to help
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: you spend time each day growing in God's life-giving, life-changing
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: Word by sending you my free daily email devotional, PowerPoint, today.
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: So visit jackgram.org to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional.
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: That's jackgram.org, jackgram.org. Previously, we heard the story of how
• 3:45
  Speaker 3: Jacob fled from Laban, a man who had wronged and
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: deceived Jacob for many years. In the end, the two
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: men made peace and Laban let Jacob go to Canaan,
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: the land of Jacob's father, the land of promise. And
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: Jacob took with him his wealth and a large family. Today,
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: we'll see how Jacob enters his former homeland and seeks
• 4:08
  Speaker 3: reconciliation with his brother Esau. If you remember their story,
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: it was Jacob who was the cheater and trickster in
• 4:15
  Speaker 3: that relationship. And when he fled more than 20 years before,
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: Esau was filled with rage and murderous intent. As you
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: listen to this passage of Scripture, imagine the fear with
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: which Jacob stepped into this dangerous territory to face his
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: brother Esau. Before he encounters Esau, he's going to face
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: another man. But this is not just any man, and
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: he isn't a stranger, as Jacob will discover. It is
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: an encounter Jacob must have before he faces Esau, and
• 4:48
  Speaker 3: it will be a life-changing turning point in his life
• 4:52
  Speaker 3: and future. So pay close attention as Jacob and Esau
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: finally face each other again. Will there be bitterness and bloodshed,
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: or renewal and reconciliation? Let's listen to God's word and
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: find out.
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: A familiar breeze blew through the valley below Jacob. The
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: sweet summer air caressed the plains, causing the grass to dance.
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: Jacob smiled and turned his face towards the sun. He
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: was home again. Still a few miles away from Canaan,
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: he then turned towards the hill he had set camp on.
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: Angels of the Lord had met him there. Already, Jacob
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: knew that something holy and peculiar was taking place. This
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: is God's camp, Jacob acknowledged. The last time Jacob was there,
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: he had run away in fear of his brother Esau.
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: Esau had vowed to kill Jacob, so he left in
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: hope that his brother's anger would subside. Jacob sent messengers
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: to go before him, saying, I have sojourned with our
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: uncle Laban and have been there until now. I have oxen, Donkeys, flocks,
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: servants that I wish to share with you. I say
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: all these things to find favor in your sight. Jacob's
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: servants had sent Esau the message and waited on the
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: outskirts of his land to see what his response would be.
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: Around the corner of the canyons, the messengers saw Esau
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: coming out to meet with Jacob. Only behind him was
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: four hundred armed men. A great fear fell upon Jacob.
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: He remembered how wild of a man Esau was, filled
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: with power and tact. Jacob did not have the strength
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: nor the men to defend himself. Jacob prepared for the worst.
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: He divided his camp into two parties and sent them
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: on opposite ends of one another. If Esau came to
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: destroy one of the camps, the other would be spared.
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: Jacob trembled before God. Fear was overcoming him, and he
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: looked to heaven and said, God of my fathers Abraham
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: and Isaac, you have told me to return. You desired
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: for me to be here so that you might bless me.
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: I am not worthy of your kindness or your provision. Jacob,
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: for perhaps the first time in his life, felt the
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: full weight of God's love for him. You have shown
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: me steadfast love and faithfulness. I began with nothing to
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: my name except a staff. and now I have two
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: camps that rely on me. Tears hit Jacob's trembling hands. Please,
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: deliver me from the revenge of my brother. I fear him,
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: and I fear for all the people here under my care.
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: But you promised to bless me and to expand my offspring.
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: I will trust you. Jacob lingered there for the night.
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: He sent out droves of gifts of cattle, goats and
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: other livestock before him to gain favor with Esau. Yet
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: there was no predicting how Esau would receive his gifts,
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: for he pursued Jacob with four hundred men behind him.
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: That same night Jacob arose with his wives and eleven
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: children and sent them across the stream of Jabbok. He
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: sent them away to be safe with everything else he
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: had in his possession. Jacob was left alone. until a
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: man sprang up from behind him. Struggling in the mud
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: and gravel, Jacob wrestled with this man in the dead
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: of night. Sweat and blood dripping from his body, Jacob
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: fought for his life under the weight of this unknown stranger.
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: The night drew on, and the sun was beginning to
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: rear its head between the hills. Jacob, while endeavoring with
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: this man, became increasingly more aware of his divine nature.
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: His wrestling match was not an assault, but an invitation.
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: This is God's camp, echoed in his memory. Jacob, the
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: once timid tent dweller, found himself grappling on the ground
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: with God himself. Dawn peeked through the trees. The man
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: saw that he would not prevail against Jacob. He touched
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: his hip socket and jammed his hip out of its joint.
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: Jacob screamed and released his legs from around the man.
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: Yet he clung to him with his arms, refusing to
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: let go. Let me go. for the day is broken,
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: the man said. Jacob, who had spent his entire life
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: making his own luck, was face to face with the
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: end of himself. He had deceived his brother into selling
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: his birthright, he had tricked his father into blessing him,
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: and he had swindled Laban into making him richer. Yet
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: now Jacob was faced with God himself and had no
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: means to trick his way into victory. Jacob's eyes closed
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: tightly And he flexed his arms firmly to the legs
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: of this man and said, I will not let you go.
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: unless you bless me. A slight smile came across the
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: man's face. What is your name, he asked. Jacob, he
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: shouted in pain. You shall no longer be called Jacob,
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: he said, but Israel, for you have wrestled with God
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: and with men and prevailed. Please, tell me your name,
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: Jacob asked. Now a full smile filled his face. Why
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: is it that you ask my name, he said, and
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: he blessed him. So Jacob called that place Peniel, saying,
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: I have seen God face to face, and yet my
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: life has been spared. The sun's rays reflected off of
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: the stream beside Jacob, and the warmth of the day
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: began to dry the blood and sweat off his body.
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: Limping back to his camp, Jacob felt ready for whatever
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: would come next. With the sun behind him, Jacob gazed
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: upon the fields below. He could see Esau and his
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: 400 men creeping closer and closer. Still filled with an
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: exhausted euphoria, Jacob hobbled towards his brother with his family
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: traveling behind him. As the two drew nearer, Esau began
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: running towards Jacob. He ran with fervor and power. The
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: years had not taken away Esau's strength. Before Esau could
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: catch Jacob, he fell to his knees and bowed before him.
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: As a bear would, Esau wrapped Jacob up in his
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: arms and embraced him. He kissed his neck and wept
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: at the sight of his twin brother. The years had
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: wiped his bitterness away, and all that remained was the
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: affection of two twin brothers united after decades apart. Esau
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: lifted his eyes past his brother towards Jacob's family. Who
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: are these with you? Esau said. Jacob then introduced his
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: family to Esau, and they embraced his kindred spirits. Why
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: have you sent so many gifts? Esau asked. To earn
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: your forgiveness, brother. Please, take them. Esau refused them at first,
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: but Jacob insisted. Jacob knew that he had truly wronged
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: his brother and felt the depths of what he had done.
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: The two of them embraced again, and Esau forgave Jacob.
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: Esau departed that same day, and Jacob settled in a
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: place near Shechem and built an altar to God called
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: El Elohe Israel, meaning the God of Israel. And Jacob
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: built a new life for him and his family, a
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: life of flourishing and love. Though sorrow would not remain
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: a stranger to Jacob, God's love was present.
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: After years of self-imposed exile, Jacob is finally going home.
• 12:56
  Speaker 3: He's now a wealthy man and much older, and he
• 12:59
  Speaker 3: has a large family. It seems that God's plan to
• 13:02
  Speaker 3: make a great nation from his family is beginning to
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: take shape. However, there are matters to be dealt with first,
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: and Jacob is not expecting to return home to a
• 13:12
  Speaker 3: hero's welcome. Will his brother Esau's anger remain, or even worse,
• 13:18
  Speaker 3: could it have grown stronger and more bitter? Jacob had
• 13:21
  Speaker 3: run in fear from his problems. That's what he always did, run,
• 13:25
  Speaker 3: because he was filled with selfish ambitions and deceptive in
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: all his ways. We've been there, haven't we? We know
• 13:33
  Speaker 3: when we have disobeyed God, messed up, and then there
• 13:37
  Speaker 3: comes the time of consequences. The fact that we can't
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: hide our sin any longer and it comes time to
• 13:43
  Speaker 3: face the music. God wants to remind Jacob that even
• 13:47
  Speaker 3: in this moment, he is not alone. So he sends
• 13:52
  Speaker 3: angels to meet him on the outskirts of Canaan. Jacob
• 13:56
  Speaker 3: sends messengers ahead to let Esau know that he's returned
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: and that he is ready to share his accumulated wealth.
• 14:02
  Speaker 3: Can you imagine the fear Jacob must have been feeling?
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: Just waiting to see how Esau would react? But notice
• 14:09
  Speaker 3: that this time, rather than resorting to scheming and cleverness,
• 14:14
  Speaker 3: Jacob goes to God in prayer. He turns the problem
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: over to God. Jacob acknowledges God's presence and how unworthy
• 14:22
  Speaker 3: he was of the faithfulness and the blessing of the Almighty.
• 14:26
  Speaker 3: Then he made his honest petition, openly telling God of
• 14:29
  Speaker 3: all his fears and reminding God of his promise to
• 14:34
  Speaker 3: bless the nations through him. So now we're seeing a
• 14:37
  Speaker 3: much more mature and reverent Jacob than we've seen before.
• 14:42
  Speaker 3: He's now truly humbled. And knowing how much he owes
• 14:45
  Speaker 3: Esau for his treachery, Jacob sends three lead parties ahead,
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: filled with gifts of livestock, to meet Esau. What he
• 14:54
  Speaker 3: does next is yet another sign of Jacob embracing the
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: mantle of leadership and role of protector of his family.
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: He guides him across the river and then returns alone
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: to camp. It's only him now. exposed and vulnerable. That
• 15:10
  Speaker 3: very night there is a battle, but not with his
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: estranged brother. The Lord himself wrestles with Jacob. Jacob stubbornly
• 15:19
  Speaker 3: refused to quit or to give up. Even after God
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: touched his hip and threw it out of socket, Jacob
• 15:25
  Speaker 3: would not relent or let go of his opponent. This
• 15:29
  Speaker 3: is one of the most fascinating scenes in all the Bible.
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: He doesn't recognize this stranger he is wrestling with as God,
• 15:37
  Speaker 3: but he knows there's something very special about him. In
• 15:40
  Speaker 3: the Gospel of Luke, we find a story of the
• 15:42
  Speaker 3: risen Christ walking on the road to Emmaus. His traveling
• 15:46
  Speaker 3: companions did not recognize him for who he was, the
• 15:49
  Speaker 3: risen Christ, but their hearts were strangely warmed. They knew
• 15:53
  Speaker 3: something was different. Was Jacob's heart also warmed? Jacob agrees
• 15:59
  Speaker 3: to only release his opponent if the man will bless him.
• 16:02
  Speaker 3: He cries out. for the blessing of God. But before
• 16:06
  Speaker 3: God gives him the blessing, he gives him a new name,
• 16:10
  Speaker 3: and this new name has great significance. Jacob, the cheater,
• 16:15
  Speaker 3: will now be called Israel, the prince of God, because
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: he wrestled with God and did not quit. Jacob leaves
• 16:22
  Speaker 3: that encounter with a brand new name, but also a
• 16:25
  Speaker 3: limp as a reminder of that night forever. When we
• 16:29
  Speaker 3: truly encounter God, it will change us in ways that
• 16:32
  Speaker 3: we cannot understand or even possibly sometimes imagine. And it
• 16:37
  Speaker 3: will bless us in ways we cannot foresee. That very day,
• 16:41
  Speaker 3: Jacob finally meets Esau and reconciliation occurs. The Lord God
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: had gone before Jacob, now Israel. It was not the
• 16:50
  Speaker 3: shower of gifts that softened Esau's heart, but God's grace.
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: Jacob is now humble and repented. making no excuses for
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: his actions. Esau, for his part, makes no attempt to
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: take advantage of his upper hand. There's no more need
• 17:06
  Speaker 3: for hate, no more need for running, no more need
• 17:10
  Speaker 3: for separation. Now there is peace. The two brothers embrace,
• 17:15
  Speaker 3: and Esau forgives Jacob. As Esau departs, Jacob, Israel, builds
• 17:22
  Speaker 3: an altar to remember God's faithfulness. The altar is called
• 17:26
  Speaker 3: the God of Israel. for that is who God is.
• 17:30
  Speaker 3: Dear God of Israel and of all nations, the God
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for
• 17:37
  Speaker 3: being the God who wrestles with his children and blesses them.
• 17:42
  Speaker 3: Just as you bless Jacob for clinging to you, may
• 17:45
  Speaker 3: you bless us as we turn to you, trust you,
• 17:48
  Speaker 3: and never let go. Thank you for this beautiful story
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: of unification between brothers and the hope that shines through
• 17:56
  Speaker 3: into our broken relationships. Help us to trust you to
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: go before us in our relationships, just as you did
• 18:03
  Speaker 3: for Jacob and Esau. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you
• 18:09
  Speaker 3: for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm
• 18:12
  Speaker 3: Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas, and before we go, I
• 18:16
  Speaker 3: want you to know that I would love to send
• 18:18
  Speaker 3: you my daily devotional, to give you fresh encouragement every
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: single day. So visit JackGraham.org to sign up for your
• 18:26
  Speaker 3: PowerPoint Today devotional. That's JackGraham.org.