The Answer of Eternity and Sanctuary that Jacob Enjoyed (Genesis 32:22-30) 2/18/2024
Eternal Answer of 1st 2nd 3rd RUTC:
The Answer of Eternity and Sanctuary that Jacob Enjoyed (Genesis 32:22-30) 2/18/2024.
Jacob is a model for saved people of God who have remaining scars and weaknesses but receive healing and blessings and are ultimately used by God. Bible scholars say that Jacob is a model of someone who was full of faults but overcame everything and reached sanctification.
We cannot speak of all the failures and suffering that Jacob faced (Genesis 47:9). If we look closely, our lives are the same.
At a young age, he deceives his father and lives as a fugitive. When he finally returns to his homeland, he is not able to meet his parents. He goes to the land of Haran where his uncle is, and he deeply suffers there. He returns to Canaan but on the way his daughter gets sexually assaulted. It results in a war with Canaanites that lead him and his family to the brink of death. However, God does not give up on Jacob. He heals Jacob to raise him to a place of eternal answers and blessings.
- We need to know the reasons for Jacob’s failures.
1) He was born as a twin. This can be a blessing, or it can cause great scars.
When the two brothers were in the womb, God told the parents that they will split into two nations. The parents did not realize this (Genesis 25:23).
2) If the parents held onto God’s plan and helped them well, they would have grown to bless each other. The father loved Esau because he liked the meats that Esau hunted and brought home. The mother loved Jacob. The parents showed favoritism (Genesis 25:28). Growing up seeing that from their parents, they constantly fought for the right of the first-born (Genesis 25:29-30).
3) Later on, the mother disguises Jacob and Esau and sends him to his father to receive the blessings from God (Genesis 27:5-23). Jacob learned to lie and use humanism from his parents.
4) There is something decisive. They were not able to relay God’s covenant that their two sons must hold onto for their entire lives. Isaac himself was relayed the accurate covenant by his father Abraham, and he saw how his father obeyed God and lived, as a servant of God. He enjoyed blessings throughout his entire life, but he failed to do the same to his children.
- How does God heal and use this, Jacob? There are three ways God gave healing. It is heartbreaking to see people fall into the world, face failures and suffering because their parents and the church failed to relay the covenant. However, God never gives up on his people. He heals them and blesses them through all problems and incidents.
1) God comes to Jacob and tells him of His absolute plan, (covenant) for the chosen people (fundamental healing). To save others and save the posterity, we must plant God’s absolute covenant in them and begin with fundamental healing. God came to Jacob and gave him this covenant when he was on the run, after deceiving his father and fell asleep in fear (Genesis 28:13-15). It was nothing special. It was the covenant that God repeatedly emphasized as He chose Abraham and Isaac.
① “I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.” It is the covenant of the Canaan land, and the covenant of Christ. All we need to do is go into Canaan and remain there. It means never lose hold of Christ that will come to that land. The moment you step into Canaan, you are freed from all authorities of fate, curses, and hell (Romans 8:1-2). The enemy Satan will continue to deceive our lives and drive us into failure, but we have the authority to overcome with the name of Christ (1 John 3:8). We, who could not dare to reach God in all our transgressions and sin, can now go to Him (John 14:6).
② “Your descendants will multiply and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.” Your family and your children will be blessed, and they will stand as people who will save the world. This is the covenant of “witness” and the covenant of “world evangelism”. God will use all our pain and failures to save people like us and people of all nations.
③ “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you (Gen.28:15 NIV).” This is God’s method of blessing us. It is the blessing of “With, Immanuel, and Oneness”. God himself will help us. We must enjoy this blessing 24 hours. If we hold onto this covenant in whatever crisis and despair, there will be nothing to fear. Nothing will be impossible.
④ This is where Jacob experiences the first blessing of the sanctuary. He named the land where God came to him, Bethel. He makes three resolutions. He resolved that God will be his God, that the place will be God’s temple, and he will give a tenth of all that God gave for the rest of his life. If you live your entire life with this confession and heart your life will be different, (fundamental healing). Your destiny will change. You will become a witness in your field. Financial problems will be resolved, and the economy of light, economy of missions, and economy of the future will follow.
2) God forms Jacob through all incidents that he goes through, (Life Healing). When we talk about “life” it includes character, objectivity, sociability, and responsibility, (our vessel to hold God’s blessings).
① Jacob learns what it means to be diligent when he goes to his uncle Laban’s house and labors for years. One day after working for his uncle for 20 years he said, “I worked as the heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes” (Gen.31:40 NIV). His uncle acknowledges the 7 remnants were trained that way, Joseph in Genesis 39:4-5 and David in Psalm 78:72).
② As he tended his flocks, if there were any that were sick or missing, he bore the loss himself and replaced them. This is responsibility. These people will surely succeed and be used by God in their families and workplaces.
③ Ultimately, Jacob returns to his brother. He approaches him first to apologize, and they restore their relationship in tears (Genesis 33:3-4). It is great courage to be able to acknowledge your wrongdoings and approach them to apologize. All closed paths will open.
3) In decisive times of crisis and despair, God makes Jacob experience a deep relationship with God (Spiritual Healing). Spiritual healing can also mean the healing of spiritual problems that drill deeply into our scars and weaknesses. However, there is a more important spiritual healing. We are being healed as people who will enjoy a deep relationship with God.
① Jacob was terrified to meet his brother after 20 years. He sent away his family and was left at the Jabbok River alone (vs.24). This shows how important alone time is (Summit Time). He wrestled someone all night until his hip was wrenched (vs.25). It was a time when he prayed in tears (Hosea 12:4).
② At this time through the angel, God changes Jacob’s name to Israel (vs.28). A name that used to mean competition and scars (“grabbed the ankle”) changes to a name that means “fought against God and won.” How would we ever overcome God? It means that Jacob, who was full of scars, moved the heart of God (Spiritual Summit).
③ He called that place “Peniel” (the face of God) (vs.30). He once again enjoyed the deep blessing of the sanctuary. Are you facing unjust suffering? Are you going through a shameful fall? It is a time to experience God deeply.
Conclusion – God heals Jacob this way to finally make him the main figure of eternal answers and blessings. Through Jacob’s 12 sons, the 12 tribes are made (Revelation 7:4-8). Through Joseph, he shows us the answer to change the age. Through his descendants, Christ comes. May we hold onto this covenant of Jacob and experience a deep time throughout the week.