Series of 15 Sermons by Pastor Ron Thomas On "The Life of Jacob" 9 - "JACOB'S LAST RESORT" RODGERS BAPTIST CHURCH 801 West Buckingham Rd. - Garland, TX 75040 <<==== Pastor Ron Thomas

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3/13/2002

Text: Genesis 32:1-21. "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim (makh-an-ah'-yim). 3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: 5 And 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. 6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; 8 And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape. 9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shewed unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. 11 Deliver me, I pray Thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. 12 And Thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. 13 And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; 14 Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, 15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals. 16 And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove. 17 And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee? 18 Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us. 19 And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him. 20 And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. 21 So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company."

Introduction: Verse 55 of Genesis 31 reads, "And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place." Laban rises early in the morning and heads back home empty handed. He had hoped to convince Jacob to return with him, if not capture him and force him to return against his will, but God intervened. So he blesses his sons and daughters, good byes are said, and he heads home. Jacob in turn begins his own journey back to his land, people, and family.

As Jacob turns his heart toward home, he faces a problem. Going home means facing his brother Esau. Jacob had left home under a death threat. Genesis 27:41 reads, "And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob." Soon the word was out, and Jacob was encouraged to leave home for his own personal safety. Twenty years had passed since that threat was made and Jacob was forced to leave home, but old grudges die slow deaths. What was the disposition of Esau? Had he gotten over it? These were the struggles of Jacob's heart and mind as he headed home.

There is not a time in this life when we are burden free. Every stage of life presents new challenges, a set of new burdens. Truly the needs, burdens, and challenges that are in our lives, have a ministry. They keep us humble, broken, and dependant upon God. Perhaps life is designed to knock us down on our knees because that is a good position to pray.

Jacob was not too far down the road when he encountered some heavenly messengers. It was evident that the ladder of Heaven had descended once again and a host of angels were dispatched by God to assist Jacob on his journey. Notice verses 1-2. "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim." The word "Mahanaim" (makh-an-ah'-yim) means two camps or hosts. What did Jacob see?

Some believe he saw two angles. Certainly two angels could handle Laban, Esau, or anyone who would threaten Jacob. It seems to me however, that if there were just two angels it would say so. The idea of a host or camp of angels indicates that there are more than two angels involved here.

Some believe that two camps or host describes two host of angels that appeared two separate times, one at Bethel when he left Canaan, and now this host as he returned. There was however a difference in this encounter. Before, . . . Jacob saw God's angels ascending descending from Heaven in a dream. His dreaming didn't make these angels less than real, however this was different. It was no dream. God made sure Jacob was wide awake.

Others believe it describes two host, one celestial, the other terrestrial. It could speak of an inner camp, made up of Jacob's group and an outer company, made up of the messengers of God, the outer company forming a marvelous circle of protection around the travelers.

Still others believe it describes two host of angels deployed specifically to provide protection on Jacob's trip home. One host would be going before Jacob and the other behind him, watching the back door his back side, so to speak.

Whatever this was, it is clear that God was deliberately making Jacob conscious of His divine presence and protection on his journey home. God knew his struggles and set out to assure him of His divine protection. This should have given Jacob a great sense of peace, security, and serenity of soul! Once again we are reminded that when we move in God's will, we can be assured of His presence, provision, peace, and protection. Psalms 103:19-21 reads, "The LORD hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all. 20 Bless the LORD, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word. 21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye His hosts; ye ministers of His, that do His pleasure."

While life always gives it's challenges, God is faithful to give us His assurances! Angels are still God's ministering servants! In the midst of a dark trial or threatening situation, we can always find the light of God's presence.

In II Timothy 4:16-17 the apostle Paul writes, "At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. 17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion."

There was once a sign placed above the door of a particular neighborhood church. It was there for all the members to read as they made their way into God's house. The sign read: "If you can't find me in the neighborhood, you won't find me in here."

Jacob is facing Esau, but he is not facing Esau alone! The Lord is with him! Back in the house of Laban, the Lord came to him and assured Jacob that it was time to move, to go home, and that He would be with him all the way. Then after Jacob left and was in danger of Laban's wrath, the Lord took care of it. Laban told Jacob how that the Lord came to him the night before and told him not to harm him. Now Jacob is made to see two host of angels dispatched by God as an escort on his return to Canaan! Wow! What more does he need? Jacob can lay back and enjoy the trip. He can trust the Lord for the unknown. Right? Wrong!

In verses 3-5, we find Jacob buying a little insurance! He takes it upon himself to send messengers ahead to Esau. It is not clear just when Jacob took these measures. Some believe he did so before he encountered the host of Heaven, others believe he did it after his encounter. Irregardless of the timing, it was a faithless thing to do, and it did more harm than good. The message was faithless as well. He calls Esau "lord" and refers to himself as his "servant!" In the message, he informs Esau that he is a blessed man and is more than willing to share a good portion of it in an effort to find grace in his sight. Jacob is pandering to Esau! It is clear that Jacob is seeking to appease Esau and buy his forgiveness.

In verse 6, the messengers returned with a report that was not encouraging. "And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him." Esau was on his way to meet him with a rather large contingency. Jacob of course believed the worst and totally forgot God! It is obvious that these men never spoke to Esau. They must have seen Esau on his way to meet Jacob and assumed he was set for revenge!

How many times do we get all worked up over what might happen, what could happen, and it never happens?

The report of the returned messengers, brought fear to the heart of Jacob. Verse 7a reads, "Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed." Based upon this misinformation, Jacob comes up with his own scheme! He divides his caravan into two parts so that if or when Esau attacks one group, the other might have a chance to escape. It is clear that fear has taken control of Jacob. When fear dominates us, faith must flee. Jacob forgets God's covenant promise, he forgets the angelic host that surrounds him, he forgets how God had just protected him from bad Uncle Laban. The new and improved Jacob disappears and the old man Jacob returns.

All is not lost however. Suddenly Jacob moves to the Christian's last resort. He prays! Just when we think Jacob hasn't a spiritual bone in his body, he does the right thing by calling out to his God! Unfortunately it is not the first thing!

There is a story of a grandmother who was facing a difficult situation. She was overcome with anxiety and her family had gathered around her. Trying to console her, a grandson said, "Grandma, we have done all we can do to remedy the situation. All we can do now is pray. We must place it in the Lord's hands." The grandma looked up and said, "Goodness! Has it come to that?" Sad to say, often we are the same way. Prayer is the last resort. There is a chorus that says, "Why worry when you can pray. Trust Jesus, He'll be your stay."

When does he pray? He prays only when he is desperate! He prays only after he has exhausted all his other options. There Jacob is, stranded out in the middle of no where. He had burned his bridges, there is no going back to Uncle Laban, there is no one to help him, there is no direction to look but up!

How does he pray? Surprisingly well! Jacob prays a model prayer reflecting his own spiritual potential and growth in the house of Laban. The prayer of Jacob is given in verses 9-12 and contains vital elements that are important in prayer.

First, Jacob's prayer contains the element of praise.
Verse 9. "And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee." Here Jacob is praying, "God you are God." He is acknowledging the goodness and greatness of God. He is the God of all generations. He is the faithful God. He is the God who knows all things, including the mess we are in. He is the God who sees and who cares. He is the God who can handle any situation. He is the God who is personal and ever present. He is the God who knows the beginning from the end!

When we pray, we need to take time and acknowledge our great God, praising Him for who He is as well as praising Him for what He has done in our lives.

Second, Jacob's prayer contains the element of confession.
Verse 10a. "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shewed unto Thy servant." Here Jacob is praying, "God I am unworthy." No doubt the prospect of facing Jacob brought back memories and with them the conviction of his past dealing and deceit. Jacob knew who he was! Living with Uncle Laban, he had to face himself for the last twenty years!

So many of the difficulties we find ourselves in are of our own design. We possess selfish motives and agendas. Prayer involves pleading for the mercy of God in our lives. Confession is good for the soul. When we confess our sin and unworthiness, it frees God to move and act in our behalf.

Third, Jacob's prayer contains the element of thanksgiving.
Verse 10b. "for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands." Here Jacob is praying, "Lord you have been good to me, better than I deserve. Lord you have blessed me." When he first came to the house of Laban, Jacob owned nothing but his staff. Twenty years later, in spite of being pillaged by his Uncle Laban for twelve of those twenty years, he is rich!

Paul said, "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you." In Philippians 4:6-7 he writes, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Fourth, Jacob's prayer contains the element of a plea or petition.
Verse 11. "Deliver me, I pray Thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children." Here Jacob is praying, "Lord, HELP!" If he feared Laban and what Laban could have done to him for leaving his house, he had greater reason to fear Esau! He is asking for the intervention of God.

We have a God who longs for us to seek Him and bring our petitions to Him. When we have a need in our lives, it is always right to ask God. God is never put off by our petitions! James 1:5 reads, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

Fifth, Jacob's prayer contains the element of claiming God's promises.
Verse 12. "And Thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude." Here Jacob is praying, "Lord, ...you said. Lord, ...you promised." Jacob is recounting the covenant made to Abraham, Isaac, and to him personally!

Prayer is claiming the promises of God, promises like Philippians 4:19, "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." When we pray the Word of God, we are combining two powerful weapons at the disposal of every Christian!

After this prayer, we feel so good about Jacob. This man Jacob is no doubt on his way to becoming the man God has in mind. At the first he panicked, then he planned and schemed to take care of the problem himself, but he rallied and finally did the right thing, he prayed to God.

Jacob gets up off his knees goes back to his former self. He gathers his people together and arranges a series of offerings for Esau. As Esau approaches, Jacob plans it so that he will be met with present after present, with wave after wave of gifts, with which to appease and defuse his anger as well as win his favor. As each wave comes to Esau he will ask, "Whose is this?" The planned response would be, "They belong to YOUR SERVANT JACOB, and are a gift for MY LORD ESAU."

The gifts were designed to be gifts that keep on giving. How so? The gifts were proportioned with more females than males. The was the equation for rapid multiplication! There were 200 female goats, 20 male goats; 200 ewes, 20 rams; 30 females camels with their young; 40 cows, 10 bulls; 20 female donkeys, 10 male donkeys.

Verse 20 expresses the heart and intentions of Jacob. "And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. 21 So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company." Jacob could not wait for an answer. He could not rest in the assurance that God had heard his prayer and would answer in His time. Jacob had to do something to help the situation along!

So, is prayer the LAST RESORT in your life? Is there an Esau in your life? How are you responding? Where is your faith?