Marvelous Grace, Prayers Answered

How comforting, reassuring it is to come and sing of the One who is with us, who goes before us, who is with us in the fire, the Lord of hosts who is with us, who is ever faithful, whose hand of protection and care is ever present in our lives. So comforting to come in the presence of God with all of you. We turn to the Lord more than ever in times like these, but especially in corporate worship, when God’s people come together in worship. What a beautiful time it is to hear each other sing, to sing songs together and to lift up the Holy Name of our God. So grateful to be worshipping the Lord with all of you, especially the guests that are here with us this morning, Pastor Shaiju and others. We pray for God’s blessings upon all of you as we continue with our series in the life of Jacob From Deception to Dependence. We are in Genesis 33:1-20 this morning. Genesis 33:1-20. We ended last week talking about that pivotal point in the life of Jacob when he wrestled with God on the banks of the river and his life, name, identity, perspective, dependence, everything will be changed forever. We can all identify with Jacob wrestling with God.

A lot of times in our life, we do just that, don’t we? We try to take ourselves free from the clutches of God as Jacob would do in the first part of the night. Then we hang on to him for a while, just trying to make it. And then finally, after he wounds us and brings us to that point of submission, we cry out, Oh God, do not let me go until you bless me. And we come to that point of complete surrender before him. Early on in chapter 32, towards the end, he said, I have seen the face of God and yet I survived. And he named that place Peniel. There are two ways of looking at that verse and I think this one is the most poignant one. It’s not that he saw the face of God and God saved and God spared his life. The more beautiful way to look at that verse is to think of this. His life was saved on that day for the real way because he saw the face of God. He saw the face of God and he was saved truly in his life. In that context of the sun rising at the end of chapter 32, but still walking with a limp, we come to verse 33.

The meeting that we’ve been talking about in the last two chapters. 20 years have gone by. 20 years of doubt. 20 years of bitterness. 20 years of wondering. 20 years of not knowing what the attitude and the behavior of Esau would be. We come to verse 1. Jacob looked up and there was Esau. All the fears, all the doubts, all the uncertainties, all the worries about how his brother will respond to him after 20 years. Now finally come to the meeting place. Jacob looks up and sees Esau. Coming with his 400 men that we’ve been talking about for the last couple of weeks. Esau is not coming alone. He’s coming with 400 men. Jacob does not know his intentions. In fact, the Bible is silent about his intentions to us as well. We do not know why he came with 400 men. Maybe he was afraid to begin with. And he does not know how Jacob was coming. And it was more of a preventive work on his plan. We do not know what happened. Whether when he set out on this journey to meet his brother, his intention was to harm his brother and God change his heart. Or he never had that intention to begin with. And God had been working in his heart all along. But unknowns to us, the Bible is silent about it. But as Jacob sees, all that he sees is Esau along with his 400 men.

Divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants. In the case of Jacob, we see in chapter 33, a beautiful picture of a man who has been transformed, but is still living in the flesh. In chapter 33, we see a beautiful picture of a man who has surrendered his life to God at the end of chapter 32, like all of us have. But then gets to the realities of life, and a little bit of that old behavior still is there. How many of you can identify with that this morning? Don’t raise your hand. We all can. This is what Christian life is, isn’t it? Sanctification is not a one-time event. You don’t go to a revival meeting and suddenly become this brand new creation that is perfect from that point on. But what God does is, he starts the work of sanctification. He starts the work of destroying the flesh. But it’s a lifelong process of walking with God. Life of faith, life of fear. Life in the spirit, life in the flesh. Constant battle with the old behaviors sprouting up once in a while. And we all get frustrated by that, and that’s okay.

The frustration is the good place. I hope that you get frustrated sometimes with your spiritual walk. When you do certain things that you vowed yourself that you will never do. Or you said certain things that you said to yourself long time ago, you will never say. Or you responded a certain way in which you said, I would never respond again. But let that be moments of grace. Let that be moments of once again going back to the Lord and saying, God, I have messed up again. Revive me again, Oh God. Bring me back to you again. Nobody lives in a perfect trajectory towards heaven. Our Christian life is always up and down, up and down. Filled with moments just like in Genesis chapter 33.

There’s a very interesting observation in God’s word. After God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, in all the instances when his name is referenced again in God’s word, he’s always known as Abraham. He’s never called Abram again. That is not the way in the life of Jacob. 45 times after chapter 32, Genesis, God calls Jacob as Jacob. 23 times he calls him as Israel. 45 times he calls him Jacob. 23 times he calls himself as Israel. Why is that? I think many a times he was Jacob again, even more than he was Israel. In fact, twice as much. He was Jacob more than he was Israel. Even though his name was changed. Here was a man, a man just like us, who went through the realities of life and went through the ups and downs. Yes, my name is Israel. But often times I find myself living like the old Jacob again. In fact, God had to reaffirm the fact that his name is Israel again when he comes to chapter 35 again. That’s how the grace of God would work in his life. So keep that in mind as we go to verse chapter 33.

He divides up the group again. And the way he divides them up also shows his favoritism as well. Who is in the back of the group? Rachel and Joseph. Leah and the children come in the forefront. He’s again thinking about his plan. If Esau attacks, at least Rachel and Joseph will be able to escape. The old Jacob is part to his might work again. But verse 2, he put the female servants and the children in front. Leah and her children next. Rachel and Joseph in the rear. Jacob, don’t change, do you? He just cannot get out of his own way. Here he is having a beautiful encounter with God. The fasting prayer lasted all night. Great experience of the power of the Holy Spirit. The morning comes and the realities of life comes. And he’s thinking about his own way on get ahead again. The God who blessed him that morning, he’s already forgotten about him by the time he comes before Esau. But then in verse 3, we see Israel coming up out of him.

In verse 3, the Bible says, he himself went on ahead. For the first time in all this encounter, he shows courage. He shows confidence. He shows my life is in the hands of the living God. I will go on ahead among all the other people. He did not send his servants before him. He did not send anyone else before him. He goes before him. But then look what he does the second one. Jacob comes out again. He bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. I want you to think about that for a second. Seven times Jacob bowed to the ground as he approached his brother. When he sent the gifts to him, he called him, my Lord. And not only that in two times in chapter 33 here, he calls him, my Lord, my master. You know what Esau calls Jacob? My brother. You know who is more honest in chapter 33? Esau, more than Jacob. Jacob, I don’t really think means any of these things. You think it really means bowing down?

You know when you bow down seven times before someone in the ancient times? When someone is a king. You only bow down before a monarch or a king seven times. When you’re approaching a king, you are supposed to bow down seven times. What is Jacob saying here? Jacob is almost saying, Esau, you are king over me. And I am bowing down before him as it comes to him. Some people say that this shows humility on the part of Jacob. That is a very favorable reading of this passage. I think he’s still filled with fear, but he also has confidence that God is going to take care of him. We see a mixture of the humanity of Jacob and his trust in God in chapter 33 verse 3. Kind of the same thing that we saw in Daniel 3:17-18 as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown in the fiery furnace as well. Look at the words that they would speak before Nebuchadnezzar. Verse 17 and 18. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it. And he will deliver us from your majesty’s hand as well. But look at the next verse. Even if does not, we want you to know your majesty that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

What are these words? These are words of faith. These are words of our life as well. See, I have no idea what tomorrow is going to bring for me. But the only thing that I can do is put my confidence and trust in God as well. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego have no idea what the fiery furnace is going to do to them. That day could have absolutely consumed them in the fire of Nebuchadnezzar and God will still be God and God will still be in control. But you know what they have in their heart? Confidence in God. If God saves me, that’s because God is sovereign, almighty, able to save me. If God does not save me, it’s because my God is in control and his plans for my life has come to an end. Christian life is not one where we know the future. Christian life is not one where you are certain about your future. In fact, I cannot stand here and tell you that all of you sitting here will be here next Sunday. But you know what I can tell you? That you need to put your confidence and trust in the plans of the living God for your life.

So that whether it be life or death, whether it be escaping the snare of a rifle or the shooting of a sniper or being killed by it, God is still in control and he is still, my life is still in his hands. Our life being in the hands of the Lord does not stop with this side of eternity. Remember, our life is more secure in the hands of the Lord when we are in eternity with him. A lot of people think that God’s protection is only for this life on earth. No, it’s not. God’s divine protection and care for his people is more evident when we are with him for all eternity. Yes, his loving arms embrace us more tenderly, more dearly. Our life is more secure. Our life is more happy. Our life is more joyful when we are with him forever. This side of eternity, we only enjoy the partial caring and the protection of our Lord. His arms truly embrace us fully when we are with him forever. So we need to keep that in mind. Confidence in the Lord, even when we are uncertain about the future. That’s exactly what Jacob does as well. He comes before him. He has no idea how Esau is going to respond, but yet he has confidence in the Lord and so he comes before him.

Verse four, beautifully God works his grace in the life of Jacob and Esau. Probably this response, Jacob never expected. Or this was probably the last option that he expected. Look what Esau did. Esau ran to meet Jacob, embraced him through his arms. I think until the point he embraced him, he was probably afraid when he saw the running towards him. He threw his arms around his neck and he kissed him and they wept together. 20 years of being apart. 20 years to harbor all kinds of bitterness. What we see in verse four is the forgiveness that only God can bring between two individuals who had been strained apart by the circumstances of life. What is so interesting in this passage is there is no recounting of old grudges. There is never a bringing up of the tale of the past. All there is is weeping, forgiveness, and a recounting of the grace of God.

Verse five, Esau looks up, sees the women and children and asks the question, who are these with you? He asked. Jacob answered again in a very gracious way. They are the children God has graciously given your servant. You can see the changes that are happening already in his life. Acknowledging God for the blessings of his life. Acknowledging the provisions of an almighty gracious God that has given this women and children to him. And then in verses six and seven, in the order that he had arranged they come before Esau. The female servants and their children approached and bowed down. Next Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel and they too bowed down. And then Esau again asked, verse eight, Esau asked, what’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?

Remember that? 550 animals send ahead to Esau. And by this time Esau is like all baffled. Before you came, I saw a bunch of flocks and herds that came before me. And I asked them, who do these belong to? And they all told me, they belong to your servant, Jacob. And these are all gifts for you. And Esau is like, what is the purpose of all that? Esau is a little bit confused by all this gesture and all this bowing down before the ground and he’s all confused because Jacob has never bowed down before Esau before. This is the first time. And he’s like, what is this guy up to? The last time I trusted him, he took the birthright from me and then he cheated my father. And all this bowing, it doesn’t make any sense. He says, oh, well, at least Jacob was honest in his answer. He says, to find favor in your eyes, my Lord, he said. Look at verse nine. Esau said, I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.

Verse 10, Jacob was very insistent. No, please, said Jacob. If I have found favor in your eyes, accept. And in fact, the word there, it says gift, but it’s accept this blessing from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God. Now that you have received me favorably. In verse 10, Jacob is not saying that the face of Esau is the face of God. You know what Jacob is saying? I see the grace of God when I see the way you have responded to me. In your forgiveness towards me, you know what I’m seeing? The way my God is dealing with me as well. Graciously, lovingly towards me. Even though Esau is an ungodly man, he sees the grace of God in the way Esau is acting towards him. Verse 11, please accept the present that was brought to you. For God has been gracious to me and I have all I need. And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it. When you come to verse 11, the gifting of Jacob to Esau is not to find favor in his eyes. Because he already has embraced him. They already have wept. They already have reconciled. But verse 11 is a giving of the gifts because he has received grace from the Lord. There’s a difference between the two. Giving something to earn grace and giving because you have earned grace is totally different. You know what we do? We give because God has given us grace. You don’t ever work to earn God’s grace in your life. But because you are the recipients of God’s grace, you know what we’re asked to do? We’re asked to give the same grace to others as well. Forgive because you have been forgiven. Show mercy because you have been shown mercy. Be gracious because you have been given grace.

To whom much has been given, much will be required of. We are called to be gracious, compassionate, merciful, forgiving people because we have received much mercy, much grace, much compassion, and much forgiveness from our God as well. God is asking us to give ourselves to others because our God has given himself to us. That is the beauty of the gospel. It is not that we earn God’s grace but that we have received the grace of God and now we give out of the grace God has given to us. The beautiful way in which God would work. Esau wanted Jacob to accompany him all the way back to Seir, the place where he came from. So he would ask him, come with me. And Jacob would tell him, and we’ll find out later on why Jacob would do that. He is again back to his old self. Jacob could have easily just answered him and said, I cannot come with you because the word of my God is that I should go back to my homeland, the land of Canaan. But you know what he said to him? I cannot come with you because I have children with me. I have young sheep with me. If they are driven really hard, every one of them will die. So why don’t you go ahead with your 400 men, I will stay back. That’s not really the reason why. Jacob did not want to go with Esau at all. And he knew that that was not God’s plan. So that’s good part. But he lied to Esau and he told him, you go on ahead. I will catch up with you.

But look what Jacob did. Verse 14, he said, let my Lord go on ahead of his servant while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and the herds before me and the pace of the children until I come to my Lord in Seir. Interestingly, when he’s running away from Laban, he did not think about the young sheep and the children. He was going really, really, really fast because he was running away. But now he is trying to deceive kind of his brother again. He makes an excuse again. We have young children, young sheep, they cannot be driven hard, so you go on ahead. So Esau, again, believing his brother, go on to his homeland and there is no record in God’s word of them ever meeting again. And Esau would go back to Seir and look what he does. Verse 17, Jacob, however, went to Sukkot. Oh, you can give him all the names in the world, but you cannot take Jacob out of Jacob. This place is in the opposite direction, spiritually and geographically as well. Sukkot is not the land of Canaan. God told him, go back to the land of Canaan. Sukkot is east of the Jordan River, outside of the land of Canaan. That’s not obeying God. That’s deceiving your brother and going there.

Many people think that he went to Sukkot because of how wonderful it looked, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is today called Sukkot, which literally means shelter. And it all came because Jacob came there and built shelters for himself. And then he continues on his journey. Verse 18, Jacob came from Paddanuram. He arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan. So after a while, he makes a journey to Shechem in Canaan and camped within the sight of the city. Finally, he comes into the land of Canaan, but not exactly to the place where God wanted him to be because later on, God would ask him to move again to Bethel. That’s where God wanted him to come back. Shechem is just within the borders of Canaan. Just enough to obey God. It’s like 10%. Just enough to obey God. Just enough inside the borders, but not enough within sight of the city. And then in verse 19, for a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. And then he did something. Verse 20, there he set up an altar and called it El Elohi, Israel, which means the God of Israel is a mighty God. All of this is wonderful, but Shechem is not the place where God wanted him to be. And as you read on in God’s word, you know what you find out? Because he settled in that place, his family would go through much difficulties in the years ahead.

Lessons that we all need to learn. There are three things that I want to leave with you. First one is this. Be on guard against your natural bend towards the flesh. Every person sitting here has one natural bend towards the flesh. You know it, your enemy knows it as well. For some, it’s money. Others, it is sensual pleasures. For others, it is fame. Others, it is popularity. Others, it’s gossip. Others, it’s jealousy, envy, hatred, works of the flesh. Every person has a natural bend. The natural bend in the life of Jacob was conniving, deceiving, never ever could tell truth as it is. Always had to come up with his own ways to get ahead in his own life. Even after he saw the living God who appeared to him that night, wrestled with him and blessed him, in chapter 33, he is some way back to his old self again. Let that not be said of any one of our lives. You need to be on guard. Only you know your heart. Only I know my heart. Your husband does not know your heart. Your wife does not know your heart. They only know to an extent. You know the natural bend of your flesh. Your enemy knows it as well. And guess what? He always tempts you at that one natural bend of your flesh. He looks at every one of our lives and he looks at that one crack in your armor, that one area where you struggle, and he constantly will attack you until you give in. That is why God’s word tells us to be sober, to be alert, because our enemy, like a prowling lion, roaring lion, is going around looking to see who he might devour. Be aware of that one natural bend that is in your life toward the flesh.

Secondly, God’s protection should not be mistaken for his approval. God was with Jacob as he traveled along. Finally, he would come to Shechem and he would offer an altar, build an altar, and call it God Almighty, who is the God of Israel. All wonderful. God was being gracious towards him, but that does not mean that’s where the place God wanted him to be. You know where Jacob messed up? He never asked God for his direction in his life. There’s never an instance here, just because things are going well in your present circumstance, don’t stop asking of God, is this the will of God for my life? Just because a relationship seems wonderful to you doesn’t mean that it’s wonderful. You need to ask God for his approval and will in your life. Just because settling down in a particular city or taking on a new job or a career change or anything else of life decisions might seem good to you, doesn’t mean it has the approval of God in the midst of it. Seek God’s counsel with every decision and every step that you make.

Thirdly, partial obedience to the Lord is littered with dangerous consequences. Jacob obeyed God partially. Jacob obeyed God half-heartedly and he would pay the consequence of this in the life of his family as we read along in the book of Genesis. God is asking us to completely trust him, completely obey him and not to give into partial obedience in our lives. Let me end with this. We see the beautiful illustration of forgiveness in the story of Esau and Jacob. As Esau would forgive Jacob, they were reconciled. Even though Esau was an ungodly man, he stands taller, brighter, more wonderful in chapter 33 than Jacob does. Everything about his dealings is very honest and straightforward toward Jacob. But I want to end with you to remind you of the fact of the greatest forgiveness that you and I have received in our lives. It is not the forgiveness between people who are hating each other but a forgiveness from a loving God. You all probably have heard stories such as this. A young man who had sinned greatly and moved far away from home. For many months, the young man followed the path of sin wherever it led him, like the prodigal son in God’s word. No evil thing was kept from him. He committed every sin in the book and broke all the Ten Commandments. Never one time did he write to his parents. They did not know if he was dead or alive. The day came when he realized, like the prodigal son, what a fool he had been, desiring to be forgiven. He wrote a letter to his father saying, Dad, if you’ll take me back, I’m ready to come home. But I’m afraid you won’t let me. I’ll be on the train next Tuesday. If you are willing to forgive me, when the train passes by the house, tie a piece of white cloth on the oak tree in the front yard. When I see the white cloth, I will know you’re willing to take me back. If I don’t see it, I will stay on the train and keep going. The father wrote back, Come on home, son. I’ll be waiting for you. But the son did not get that letter. When Tuesday came, he boarded the train, filled with fear, wondering what his father would do.

As the train drew near, he said to the man sitting next to him, I can bear to look out the window. When we go by the white house around the next curve, tell me if you see a piece of white cloth hanging on the oak tree. The son put his head down and waited. When the train went past his house, the son raised his head and said, Mister, what did you see? Was there a piece of white cloth on the oak tree? And the man said, I did not see a tree. It was completely covered with white cloth. Fearing that his son passing by the train would not see one piece of white cloth on that tree. The father had covered that entire tree with white cloth to make sure that his son knew that he was welcome home because his father had completely forgiven him and was ready to accept him back into the father’s house. Oh, Esau ran to embrace his brother Jacob. In the true story of the prodigal son, here we see a father running towards the son when it was such a shameful thing to do for a Jewish father to raise up his robe and run. This father ran towards the son because of the father’s heart that is given to us in God’s word. Time and time again, when you and I have become like the Jacobs, even though our identity has been changed as Israel, there’s a Heavenly Father who consistently runs towards us and offers his forgiveness to me and to you.

And I want to remind you this morning that you are sitting here this morning only because the Father has ran towards you time and time again. You are not sitting here this morning because you came back to the father’s house, but it’s because he ran towards you, embraced you and brought you back into the father’s house. We are all grateful recipients of the forgiveness of a loving Heavenly Father. So what are we to do? Forgive others. Forgive our enemies. Forgive those who hate us. That’s the message we’ve been hearing all this week. There is no looting on the streets. There is no burning of shops. There is no destroying of capital buildings. There is no throwing of stores. But there are people singing, people worshipping, people crying out. Those are the sounds of the redeemed extending the same forgiveness they have received in their hearts as well. It is that forgiveness that compels us to pray for the murderer, to pray for the one who is the aggravator, to extend peace and forgiveness in a broken world. That is the greatest message that you can say to a world that desperately needs to hear it as well. There is hate all around us. There is bitterness all around us. But you are called to spread the aroma of the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ living inside of you. Love like He did. Forgive like He did. Be graceful like He is. Be kind towards others.

If they don’t have the same point of view that you do, be gracious towards them. Be loving towards them. Gently speak the truth to them in love. Be grateful. Knowing that we are all made in the image of our eternal God and the greatest thing that we can do in this world is to reflect our Lord as long as we live on the face of the earth. The church is called to rise up but not with arms, but with love and forgiveness. The church is called to rise up to proclaim the love of Christ till the end of the world. Stand boldly for the gospel no matter what the cost. I will follow after Him. Even if you have to lay down your life for Him, you preach the gospel because the only hope for this broken world is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that God will enable us as a church, us as individuals, as families, to be people who are gracious, forgiving, kind, but yet bold in speaking the truth at the same time. This world does not have much time left. Everything around us is screaming, My Lord is coming back soon. Oh, lift up your heads for your redemption is drawing near. It is not time to put your head down. It is time to lift up your heads again and look to the heavens. Your redemption is drawing near. Soon and very soon, this world will come to an end. The only thing that will remain is His glory, His kingdom, His ways. Live for Him, honor Him, love Him with all your life and serve Him faithfully and God will use us for His glory in this broken world.

Let’s look to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, we come to You, Oh God, so grateful for Your forgiveness in each one of our lives. Help us to be gracious, loving, kind, people who are surrendered to You completely. Help us not to practice partial obedience in our lives. Help us to be on alert to recognize the natural bend that we have towards the flesh. Help us to be people, Oh God, that consistently seek Your direction in our life and not to mistaken Your protection for Your approval. We pray that You lead us and guide us. Continue to pour out Your Spirit and its power into each one of our lives. We need it more than ever, Oh God. Thank You Lord for hearing our prayers. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray.