Last week we talked about Jacob and how he stole his brother’s birthright and blessing. Jacob was a liar, cheater and thief. We wondered how God could use someone like him. Jacob became one of the patriarchs of the nation of Israel.
So, today I want to take a deeper dive into that. I want to look at what made Jacob someone
that God could use.
The Dream
Genesis 28:11-15 NKJV
So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you."
In the dream God reiterates His promise to Abraham that his
descendants would receive the land of Canaan as their own, and that in their
lineage all of the families of the earth would be blessed. But there is more to this. Look at Genesis 28:12 again:
Genesis 28:12 NKJV
Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
This verse describes Jacob's dream of a ladder reaching from
earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. This vision is a picture
of the connection between God and mankind, symbolizing divine communication and
access to heaven. It reassures Jacob of God's presence and guidance.
It’s God’s way of telling Jacob, that this is coming from me
and you can call on me anytime. Angels
are messengers from God. That’s what an
angel is literally. But the messengers are going up and down, symbolizing a
two-way communication link. The ladder
in this verse can be a representation of prayer; seeking guidance and direction
from God (Angels going up) and receiving it (Angels coming down). Here’s where this gets really interesting,
though.
1 Timothy 2:5 NKJV
For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
That word mediator means go-between. Someone who links two people. For example, If I have an argument with
someone and we cannot agree, we might go to a mediator to help us resolve the
issue. In this verse, Paul is telling Timothy
that Jesus is the mediator between God and man.
Look at the following verse that ties this together:
John 1:51 NKJV
And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
So, in Jacob’s dream, once again, we see a foreshadowing of
Jesus in the Old Testament.
What can we say about this that relates to us as believers:
1)
We can come to God for Guidance and Direction.
Hebrews 4:16 NKJV
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
God
invites us to seek Him for wisdom and guidance, and He will be responsive.
2)
Jesus is that bridge between God and
man. This is why we pray in Jesus’ name.
John 16:26-27 NKJV
In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.
The Cross is Mediation
Jesus became the mediator through His death on the
cross. He asked for forgiveness for us:
Luk 23:33-34 NKJV
And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.
When He died that work of mediation was completed.
John 19:30 NKJV
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
In this mediation all the families of the earth are
blessed. The question in this is that in
order for us to receive that blessing we must do two things. 1) Repent, and 2) Confess Jesus as Lord and
savior.
One final interesting thought in all of this is this is
this:
Genesis 28:16-19 NKJV
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!" Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.
In Israel in those days, people
would stand up a stone and anoint it with oil to signify that God had moved in
that place. It was a reminder for them of the power and blessing of God. These stones would become a reference point in
their lives.
Genesis 28:20-22 NKJV
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."
Jacob is making this a reference point in his life. This moment marks the moment when Jacob
stopped being a usurper, liar and cheat.
He from this point on acts honorably and with integrity with his uncle
Laban. Laban cheated him on his promise
to give Rachel for seven years of work, by giving him Leah instead. Then, he required another seven years for
Leah. In all of this Jacob acted honorably, no longer a usurper.
Jacob becomes Israel
Next, I want to look at one more aspect of Jacob’s life.
Genesis 32:7-9 NKJV
So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies. And he said, "If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape." Then Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you':
Genesis 32:10-12 NKJV
I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. For You said, 'I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.' "
Jacob has received word that Esau is approaching wth four
hundred men. When Jacob left his
father’s house to go to find a wife, he did that in a hurry because he knew
that Esau had decided to kill him after his father died. Now he’s afraid for his family because of
Esau’s wrath. So he cried out to God for
what? Salvation, which literally means
to be saved. Then he sends his family on
ahead, and sits alone to wait for Esau to show up.
That night, as he sits alone something happens:
Genesis 32:24-28 NKJV
Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."
The Struggle
We see Jacob wrestling with a “Man”. But look at what he says later about with
whom he wrestled:
Genesis 32:30 NKJV
So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
Jacob recognizes that he has wrestled with God. Really, it is the “Angel of the Lord” whom we
know is Jesus. (A Biblical declaration that Jesus is God.)
This battle is taking place, and Jacob grabs a hold of the
man and will not let Him go until he receives a blessing. Finally, the man blesses him by changing his
name from Jacob to Israel. Look at the
reason why
Genesis 32:28 KJV
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
His name was changed from Jacob, the usurper; the liar; the
thief to Israel, the “Prince of God.”
That is literally what Israel means.
One who prevails or overcomes.
This is a picture of what happens to us in salvation as well. We are changed, no longer are we what we
were, but now have a new name in Jesus:
Revelation 2:17 NKJV
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it." '
So now Israel has become, through these experiences someone
that God can use. Just like us. We came from backgrounds full of sin, just
like Jacob, but we’ve overcome. We’ve been changed. Our testimony is something that can be used
to help others come to Christ. We can be
used by God, just like Jacob (Israel)
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