An Open Heaven Pt. 2
Genesis 32:22-32
Genesis 28:11
When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set.
Genesis 32:1 (ESV)
Jacob went on his way,
Genesis 32:1-2 (ESV)
Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them he said, "This is God's camp!" So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
Genesis 32:31 (NIV)
The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel...
1. You meet with God by yourself
Genesis 32:21-32 (NIV)
So Jacob's gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp. That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
There are 3 crossings in the life of the Christian.
1. Red Sea
2. Jordan River
3. Jabbok River.
Genesis 32:21-24 (NIV)
So Jacob's gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp. That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone...
2. You wrestle with God
Genesis 32:24 (NLT)
This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break.
Wrestled: abaq (aw-bak)
Jabbok: yabboq (yab-boke)
Jacob: Ya’aqob
Genesis 32:25a (NIV)
When the man saw that he could not overpower him,
Genesis 32:28b (NLT)
because you have fought with God and with men and have won."
Genesis 32:25 (NLT)
When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob's hip and wrenched it out of its socket.
Philippians 2:6-8 (NIV)
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!
Genesis 32:26 (NLT)
Then the man said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!" But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
Genesis 32:29b (NLT)
Then he blessed Jacob there.
3. Your wrestling with God will change you
1st. Identity
Genesis 32:26-28b (NIV)
But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man asked, What is your name? "Jacob," he answered. Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel." because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."
2nd. Intuition
3rd. Intervention
Genesis 33:4 (NIV)
But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.
Genesis 32:31-32 (NLT)
The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. (Even today the people of Israel don't eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob's hip.)
