Longing for Blessing

LONGING FOR BLESSING

Scripture Reading            : Gen. 32:21-31; Romans 12: 1-8.

Text                               : Gen. 32:26.

INTRODUCTION:

Everyone in this world wants to be blessed ones and no one wants to be cursed. There is nothing wrong in it, for God also wants us to be blessed people. But the way or the means by which one longs to be blessed is important. Different people adopt different means so that their purposes may be achieved. Some are acceptable before God and others or not.  In this I want to present before you a Youngman who longed to be blessed and how did he attain it.

I.     HIS FAMILY:

He was of a godly family who knew the plan of God for them. So he also must have heard of

a. What God had promised to his grandfather Abraham beginning from Gen. 12:1f.

b. What God had informed his parents even before his birth (Gen. 25:23); “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples shall be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.” (NAST). Jacob being the youngest, without any problem he would have understood the meaning of it. Being aware of God’s promises, he could have waited for God’s time and for His plan.

II.   WHAT DID HE DO?

He tried on his own wisdom and ability to achieve the blessing He wanted and achieved it in one sense.

1. Gen. 25:29-31. There is nothing wrong in seeking the help of the younger brother to meet his need : hunger. But Jacob made use of this opportunity to deprive him of his brother’s birth right. Esau sold his birthright for a little pottage (Gen. 25:29f.).

2. Father’s blessing under goat’s skin with the advice of Rebecca his mother (Gen. 27:16f.): that is blessing by deception. He comes before Esau could come to Isaac; (27:18) Jacob goes to Isaac with the delicious food prepared by Rebecca. Look at the conversation.

Isaac: Who are you my son?

Jacob: I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me, sit up, eat and bless me.

Isaac: (Vs. 20) How is that you have found it so quickly my son?

Jacob: Because the Lord your God granted me success.

Isaac: (vs. 21) Come near that I may feel you…whether you are really my son Esau or not. Vs. 22 Isaac felt him and said, ‘The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

Though his eyes were blind, ears were sharp. How many times we had been like this? One thing in speech and another in reality! One thing in action and another thing in reality – act of hypocrisy. In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira wanted to be as Barnabas, as the one who sold everything and kept at the feet of the apostles (Acts 4: 36, 37). They sold their property and there is nothing wrong in it. Kept a portion of it for themselves and I don’t find anything wrong in it. Part they brought before God. Then where is the wrong?  They acted as if they had given all. Result: They died for they told lie to the Holy Spirit.

Another example we find in 2Kgs. 5:25f. Gehazi went in and stood before his master and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.”- He was acting – the result you know! Namaan’s leprosy to him and to his descendants, he went out from Elijah’s presence a leper.

In the process of his attempt to be blessed Jacob could cheat his father and his brother very cleverly.  Result: Enmity between the two brothers (Gen. 27: 41). Family ties broken. Jacob had to flee for his life leaving his parents. Prov. 10:22 tells, ‘It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it’.

III.       BUT GOD HAD PREPARED A MIRROR TO SEE HIS NATURE:

a. Jacob had to be under the mercy of Laban his uncle. There he served seven years for Rachel, Laban’s younger daughter and on the day of consummation he got Leah the eldest daughter and he had to serve another seven years to get the girl whom he longed to get. The cheater got cheated. Jacob’s confession Gen. 31:41: Twenty years with Laban; fourteen years for two daughters; 31:7 ‘Laban has cheated me’, six years for Laban’s herds; ten times the wages changed and in vs. 42 he confesses, because God was with him he could survive

b. The day came for him to leave Laban’s house. The question before him was where to go? God asks him to go to his father’s house (31:3).

i. God renews His promise and assures to be with him. By making a covenant with Laban, he settles one problem (31:50f).

ii. But the fear of Esau overtook him. Unsettled transaction troubled him. In spite of God’s promise to be with him, he was of fear. He did not have the courage to claim the promise.

iii. This is true of Christian experience. God is ready to forgive and to be with us. But to claim his promise, we must set right our broken relationship with God and men. Repentance is complete only with restitution. Only then our faith in God can grow into saving faith. The alternative sought by people is self-improvement. Jacob tries to solve the crisis by sending presents to his brother (32:3-8, 13-21). Adam and Eve when sinned made garments of leaves to cover their nakedness. If you can help yourselves Christ need not have come to the world and die on the cross.

IV.       JACOB FAILED MISERABLY TO FIND PEACE OF MIND:

We read, He was reminding God of His promises to his fathers and to him. (Gen. 32:9f); brings the Abrahamic covenant. O Lord, if I am destroyed what would happen to the promise? (31:12); prays for protection from Esau. (31:11); all his belongings he crossed across the river Jabbok (31: 21). Vs. 24, late at night, Jacob was alone. One who wrestled so far with men now wrestles with God; struggles till the morning.31:26, cries for blessing. What all he had so far out of his own efforts, he saw vile and helpless. Vs. 27, now God asks, ‘What is your name?’ You said to Isaac (27:19), I am Esau your first-born; to Rebekah, your mother, you are Jacob. How many names have you? So now God asks, what is your name? A face to face confrontation with God. Lord I am “Jacob.” Now God says you are no more Jacob; you are Israel – wrestler with God and men.

CONCLUSION:

Dear friends, right at this moment God has come here to bless you. But to bless you he asks your name. I know many of you are involved in ministry and many of you aspire for Christian life and many of you have a desire to serve God. It is good. But I want to make it known to you today; your service/ministry cannot substitute your consecration. Compare the B.C. 8^th century Jews who while living a loose life, wanted to please God with their offerings and religious rites. The result was they were under the judgment of God. Their offerings, sacrifices, festivals and religious rites could not save them.

One’s ministry won’t suffer because he/she lacks certain talents, but it will suffer if your consecration is incomplete. Our desire to serve God is good. God wants you (us) to be a success and blessed soul-winner. Times have changed but Christ did not change, isn’t it? Then why should you be a disappointment? God says, the wicked has no right to recite his statues (Ps. 50:16f.). When God’s word is clearly spoken (to any group of audience) it makes the place shake. I was in great struggle several times when God’s word condemns me of my doings. God won in several occasions where I obeyed His words and give up what I feel as a safe zone to me. Often it seemed a humiliation to say sorry to the parents, to the teachers and professors who taught and to the neighbors who were wronged. But unless one obeys the prompting of the Holy Spirit, there cannot be peace. I praise the Lord for his guidance and strength to accomplish what he demanded.

Apostle Paul said in Acts 26:19, “wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” which he had on his way to Damascus. An experience of struggle: but God won. Jacob sought God’s blessing. God asked him his name. He without any reservation acknowledged that he was a ‘deceiver’. God accepted him as he was and changed his name and blessed him. He could meet Esau and have reconciliation. Let us turn back and look at the path through which the Lord has led us. Let us take into consideration our shortcomings and failures. Do we have a right relationship with our fellow brothers and sisters, and God? As Jacob, without any reservation are you ready to consecrate your life fully to God? Jesus is willing to bless you and will make you a blessing. May God grant this grace to all now and all the days to come!

Note the words of the following hymn: “Is you all on the Alter?”

You have longed for sweet peace, and for faith to increase,
And have earnestly, fervently prayed;
But you cannot have rest, or be perfectly blest,
Until all on the altar is laid

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart, does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest and have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.

   

Let the coming year 2017 be a year of closer walk with Jesus! Not to go in front of Him or go back of Him but a year of walking together with Him in all situations of life. In the walk with God don’t hold a electric torch which lightens your ways but hides your identity. Be the candle holders in your walk with the Lord realize who you are in the light of the scriptures and guide others in the way with the divine light of God’s words (Ps 119:105). May God bless each one of us and enable us to fulfill His plan and purpose through our lives.

Happy New Year 2017!