Growing Spiritually Through Crises - Genesis 32 - 33

The assurance we have that we can always depend upon God never changes; God has never changed and he has never failed to keep his promises. The human conception of a crises changes almost as frequently as we have birthdays. If the bottle is not ready when a new born gets hungry he is in crises. When mom retrieves a glass candle holder from a toddler and places it back on the shelf out of his reach he is in crises. When the wheel falls off of the tri-cycle that is being ridden by a four year old he is in crises. When a mother tells her nine year old daughter that she can’t wear lip-stick to school she is in crises. When she is fourteen and is told that she can’t wear short-shorts to school she is in crises again. When the first boy-girl friend breakup happens, both are in crises. So they all think; but none of them know the meaning of the word crisis. However, if properly taught in each of these circumstances they can learn from their experiences. When we are Christian adults it is much better for us to learn from the crises that were experienced by the biblical characters as recorded in the Bible than it is to learn the hard way—through our own crisis.

Age may vary from the day anyone acknowledges accountability to twenty-one [adult age] when one starts understanding the true meaning of a crisis. Webster says that a crisis occurs “When there is an emotionally significant event or radical change of status in a person’s life. It can be at a decisive moment in life.” A crisis occurs when “Any situation has reached a critical phase; it can be when any unstable situation with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome occurs.” If any one expects to grow spiritually through their crisis, they must first have a personal spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ. Without having the personal guidance of the Holy Spirit, no one can expect any kind of positive growth in their life.

Study the nature of crisis in the life of any adult and you will better understand why Jacob could not come up with a plan to control his life and manipulate people and things to his advantage. It seems plain to me that although he was a member of a chosen and blessed family, he had not reached the place where he was wholly dependent upon God to guide him in his personal decisions and dealings with others. Then one day he met God, an angel, or just a man sent by god as a messenger to him. Jacob wanted God’s guidance and his blessing so badly that he took hold of the angel and refused to let go until he received the answer he wanted.

I believe that God has sent me to be your witness and I can attest that I have been in the same situation that Jacob was in. I only wish that I could truthfully tell you that I grabbed hold of God and refused to let go until all of my answers came. Here in lies the difference in me and Jacob. He held on and refused to let go. I have let some kind of weakness, lack of faith, or maybe times of unconcern break the personal relationship that is required for total success. I ask you: How sincere are you in your search for spiritual answers to your concerns? Are you dedicated in your search for truth? I have been close enough that I can attest to the fact that there will always be crises in our lives and I believe that one of the purposes of these testers is just that…a test to see if we really believe that God will keep his promises.

As you start reading the scripture recorded for our study today in chapter 32, please remember that Jacob has been living with Laban for the last twenty years and it has been a life of one crisis after another. It will appear that he has finally found a way to grow spiritually through his crises. That simply means that he has learned how to depend on God day by day as he lives through the good and bad times.

Laban finished his unsuccessful search for his gods that his daughter Rachel had stolen, kissed his daughters and grand-children, blessed them and returned to his home. Joseph also went on his way toward his old home land, knowing that he would soon meet his brother Esau and dreading the consequences of this first encounter in twenty years. The last time he saw his brother, Esau was mad and threatening to kill him for stealing his rightful blessing.

Insert your life into this situation; how would you feel and what would you do if you knew that you were about to meet up with someone you had done wrong? Would you attempt to meet the person face to face wishing to apologize and be accepted? Or, would you have changed directions and moved on to another place. Jacob probably would have preferred to dodge his brother, but he felt that God had directed him to go home and so that was his destination; even if it meant that he would fail again. The first verse tells us that Jacob saw angels approaching his way. The book does not say who they were nor from whence they came. This is not an unusual happening and needs no explanation. However it is important that we see that the incident caused Jacob to KNOW that God was with him. His faith had grown to the point that he was willing to trust God to make things right.

Jacob instructed his messengers to go forward and find Esau and tell him that he had been working for their uncle Laban for the last twenty years. Tell them that I have acquired a family, wealth, flocks and herds and have need of nothing except his friendship. The mission was accomplished and they returned with only this scary message. “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you; he has four hundred men that are coming with him.

Jacob made two moves that would be remarkable in the life of any man. First he divided his people and wealth into two groups, thinking that if one group was attacked by Esau, the other group would be able to escape. The second was that he went to the Lord in prayer. This was no ordinary prayer. It recognized his heavenly Father as the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac. Then he reminded God of a promise He had made. God, you are the one who told me to go back to my country and my relatives, and you said that you would make me prosper. This was a humble prayer. He acknowledged that he did not deserve the kindness and faithfulness of God’s blessings. He named one great improvement by remembering that he left his father with only his staff, broke and on foot, and now he has enough to divide into two groups, each with numbers and wealth enough to succeed.

His prayer could be compared to the one Jesus prayed in the garden before his betrayal. He was praying as though he had a cup to bear…meeting his distraught brother…But that if it was God’s will the bitter part of the meeting did not have to be, however he was willing to do God’s will either way.

Jacob then designed his plan, divided his people and holdings and determined who would lead the way. He gave all necessary instructions for the meeting with Esau, and made ready to start early the next day. Night fell, and this is the night and place that he encountered the man, an Angel or God that wrestled with him all night. As I have said before, Jacob did not let go of the hold he had on divine power. I believe that this was a physical encounter because Jacob was crippled in the morning and walked with a limp. I know that it was a spiritual encounter, because God intervened in the meeting with Esau and in this case Jacob’s cup had been removed. One other example stands out to prove that God was pleased with Jacob. His name was changed to Israel. We all know that God changed the names of several of his chosen ones only to recognize them as his faithful and obedient followers—to show that he had changed their lives. This was a great name-change improvement for Jacob [which means the ambitious deceiver] who is now Israel [one who struggles with God and overcomes] a man that is pleasing to God.

In chapter thirty-three the two brothers Israel and Esau meet for the first time in twenty years and it was as it should have been with out animosity and anger. It appears to me that the attitude of prayer and repentance on the part of Jacob/Israel must have had wings or created an angel that brought a change of heart to Esau as well. Now, I ask you to enter this situation in a personal way and think of yourself as being Esau. He had suffered greatly at the hands of his mother and brother, and had lost a birthright that was never regained—if this had happened to you—would you have been as forgiving? Have you ever suffered a wrong that cost you both money and prestige? Have you forgiven your enemy? If the answer is yes; let me ask you this—have you gone to him/her and hugged them closely and said to them personally…”I forgive you?” Israel did and his brother Esau forgave him and both shed tears of joy and happiness over their reconciliation.

At the time of their reunion Esau had already forgiven his brother, and had forgotten the past because he ask Israel why he had sent all of the droves of animals ahead as a gift. Jacob told him that they were given to him in order to find favor in his sight. Esau refused the gift and said that he already had plenty and did not to need to take anything from his brother. Jacob persisted by saying that now since you [Esau] have forgiven me it is as if I am seeing God’s faithfulness—and then Esau accepted the gift and suggested that they join each other and go their way.

Life can deal us a blow and place us in some terrible situations and it is human nature for us to be distraught and even angry as Esau was, but we do not have to remain in that frame of mind. Do not ever forget that our sins nailed Christ to the cross but he forgave sinful man, and gave his life for me and you. These two chapters teach—revival and reconciliation between two people; however in the church reconciliation often brings on a revival. If you desire joy in your life, you must learn the art of reconciliation. Never let the sun go down on your wrath!