Taking the ‘I’ out of the Equation: Genesis 32

 

Genesis 32:24-28

24  And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

25  And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26  And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

27  And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

28  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.

When we study the life of Jacob we can take many parallels to our own lives. More and more we verify a lack of true study of the Word, and new technologies, however fast and fascinating, can take our minds captive by the wonders and the diversity they give us, thinking of the revolution of smartphones, that even on a blog like this one, we can publish a quick post. I speak of the lack of study as we more and more becoming pleasure orientated, more focussed on the immediate, and about other issues. But Jacob shows us ourselves.

Very often Jacob is like all of us, we live with KNOWLEDGE OF THE COVENANT but we do not live ACCORDING TO IT. This is the life of Jacob, in a nutshell. He lived having been appointed prophetically to be the heir, not by birth but by covenant, but that his mother Rebekah interfered in this process, trying by human effort to steal from Isaac the blessing of the firstborn. It may be possible that the blessing of the firstborn, be prophetically insightful that Esau was not the line of covenant. It would have been possible for Isaac to have prophetically discerned God’s mind on the matter. When we also consider that Jacob blackmailed his brother to give him the birthright.

How many times we feel we need “to help God out”? How many times we are walking trusting in God for a fulfilment and manifestation of something, and others come alongside to persuade us how HUMANLY WE CAN SEE THE PROMISE COME ABOUT? How many times the opportunities came to TREAD UPON EXISTING LEADERS in our pursuit for leadership, prophetically spoken to us, or try to unseat a worship minister because we perceive that we are called for that position?

Jacob knew that God had destined him to inherit the fullness of the Covenant promise given to Abraham. But instead of resting in it, letting God guide him into it, he wanted to “help God out.”

No Esau and no Isaac would get in the way of his inheriting the promise.

It cost him dearly, in that he was thrust from his home, 21 years, to be sent to a man more crafty and deceiving as he was. A man who could not keep his promise. God has His ways to teach us the way we inherit from Him. We may walk away in other places for years until the appointed time comes.

It is apparent in the life of Jacob that the knowledge of that appointed time had come. Angels began to appear in his way, on the road, coming in companies, and the visitation of God became intense. It was the time that God would change the fortunes of Jacob in a spectacular way.

The fight between Jacob and the Lord, or His Angel, was Jacob taking himself out of the equation and not being the centre of his world. He recognised that without the walking according to the covenant there would be no power, purpose and protection. He faced an immediate danger, Esau, who had vowed to kill him. But when he aligned with the covenant, so Esau bestowed on Jacob honour and favour. How much more when we put the personal covenant first.

When Jacob fought all night, his first fight was against his own nature. He was always one to resolve humanly everything, and not always the way God wanted. He had to fight the nature he became. His second fight was to prevail in securing the covenant not by force, nor by power but by a physical dialogue with God Himself. And so as he prevailed so he shed his own need for being the centre, and determined to live differently.

Today you may walk in a dark place, but God says to you, live according to my covenant, do not live just in its knowledge. Stop resolving things by yourselves, because My ways are Higher than your ways. Stop trying to persuade others of My promise to you, because I must prepare you first, must prepare you for a generation. Stop relying on your resources, for My resources, My Power, Purpose and Protection will come into operation as you REST IN MY COVENANT. For the day in which you prevail, and secure a personal covenant you will see come into operation the day which your path will be covered with companies of angels, and your path be the path also of heavenly hosts.

I believe that this word is for those today who are struggling, who are in obscurity, who are sick, and believing for healing.

Shalom