March 10, 2024 | Pastor Joel Christiansen
Passage: Genesis 32:22-32
"And a Man wrestled with Jacob until daybreak." Genesis 32:24
Jacob means he grasps; he deceives.
Jacob is a broken man who has broken relationships.
Jacob had a broken relationship with his brother.
Jacob has a broken relationship with his dad.
"I will kill my brother!" Genesis 28:41
"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go." Genesis 28:18
"If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear, so that I return safely to my Father’s house, then the Lord will be my God." Genesis 28:20-21
Jacob had a broken relationship with God.
"Jacob was left alone and a Man wrestled with Jacob until daybreak." Genesis 32:24
Israel means "he struggles with God."
When we lose ourselves, when we die to ourselves and abandon our schemes, then we win.
Jacob named the place Peniel, "It is because I saw God face to face." Genesis 32:30 -- The Man is God!
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8 -- We are Jacob.
Hold on to God. He has blessed you and He will bless you.
Series Information
It is easy to mistake the Old Testament for being the part of the Bible all about rules and a frustrated God working on a broken world. But what if we took time to see how God's plan of forgiveness and restoration started at the very beginning - all the way back in Genesis?
As we begin our 40-day journey toward Easter on February 18th, join us in our series Broken. During this series, we will explore key figures in Genesis and see how God takes broken people, brings forgiveness and ultimately brings restoration to them and us through Jesus.
