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Last week in our study, Jacob had to leave his mother, whom he dearly loved, his father whom he had deceived, and his brother who wanted to kill him.

Because of his mother Rebekah’s influence, Isaac sent Jacob some 500 miles away, to Haran, to her brother Laban. It was there Jacob was to find a wife amongst her relatives.

Jacob was on the run because all around him he created heartbreak and conflict. All his relationships were broken. On the way he had an encounter with God. He had a dream where he saw a ladder or stairway from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. God then gave him the blessings of Abraham and Isaac. When he awoke he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I didn’t know it. How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” And he called that place Bethel – the house of God.

When he arrived in Haran, he met Rachel and her father Laban; he fell in love with Rachel and agreed to work seven years for her hand in marriage since he had no dowry.

Many see some poetic justice when Jacob met Laban. The heel snatcher meets the manipulator. After Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, Laban did some serious conniving of his own and put his older daughter, Leah, in Jacob’s tent instead of Rachel on their wedding night! He then must work another seven years to get Rachel, the one he truly loved.

Then, in a turnabout of manipulation, Jacob agreed to work several more years if he could have the goats of the flock that were spotted or speckled and the lambs that were black. He then created a breeding program so that most of the goats were born spotted or speckled and the lambs were born black. Thus, he ended up with most of what Laban had.

When we come to Genesis 32, twenty years have passed. God finally spoke to Jacob and told him to go back to the land of his fathers and that God would be with him.

But then a problem arises – a very big problem; his brother Esau. He sent word to Esau that he was coming, and his servants returned with the news, “Esau is coming out to meet you and has 400 men with him.” Jacob interprets that as a sign of great danger. 400 men is not a welcoming party, it’s an army.

He divided his company into two groups; if one is attacked the other could flee. He sent gifts ahead of him in the hope of appeasing Esau. He sent his wives and children across the River Jabbock. Finally, he was alone, and that night the angel of the Lord came to Jacob, took hold of him and wrestled with him all night long. This is where the scripture reveals powerful insights for our lives as well.

I. We are in the Process of Becoming

 Jacob was given that name because he had hold of his brother’s heel as he was being born. Unfortunately, he lived by the meaning of that name all his life.

 It’s time to change. It’s time to change that name, but first, God confronts Jacob by striving, wrestling, and contending with him.

 God brought this crisis for the purpose of transforming him. He can’t go back to Laban and in front of him is his brother with 400 men.

 But first, Jacob must learn to stop relying on his own strength, his clever heel snatching. He must learn that God will contend with those who contend against him; that God will be the blessor of his life; but he must cling to God and realize that God will wrestle with him, God will contend with him, if he must.

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