Title: God Who Came to Jacob
Contents
God's visit to Jacob
Genesis 28 10-22
Many years ago, a large organ concert was to be held at a fixed time. However, the person who was supposed to pump the organ became ill. When this happened, a famous composer volunteered to do the pump himself. When asked why he would do such a trivial and lowly thing, the composer replied, "If I can do anything for the sake of music, I'm never humble."
Ladies and gentlemen, if we love Jesus, nothing we can do in our service to him will never seem trivial. Every work of service in his name, even the smallest and insignificant, will be enjoyed.
Dear saints,
What we learn from Genesis, especially from Jacob's mistake, is that if we commit sin, we pay the price. It is not a law of causality. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death.
Jacob had two hearts. I had a good and cowardly heart, but I also had a selfish and evil heart. Although he was brought up in the religious education of his father Isaac and mother Rebekah, he had a strong carnal heart. And I had a strong desire to receive God's blessing.
Dear saints,
Sin creates a sinful character in man. It is something that builds up over a long period of time.
Therefore, people with a sinful disposition quickly fall apart when they are tempted. When trials come, you can't stand it.
You know it's a bad thing, but you know it's something you shouldn't do, but you fall into temptation.
Jacob deceived his older brother Esau to take away his birthright, and as a result of taking away his blessing, he had no way to face his brother's anger, so he fled to the house of Laban's maternal uncle in Paddan Aram, following the instructions of his mother, Rebekah.
In other words, he ended up being a fugitive.
see 10
To say that Jacob left Beersheba means that he left the asceticism where he had grown up. The feeling of leaving a loving mother and father is not known unless you experience it.
It is 800 kilometers from Beersheba to Paddan Aram. Jacob in such a situation must have been filled with fear and anxiety about the future. There must have been feelings of regret, guilt, and shame for Mother Rebekah.
People with a lot of guilt and shame are more likely to rationalize themselves. In other words, let God be in my position, there is nothing I can do about it. It is said. Perhaps Jacob was living alone for the first time.
It must have been a difficult and lonely road. And Jacob now has nothing.
Where should I go right now? You have become a wanderer with no information and no plans right now on where to go and where to stay.
see verse 11
How did Jacob feel when he lay down in the field and looked up at the sky? Those who have gone out of the house will understand. When you are full and free, the stars in the sky look beautiful, romantic, and splendid. But when you are hungry, in pain, and having a hard time, looking at the stars makes you feel empty and wretched.
When you are hungry, the stars and the moon are beautiful.
Dear saints,
Those who have experienced war will understand this statement quickly. Those who have experienced evacuation will understand immediately.
Perhaps Jacob was too exhausted to think about this and that, so he just picked it up.
Or, thinking of hometown with tears in her eyes, she may have regretted her mistake and shed tears.
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. You said.
When we become poor in spirit, we meet the Lord. If you let go of what you have depended on and planned, you will meet God. We hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and say that we live according to God's will, but in reality, our own plans and thoughts are already making plans. For those of us who believe in God, hope begins when we are in despair. Giving up means making a choice. Surprisingly, when we are in such absolute despair and frustration, it is the time when God draws closer to us. Rather, if you believe in Jesus, crisis becomes a blessing.
Is it a miracle that a miracle is different? Our meeting itself is a miracle. Looking at the entire universe and probabilistically, the number of times we meet and worship here at this time is about one in hundreds of millions. In the midst of that, we meet and live. So, how many people live without knowing this precious fact. When you realize that, you will believe in Jesus and be baptized.