Title: Things that hold our ankles
Contents
things that hold us back"
Genesis 32:22-32 /
Jacob, who did the disgusting thing of buying Esau's birthright with a bowl of red bean porridge, deceived his father and received the blessing of the firstborn that Esau was supposed to receive. To escape from his brother, he set out on a fugitive way to the faraway place where his maternal uncle Laban lived. He has been living in his maternal uncle's house for 20 years. And now he has wives and children. And it came with a lot of wealth.
Now he prepares everything to return home. However, it is not easy to return home. If he crosses the Yabbok River, his father is not far away, but he is not able to cross easily. He sent his family across the Yabbok River, but he is left alone.
Why is he unable to return to his hometown now? It is the hometown he wants to return to so much, and he can see his father and mother whom he has missed for 20 years, and what is holding him back from crossing the Yabbok River to his hometown despite the new life that God has given him?
Today we are celebrating the last Sunday of the year. Three days later, the long-awaited New Year 2010 is coming. How difficult and difficult was 2009, both nationally and socially? It can be said that 2009 is a year we want to pass quickly, but nevertheless, we should know that there may be something holding us back from flying into God's new vision for 2010. If there is, we must boldly cut it off.
It was 'fear' that was holding Jacob's ankles.
Jacob is afraid of his brother Esau. Jacob, who hijacked his brother's birthright into a bowl of red bean soup 20 years ago and deceived his father to receive the blessing of the eldest son instead of him, and Jacob who ran away from his brother. Twenty years later, he still fears revenge from his brother.
Verses 6 and 7 say that when he heard that his brother Esau was bringing 400 men to meet Jacob, he was very afraid.
“The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We have come to Esau, your lord’s brother, and he has come with four hundred men to visit his master. And Jacob was very afraid and frustrated, and he divided the servants that were with him, the sheep, the cattle, and the camels into two groups.”
God appeared to Jacob and told him to return to his hometown. You said clearly, 'I will be with you.' Let's look at chapter 31 verse 3.
'Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers, to your people, and I will be with you."
God who told me to go back to my hometown, won't the God who said I will be with you keep and protect Jacob from Esau's hand? Did you not melt all the anger in Esau's heart?
Jacob had no need to fear.
After Moses died, Joshua, who had to lead the Israelites across the Jordan to the land of Canaan, was in fear. What did God say to Joshua in this situation after commanding Joshua, 'Get up, you and all these people, and cross this Jordan to the land I am giving them to the children of Israel'? Let's look at Joshua 1:9.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
is not to be afraid.
In order for us to take off anew in the new year, we must break the shackles of fear that hold us back. We failed in the past, and we failed in 2007, so we need to get rid of this fear that we may fail next year. It was painful in 2007 and it will be painful next year. Things didn't go well in the past, so things won't go well next year. I'm very ill now, so next year it will get worse.. Fear takes hold of us at the moment of thinking like this. We become slaves to fear.
When we learn to swim or when we learn something, the sooner we let go of our fears, the sooner we learn. Fear also keeps us from moving forward.
Let's drive away fear. We must not allow fear to dwell in our hearts. Only then can we fly.
Another fetter that held Jacob's ankles was 'unbelief'.
God had already appeared when Jacob, who was running away from his brother Esau, was sleeping in the wilderness. And he made a wonderful promise to Jacob. Genesis 28:13-15.
'And behold, the LORD stood upon it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give to you and to your descendants the land on which you lie; You and your descendants will be blessed. I am with you, I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land, and I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
In particular, in verse 15, God promised that Jacob would protect him wherever he went, that he would bring him back to his hometown, and that God would not leave him until he had fulfilled his promises to Jacob.
In verses 32:1-2, when Jacob leaves for his hometown, he meets the messengers of God. Jacob calls them 'the army of God'. Why did God's army appear to Jacob? To keep Jacob's way. To protect Jacob.
And Jacob calls the land 'Mahanaim'. The word 'Mahanaim' is a plural form of the word 'army' and means 'two herds' or 'two camps'. This is a name that indicates that the heavenly army, which consists of two camps, is perfectly protecting Jacob and his party from the left and right sides or before and after. Isn't that surprising?
Nevertheless, what is Jacob's hesitation in crossing the Jabbok River other than his unbelief in God's promises, or in God's words!
God's promises are sure to come true. God is faithful. He is the one who never changes his promises.
If there is any distrust in our hearts, I hope that we will cut off the chains of this distrust and cast them off.
It was 'cunning' that held Jacob's ankles tightly.
The reason Jacob was not willing to cross the Jabbok River was because of Jacob's cunning. Jacob is now rolling his head. When I meet my brother Esau, how can I buy his heart by talking to him? What kind of gift should I give to soften my brother's heart? You have to go in two groups. When your brother Esau hits one time, one group runs away..
All you have to do is believe in God and just cross over. It shows that Jacob's cunning has not been stripped away. The name Jacob means 'cunning one' or 'deceiver'. As he said, he cunningly took the birthright's birthright with a bowl of red bean soup, and cleverly deceived his father and hijacked his birthright. This made him a fugitive, and after 20 years of hiding, it can be seen that he still remains a crafty man.
He who trusts in his own schemes is bound to fall into his own schemes. God finally touched Jacob's cunning. In verse 24, it is recorded that a man wrestled with Jacob, but God came to him. To get rid of this cunning completely.
Jacob begs. Ask him to bless him.. Finally, God blesses Jacob. It is a blessing to remove the cunning. Although Jacob's hip was broken, his cunning was stripped away. So he took off the name 'Jacob', a crafty man, and was given the name 'Israel'. The name Israel means that they fought and won with God. This means that God has finally blessed Jacob.
The cunning 'Jacob' who had believed in himself until now was changed to 'Israel', the legitimate heir of the covenant.
What can I do to succeed, what can I do to fly We must know that as long as we rely on our wisdom and our wiles, they can become our fetters. May we cast off our cunning and welcome the new year. Only then can we fly.
The new year 2010 is just around the corner. He said that those who wait for the Lord will ascend with wings of eagles. We hope to soar according to these words. I bless you in the name of the Lord that you have grace to come out wonderfully by throwing away all the unbelieving things holding on to our ankles.