For the Genesis 32:9-12 PODCAST, Click Here!
9 Then Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you:' 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. 11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. 12 For You said, 'I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'" ~ Genesis 32:9-12
Today, we return to our study in Genesis 32 where Jacob, after all of his planning for the scary arrival of Esau, then turned to God in prayer. Jacob turned to God due to his fear of his brother. Prayer is talking to God and it is something everyone can do. In the New Testament the Apostle Paul commands us to pray without ceasing which is actually practicing God's presence at all times. If God is our mind, then every thought that goes through our head will include Him. This is the goal of all of our prayers. Today, we will learn from a man about what it looks like to grow in honesty and humility.
In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Then Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you.'"
The Lord told Jacob to return to Canaan and Jacob obeyed. He packed up his belongings and headed off. Jacob was about to encounter his brother who had told him that his goal was to kill him. Jacob had come to the point where he had realized that he was totally dependent upon the Lord which is the best place for any of us to be. So, Jacob prayed to the God of his grandfather Abraham who was also the God of his father Isaac. Jacob prayed to the God who transcends time and exists throughout all generations.
Jacob didn’t pray to the idols that Rachel had stolen from her father, Laban, and he did not pray to the angels that he saw in the camp of God. Never once in the Bible is prayer allowed to or through anyone but God. Any prayer to anyone other than the God of the Bible is a failure to give Him the credit and the glory that He alone is due. By reminding God of what He had earlier promised him, Jacob demonstrated that he was truly being defined by God.
In v.10 of today's passage we read, "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies."
These are the words of a man who was learning to come out of hiding, this was the prayer of an honest and humble man. This prayer represents a remarkable turn of events where Jacob had shifted from his physical concerns to his spiritual concerns. This is why he begins this prayer with the fact that he was not worthy. This is humility. When we lose sight of our unworthiness we will be in danger of being side-swiped by arrogance. And if we are being defined by our arrogance, it always will keep us from the Lord.
Jacob based his plea to God upon two things: the mercies of God and the truth of God. The more we come to see the mercies of God, the more we will long to submit ourselves to Him and to obey Him because it is His mercies that train us to trust Him. The word used for mercies means to supply forgiveness and compassion for past failures. Mercy is what God pours out upon us through the Lord Jesus Christ. Mercy is our only hope because there is nothing we have done, or can do to make us acceptable before God. The mercy of God counters the fact that we deserve hell for our violent rebellion against God.
Jacob appealed to the truth of God in this prayer. The Lord Jesus said of Himself, "I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life." Truth is what says it is and despite the fact that many believe that they have their own truth have yet to learn that the only truth comes from God who had defined things as they are. Anything that deviates from what God says of something is a lie and is sin. Jacob appealed to God on the basis of truth because Jacob was being trained by God to be authentic and truthful. And, of course, the truth had been spoken by God to Jacob when He promised Jacob that He would be with him and He would protect him. This prayer was prayed by a man who was learning that it is the truth as defined by God that sets us free.
In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. 12 For You said, 'I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'"
The honesty in this prayer is like a cup of cold water on a very hot day for the man who has been known for his deceptive nature. Jacob revealed through this prayer that he was learning that honesty and being defined by the God of truth are among the cornerstones of a successful life. Being truthful with the God of truth is the first step toward being pulled out of the deceptive domain of the enemy.
Jacob feared for himself, his family and his God. Any person concerned about the integrity of God’s promises will fear. If Esau had attacked Jacob and had overcome him, then the covenant promises would have been made void and the Lord’s honor would have suffered. Jacob recalled the promises that God had made to Abraham and to his descendants and as a result he was strengthened in his faith. Jacob was able to access God's truth and His promises and stand on them due to the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jacob was learning to not be defined by himself or any of his accomplishments but in the accomplishments of the God of mercy and of truth.
