message - genesis 32 22-33 - february 8 2015

2015-02-08

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JacobJacobJacobJacob

Finish this sentence:Finish this sentence:Finish this sentence:Finish this sentence:

A world I don’t understand is …

RPG’s

Marvel vs DC

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“Face to Face”?“Face to Face”?“Face to Face”?“Face to Face”?

• A long time ago, in the bottom floor of a library …

• Five encounters with God ~ynp-la ~ynp

• Jacob Genesis 32 Feb 8

• Moses Exodus 33 Feb 15

• Moses Deuteronomy 34 Mar 1

• Gideon Judges 6 Mar 8

• Israel Ezekiel 20 Mar 15

The “Jacob Narrative”The “Jacob Narrative”The “Jacob Narrative”The “Jacob Narrative”

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• Mid 1950’s

• Abraham → Isaac → Jacob … → the people/na4on of Israel

• Consistently involved in conflict

• Seven big scenes• Conflict with Esau

• Human-divine meeting at Bethel

• Conflict with Laban

• Marriage and children

• Conflict with Laban

• Human-divine meeting at Peniel

• Reconciliation with Esau

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• Genesis 32:22-32

• A different world

• Listen for four themes:

1. Divine initiation

2. Deeply personal

3. Intentional solitude

4. Supernatural verification


That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."

But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

The man asked him, "What is your name?"

"Jacob," he answered.

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Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome."

Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.

So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."

The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon.

Unpacking an ancient world …Unpacking an ancient world …Unpacking an ancient world …Unpacking an ancient world …

That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female

servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After

he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

32:1-24 family 3x, possessions 24x

32:25-32 no mention of family or possessions

33:1-7 family 15x, possessions 5x

1. What is preventing me from having an encounter with God?

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… Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,

because you have struggled with God and with humans and have

overcome." Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied,

"Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.

• Consistently involved in conflict

• The origin of “Israel”

• “No longer be …”

2. Do I need a new sense of identity or mission?


So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to

face, and yet my life was spared."

• God or his messenger?

3. What do I expect an encounter with God to be like?

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The Jacob The Jacob The Jacob The Jacob Narrative TodayNarrative TodayNarrative TodayNarrative Today

• Divine initiation

• Deeply personal

• Intentional solitude

• Supernatural verification

If I look at my spirituality through the lens of

Jacob’s “face to face” encounter, what do I see?

message - genesis 32 22-33 - february 8 2015

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