Jacob - Israel (Qtr 2 - Week 10: 4 June)

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LMcDonald
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Jacob - Israel (Qtr 2 - Week 10: 4 June)

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Wk 10 Jacob - Israel.JPG
Key Text: “And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed’ ” (Genesis 32:28, NKJV).

Introduction: Jacob is now free from Laban. Under God’s blessing, Jacob has become rich. It seems that he is at last happy. He has reached his goal and is heading home to Canaan. Yet, Jacob is profoundly worried about his future in Canaan and the threat posed by his brother. It is precisely at this moment that God chooses to approach Jacob. This extraordinary confrontation will radically change the character of Jacob. As a result, Jacob is renamed Israel. Jacob’s encounter with God at Peniel corresponds to his Bethel encounter. The two accounts echo each other in words, structure, and themes. While Bethel begins at sunset, Peniel ends at sunrise, with the prospect of a glorious future. After a night of wrestling, Jacob emerges from his encounter with a blessing and a new name. He has had a personal encounter with the God of love and lived. In turn, Jacob is able to look upon the face of his enemy, his brother, Esau, in humility and love. Then Jacob turns to his family and confronts iniquity—the rape of Dinah, the murders committed by his sons, and, finally, the idolatry that was still prevailing in his household.

Lesson Themes:
1. The Distress of Jacob. Jacob’s trouble before arriving in the Promised Land contains a lesson of dependence on God and prefigures the eschatological distress of the end-time people of God.
2. Wrestling With God. Jacob’s confrontation with God forced him to confront himself and to change. His confrontation contains lessons about the significance of conversion.
3. The Face of the Brother. As a result of his encounter with God, Jacob can see the face of God in the face of his brother.

Thought question: Why do you think the Bible reveals so many sordid details about the lives of many of its characters? What point could be made from doing this? What message can we take from it?

Jacob-Israel (Qtr 2 - Week 10: 4 June) Part1
Jacob-Israel (Qtr 2 - Week 10: 4 June) Part2

Audio recordings are available 5-10 minutes after the show has aired.


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