Jacob's Smackdown | Sunday, August 11, 2024

Praise the Lord! Good morning, Cross Connection. You can have a seat. It's good to be reminded that there's nothing our God can't do. We are so grateful for the good things that God is doing, and I am very grateful that my wife and my daughter, Evangelene, are coming back tomorrow. Praise the Lord, we survived her being gone!

I did want to add that, as Pastor Garrett was mentioning about those who are on short-term trips, it's not just Ethan, Danan, and my wife and daughter, Evangelene, but also another couple who are leading the trip in Africa, Alan and Rita Wilson. They attend the church as well, and they will be coming back this week. My wife and daughter will be coming back tomorrow, and I will be picking them up from LAX. God is certainly good!

I also wanted to throw out a couple of other things before we get into the Scriptures this morning. You saw the announcement for growth groups, and I want to encourage you, if you are at all interested in finding out a little bit more about how growth groups work and how you might be involved as a host or helping moderate the discussion in a growth group, we are going to start those just a little bit after Labor Day. This week, you can find out on our website, ccchurch.com/events. We will have a meeting where we will talk a little bit more about what’s involved in leading or hosting a group, and we would love to have you there because I think they are an important part of what we do as a church.

Now, we are going to get into the Scriptures this morning, as we do every week. We have been studying through the Old Testament of the Bible this summer, specifically in the book of Hosea. If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and an usher will bring you one. We are eventually going to get to Hosea, specifically chapter 12, but we are going to take the long route to get there this morning.

Because of some of the things we are going to find in the text, we need a little bit of background information. How many of you this morning would be able to say yes to the question, "Do you know who Esau and Jacob are?" Lift up your hand. Okay, that's a pretty good group of people who do. However, in our culture, which is increasingly more biblically illiterate, there are fewer and fewer people who know some of those names of individuals in the Old Testament and the stories associated with them.

I listen to a lot of Bible teachings throughout the week on podcasts and various platforms, and I have this pet peeve that drives me crazy when I hear ministers and pastors in their teaching say, "Well, you remember the story of..." and then they'll fill in the blank, you know, "You remember the story of Abraham."

You may remember the story of various biblical figures, but the fact is that fewer and fewer people recall these stories. However, if you grew up like I did in Sunday school or in a Bible-teaching church, you probably know the names Abram and Sarah, or Jacob and Esau.

Years ago, I was slowly trying to share the gospel with a friend. I remember we were driving somewhere, and we got into a discussion. I brought up the story of David and Goliath. About five minutes into telling the story, he stopped me and said, "Wait, wait, wait. That story's in the Bible?" I replied, "Yes." He responded, "I just thought that was a story they told in business school to talk about the little guy against the big guy." I explained that it is indeed in the Bible, and there are quite a few important stories like that.

Many people know some of the big names, like Moses, and they might know a little about the story of Moses and Pharaoh, perhaps from watching Charlton Heston in "The Ten Commandments" or the animated film "The Prince of Egypt." They may also be familiar with the story of David and Goliath because it is quite well-known. However, if these stories and the names of these individuals are not familiar to you, that is not necessarily a bad thing. It is okay. Hopefully, as we go through the Scriptures, you will get to know some of these people because the things that God did in their lives and through their stories are, in many ways, important for us.

In fact, Paul, in the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, says that these things were recorded in the Old Testament for our instruction, so that we might learn from them. He then gives an application: if you learn from these things, he says, "Therefore take heed when you think you stand, lest you fall." It is so much better to learn from the mistakes of others than to have to go and make those mistakes yourself.

We have these great stories from the Scriptures, and what I wanted to do today is to begin back at the beginning, bringing us into the story of Hosea 12. If you would, open your Bibles to the very first book of the Bible, Genesis. The word "Genesis" speaks of origins, and the Book of Genesis is the story of many beginnings. There, in Genesis 12, we are introduced to Abram, marking the beginning of God's call for him.

This man named Abram, who was called by God, was already relatively advanced in age. He was 75 years old when God came and spoke to him, calling him to follow Him by faith. Abram was married to a woman named Sarai, who was ten years younger than him. Abram and Sarai had no children, which is ironic because Abram means "father of many." It would be strange to have a name that means "father of many" when you have no children at 75 years old. Sarai had been barren throughout her life.

God called Abram to follow Him at that time when he was 75. He was living near what we know today as Babylon, in modern-day Iraq. He was in his father's house, in his father's tent, if you will, in a region called Ur. God came and gave him this call, which is recorded in Genesis 12. The Lord said to Abram, "Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father's house to a land that I will show you."

Why would Abram do that? Why would he leave everything he had known for nearly eight decades, leaving the shelter of his family, his father's house, and all the inheritance he had from that? God made him an awesome promise. In Genesis 12:2, God says, "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great."

There are many skeptics about the Bible and the stories within it, but right here in this promise to Abram is a bit of proof of the truth of the Scriptures. How is that? Here we are, about 4,000 years after this man was called by God, and everyone connected to the monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—knows the name Abram or Abraham. They look back to him as their father.

So, God called Abram, whose name meant "father of many," and said, "I want you to come follow Me, and if you do, I’m going to make your name great, and you will be a blessing." He goes on to say, "I will bless him who blesses you and curse him who curses you, and in you, or through you, all the nations or families of the Earth shall be blessed." That is quite a promise.

If you were Abram and found yourself in that situation, even though he had lived in quite a bit of comfort and had all kinds of enjoyments near Babylon, God called him to come follow Him and set out on a track and a path that he had never known before.

Abram didn't know where it was going to end up. Ultimately, he ended up far west of where he knew as the land of Canaan, what we know today as the land of Israel. He stepped out and followed God on the basis of this promise: if you follow me and trust in me, then I’m going to make good on this promise.

Eventually, God changed his name from Abram to Abraham, which means "father of many nations." When Abram, or Abraham, was 100 years old—25 years after he began to follow God on the basis of that promise—he and his wife, who had been barren, received the incredible news that they were going to have a son. Imagine being 90 years old and receiving the word that you are pregnant! They named their son Isaac, which means "laughter," because they were filled with joy at the reality of God making good on His promise.

As time passed, many different things happened in the story of Abraham, Sarah, and their son Isaac. When Isaac was 40 years old, he got married. He was a bit of a late bloomer like his father, waiting until he was 40 to marry a woman named Rebecca. Just like Sarah, Rebecca was also barren for the first part of their life together. Isaac and Rebecca had no children, which was a problem because God had promised Abraham that through his son Isaac, he would have many multitudes of descendants. God rehearsed that same promise to Isaac, moving it from Abraham to Isaac.

After 20 years of marriage with no children, Isaac began to call out to God. It is recorded in Genesis 25:21 that Isaac pleaded with the Lord. Have you ever found yourself in a place where you are pleading with God? He pleaded with the Lord for his wife because she was barren, and the Lord granted his plea. Rebecca, his wife, conceived. Isaac was 60 years old when this happened.

However, we read in verse 22 of Genesis 25 that the children struggled together within her. She conceived and was going to bear twins, but she was having a hard pregnancy. Some of you ladies might be able to identify with that; she was having a difficult pregnancy and didn’t know what to expect.

What’s going on? They didn't have sonograms back there 4,000 years ago, so she sought the Lord to find out what was going on. She said in verse 22 of Genesis 25, "If all is well, why am I like this? Why am I going through this?" She went to inquire of the Lord, and the Lord said to her in verse 23, "Two nations, not just two children, are in your womb. Two peoples shall be separated from your body. One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger."

That's kind of an interesting riddle. One is going to be stronger, but the older is going to serve the younger, which was not typical. We would say it's abnormal or atypical for that period of time because the birthright or birth order was extremely important in that culture. It still is in many other places in the world today, but it was especially important 4,000 years ago for this group of people. It was not normal for the older to serve the younger.

So, she is going through this pregnancy, and she has this word of wisdom or word of knowledge that God has given her: she is going to have twins, and they are going to be at each other's necks and throats. That has already started in the womb.

In verse 24 of Genesis 25, when her days were fulfilled to give birth, indeed, there were twins in her womb. The first came out, and there were some very distinctive qualities about him. It says he was red. I had a kid that came out really bright red, so I can kind of understand this. The first one comes out, and he is bright red, but not only is he bright red, he is covered with hair. He was like a hairy garment all over, so they called his name Esau. Esau means hairy. They took one look at him and said, "Man, you're going to be called Hairy."

They also called him by another name; his nickname was Edom, which means red. So, he was red and hairy, and they said, "Well, we'll just call him Red Hairy Guy." Afterwards, his brother came out, and his hand, the hand of the second child, took hold of Esau's heel. So, they called his name Heel Catcher. That’s what Jacob means. We're going to call you Heel Catcher. Now, that name Jacob means more than just the literal meaning of catching hold of one's heel; within that name is the idea of a supplanter.

From a very early age, they said, "Man, this guy's a heel catcher. Watch out for him; he's kind of the cunning, sly one," shall we say, the second born.

In Genesis 25, verse 27, we learn about Esau, the oldest. He was a skillful hunter, probably someone who would have lived in Idaho or something, a man of the field. But Jacob was a mild man, a Californian; he dwelt in tents. Isaac, their father, loved Esau because he ate of his game. However, they were Jewish, so they didn't eat bacon; he ate his game instead. Rebecca, their mother, loved Jacob.

Names in the Bible are often important. As I mentioned, Abram meant "father of many," while Abraham means "father of many nations." There is something associated with a name that connects to a person's place in life and their nature. Esau, or Edom, means "hairy," and Edom means "red." They identified him because he was born that way, and that's what they called him. Jacob, on the other hand, was catching hold of his brother's heel, so they called him "heel catcher" or "deceiver." I don't think they realized when they gave him that name just how much of a deceiver he would become.

As you follow the story of Jacob and Esau in the Book of Genesis, from Genesis chapter 25 through Genesis chapter 32, you see that Jacob truly was every bit of a deceiver. He was a heel catcher, always working every angle and trying to get ahead by his own cunning. We see it in the story as it continues that Jacob, the younger, deceived his older brother and stole the birthright.

Now, Esau was not guiltless in this whole situation. He was a little bit gullible, maybe a little naive, or perhaps just a bit foolish. As the Scriptures say, he was willing to give up his place, his birthright, and the associated blessing for a bowl of beans. His brother was a good cook, apparently, and I guess he made a mean chili.

Just keep in mind that in November, we're going to have a chili cook-off here at Cross Connection Church. Maybe you can try to duplicate Jacob's chili; it would be great, and you might just be the winner for sure. Esau must have really liked his brother's lentils.

He was willing to give up his birthright for that, but Jacob, seizing every opportunity, swindled and deceived his brother Esau out of the birthright. A short time after that, as Esau was planning his retribution because he was angry about this, you could imagine that he would be. The Scripture says in Genesis 27 that Esau hated Jacob because he had stolen the blessing. Esau said in his heart, "When the days of mourning for my father are at hand, I will kill my brother."

Esau made a vow: when their father was dead, he would kill Jacob because he had stolen the birthright. This was after the deceiver went in and tricked his father into giving him the blessing. The story is told in Genesis 27 that Isaac, by that time, had become blind and couldn't really see. Rebecca, his wife, and her son Jacob worked out a deceptive plan so that Jacob, the younger child, would receive the blessing of the birthright from their father.

Jacob went in and tricked his father. When Isaac asked, "Who are you, my son?" Jacob replied, "I am Esau." Isaac, although he couldn't see, recognized that the voice sounded like Jacob. He felt Jacob's arms, which were covered with goat skins, and said, "The hands feel like Esau, but the voice sounds like Jacob." Despite his doubts, he blessed Jacob instead of Esau. The deceiver had stolen the blessing of the firstborn, and as a result, Esau hated his brother. He declared, "When Dad is dead, I am going to kill you."

To escape from his brother Esau, Jacob fled. In the process of fleeing, he left the land of Canaan and escaped to the east and north, heading back to the region where his mother Rebecca had come from, to her family's territory and house, to stay with her brother Laban. As Jacob was on his way there, he stayed the night in a region called Luz at that time. As he slept, he had a dream.

In this vision or dream, Jacob sees a ladder going up into heaven, with angels ascending and descending. This is where the idea of Jacob's Ladder comes from. When he wakes up, he realizes that this is a holy moment. Always the conniver, always the one trying to work every angle to get his way, he attempts to strike a deal with God.

In Genesis 28:16, Jacob awoke from his sleep after having this dream and said, "Surely the Lord was in this place, and I did not know it." He was afraid and exclaimed, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

Jacob arose early in the morning, took the stone he had put his head on during the night, set it up as a pillar, and anointed it with oil on top of the stone. He called the name of that place Bethel, which means "House of God." Formerly, the name of the place had been Luz.

Then he made a vow, as recorded in Genesis 28:20. Jacob said, "If God will be with me and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God."

You see, the conniver is trying to work a deal: "God, if you bless me, I'll serve you." I know none of you have ever said anything like that, but can you see the heel catcher at work here? It's a quid pro quo. He tries to negotiate with God: "If you take care of me, if you bless me, if you help me come back to my father's house in peace, then, Lord, you shall be my God."

He also states that the stone he has set up as a pillar shall be God's house, and he promises, "All that you give me, I will surely give a tenth back to you. I will even tithe."

Again, none of you have ever thought anything like Jacob, but he is a bit of a deceiver—always the swindler, always the heel catcher, always trying to wheel and deal and barter to get his way.

Remember, as I have said many times before, the Scriptures reveal that you reap what you sow. If you plant into your life or sew into your experience a whole bunch of swindling and deception, expect to reap the consequences.

Jacob rises from that night and continues east to go to the house of his mother's family. When he gets there, he discovers where his deceptive gene came from. He meets his uncle Laban, and these two are like kindred spirits when it comes to conniving. Laban is at least Jacob's equal, his rival for sure, in this whole area of swindling, wheeling, and dealing, and trying to get his way.

From Genesis chapter 29, when Laban is introduced to us, until Genesis chapter 31, it is just this back-and-forth swindling and deception that lasts for twenty years. For twenty years, Jacob tries to work every possible angle to get what he wants from Laban, and Laban is equally trying to work every possible angle to get what he wants from Jacob. In the end, when all is said and done, Jacob finally says, "All right, I'm out. We have to get out of here. I can't live under these circumstances any longer." Jacob and Laban almost go to blows over their deception and swindling.

Jacob says to Laban in Genesis 31:41, "I have been in your house for twenty years. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters." It was during this period of time that he married two women and also received two concubines. He continues, "I've served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. You've been a swindler and a conniver." I guarantee you Laban was thinking, "Hey, pot meet kettle," because the same way they went back and forth trying to rob each other blind during those twenty years, he had been swindling and deceiving as well. As a result, he had amassed quite a wealth; he had become very, very wealthy.

We will even see in the text that we will look at in just a moment just how wealthy he had become. As I mentioned, he had two wives and two concubines, and from them, he had twelve sons and one daughter, along with a house full of all kinds of wealth. At that point in time, wealth wasn't really accounted for by silver or gold; it was measured by how many flocks and servants you had. His household was filled with all of these things. At the end of Genesis chapter 31, Jacob is at the proverbial crossroads.

Crossroads. He and his father-in-law Laban have gotten into a fight with each other. They made a deal, a covenant, and set up a pillar of stone, declaring, "This is the boundary line." This is basically what Laban says to Jacob: "You cross this, your life is in your own hands. I don't want to see you again." They make a deal, and Jacob agrees that Laban will not come his way, and he will not go Laban's way. They are done.

Jacob cannot go back to the east, but remember, he has a problem out west with his big brother Esau. Esau hated Jacob twenty years before and said, "When our dad is dead, I am going to kill you." So, Jacob is stuck. The heel catcher is caught in a snare. He has found himself, because of all his deceptive practices, in a place that is going to be really hard for him to get out of. Even though he has all kinds of wealth, there are certain points when wealth cannot help you, and this is exactly that situation. He is absolutely stuck. He gained his wealth through lies, deception, exploitation, and fraud, and now he has a huge problem because of that.

Look at Genesis chapter 32. If you have your Bibles, open them up to Genesis chapter 32. This is the key part of the story that we are going to focus on today, which has a connection to Hosea 12. You might be wondering what this has to do with Hosea 12, but I guarantee you there is a connection.

Genesis 32, verse 1: "So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him." Now, that is a mysterious thing that happens there. We don't exactly know what that means, but apparently, he had some sort of vision that angelic beings were there in that place. The angels of God met him, and Jacob saw them. He said, "God is in this camp," and he called the name of the place Mahanaim.

Then Jacob sent messengers, verse 3, before him to Esau, his brother. He cannot go back to the east because he and Laban have agreed not to cross that line, but he has this huge problem with his brother Esau in the west. So, he figures he has to try and figure out how to fix this. He sends messengers to Esau, his brother, in the land of Seir, in the country of Edom. Edom, this red guy, hairy Esau, has a whole region now that is associated with his name. He has become quite powerful and quite wealthy. Jacob sends messengers to his brother and commands the messengers, saying, "Speak thus to my Lord Esau: 'Thus says your servant Jacob.'"

Servant Jacob says, "I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now. For twenty years, I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants. I've become very, very wealthy, and I have sent to tell you, my Lord Esau, that I may find favor in your sight."

Man, how the tune has changed! Twenty years previously, he was stealing from his brother, trying to take away from their blind father the blessing. Now, here he comes, saying, "Listen, I've become very wealthy, and I want to find favor in my Lord Esau's eyes. I am your servant."

So he sends the messengers to them, and then the messengers returned, saying, "We came to your brother Esau." What happened? "Well, he's coming out to meet you, and four hundred men are with him."

What would you be thinking if you were Jacob at this moment? Oh snap! We have a problem; four hundred men are with him. Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed, so he divided his camp, his people that were with him, and the flocks, herds, and camels into two companies.

What he does is separate all of his wealth and his servants, putting them out in front. He takes his wives and children and puts them out in the back, positioning himself in between them. What is he doing here? He divided the people that were with him and the flocks, herds, and camels into two companies. He said, "If Esau comes to one company and attacks it, then the other people that are left will escape."

Then Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, the Lord Yahweh, who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you.'" Note this verse 10; this is key and important.

"I, Jacob the deceiver, the swindler, the heel-catcher, am not worthy of the least of all your mercies and all the truth which you have shown your servant. For I crossed over this river, the Jordan, with my staff, and now I've become two companies. This is key."

Verse 11: "Deliver me, I pray. Rescue me, save me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother of my children."

He will surely treat you well and make your descendants as numerous as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. Imagine the picture. We actually know, historically speaking, from biblical study where this region is in the modern country of Jordan. The river that he is on is called the River Jabbok; we know that from the previous chapter. The way it winds through here gives us a good idea of where he was.

He has put his wives and children behind him and all of his wealth in front of him. He is there in the middle as his brother, with 400 men, is coming. What does he do? In verse 13, it says he lodged there that same night and took what came to his hand—all of his wealth—as a present for his brother Esau. What did he have? He had 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 lambs, 30 milk camels and their colts, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 foals.

He delivered them to the hand of his servants, each drove by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass over before me and put some distance between successive droves." He commanded the first servant, saying, "When you see Esau, and he meets you and asks, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going? Who are these in front of you?' then you shall say, 'They are your servant Jacob's. It is a present sent to my lord Esau, and behold, he is also behind us.'"

What is he doing here? Again, he is trying to work all the angles. He takes everything that he has, and remember, wealth was not accounted for by silver and gold but by all the flocks. You can read there all the things that he has, with all these servants. He divides them up into what is like a parade—Jacob's parade of all his wealth—and sends it ahead as a gift to his brother. He is trying to soften the blow, if you will.

As each different animal comes to his brother, Esau would ask, "Who do you belong to, and where do these come from?" They would respond, "These are your servant Jacob's, and they are given to you, my lord Esau, as a gift." He commanded the second and the third servants, and all who followed in the droves, saying, "In this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him. Also say, 'Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.' For he said, 'I will appease him with a present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.'"

So the present went on before Jacob.

Jacob stayed that night at the Camp of Jacob, which is at the crossroads. Because of his deceptive practices and all the swindling things he did for twenty years, he put himself in a pickle. He can't go back toward Laban in the East, and he can't go forward because his brother is coming with four hundred men. He thinks, "I'm toast. I'm done." So, he tries to send everything out ahead of him. He is in the fight of his life, or so he thinks.

In Genesis 32:22, it says, "And he arose that night." Jacob took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons and crossed over the Ford Jabbok. He took them and sent them over the brook and sent over what he had. Jacob was left alone, all by himself. A man—capitalized in the New King James Version—wrestled with Jacob until the breaking of day.

When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, it was clear that Jacob was really good at Jujitsu. He was putting up quite a fight with this man who came to wrestle him. There was some serious grappling going on here. They wrestled all night long, going back and forth. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched the socket of his hip. There are some MMA guys who would like to know this move. He touched the socket of Jacob's hip, and the socket was put out of joint as he wrestled with the man.

Jacob kept on fighting, laying there in the dust, all sweaty, with tears running from his eyes. The man said to him, "Let me go, for the day breaks." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man then asked him, "What is your name?" It is interesting that the last time Jacob was asked about his identity was when his father said, "Who are you, my son?" Jacob lied to his dad and said, "I am Esau." Now, here is the swindler, the heel catcher, the deceiver, lying on the ground.

Ground dust covered him, and tears streamed from his eyes as he said, "I'm not letting you go unless you bless me." The man asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "Jacob." The man said to him in verse 28, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel." This is the first time that name is used in the Scriptures. "For you have struggled with God." The word "struggled" in Hebrew is "sar," which means one who wrestles with God. That's what Israel means: you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed. You shall no longer be called deceiver, heel-catcher, Jacob; you now shall be called Israel, the one who wrestles with God.

There is another connected meaning to this name, which signifies one who has become governed or ruled by God. However, the core meaning is one who wrestles with God. He wrestled with the Lord that night. Many people ask, "Who is this man?" I think this man, as you piece the pieces together, is the Incarnate God, which is Jesus Christ before His birth to Mary. So, he wrestled with this man and said to him, "Tell me, I pray, your name." The man responded, "Why is it that you ask me my name?" and he blessed him there.

Jacob called the name of that place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." Just as he crossed over Penuel, the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. Therefore, to this day, the children of Israel do not eat the muscle of the shank, which is in the hip socket, because God touched the socket of Jacob's hip, and the muscle shrank.

This is an interesting passage of Scripture. It has some personal meaning for me because it's probably been more than two decades ago that I remember having a conversation with my oldest brother. It's kind of funny; I was thinking about this the other day, and my oldest brother called me last night. We had a long conversation, and we talked about this exact thing. I remember this conversation vividly. I was trying to share some spiritual insights with my brother. He has had a life where he hasn't exactly walked with the Lord much. He is a lot better in recent years, but there was a long time when he was kind of like Jacob. I remember having a pretty long conversation, and I can recall exactly where we were: we were standing in the garage at my parents' house, discussing spiritual matters.

My brother told me, "Well, I want to wrestle with God like Jacob did. That's what I want. I want God to come down; I want to wrestle with God like Jacob did." I said, "Well, you might want to be careful because Jacob walked with a limp for the rest of his life."

It's interesting. If you ever meet my brother Allan, you might find that connection to be fascinating. He wrestled with God, and he only prevailed when, effectively, Jacob died and Israel rose. A name in the Scriptures is often connected with the nature and character of something more than just a name change. As he laid there on the ground, holding on to the Lord, he said, "I'm not letting you go unless you bless me." After he had prayed, "Lord, please deliver me. I'm not worthy of all your mercy," he had a recognition. It seems, and maybe I'm reading too much into the text, but I don't think I am. He had a recognition that something had to change at that moment, as he had trapped himself in the heel-catcher that he had been.

God gave him something much greater than any financial blessing. He transformed something about Jacob into Israel. The rest of the story with Esau comes in chapter 33, where Esau did not kill his brother Jacob. In fact, quite the contrary. When he met up with him, in verse four of Genesis 33, it says that Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and wept. Then he asked his brother Jacob, "What is the meaning of all this stuff you keep sending and saying is mine?" Jacob replied, "Well, it's a gift for you." Esau said, "I don't need all that. I have plenty of my own stuff. You don't need to give me all this."

It's a fascinating transformation that takes place from Jacob to Israel. What does this have to do with Hosea 12? Well, if you would, I don't have a lot of time, but if you would turn to Hosea 12, we're going to see the connection. Hosea 12 comes some 1,450 years after the time of Jacob, where Jacob wrestled with God. It actually begins at the very last verse of chapter 11. There we read this: Hosea 11:12, "Ephraim," that's another name for the northern ten tribes of Israel, "has encircled me with lies and the house of Israel with deception." Now Judah, the southern tribes, they walk with God still.

The Holy One is faithful, but Ephraim, the northern tribes, feed on the wind and pursue the East Wind. They daily increase lies and desolation. They also make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried to Egypt. Jacob's descendants, the children of Israel in the northern kingdom during Israel's day, have been like their namesake, the name from which they came. Israel had been like Jacob when he was a deceptive heel-catcher. They had lied and deceived everyone in their path, even trying to encircle God with their lives.

Even though Judah in the south had continued to marginally walk with God, the people in the north had been wholly and completely given over to their deception, immorality, and indecency. For centuries, they had persisted in all of their wickedness, and now comes the reaping of the sowing. They had sown to all of this deception and lies for centuries, and now they are reaping the consequences.

Point number one, if you're taking notes: a deceiver who encircles others with lies will be blighted by a strong East Wind. Living here in San Diego, we understand this idea of an East Wind because, from time to time, we get an East Wind. East of us is the desert, and when the East Wind comes, it blows hot, dry air here. We call that a Santa Ana. When the Santa Anas come, we know there are all kinds of dangers that can accompany it, like wildfires.

The people of Israel in the land of Canaan experienced the same thing because east of them is the great Arabian Desert. When the strong East Wind comes, it can devastate and decimate all of their crops, drying them out and destroying them. God effectively says through the prophet Hosea, "You, Israel, just like your father Jacob, have been a deceiver. You have been encircling me with your lies constantly, and now you are reaping the consequences. The strong East Wind is going to come and destroy you."

The deceiver who encircles others with lies will be blighted and destroyed by the strong East Wind. Why? Do not be deceived; God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. This is, as I've said for weeks, the inevitable consequences of sin, and it is also true.

Point number two: you cannot placate and pacify the enemy, but that's exactly what Israel tried to do. That's also what Jacob tried to do, didn't he? He thought, "I'll just send gift after gift after gift to my brother, and maybe I can appease him."

The people of Israel were facing a significant threat from their enemies, the Assyrians. In an attempt to secure their safety, Israel tried to make a covenant with the Assyrians, thinking that if they paid them off, they could appease them. They believed that their wealth, derived from their fertile land, would allow them to buy protection. However, Israel was not only trying to appease the Assyrians; they also sent their oil to Egypt, attempting to play both sides. They hoped to win the favor of the Egyptians in the south, thinking that perhaps they would protect them while also trying to placate the Assyrians with money.

Despite their wealth, Israel refused to turn to the Lord for help. They had all kinds of resources at their disposal, but ultimately, they only had one choice that could truly resolve their predicament. This choice was to do what Jacob eventually did when he prayed that essential prayer: "I am not worthy of your mercy, but Lord, please deliver me." Unfortunately, Israel would not take this path.

In Hosea 12:2, we read that the Lord brings a charge against Judah, the southern tribe. He is going to punish them, but the name used there is Jacob. God says, "I am going to punish you, Jacob, Israel, according to your ways; according to his deeds, God will recompense him."

Point number three is that God will not barter or negotiate with a sinner; He will repay them according to their deeds. The last thing anyone wants is to face God, who is completely just, based on their deeds. It is a grave mistake to stand before Him for judgment based on what one has done that is bad and what one has done that is good.

In Islam, one of the symbols is the scales. It is said that at birth, each person is assigned at least two angels who record all their good works and all their bad works. On the final day, when one stands before Allah, the hope is that their good works will outweigh their bad works, ensuring their acceptance. However, there is no certainty until that final day. Trust me, the last thing you want is to stand before God based on your deeds. Jacob will be judged by God according to their deeds, and they will receive the recompense for their actions.

The payment for their actions is clear, as Romans chapter 6 states, "the wages of sin is death." I don't want to stand before God based on my deeds. When I stand before God, I want to stand on the basis of His mercy. King David understood this when he was confronted with his sinful actions of adultery and ultimately murder. When it was finally revealed what he had done, his repentance is recorded for us in Psalm 51, which opens with these words: "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions."

That is your and my only hope. My only hope is God. Have mercy on me. Deal with me not according to my good works or my bad works. For sure, God, would You deal with me according to Your lovingkindness and Your mercy? Blot out my transgressions.

Hosea continues in chapter 12, verse 3, saying that Jacob took his brother by the heel in the womb. This refers back to the story we just looked at in Genesis. In his strength, Jacob struggled with God. Yes, he struggled with the angel and he prevailed. While he did, he wept and sought favor from Him. Jacob found God in Bethel, the house of God, and there he spoke to us, that is, the Lord God of hosts. The Lord is His memorable name.

So, by the help of your God, return. Observe mercy and justice, and wait on your God continually. Hosea reminds the people to remember the story of their father Jacob. Remember when he wrestled with God? Remember when he basically gave up and said, "Lord, please forgive me; deliver me"? God changed him from Jacob to Israel. Now, Hosea says to the people, "Follow Jacob in that repentance." He urges them to return to the Lord, observe mercy and justice, and wait upon the Lord.

Point number four: only by repentance will God relent and give mercy and grace. Jacob prevailed with God when he became Israel. He prevailed with God when he yielded and begged for God's blessing. He prevailed with God when he said, "I'm not worthy of Your mercies; deliver me, I pray." It was then that Jacob became transformed.

Israel, but his people, Israel's people, the children of Israel in the north, by their sin were now devolving. They were not reverting from being like Jacob to become Israel; instead, they were devolving to be more like the wicked Canaanites.

Look at verse 7: "A cunning Canaanite, Israel has become like a cunning, deceptive, sly Canaanite with deceitful scales in his hand. They love to oppress." They had become wealthy by unjust practices, both in business and in law. They had done all kinds of wicked, oppressive things, and Ephraim said, "Surely I've become rich." They looked at themselves and said, "Look at all this wealth we've amassed! I found wealth for myself in all my labors." They shall find in me no iniquity.

Here was the false lie that they told themselves; they deceived themselves. They believed they had become so wealthy that this was proof they were okay, and it would cover their sins. Be careful when you think you stand, lest you fall.

"I am the Lord your God," verse 9 states. "Ever since the land of Egypt, I will again make you dwell in tents as in the days of your appointed Feast." The children of Israel, for one week a year at what is called the Feast of Tabernacles, would leave their homes and live in tabernacles, tents outside, to remind them of their wilderness wanderings. Here, God says to the people of Israel, "You've built great homes for yourselves. You think that you're super wealthy, but I'm going to make you dwell in tents again, and it's not just going to be for a week during a feast."

"I have also spoken by the prophets. I've told you that this would happen and have multiplied visions. I've made it very, very clear through prophets like Hosea and many others after them. I've given symbols through the witness of the prophets." God said, "I have multiplied visions to prophets for centuries, telling you that this would come so that you might repent." But they would not.

Though Gilead has idols, surely, verse 11 continues, "they are vanity. Though they sacrificed bulls in Gilgal, indeed their altars shall be heaps and furrows in the field." They had turned the holy places of the land—Gilead and Gilgal—into places of idolatry and immorality. God says, "I'm going to make it a heap of ruins."

Jacob, when he fled from Esau, fled to the country of Syria. Israel served for a spouse and for a wife; he tended sheep. By a prophet, the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet, he has preserved Ephraim, the descendants of Israel.

Jacob provoked God to anger most bitterly. Therefore, His Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him and return his reproach upon him. God calls His people to remember what happened with Jacob and to return to Him and repent, as Jacob ultimately did. Remember how I rescued you out of Egypt, how I brought you out of bondage. Would you turn to Me and repent? But they would not. Therefore, God says, "I'm going to leave their guilt upon them, and I'm going to allow them to reap the consequences of their guilt." Instead of receiving His mercy, they had trusted in idols, and it had become disastrous for them. They had put their confidence in their wealth and all the things they had, but none of that was going to save them during the day of their trouble.

Their persistent idolatry and immorality had provoked the Lord to a bitter anger, and now He is going to bring the bloodshed of guilt upon them. It's a heavy word. Why are these things recorded, and why are we looking at them? Paul, in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, said these things are recorded for our instruction and admonition. You might be able to build quite a life for yourself through deception, through all kinds of injustice, and through all kinds of immorality. Many people have, but eventually, the bill comes due. Eventually, you reap what you sow, and in that moment, there is only one place to turn. Your wealth will not be able to save you. The only salvation is in the Lord.

According to all of Your mercies, I have these things. I am not worthy of those things. God, deliver me. Turn to the Lord; there is still time. There is still an opportunity to turn to the Lord. I think that this word we have here in Hosea 12 and the illustration from Genesis in the life of Jacob are exceedingly important for us living in the time and place that we do. No, we are not Israel, and no, we do not follow every single thing that they did, but the stories of Israel are instructive for us.

As we look at our own culture and our own society, we only have one option. We have become very wealthy as a people and as a nation, and we need to recognize that all has been according to God's grace and His mercy. The danger is in us thinking that it is all the things we have built, all the amazing things because of our ingenuity and our intelligence, and how great we are. No, it has all been according to God's mercy.

Grace and our deliverance is ultimately found in Him. God, help us to know that, and help us to have the boldness to share that with others. I guarantee you there are a lot of people in our lives who need to hear that reality.

Would you stand with me as we close in prayer? Father God, I thank You for this passage of Scripture. It is challenging but important, and I pray that You would help us to learn the lessons we can find in passages like Genesis and Hosea. They may seem, at the very beginning, when we read through them casually or quickly, like they have nothing to do with us. But God, You have so many gems of truth that You want us to glean from these passages.

I pray for our county, our state, our nation, and this world that is in desperate need of Your mercy and grace. Apart from Your mercy and grace, we have no ultimate hope. Would You help us to recognize that? Would You help us to affirm it in our own lives and to share it with others? Give us boldness, we pray. We ask this today in the mighty and precious name of Jesus. Amen.