Genesis-111-I Desire to Receive Grace

The Word of God is from Genesis 32, verses 1 to 12.

 

"Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, 'This is God’s camp!' So he called the name of that place Mahanaim. Then Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He commanded them, 'This is what you are to say to my master Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban and have remained there until now. I have oxen and donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in the hope of finding favor in your eyes.’' When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, 'We went to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.' Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. So he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks, and herds, and camels into two camps. He said, 'If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it, then the other camp that is left will escape.' Then Jacob said, 'O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD, you said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your kindred, and I will deal well with you.’ I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the faithfulness you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and strike me and the mothers with the children. But you said, ‘I will surely deal well with you, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered.’'" Amen.

 

On Genesis 32

Genesis 32, the story of Jacob wrestling with God, is a well-known passage for many. It leaves a powerful impression, yet it is also a difficult one to interpret, so much so that the reformer Martin Luther confessed it was one of the most challenging parts of the Old Testament.

 

Jacob Confronts the Holy

After leaving Laban, as Jacob entered the promised land of Canaan, he unexpectedly met the army of God, a host of angels. He called that place Mahanaim, which means 'two camps'.

 

Why did this suddenly appear? The story of God wrestling with Jacob is also hard for us to place within the overall narrative. God told Jacob to return, and he did. Now, he should be able to live peacefully next to his father Isaac. But suddenly, at the Jabbok River, God essentially picked a fight with him. How was this possible? From Jacob's perspective, what was the first thing that came to his mind when he saw the army of angels pitched in a camp? He must have remembered the Bethel incident from 20 years before. At that time, he saw angels ascending and descending from heaven to earth. They are the same angels. Since there isn't a separate group of angels for each region, he's seeing the very same ones. In other words, what Jacob remembers most is the promise God made to him then. What did God promise? "I will be with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will not leave you until I have brought you back to this land."

 

From this perspective, one could naturally think, "Ah, God is protecting Jacob just as He promised." However, considering the Bible as a whole, this encounter with the angels also has another meaning. These angels can be seen as the protectors of Canaan, as the word can be translated as 'army'. What is an army for? It's for battle. What kind of battle is being fought? The land of Canaan has symbolic significance. Many pagans now live in Canaan, and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob do not yet own a single piece of land. But as you know, this is God's promised land. And the act of protecting this land means that Canaan holds a very important symbol in the Bible. The symbolic meaning of Canaan is later revealed in Moses' tabernacle, and before that, in Noah's ark, and even earlier, in the Garden of Eden.

 

In fact, this promised land, from a broader perspective, is connected to the Eden that God had intended to create with Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden, but did God give up? No. What He showed to them was, "I have not given up on you, and My will that I intended to fulfill in Eden will never change." That's what Noah's ark signifies. That's why Noah's ark has a three-story structure very similar to the creation structure when God built the heavens and the earth. Also, the water and the Spirit moving upon that water hold the same meaning. So we realize, "Ah, even though Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden, God did not abandon them but is continuing to fulfill His redemptive history." And what comes next is the promise of the land of Canaan. That's why we sing, "We'll meet across the Jordan." What does that mean? It symbolizes leaving this world and going to heaven. Likewise, the complete restoration of Eden is the fulfillment of heaven, and Noah's ark, though everyone else dies, provides a place of rest and peace for those who are saved, thus becoming the ark of salvation.

 

Do you understand? Many people might think the Bible was just written this way, but it is actually one of the most meticulously crafted books. The fact that this book was written with such unity over a long period, in a time when authors could not meet each other or pass down books, is one of the most important proofs that the Holy Spirit is the true author of this book.

 

The Commonality Between Joshua and Jacob

Ultimately, what Jacob saw at the very beginning of his entry into the land of Canaan was the army of God. This event did not happen only to Jacob. Later, when Joshua began the conquest of Canaan, someone appeared before him. In the book of Joshua, when Joshua drew near to Jericho, at the start of the conquest, he looked up and saw a man standing before him with a drawn sword in his hand. The fact that the sword was already drawn, not just at his side, means he was ready for battle. So Joshua asked, "Are you for us, or for our enemies?" And the man replied, "I am the commander of the army of the LORD." Joshua fell facedown to the ground and worshiped him, asking, "What does my lord say to his servant?" The commander did not say, "I have come to fight on your behalf." Instead, he said, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy."

 

This points to the very nature of the land of Canaan. Canaan is a holy land promised by God before it was even conquered. Since God promised it, whose is it, in fact? It belongs to God and His children. Joshua was not meant to conquer it through his own war; in fact, he was to receive it as a free gift. How was the city of Jericho captured? Joshua did not defeat the enemies with superior swordsmanship. They simply marched around the city. The fact that the city walls fell from marching proves that Joshua and the priests did not bring down the city—God did. The walls didn't fall because people stomped their feet hard; it was a testament to God's work. In the end, Joshua and Israel received the land as a gift, though God wanted them to fight there. This is also true for Jacob.

 

Now, look at this. We now know that Jacob has entered the holy land. If Laban represented the world, then Jacob, having entered Canaan, is beginning to resemble one who has come to the holy land. There, Jacob’s camp and God’s army camp meet. This is by no means a friendly meeting. If it were a friendly one, the angels would have brought water and food, like the angels who met Elijah, or held a banner saying 'Welcome!' But instead, he met an army. This is an increase in tension. The story of Jacob wrestling with God doesn't just appear out of nowhere; it unfolds step-by-step. The first step is Jacob meeting the army of God, just as Joshua did with the commander. He is confronting the holy. It is clear that God will protect Jacob. But at the same time, God wanted to show Jacob what holiness is now that he is in the holy land. That is why Jacob named the place Mahanaim, or 'two camps'. The moment Jacob's camp and God's camp meet without a word, it feels like that tense moment in a movie or drama with dramatic background music.

 

Jacob Confronts His Past and Sin

After meeting the army of God, if you listen to Jacob’s actions and what he says, the meaning becomes even clearer. Jacob sends messengers to Esau. Jacob met the 'messengers' (사자들) of God, and now he sends a 'messenger' (사자), a herald, to Esau. The very act of sending a herald to Esau, who is far away, shows that Jacob is not the same person he used to be. The old Jacob would have used cunning tricks to find a way to escape. He would have run away to his father's house or fled to another place. But now he is intentionally acting as if he is taking the KTX to Busan when his destination is Gwangju. Something very un-Jacob-like is happening.

 

Furthermore, the response from Esau is not good. "Esau is coming with 400 men." When Abraham rescued Lot, he had 318 men. Considering the population at the time, 400 is by no means a small number. Additionally, Esau is coming from a place called 'Seir', which means 'hairy', representing Esau's characteristic. 'Edom' means 'red', also derived from Esau's name. It signifies that Esau has become the lord, the ruler, of this region. While Jacob struggled and only managed to accumulate some wealth, Esau succeeded to the point of becoming a nation.

 

This is not just a simple matter of meeting his brother to say hello. It is a matter of life and death. Jacob realizes that at the moment he puts his faith in God and enters the holy land, what is required of him is this very holiness. More accurately, it is to confront his own past, and even more so, to confront his own sin. Sin is terrifying. We think it will leave, be erased, and disappear, but that sin comes to find us. If it is not resolved, it will follow us and accuse us when we stand before God at the end. Nothing else, but sin, will accuse us. We may have forgotten and might not seem to know, but before God, all those sins will have to be confessed in full. This is also consistent with human reason and common sense, with principles like 'good will be rewarded and evil punished' and 'cause and effect'. It's the same before God. Jacob was now standing at a place where he had to resolve that.

 

So, Jacob had to face his sin, and it became a matter of life and death. That is why he divided his company into two groups, thinking, "If Esau attacks one group, the other group that is left will escape." On the surface, this might look like Jacob is using his wits again. One might think, 'That’s so like Jacob!' but it's not. The old Jacob would have run away with everyone. But by dividing his group in two, he is showing that he intends to meet Esau. This is the beginning of the biggest change in Jacob’s life. He decided not to run away but to confront his past.

 

Jacob Understands the True Birthright

When Jacob sends the messengers, he addresses Esau as "my lord" and refers to himself as "your servant". This is an act of calling a man, not God, 'lord'. He also calls God 'lord' when he prays. On this day, Jacob has, in a sense, acquired two lords.

 

We often think that Jacob is just giving Esau lip service to get on his good side. But in reality, Jacob is saying words that render the birthright he worked so hard for for 20 years completely meaningless. The blessing of the birthright was that 'the older will serve the younger', which meant that 'your brothers will call you lord'. But after 20 years of hardship, upon his return, Jacob is calling Esau 'lord', meaning everything he worked for has gone to waste.

 

However, this is also the highest confession Jacob makes after passing through a much deeper training. When we read this passage, doesn't it remind you of what Jesus said? "The least among you is the greatest. The one who serves is the one who will be great." Now, Jacob understands the true meaning of the birthright. He has not only found his proper place but also knows what his true blessing is and that he has now entered the promised land. Sadly, Esau does not know this fact. Esau has become the great one, the one who is served, the one who is called 'lord'. But the one who is truly blessed here is actually Jacob.

 

Jacob's Sincere Confession

Friends, Jacob became a wealthy man and amassed property, but he also had to confront his own sin. And through this, God teaches not only Jacob but also us what true salvation is. Jacob admits that meeting Esau is something he greatly fears and is distressed by. He wanted to reconcile with Esau, but his brother was coming to meet him with a large company, so he thought of death. However, he does not run away. He has seen through the incident with Laban how God fulfills His promises. This event shows that he has begun to know God much more deeply than before.

 

I am more certain of this because, as recorded in the Bible, he makes his first true prayer in his life. Of course, it's not that he had never prayed before. But the Bible records this important prayer, and Jacob prays to God. This means he has truly been cornered. He is facing death.

 

Look at the first verse of his prayer. In verse 9, Jacob prays. "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD, you said to me, 'Go back to your country and your kindred, and I will deal well with you.'" I believe this passage is moving for those who read it. Think about it from Jacob's perspective. He has come to this place after 20 years of indescribable hardship. And now, he is in a position to lose everything he has worked for. His own life and the lives of his family are at stake. It is at that very moment that he speaks of God's promise. "God, didn't you promise? 'Go back to your country and your kindred, and I will deal well with you.' So I will not run away. Even with death before me, because I remember God’s promise, I am determined to meet Esau." I believe that this mindset and courage are what enabled his faith to make this confession. The more I think about these words, the more touching they are.

 

How was he able to start a prayer like this? His prayer begins with a promise, but in the next verse, the most astonishing thing happens. Look at verse 10. "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the faithfulness you have shown to your servant." This translation is a bit literal and difficult, but it means, "God, I am in no way worthy to receive all the abundant grace (the word is 'hesed') and all the faithfulness you have shown to me." If you think, 'Oh, Jacob has become very humble,' it means this: 'I am not worthy to have or enjoy anything that I currently possess, not even a little bit.' In a way, this is one of the clearest answers to the question, 'Why do good people suffer?' although there are many good parts of the Bible. Why do people who try to live righteously face so much hardship? If God is love, how can He bring a tsunami? Why do earthquakes happen? This is one of the clearest answers. Friends, do we have the right to be alive before we die, to be alive for just one more day, to have come this far, to be here right now, and to sit here to worship? We don't. It is not our place to complain to God even if we lose everything. Instead, it is fitting for us to confess, just as Jacob did, "Lord, I am in a position to lose everything, and my life is threatened. But Lord, I am a person who is not even worthy to have maintained my life until now." This is a confession that one can never make without a precise realization of who they are. Who would be able to make such a confession before they truly understood who they are, what it means to be a sinner, and what it means to stand before God? "I am truly not a person who deserves to enjoy all of this." The more you think about it, the more astonishing these words are. Jacob said this, of all people! Jacob, who lived his life so fiercely to possess everything, is now faced with losing everything, but he says, "God, I am not worthy to even breathe until now. With only my staff I crossed the Jordan, but now I have become two camps."

 

What about you? How do you pray when you come before God? What prayer is there without 'give me'? If we didn't ask for things, why would we even pray? There was a time when I was so arrogant that I thought asking for things was a bad prayer. I prayed, "Lord, please don't let me ask for things." Then I realized, 'This isn't working. I can't pray without asking for things.' We can't help but ask God for things constantly. But now, at the same time, consider this: Do you also say, "But Lord, I am a person who is not even worthy to have all that I have, not even my life"? Because the Lord has given you, even if you live for only one second or one day, it is nothing but grace, gratitude, and a cause for deep emotion. But many of you here have lived for a long time. How have you lived each of those days? Have you lived saying, "I am not a person who deserves to live this day"? Or have you lived complaining, "God, why is this happening to me?" When we look at Jacob, we might think he would be the type to complain, "God, is this all I get? Is this all your love for me amounts to?" But we can see that God’s 20 years of work on him were not in vain. Do you now understand what it means that God loves the humble? You must come before God and pray, "Lord, I am not worthy to even breathe the air from my nostrils. But Lord, you who breathe life into me, please listen to my prayer." If a son came and said, "Father, you have given me every day, fed me, and clothed me in this home, and now I have become an upstanding adult. I am not worthy of all this, Father, thank you so much," what would a father's heart feel? If your child said that to you, it would be a moment of pure emotion. Why don't we go to our true Father in that way?

 

A Prayer for God's Will

The scene where Jacob prays for his needs is another highlight. "Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau." This is an ordinary and natural prayer for the situation he is in. It's like saying, "God, look at my circumstances. Look at the situation I am in. Lord, please save me." It is a completely natural statement.

 

But our prayers are also similar to this. Friends, think carefully about your prayers. Sometimes, what do you do with your good phone? Try recording your prayer. Just listen once. Listen to how you pray. It is good to pray, "Give me." All prayers are good. But for me and for many of us, our prayers are usually like this: "God, I am so sick. So please make me well." This is the majority of our prayers. But we don't often pray like this: "God, why am I sick? Why should I pray to be healed? God, I am truly afraid. The pain is terrifying. God, I am so scared that my life will just be like this." Do you pray like that?

 

Now, Jacob is saying this: "God, I am afraid that Esau will come and kill me and my family." Do you have this expression in your prayers? Your prayers, in a way, aren't they like a business transaction? Like a subordinate presenting a problem to a powerful boss, saying, "Please solve this matter for me," and then feeling thankful and grateful if they get a positive response? Or are they more like a son saying to his father, "Father, my heart is torn apart"? Look at the Psalms. David says, "My enemies taunt me and their words are like a grinding in my bones. Father, must Your son suffer this much?" Why do we hide our true feelings from God when we pray? What you are truly afraid of is not being sick. The real fear is not just healing from the illness, but the fear that your life, your very existence, and everything you have will fall apart because of this pain. That is what is truly terrifying. If so, then pray that way. Why do you try to hide it from God? Jacob showed his heart. Do you show this heart to God?

 

Where are your prayers, in the end? Our prayers are often unable to become a true dialogue with God. How many times do we just list our problems and then end our prayers? We talk about our circumstances, our frustrations, our feelings of being stifled. It's not that it's bad to do so. We should talk about them. So, what is in your heart? "I wish that person would just disappear without a trace." Have you ever prayed that? 'Pastor, I have.' It's okay. David did, too. "I wish that person would just vanish." That is our true heart, not that we should stay in that emotion. But why do we always talk to God as if it is a business transaction, instead of expressing our true heart? Even when we talk about our personal problems, we say, "God, please help my child do well in school." What are you really afraid of? What do you truly want? You don't just want your child to get a perfect score on a test, do you? "God, can this child truly survive in this harsh world? In this tremendous competition, they are struggling even with their schoolwork. What should I do?" Isn't that your true heart? Why don't you pour out your heart? Why don't you truly approach God instead of thinking of Him as someone distant and powerful who will just solve your problems with His strength and power? Friends, pour out your heart. "I am afraid, it hurts, God, it is hard, I am lonely." Open your heart and pray.

 

A Prayer for the History of Redemption

Friends, the reason Jacob's prayer is beautiful and amazing is that it includes all of these things, and ultimately, it blossoms into a truly astounding prayer. In the final verse, verse 12, he says, "But you said, 'I will surely deal well with you, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered.' " This sounds like a fine prayer. But friends, look at the context. What did Jacob work so hard for in his life? To accumulate wealth. He worked 14 years for his wives and 6 years to build his fortune. These were possessions he barely acquired. So, we would expect Jacob's prayer to include a plea to protect these things, as well as his wife and children. But that is not what he does. Jacob is prepared to give everything to Esau. In his prayer, he doesn't even mention the property. He prays for his life and the lives of his family and descendants. Of course, he also adds a prayer to prevent us from thinking, 'What's so important about money? Life is what matters.' "God, if we are to perish, how will Your promise be fulfilled that Your descendants will be as numerous as the sand of the sea?"

 

Friends, in a way, this is a very high-level prayer, and one might think, 'Jacob is so smart!' But from another perspective, considering Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, this is a prayer for the Messiah, for Christ, even though he doesn't fully understand what he is praying for. He is praying for God's covenant that promises Jesus Christ will come through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, a covenant that he doesn't fully know or understand. He is now praying, "Your will must be done, so shouldn't our lives be preserved?" Isn't this amazing? Do not think of this as Jacob using some kind of trick on God. This is not simply a claim based on a promise. It is him asking, "God, isn't this Your will?" Do you remember? When the king asked the prophet Isaiah if their nation was going to perish, Isaiah did not say, "Don't worry, God is with you." Instead, he said, "A child will be born to us," referring to a future event almost 600 years later—the coming of Jesus. And this brought comfort to the king. Why was this a comfort? Because it meant the king's lineage and nation would not perish, and this child would be born. Jacob is saying something similar now. "God, You must protect my life and the lives of my descendants for Your redemptive history to be fulfilled, right?"

 

My Prayer and God's Glory

Friends, your prayers must come to this point. It is natural to ask for things in prayer. But think about how the things you ask for are answered. Is your prayer, "God, Your kingdom must be established through us, so please protect me"? Or is it simply, "Please just protect me"? Friends, is your prayer, "God, please make me mature"? Or is it, "You must fulfill Your promise that the full stature of Jesus Christ will be realized in me, so please make me mature"? If you only want to be mature for yourself, you will simply adorn and decorate yourself. You will become someone who is 'more mature than others, a little better, with better faith,' and can stand above others and say, "You call yourself a Christian, and this is all you can do?" You will have nothing else to boast about in this world. 'I know this much of the Bible. I pray this much. I am this much of a good Christian.' You will have nothing else to boast about.

 

Instead, I want your prayers to reach this level. "Lord, Your glory must be revealed, so please work in my life to make me a light and salt." "The image of Jesus must be formed in me, so please deliver me from evil." "Lord, didn't you say that Jesus is my wisdom? Therefore, Lord, please help me think and judge well. Help me participate in Jesus' wisdom." "Help me not to be overcome by anger and emotion." What's the big deal if I lose to my anger and emotions? Will the earth be destroyed if I get angry? If I throw a full-blown tantrum, what's so great about it? I'm the only one who loses in the end. The truly great thing is when God makes this person, who loves to get angry and live as they please, confess, "Lord, didn't you promise Your kingdom and glory? Therefore, please change my life. Please reveal Your glory. Isn't Jesus my righteousness? Isn't Jesus my boast? Isn't Jesus my everything?" I hope this becomes your prayer.

 

Another Meaning of Grace

Friends, this is the end of today's sermon. But there is a preview. Because it's about what happens next. There is a preview for next week's message. Jacob prayed so beautifully. Of course, God will respond, right? Jacob's prayer was like a cannon, and it was truly earnest. So God's grace will surely come to him. We naturally think of 'Amazing Grace'. 'Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.' How sweet it is. The lyrics, 'Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me,' describe how sweet God's grace is.

 

But is grace truly always sweet? The grace that came to Jacob was the event where God picked a fight with him and wrestled with him. A forceful, harsh, and difficult grace will come to him.

 

Friends, please make sure to read the next part of this story and understand why it appears and what it is trying to say. Organize your thoughts well, and let's follow what the Bible is telling us. Let's see why Jacob suddenly received a visit from God, and what God is accomplishing through him.

 

Let's Pray

Loving Lord, as we think again about Your amazing grace, we look back on our prayers. Are we truly looking at Your beautiful presence? Are we saying, 'Your will be done,' but then ending our prayers with just 'give me'?

 

Lord, through Jacob's prayer, may we, as Your children who have entered the holy land, learn how we should confront our past and what Your grace is that has resolved our sins. May we learn this through this amazing history of redemption.

 

May we, Your people, Your sons and daughters, come to know Your true grace, pour out our hearts before You, and express our hearts fully. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.