Genesis-152 – Jacob and Israel

Genesis 48:21–22

 

"Then Israel said to Joseph, 'I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. And to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.'" Amen.

 

The Unfailing Promise and Jacob’s Certainty

Genesis chapters 48 and 49 illustrate the final journey of Jacob’s life. Facing his imminent death, Jacob declares as follows: "I am about to die, but God will be with you. Though I depart, the God who has accompanied me until now will also be with you." This is a profound certainty. In his past, Jacob was a fragile man who had to deceive his brother and father and flee for his life. At that time, flight was his only option. On that lonely road, neither his father nor his mother could accompany him; he was pursued only by the fury of a brother who sought to kill him.

 

Yet, the Bible records that God sought Jacob out on that desolate road and spoke to him: "I will be with you, and you will surely return." Despite his failures and shortcomings, God remained with him exactly as promised. When he first left home, Jacob expected his journey to last only a few months, thinking he would simply find a wife and return. However, that path of exile stretched into twenty long years. There, Jacob was deceived by his uncle Laban and lived a life of toil, akin to a servant, to win the woman he loved.

 

The Scriptures testify that even during those years of perseverance, "God was with him." When Jacob finally amassed great wealth, the attitude of his father-in-law and cousins shifted abruptly. Their countenances toward him grew cold, consumed by envy and jealousy. At this moment, Jacob offers a deep confession of faith: "My closest relatives changed their hearts and looks toward me when I became wealthy, but even then, God remained with me." God cared for him and loved him with an unchanging heart, eventually commanding him to return to his homeland. Jacob realized that God alone is the Unchanging One. Neither God’s calling, His purpose, nor His love for him ever wavered.

 

The Purpose of God Being With Us

Do you deeply feel the true meaning and blessing of God being with us? This promise of Immanuel is not restricted to Jacob or the figures of the Bible. It is the same promise given to you and me today. Jesus promised us, "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." This goes beyond the vague comfort of thinking, "I suppose God won't leave me." As Jacob’s life proves, the fact that God is with us is a powerful declaration that the purpose for which He called and saved us will never change.

 

Why do you think God called you? Was it merely to help you suffer a little less by relying on a powerful deity, or to provide a shoulder to lean on in difficult times? The Bible does not say so. The reason He called you is not just to offer temporary assistance. His grand purpose is to say: "I will allow you to enjoy eternal bliss with Me; you shall delight in Me and I will rejoice in you, and I will perfect you as a child of God who resembles Jesus Christ within that eternal joy."

 

Why do you believe in Jesus, and why are you here to worship? Do you define your faith as merely coming to church out of habit on Sundays and going to heaven once you grow old? If so, the fact that God is with us may not feel particularly remarkable. However, God accompanies us with an unchanging purpose. He will remain by our side until we reach the full measure of the stature of Christ, ensuring that His work is accomplished.

 

To those of us whose days are filled with endless worries, who are sometimes dissatisfied with ourselves and find life burdensome, the Lord says: "My purpose in being with you does not change, and My love for you never wavers." This extraordinary blessing is the privilege we must enjoy and the true mystery of "God who is with me," as confessed by Jacob.

 

God Who Visits the Site of Suffering

Even though Jacob knew God’s wondrous grace, he still faced fear and trembling in the reality of his life. When he became wealthy, his uncle Laban’s countenance changed, and the speech and actions of his cousins turned cold with jealousy. Jacob felt a deep sense of crisis, fearing he might lose all his possessions and be driven out. Until then, the primary focus of Jacob’s heart was how to protect his earthly wealth. To such a man, God’s command to return to Canaan was like a ray of light in the dark. He began his flight under the cover of night, but Laban’s pursuit was fierce. Discovering the flight three days later, Laban pursued him at a terrifying speed and caught up with him in just ten days.

 

At that desperate moment when his retreat was blocked, the Bible records a startling fact: even then, "God was with Jacob." Laban had the power to harm Jacob, and Jacob was in a helpless position where he could lose everything. However, God beheld Jacob’s situation and appeared to Laban, sternly warning him not to harm him. As a result, an unexpected turnaround occurred: Laban and Jacob reconciled, ate together, and parted in peace. Genesis 31:42 testifies to this dramatic situation: "If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God saw my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you."

 

How is the promise of God’s presence made concrete in our lives? The Bible says that God knows your hardship and toil. The true meaning of Immanuel is that God understands your tears and pain. The Lord is not one who stands at a distance as a mere bystander, offering vague words. He is not one who gives empty comforts like a rubber check. God sees your tears personally and feels your pain deeply. He beholds the daily conflicts, the anguish, and the private sorrows that no one else in the world understands, and He has compassion on us.

 

The reconciliation between Jacob and Laban was not achieved through Jacob’s eloquence or wealth. It was possible only because God saw Jacob’s hardship and toil and had mercy on him. When we truly trust that "God is with me," a history of forgiveness and reconciliation begins in our own lives as well. Forgiveness—humanity’s most agonizing task—and true peace of mind can only begin with the certainty that God is by our side, watching over our every circumstance.

 

The Wrestling at Jabbok and the God of Israel

The relief of protecting his wealth was short-lived, for a another massive wall appeared before Jacob. In the place where Laban departed, his brother Esau appeared. As soon as he reached the borders of Canaan, news arrived that Esau was coming with four hundred men. Hearing that the brother who once sought to kill him was approaching with armed soldiers, who could imagine a happy reunion? Jacob instinctively felt the terror of death. It was only when faced with this desperate situation that Jacob finally gave up the possessions he had been so obsessed with. This became the most significant turning point in his life.

 

The keyword that had defined Jacob’s life was always "possession." His life was sustained by the questions of what he could have, how much he could achieve, and how he could gain recognition by amassing wealth. However, the crisis at the Jabbok River completely transformed his perspective. He sent all his wealth ahead and clung only to a plea for his life. In a desperate stance, he remained alone on the other side of the river, acting as though he would give anything if only his life were spared.

 

Yet, the Bible does not say that Jacob sought God. Rather, it records that God sought Jacob. God first approached the terrified Jacob and initiated a wrestling match. Through this famous struggle at the Jabbok, he received the new name "Israel." This signifies that God fought for Jacob. Jacob still tried to overcome the crisis through his own means and methods, but God struck the socket of his hip, breaking the source of his human strength. He was asking: "Can you truly live by your own strength? What will you stand on once all your self-reliance is broken?"

 

In the testimonies of believers, there is a common confession: "I thought what I had was my strength, but only after God took it away did I realize who I truly ought to rely on." We often focus on the result—that someone was blessed many times over—but the essential blessing is the fact that God met them in that place of suffering. At the moment Jacob’s hip was out of joint, as the prophet Hosea records, he finally wept and begged God: "Lord, save me!" This is the true reason he became Israel. God wrestled for him, and the hand of grace that held Jacob then is firmly holding our lives today.

 

If the promise of God’s presence still feels vague in your life, perhaps you are standing at the Jabbok ferry of your own life. That is the school where we learn how futile it is to live by our own strength and how practical it is to rely on God. It is also the place where we find true peace and the courage to face a fearful reality. Just as Jacob, after wrestling with God, achieved true reconciliation with Esau following his peace with Laban.

 

When God is with us, we finally see clearly what we have been relying on. We come to confess that God is truly God, my Master, and the Owner of my entire existence. If we have even a little strength—be it education, skill, or moral pride—we desperately try to rely on it. Jacob, a man of great resourcefulness, was no exception. However, God continually approaches those of us who refuse to surrender until the end. And He says: "By My being with you, you will finally know who I am."

 

A Life Seized by the Word and the Almighty God

What an extraordinary grace this is! What is the most noble knowledge in this world? Though we need much knowledge, is not the most noble, most practical, and most necessary knowledge that of the God who loves and saves us? There is no knowledge in the world more precious than knowing God. The fact that God is with you, revealing who He is, and allowing you to realize who you are in that light, is the miracle of miracles. We are learning this wondrous fact together.

 

After parting with Esau, Jacob experienced the first safe and peaceful journey of his life. He arrived at Shechem, built an altar, and bought land there. For a man who had lived as a wanderer, he finally had land of his own. The fact that he bought land symbolically shows how peaceful his troubled heart had become. Jacob called the altar "El Elohe Israel." "El" means God, and "Elohe" means "God of," so this is a confession that He is "The God of Israel." Here, "Elohim," the root of "Elohe," often signifies "Almighty God."

 

This name is a poignant confession of faith drawn from the entirety of Jacob’s life. It is a trembling declaration that the one who rescued him from the crisis of losing everything to Laban and protected him from the hand of Esau is "El Elohe Israel"—the Almighty God of Israel.

 

Today's text speaks of that land of Shechem. Jacob leaves a final testament to Joseph: "Joseph, I give to you the land of Shechem. It shall be your inheritance. You will surely return to this land, and God will grant it to you and lead you there." What is the basis for Jacob’s confidence? It is because the Almighty God is with them.

 

Jacob is not merely guessing about a vague future or offering well-wishes to his son. He is thoroughly seized by the Word of God. In Genesis 46, God said to Jacob: "I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes." Jacob is now passing on God’s will to Joseph, completely captured by this promise.

 

A Life Sufficient with Jesus Christ

Dear saints, reflect deeply once more on Jacob’s situation. It was not a command to go to Haran, where he went in his youth, nor to familiar Bethel. In the twilight of his life, at one hundred and thirty years old, God told him to go down to unfamiliar Egypt. To leave Canaan, the land he had spent his life cultivating, might seem like a harsh demand. Yet, the promise God gave along with that command was only one: "I will be with you."

 

To this promise, Jacob responded: "Lord, that is enough. Even if I must depart on that arduous journey at the age of one hundred and thirty and live in the land of Egypt, if You go with me, that alone is sufficient." How about you? Jesus Christ is likewise with you right now. Is He truly enough for you?

 

In truth, I tossed and turned last night. My mind was filled with many thoughts. It may not always be easy for you to live a life of faith with a pastor who lacks faith. I too am a fragile human, and I could not sleep as I was seized by various thoughts instead of overcoming the situation through faith. The worries and anxieties you might imagine—personal concerns and various situations of the church—all came rushing in at once.

 

As I tossed and turned, the words of today’s sermon text began to penetrate my heart: "I am with you. Is this not enough?" How would you feel if such a still, small voice whispered in your heart? I thought that by meditating on those words, my heart would quickly find peace and I would fall into a deep sleep. However, contrary to my expectations, that voice grew louder, and the more I thought, the wider my eyes opened. Eventually, unable to sleep, I sat up. It was then that realization dawned: "Ah, this is not a comfort to put me to sleep, but a rebuke from the Lord to repent of my unbelief!"

 

I knelt there and began to repent. "Lord, You speak so clearly, yet why does this promise not bring me peace to sleep, but instead keep my eyes wide open? Lord, forgive my little faith." As I confessed, a line of things to repent for came to mind. In that deep night, through repentance, I reaffirmed the truth that the fact that God is with me is sufficient for my life and brings true satisfaction.

 

Beloved, God has not only promised never to leave us, but He is actually accompanying us at this very moment. And He desires to hear this sincere confession from us: "Lord, Jesus Christ alone is enough for me."

 

God’s Persistent Love that Transcends Death

Jacob finally reaches the end of his life in Egypt. He calmly accepts his death, saying, "I am about to die." However, what filled Jacob’s heart at that time was not death itself. It was not a human concern such as ‘how to die with dignity’ or ‘how to make my end more abundant and grand.’ What completely possessed his soul was only one phrase: the certainty that "My Lord is with me." In the place where that confession dwelled, the fear that had plagued him his whole life no longer had a place.

 

How comfortable must life in Egypt have been? His son was the second-in-command of the empire, and his family lived in the most fertile land. There is no record in the Bible that Jacob suffered or faced storms during those seventeen years. In a life of hardship, these seventeen years were a uniquely peaceful and sweet time. Yet, Jacob was not consumed by that comfort. He declared: "God will make you increase." This was not a language of ambition to conquer Egypt and build an empire. It was a cry of hope that "God will be with you and lead you back to your homeland." It was a promise that the Lord would personally accompany them toward the eternal Kingdom of God. The truth that the aged Jacob shouted with his last breath was the solemn fact that "the Lord will be with me."

 

Jacob likely recalled the journey of his life like a panorama. From Bethel to Haran, the urgent moments of fleeing back to the Jabbok, and from the Jabbok to Shechem, and finally to Egypt—God was with him every single moment without exception. Knowing that faithfulness, he no longer hesitates even in the face of death. If peace dwells in your heart right now, Jacob would say the same: that God is right there with you. At this very moment when we worship, saying, "I exalt and adore God," our God is truly present here. Therefore, we can joyfully confess with Jacob: "God is truly with us!"

 

The Lord Who is Closest in the Darkest Moments

At this very moment of worship, God is with us. Even if you are in a place so painful that you shed tears in deep agony, that place is also where God is present. Even in the fragile moment when you are overwhelmed by fear, your faith is shaken, and it becomes unclear what you even believe, remember who is holding you. If you are in pitch-black darkness where not even a ray of hope is visible, dear saints, that is exactly when God is closest to you in your life.

 

Think of the event when Peter saw the Lord on the water and, fearing the waves, sank. Between the time Peter walked boldly on the water looking at the Lord and the moment he was sinking and flailing, when was he closer to the Lord? Paradoxically, it was the moment he sank and cried out. It was because the Lord immediately reached out His hand and caught him. When we crumble under the waves, when we feel we are passing through the deepest darkness of our lives, Jesus is closest to us.

 

Charles Spurgeon said: "If a scene that you ought to praise most comes to mind at the moment you take your last breath, it will be your darkest moment. Because that was when God was with you most closely." When no hope of living is seen and you doubt if your life is ending like this, that is the time God works. The Lord wipes away our tears, empathizes with our agony and pain, and personally bears all our hardships and toil.

 

The heart of Jacob heading to Egypt at the age of one hundred and thirty must have been like total darkness. However, that tunnel of trial became the most radiant channel of grace for Jacob. There, he witnessed the providence of God in the dramatic reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers, and he experienced the mighty hand of God preserving the covenant people. Even as the descendants of Abraham entered Egypt precariously, God whispered: "I will surely bring you back to this promised land."

 

Jacob knew well that the future his descendants would face was not smooth. He was well aware of Abraham’s prophecy: "Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years." Nevertheless, Jacob was certain. He believed that God’s love would never be severed and that He would surely lead them to fulfill the promise. "I am now dying, but God’s promise is eternal. I am disappearing, but God’s persistent love will never leave you."

 

The God of Immanuel and Our Confession

Dear saints, the story of Jacob we just shared is a record from 4,000 years ago. Yet, remarkably, this ancient promise has become a reality in your lives today. God’s Word never falls to the ground but has been perfectly fulfilled among us. God raised Moses among Jacob’s descendants, established David, and finally led Israel to Canaan, the promised land. However, the Bible testifies that even after they entered Canaan, they still did not enjoy true rest. This was because the reality of the rest they had been waiting for was something else. And finally, Jesus Christ, the essence of Immanuel, who said, "I will be with you," came to us.

 

Christ personally bore the suffering of the cross for you and promises us again today: "I will be with you until the eternal Kingdom, leading you to the full measure of My stature. I will surely rescue you who are flailing in sin and bring you to the place where we share God’s glory." The Lord will be with you without change in every scene of your hardship and spiritual battle, in every moment of struggle with sin, and at every crossroad of life where joy and pain intersect.

 

By this wondrous grace, we have now become the temple of God. The Lord is watching over and leading you minutely at this very moment and will lead us to the new heaven and new earth as promised. Even if it is not visible to the eye right now, how could the God who fulfilled the 4,000-year-old promise to us today not complete His plan for your life? That Word is fulfilled in your heart today; Jesus is with you, taking you as God’s temple and walking that path silently with you.

 

Therefore, saints, I hope we too, like Jacob, engrave this one phrase deep in our hearts: "Christ is with me now!" The Lord is my King and my Master. His calling for me never changes, and the Lord will surely accomplish His holy purpose. His love never runs dry and will lead us to our eternal home.

 

"Amen, come Lord Jesus, accomplish that work among us. Amen, come Lord Jesus, You alone are enough."

 

Let us pray together.

 

Holy Lord, with what could we offer this precious confession before You? Lord, You know my weakness; please joyfully accept even this lacking confession and these lips, and I sincerely thank You for personally being with me. Now, believing in the promise of Immanuel, we go out into the world boldly calling upon the name of the Lord; Lord, please hold us fast. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who is with us forever. Amen.