Jacob: A Schemer in the Grand Scheme

Genesis 25:19-34; Genesis 32:22-31 September 22, 2019 preached by Doug Cooper Download Time of Reflection Quotations “If you’re telling yourself a story Where the secrets twist like vines And you know where the bodies are buried But you can’t remember where you buried the mines… Remember, remember, it can’t be denied. Oh, oh, everyone hides.” […]

Genesis 25:19-34; Genesis 32:22-31

September 22, 2019

preached by Doug Cooper

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“If you’re telling yourself a story

Where the secrets twist like vines

And you know where the bodies are buried

But you can’t remember where you buried the mines…

Remember, remember, it can’t be denied.

Oh, oh, everyone hides.”

~ Jeff Tweedy (1967-present), an excerpt from Everyone Hides from Wilco’s forthcoming album

“The minute you start to strategize too much, the more you start to think you’re in control of your own fate. And you’re not, really.”

~ James McAvoy (1979-present), Scottish actor

“Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.”

~ Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931), Lebanese-American writer and visual artist

“The encounter with God as Genesis 32 describes it is a fearsome one. If we unworthy servants are to be transferred from the power of darkness, that means God is going to have to come after us in the dark. If we are honest with ourselves, we will see it couldn’t be any other way.”

~ Richard Hays (1948-present), American minister & New Testament scholar

“A powerful physical metaphor is intimated by the story of wrestling: Jacob, whose name can be construed as ‘he who acts crookedly,’ is bent, permanently lamed, by his nameless adversary in order to be made straight…”

~ Robert Alter (1935-present), American professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley

“Suffering, failure, loneliness, sorrow, discouragement, and death will be part of your journey, but the Kingdom of God will conquer all these horrors.”

~ Brennan Manning (1934-2013), American author and former priest

“Christ is the center of the circle, and all stories in Holy Scripture, viewed aright, have to do with Christ.”

~ Martin Luther (1483-1546), German theologian, composer, author and seminal figure in the European Protestant Reformation

Genesis 25:19-34; Genesis 32:22-31 (ESV)

Genesis 25

19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you

shall be divided;

the one shall be stronger than the other,

the older shall serve the younger.”

24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Genesis 32

22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.