Sermons
June 22nd, 2009 by Pastor Solley062109AM Jacob Guiding His Hands Wittingly.
Sub. Jacob
Theme: Jacob turning into a Godly father
Text: Gen 48:1-21
“Jacob Guiding His Hands Wittingly” Gen 48:1-21 (Father’s Day)
IntroductionI want to begin this morning by wishing all the fathers who are with us a very happy Father’s Day. There is not as much sentiment attached to Father’s Day as Mother’s Day but it is good we set aside a day to honor our fathers. The Bible has a great deal to say about fathers and their responsibility and influence in the home and I am going to bring a message this morning for the men. A message for fathers in waiting, fathers with children in the home, future grandfathers and for grandfathers. No matter which of these categories you fall into you will have, do have, or still have a great responsibility and influence on the home and your children. In fact the father we are going to look at this morning had a greater influence upon his family after he became a grandfather than he did when he was a father. So this message is for all ages.
We are going to look at Jacob this morning, at the father he was and the grandfather he became.
I. In Gen 48 Jacob is near the end of his life and his children and grandchildren come before him to be blessed: Jacob was the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham and was one of the patriarchs of Israel. He was one of the spiritual leaders of the people and his family came before him to receive a dying blessing. – Gen 48:1-21 This continues through chapter 49.
A. But this blessing is of particular importance to Joseph: Remember Joseph was sold as a slave into Egypt by his jealous brothers. As a result he married an Egyptian, his children were born and raised in Egypt. I am sure Joseph raised them in the ways of the Lord but they did not grow up the way that his brothers children did.
1. Now Joseph wanted his children to receive a spiritual blessing from Jacob: The blessing is not for secular things but for spiritual things. Jacob was the spiritual leader of the family and it was a spiritual blessing that Joseph sought.
2. Israel is a spiritually born nation and Joseph wanted his sons to receive part of the spiritual blessing:
B. The notice what take place: Gen 48:9-19 The elder son is to receive the greater blessing as was his right as the first born and with Jacob being blind Joseph lines the boys up so Jacob’s right hand, the hand of blessing would fall on the first born.
1. But as he reached out Jacob crossed his hands: Gen 48:14 And not the younger receives the greater blessing.
2. Joseph then tries to correct his father: Gen 48:17-18 He thinks Jacob simply did not know what he was doing.
3. But Jacob would not be corrected: Gen 48:19 Jacob knew what he was doing.
C. The Bible tells us that Jacob guided his hands wittingly: Gen 48:14 It means more than he knew what hew as doing. At this point in his life Jacob was guided by the Lord. Jacob was blind and Jacob could not see but as Jacob reached out to bless the grandchildren God directed him to cross his hands. God directed the hands of Jacob.
1. In something as simple as reaching out his hands Jacob was guided by God and obeyed God:
2. And that is why his spiritual blessing was such an important thing to Jacob: His father was guided by God.
II. But it was not always that way with Jacob: I want to look back at the life of this father and grandfather this morning and as we do that we will see that he was not always a man that guided his hands wittingly.
A. I want to do three things this morning in looking at Jacob:
1. I want to look at the father he was:
2. I want to look at the mistakes he learned from:
3. And I want to look at the grandfather he became:
B. And I want to do it in a way that will show the fathers and grandfathers here this morning the importance of guiding our hands wittingly: The importance of being guided by the Lord and the influence that can have today.
PROP: Let us consider this morning Jacob, the father he was, the mistakes he learned from, and the grandfather he became.
Body
I. First, the father Jacob was, Jacob was not a very good father to his children: He was one who made many mistakes while his children were young. It may seem to be a strange way to start a Father’s Day message but it is true. My wife and I during devotions on Thursday evening were discussing who was the worst father in the Bible. I am not sure that Jacob was but he gets some consideration.
A. We talked somewhat about his nature last week: But Jacob was a man of weak character.
1. Remember how he stole the birthright away from his brother even though God was going to give it to him: Gen 25:23-34 You can say he didn’t steal it he bargained for it. But he took advantage of his brother at a time of weakness. Why not just help your brother? Why take advantage of him to get something that was going to be his eventually. God promised this to him.
2. When it was time to be blessed by his father Jacob deceived him: Gen 27:1-10 And he deceives his father.
3. Later when God confirms the covenant with him Jacob strikes a bargain to get it: Gen 28:13-22
4. Jacob was a man of very weak character: He was a schemer, a deceiver and he lacked any real trust.
B. When he became a father these character traits stayed with him: We can see this in the life of Jacob.
1. After Jacob stole his brothers blessing Esau planned to kill him: Gen 27:41-43 Jacob does flee and they are then separated for about 20 – 25 years before Jacob returns home and meets Esau.
a. But Jacob is so afraid of meeting his brother that he divides everything he has into different bands. – Gen 32:7-8 That sounds good except that Jacob continued to divide the camp sending group after group to meet Esau.
b. He even divided his family into different groups sending them out to meet Esau.
c. All the time Jacob stayed in the final group. Even sending his children to what may have been their death.
ILL. Isn’t that a good father? One of us may get killed here son so you go first…
2. As his family grew Jacob had a favorite among his children and showed it: Gen 37:3 Joseph became his favorite and when Jacob showed it there was division in the family. But notice why he favored Joseph. – Gen 37:3 Not because of Joseph.
a. Just because he was the last son he thought he would have.
b. And because his mother was Rachael.
ILL. But parents; what will happen if you favor one child over another?
3. When Simeon and Levi sinned Jacob’s only concern was in how it would touch him: Gen 34:30-31 He was a very self absorbed man. When he looked out for number one he did look out only for himself.
4. There are other incidents we could look at as well: Jacob was not a very good father and as he looked back at the time when his children were young I am sure there are many things he regretted.
C. I am sure that each father and grandfather here this morning can look back on certain things and wish they had done them differently: None of us are perfect and I know I can look back and see many shortcomings of my own.
1. There are many things I wish I would have handled differently and done differently: None of us are perfect.
2. There are many areas in which I should have been a better example: None of us are perfect.
3. There are many things I should have been more strict in: None of us are perfect.
4 We all have shortcomings just as Jacob did: Not the same ones but shortcomings none the less.
II. Second, the mistake Jacob learned from: Jacob it could be said spent the greater part of his life going part way for God. He was for sure a man of faith chosen by God and a man that God did use.
A. But he spent the greater part of his life going part way for God: And God doesn’t want that from any of us. Find one place in the Bible where God says give me part of your heart. Give me part of an effort. Give some of yourselves to me. God wants our all my friend, all our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength. God wants our all or nothing at all.
1. Yet when God made promises to Jacob he doubted: And he would try and bring to pass the promises of God.
2. When God said He would protect him Jacob sent the family out first: Just to see if God would.
3. Jacob spent the greater part of his life going part way for God:
B. And then God commanded Jacob to return to Bethel: Gen 31:11-13 It is time Jacob to stand up and grow up, time to take your family and go back to Bethel, which means the house and place of God, to get back to where you belong.
1. It is hard to miss what God tells Jacob to do here: Gen 31:13 This is very clear, Jacob couldn’t miss it.
2. And Jacob does gather his family and start back: We must give him that, he gathers his family and starts back.
3. But Jacob goes exactly half way and stops: Gen 33:17-20 Just like in everything else he goes part way for God. This has been his pattern, go part way for God and it continues here.
4. And all of Jacob’s life this has seemed to work: But not really. Everything has seemed to work out so well. But not really.
C. And now Jacob pays the price for only going part way for God: All that is bad in the life of Jacob seems to take place from this point on. But things have been building because he would only go part way for God. But notice what follows this.
1. His daughter is abused and defiled: Gen 34:1-2
2. Two of his sons commit murder: Gen 34:25
3. His wife dies in childbirth: Gen 35:16-18
4. His favorite son is sold as a slave and taken from him: Gen 37:28
5. There came a famine to the land so great no one had anything: Gen 43:1
6. From the point Jacob knowingly went half way for God he has nothing but trouble: Do you think a light might turn on?
D. And let me say that God isn’t doing any of these things to Jacob: Satan had been laying a trap for Jacob for years and now he sprung it upon him and that is the way Satan works. These things are the result of the attack of Satan and Jacob’s flesh.
1. The Bible tells us in Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. And Jacob now begins to reap the fruit of only going halfway for God all those years.
2. For years Satan seemingly left Jacob alone: But not really. Satan never lets us alone.
3. The beginning of this was laid all the way back with the birthright and blessing: And now the trap was sprung.
4. The things that Jacob sowed all those years were now brought to him by Satan: And that is the way Satan works.
5. Don’t think for a moment that Satan is ever leaving you alone: He lays the same traps for you and me.
6. So many because things seem to be going so good think they can serve God on their own terms: You can’t find that in the Bible either.
E. Jacob learned that there is danger in only going part way for God: It came at the expense of his family.
1. It is a lesson we should be able to learn from Scripture and not experience: These things are ever before us.
2. But many of us have to learn them from experience none the less:
III. Third, the grandfather Jacob became: Gen 48:12-14 Back to the dying blessing of Jacob.
A. Ever wonder why Joseph would want a man like this blessing his children? Think of that in light of what the Bible reveals about Jacob.
1. He was not a man of good character: He couldn’t be trusted.
2. He was very self centered: So much so that he sent his family out to meet his supposed enemy.
3. He causes all that division in his family:
4. Why would anyone want a blessing from a man like that?
B. Because Jacob had a change in character: Gen 45:25-28 Perhaps it was right here, perhaps sometime before this, but Jacob had a change of character.
1. From this point on he is going to trust God completely: Gen 46:1-4
2. He is never again going to go only part way for God: Gen 46:5-7
3. No longer is he going to stop half way: Now he is going to give all to God.
4. For the first time I believe God had all of Jacob:
C. And Jacob became a great influence upon his children and grandchildren: And this may have happened years after it should have but it did happen. Jacob became a great spiritual influence upon his children and grandchildren.
1. So much so that Joseph wanted the blessing of his father on his children:
2. So much so that the other sons and their families line up for a blessing in Gen 49:
3. So much so that Jacob could serve as a spiritual example to his grandchildren:
D. Jacob became a better grandfather than he ever was a father: The reason being that he finally gave all of self to God.
IV. What then is the application for us today, what can we as fathers learn from Jacob? There are several things.
A. We need beware of the mistakes that we can make as fathers: Study the fathers that are seen in the Bible and try by the grace of God to avoid the mistakes that they made.
B. Understand the danger of only going part way for God: It may seem that we can get away with it, that everything is fine.
1. But not really: Satan is laying a trap for us the same way he laid a trap for Jacob.
2. And one day he will spring it:
3. The Bible is still true, Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
C. And understand the influence that you can be as a grandfather: In some ways I think a grandfather can be a greater influence and example than even a father can be.
1. By your faithfulness to God you can be a great influence upon your grandchildren:
2. By your obedience to God you can be a great influence upon your grandchildren:
3. By your obedience to God you can be a great influence upon your grandchildren:
4. And when these things are lacking you can be a great hindrance to them as well:
D. The time that you can be an influence for good or bad, an example for good or bad never ends: On a personal not which you get from time to time and perhaps more often than you want, it is the reason I will not quit in the ministry. And this is easier to say with my children in NC and I most likely would not say this if they were here today.
1. I get as discouraged as anyone here: I get as worn down and as hurt as anyone here. I want to give up as much as anyone.
2. But for Becky and Steven and for their children’s sake I am not going to quit: And they don’t even have children yet.
a. But I don’t want her to think dad did those things when we were young just to get us through.
b. I don’t want them to think it was never real.
c. I pray I can be an example to them for God.
3. But for Philip’s sake and for his family I am not going to quit: And he is not even dating anyone.
a. But I don’t want him to think that dad did those things when we were young just to get us through.
b. I don’t want him to think it was never real.
c. I pray I can be an example to him for God.
E. Please understand what an influence or hindrance you can be:
1. Your children and grandchildren can see in you an example of faithfulness to God: And follow that.
2. Or they can see one that goes part way: And follow that.
F. We need to learn from Jacob:
Conclusion
Having looked at Jacob as a father and grandfather this morning what can we then say?
I. We can see the mistakes that Jacob made: And we should try by the grace of God to avoid them.
II. We can see the lesson Jacob learned: And we can learn from Scripture or experience the danger of going part way for God.
III. We can be an influence and an example to our children but to our grandchildren as well: