Who Am I?

Christ in the Old Testament - Christophany Who am I? - Genesis 32:22-32 October 20, 2024 I'm certain that we've shared this before, but several years ago an influential "mega-church" pastor famously said that we need to "unhitch" from the Old Testament. We he effectively meant by that is that that Old Testament is no longer relevant and in today's culture, we cannot learn from or apply the Old Testament. One of my new favorite people to read and listen to is Albert Mohler, who is President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said this in direct response to this unhitching from the Old Testament statement: The church cannot "unhitch" from the Old Testament without unhitching from the gospel Jesus preached. Speaking of the Old Testament Scriptures, Jesus said "it is they that bear witness about me." (John 5:39) At Thornydale Family Church, we are committed to teaching the Scriptures - all of them. In this series - Jesus in the Old Testament - we're going to look at some examples of where Jesus is revealed in the Old Testament. We'll do this over six weeks and look at some examples of the various ways Jesus is revealed in the Old Testament. This week, we'll look at what is commonly referred to as a "Christophany." The easiest way to define this term is to think about a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus. Probably the clearest passage in the New Testament to help us to understand how this is possible is Colossians 1:16, where Paul asserts: FOR BY HIM [JESUS] ALL THINGS WERE CREATED, IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, WHETHER THRONES OR DOMINIONS OR RULERS OR AUTHORITIES-ALL THINGS WERE CREATED THROUGH HIM AND FOR HIM. This indicates that Christ - the Son - the Second Person of the Trinity, has always been. Or, to say it simply, Jesus is eternal - just like the Father and just like the Holy Spirit. Our goal and prayer in this series is to not only see Jesus when you read the Old Testament, but that you also look for Him there. When we read the Scriptures knowing that it is all about Him, it adds relevance, which should lead to us to not even contemplate "unhitching" from the Old Testament. So, today, if you have your Bibles, we'll be in Genesis 32. But before we get to our passage this morning, I want to set it up. We'll be reading an account that includes Jacob. Jacob was the son of Isaac, Isaac the son of Abraham. All the way back in Genesis 12, Abraham is called by God to leave his pagan home and begin a new home, one that is set apart by God. This promise to Abraham was that he would be made into a great nation in a great land, for God. This promise was passed onto Isaac, which was later passed on to Jacob. In chapter 25, we read the account of the birth of Jacob and Esau, who were twins. The pregnancy itself would act as a real-life illustration of how their nations would consistently be divided. When Jacob was born, he came out second, and was holding onto the heal of Esau. You may recall from previous sermons that names in the Old Testament actually were meant to describe the character of that person. Esau meant "hairy," later he was called Edom, which meant "red." Jacob means "he takes from the heal" or "cheater" or "supplanter." This describes his personality. Notably, we see in Genesis 25:28 how Isaac loved Esau more than he loved Jacob, and his wife (Rebekah) loved Jacob more than Esau. These two brothers were rivals from the womb. In fact, Jacob tricked Esau into selling him his birthright. Later, he even tricked his father and took Esau's blessing. This really leads to the next twenty plus years of Jacob's life. His mother eventually sent him away because Esau wanted to kill him, and that led Jacob to live with his uncle Laban and marry his wives, the sisters Leah and Rachel, and their maids, Bilhah and Zilpah. Between these four wives, Jacob had eleven sons and one daughter by the time we get to our passage this morning. In chapter 31, we see that there were some issues arising from Jacob's acquired wealth, and he was told by God leave Laban, and return to Canaan. But even here, he did it in a way that was a bit sneaky. Finally, we get to chapter 32, where we see that Jacob realizes that his brother will be on the path - so to speak - back home, so he puts together a plan to try and win him over as he was afraid of what Esau would do to him. As he begins to execute this plan, he sends his family ahead with some gifts, and he stays behind. While he is behind, we get to our passage for the morning, beginning in Genesis 32:22, where Moses records these words: 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. 32 THEREFORE TO THIS DAY THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL DO NOT EAT THE SINEW OF THE THIGH THAT IS ON THE HIP SOCKET, BECAUSE HE TOUCHED THE SOCKET OF JACOB'S HIP ON THE SINEW OF THE THIGH. Alright! This is a wild story! First question that needs to be answered is this: WHERE IS CHRIST IN THIS PASSAGE? I told you earlier about this term, Christophany, then we read about Jacob wrestling with a "Man." But notice what he says in verse 30. He said that he saw the face of God. Theologically speaking, this is impossible, because God is Spirit. Jesus Himself confirmed this in John 4:24. But remember earlier what we read Colossians 1:16? Here is what Paul said just before that in Colossians 1:15: HE IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, THE FIRSTBORN OF ALL CREATION. One commentator said it this way: "Jesus Christ is the One who makes the invisible visible." So, in summary, Christ is the Man with whom Jacob wrestled in Genesis 32. Let's expand on this with the main idea: I cannot know God without having a personal encounter with His Son. From this passage, there are at least two promises that we receive when we have a personal encounter with the Son. First ... * We receive the blessing that God has for us (v.29) o Notice, I didn't say what we want for us, rather what God has for us. o In verse 29, we see that God blessed Jacob. o It's not written exactly what kind of blessing Jacob wanted, but evidently it was that moment that he realized that this was no ordinary Man. o So, what was Jacob's blessing? I think it's twofold. First, * The nation to be known as Israel, and second ... * Jesus Christ * That promise that was given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that this nation would bless all people was the promise of the Messiah - Jesus - the Savior of the world. o The greatest blessing that we can receive from God is His Son o All we have to do is receive that gift, followed by a confession and repentance of sin. o But, we cannot receive this gift without first having an encounter with Jesus. o Next, it's promised that ... * We are delivered (v.30) o Of course, Jacob received a physical deliverance, not only from the pre-incarnate Jesus, but later from Esau. o But Jacob is also listed in Hebrews 11, along with the other Old Testament saints that are with the Father in eternity because they had the faith in God's promises. o This is part of that blessing that we just talked about. o To be delivered is to be set free o Jesus frees us from bondage to sin here in this life, but also frees us from eternal punishment for not having faith in Him o Notice that the deliverance occurs after the blessing. The deliverance is a result of the blessing. The next question that we need to answer is: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US TODAY? There are at least three principles that this passage teaches us that are still true today. First: * God is greater than me! (v.26) o In January of 2021 I got these two tattoos to remind me of that very thing. o This one means "God is greater than the ups and downs" (or highs and lows or hills and valleys). * This is loosely based on Romans 8:28 o This one states that He (God) is greater than "I" * This one is loosely based on John 3:30 o Just like Jacob, we have the tendency of being selfish and trying to do "it" on our own, by any means necessary. o Jacob would have received his father's blessing regardless of his actions, but Jacob tried to do it himself. o Apparently, Jacob was a tough dude. o But Jacob did not prevail. All the Lord had to do to break the fight was touch his hip socket to end it all. o Jacob needed to conclude that the Lord is all powerful. God's blessings come in His timing and in His way. We can't fight with God to get our way. Jacob needed to learn this. This is something we all need to learn as well. o This is one of the reasons why Jesus said we have to deny ourselves daily. Because when we allow God to direct our lives, that means we're truly making Him Lord. o Jacob needed this encounter. While he was heading to the land in which he was promised, he had to still get over his fears and his doubts. o Just like you and I need an encounter with Christ. Why? Because it is transforming. It is life changing. o Once that fear was overcome, he was able to past his fears and doubts, getting to that place that he was promised, thus fulfilling the promise made by God. o Next principle we can learn from this passage is to ... * Know my real enemy. (v.27) o Guess what? o Sometimes that enemy is ourselves. o That's certainly the case here. o Jacob thought this his enemy was Esau. This is what Pastor and commentator David Guzik said about this - "Jacob thought the real enemy was outside of him, being Esau. The real enemy was his own carnal, fleshly nature, which had not been conquered by God." o I think that was one of the purposes of this wrestling match. o Jacob needed to be humbled. o Jacob needed to be conquered, not by man, but by God. o We've talked before about who the real enemy is, Paul, for example, tells us that we don't wrestle with flesh and blood, but the principalities and powers. o And while that is and remains true, what this passage speaks of is the enemy of our own flesh. o A flesh that must be transformed. That transformation - even illustrated here - is only possible through Jesus. o Next, we learn that we must ... * Know our real identity. (vv.27-29) o I want you to remember what we said earlier about the name of Jacob, and what it meant, and what that implies about his character. Do you remember what his name meant? * That's right: "he takes from the heal" or "cheater" or "supplanter." o So, in verse 27, when the Son asks for Jacob's name, He wasn't simply asking him how to identify himself, but effectively He was asking Who are you? o That's the question we must ask when we encounter Jesus: Who am I? o Fundamentally, the first truth we must acknowledge in the Gospel message is that we are sinners in need of a Savior. o Jacob had to come to the realization that he was a cheater, a supplanter, and a trickster. o Once we make that connection, that we're sinners in need of a Savior, then we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, and we are saved. Delivered. Given that blessing. o It is at that moment, where we are no longer slaves to ourselves and our sinful desires, but are now sons of God, declared righteous and forgiven before God - which is the only way we could be in His presence. Jesus allows that to happen. o Aside from the symbolic meaning of the name Israel, the name change indicates a new identity. o For us today, our new identity is in Christ Jesus. o Our identity in Jesus was not of our own doing. It is a direct result of our encounter with Him, and the finished work that He did. o Because of this, we can have assurance in God's promises. This morning, we saw that ... I cannot know God without having a personal encounter with His Son. When we have a personal encounter with God, we receive His blessings and are delivered. When we have a personal encounter with God, we surrender ourselves wholly to Him and live obedient and pleasing lives before him. When we have a personal encounter with God, we recognize that we are not battling with others, but ourselves, our own sin nature, and only God can make us victorious over that through the work He has completed in His Son. Finally, when we have a personal encounter with God, we align ourselves as sons of God, sharing in the inheritance with His Son. Our identity is no longer our own, but our identity is with Christ. But, in God's grace, He does not make us do it on our own. The Holy Spirit is present in every believer, guiding and directing our path. So, who are you? Are you a sinner, saved by grace? If you are not, do not leave here without placing your faith in Jesus. Gratefully, you do not have to wrestle with Jesus to have an encounter with Him, but we all need to have an encounter with Jesus to know the Father. I encountered Him when I was 17 years old in the book of Romans. Where did you encounter Him? How do we respond to this encounter - even today? Let's pray. 2