Wrestle With God Who Won't Let Go

By Pastor Lee Eclov

I've spent a lot of time with Jacob lately. The Jacob whose father was Isaac and whose grandfather was Abraham. And whose patsy brother was the red-faced Esau. Jacob is not an easy guy to like. He was slick, crafty, fickle. I call him the Wylie E. Coyote of Bible characters. The rub is that God loved him. A lot! That makes the stories of Jacob valuable to us, because we've been known to be a little fickle ourselves.
 

This summer we will study this enigmatic man, Jacob, in our morning services. More importantly, we will get better acquainted with the God of Jacob, a title used more than 20 times in the Bible. God is the real hero of these stories. I have entitled the series, "The Uneasy Blessing of the God Who Won't Let Go."
 

The stories of Jacob are full of weird things—stolen birthright and blessing, a stairway to heaven, genetic engineering, a very messy family, and Jacob wrestling with the angel of the Lord and almost winning! God eventually changes Jacob's name to Israel, and both names are something of a puzzle. Jacob was a man whom God promised to bless, but who had a hard time waiting for God's timing—who had a strong tendency to take matters into his own hands. Sound like anyone you know?
 

I believe the Bible when it says in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful..." So these strange stories of Jacob are useful for Christians today. These very human stories are muddled and unpredictable, just like our lives.

If you cannot be with us in any of these services, listen to or read the sermons online. Or ask for a free tape or CD.