Jacob's Divine Protection

Jacob was a trouble-maker. He kept getting into so much trouble. He was in trouble with his father-in-law, Laban, and he was in trouble with his brother Esau and many others, all because of his own success.
If you get all the toys don't be surprised if you are despised by all the boys. It’s very sad when people can't be happy that others are happy. The root of the problem is envy, jealousy, and pride, and this world is full of these evils.
Jacob, the trouble maker, needed a lot of protection from his enemies who out to get him.
In this story you will learn of God's many acts of protection over Jacob's life, and you will learn that God is able to protect you and keep you from all harm. The Lord is the Saviour of your body as well as your soul. We can ask our God to protect us at all times, and He will, even if, like Jacob, we continually get into trouble.

Do you remember how Jacob left the land of Laban? He hastily gathered up his wives, his children, his servants and his animals to quickly rush out of Syria to get away from Laban. Well, after three days Laban found out that Jacob was gone, and he madly pursued after Jacob. Laban was mad that Jacob left without his blessing. He was also mad that someone had stolen his idols, his false gods.
So, Laban charged after Jacob. It took Laban seven days to catch up with him.

But on the night before catching up with Jacob, God met with Laban in a dream saying, "Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad." God was obviously on Jacob’s side and God was watching out for Jacob just as He promised.
God softened Laban’s heart so that he was kind and friendly toward Jacob. And he didn't find the idols that Rachel had stolen.
Instead of dealing with Jacob in anger, God moved Laban to put away his differences and make friends with Jacob. Laban and Jacob even made a covenant, or an agreement to do each other no harm. This was marked by setting up stones on the mount that was called Galeed, meaning heap of witness.
Instead of acting in anger and hate, Laban was moved to kiss his children goodbye and bless them. So, God wonderfully worked this out for good by changing Laban's heart.
This is how you should pray when you face trouble with difficult people. Pray that God will make their hearts soft and gentle. Pray for peace, not war. The Bible says, God is able to make even our enemies to be at peace with us. If you pray for that you will prove God’s good care over your life.

But that is only one story of God's keeping power in Jacob's life. There is another danger that arose on that same trip when Jacob was on his way to see his father in Canaan. This time, it was Esau, his brother, who threatened Jacob.

Jacob got the message that Esau was coming in his direction with an army of four hundred men. You should remember that Esau had never forgiven Jacob for stealing his birthright. He was an angry with God. He was angry with God’s people and he was especially angry with Jacob, whom he had already threatened to kill. Jacob was very afraid of what Esau would do to him. What could Jacob do?

Jacob decided to pray. He reminded God of His command to have him return to his land and of his promise to “deal well with him.” In prayer, Jacob cried out to God to deliver him from the hand of his brother Esau.

Jacob had his own plan to save his life. He sent his servant with gifts to form a greeting-line to meet Esau. He arranged this array of gifts:
· Two hundred she goats, and twenty billy goats.
· Two hundred sheep with twenty rams,
· Thirty milking camels with baby camels
· Forty cattle and ten bulls,
· Twenty donkeys with baby donkeys
That was more than 500 animals as gifts for Esau. Remember how Esau was a hunter and loved meat stew. With all these animals, Esau could have stew every day for years and years!
Jacob instructed his servants to arrange the animals in separate rows and for each servant to say these same words to Esau: “They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau, and, behold, also he is behind us.” Jacob wanted Esau to feel honoured and to be impressed with the great value of all the animals as gifts so that his angry heart would be softened, for as Proverbs_21:14, says, “A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.”
As well as that line up of animals as gifts, Jacob placed his wives and children across the river Jabbok. Then Jacob was all alone in the night. It could have been the longest, most frightful night of his life, but then God stepped in to help.

In the darkness of that terrifying night, Jacob realized someone was there with him. A man approached Jacob and began to wrestle with him to knock him off his feet. Jacob was stubborn and strong. He wrestled through the night until the morning, and then the unthinkable happened.
The man, who was really the Lord Jesus, touched his thigh with such a blow of force that the very sinew in his thigh was injured and shrunk. You may know what a Charlie horse is like. It numbs the muscles in the thigh. Well, that night Jacob was left with an injured leg on so that he limped. But Jacob was determined to win this wrestling. He clung on to the man saying, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”
The stranger, who was the Lord, asked, “What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.” Then the Lord said, “Thy name shall be no more Jacob, but Israel. For as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” So Jacob got the blessing that night through pleading in prayer with the Lord.
Whatever Jacob learned through that experience, he came to the sure conviction that all was going to be well; his life was now safe, for, “Jacob called the name of the place, Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”
That night the battle was won in prayer as the Lord wrestled with Jacob. His safety was secured by the power of prayer. He learned that safety cometh not from man, but from the Lord.
And what do you know? The next day when Esau came toward Jacob, he was full of love. His anger was gone. Esau kissed his long-lost brother. Esau also rejoiced to meet Jacob’s wives and children. He marvelled at God’s goodness to enrich Jacob with so much. Truly, God had blessed Jacob.
In Jacob’s life we see God at work to protect His people, not so much by man’s plans, but by changing hearts. It is God’s delight to turn the heart of man from sin and sorrow to joy in the grace of the Lord Jesus. That’s the miracle everyone needs. All good relations begin when our hearts are right with God through faith in the Lord Jesus. When Jesus is watching over us, He will keep us by His power.
If you are filled with fear, learn to pray with all your heart unto the Lord. You will prove that you will have power with God and power with men. That’s what prayer does. When we get the victory with God, while on our knees, then we will have the victory with men in all our ways.
Boys and girls, join me to pray for you. I pray that God will take care of you to keep you in all your ways, even when I am gone from you as your pastor. You need to know that the Lord will always be with you. Let’s pray for that.
To Listen or view this message click here.