Grappling with Sin

Today's devotion focuses on Jacob, later renamed Israel, who faced many struggles in life. We'll talk about his dark past (Gen. 27:21-23) and how he resolved it. I pray that if you identify your struggles with him, you may be encouraged and learn from him.
Gospel in the Air is a podcast ministry of Cornerstone Christian Church. We are located in Maui, Hawaii, USA. Our number is (808) 463-8859. You can also visit our website at www.cornerstonemaui.org or you can send your email to danibanggo@gmail.com.

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Episode 20
Grappling with Sin
Text: Gen. 27:21-23
© Dani Banggo 07/24/2024

Aloha! I hope you have a wonderful day today. Our devotional meditation is based on the book of Genesis chapter 27 verses 21 through 23. I ‘ll read to you the following verses Gen. 27:21-23: 

21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau.” 

22 So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s,” Isaac said. 

23 But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob’s hands felt hairy just like Esau’s. So, Isaac prepared to bless Jacob.

For today’s devotional meditation, we will be dealing with the topic, Grappling with Sin.

The name “Jacob” means a heel-catcher or supplanter[1] (usurper). Indeed, as his name implies, first, he usurps Esau’s birthright as the firstborn son. It so happened that he was cooking some stew of lentils when Esau arrived from the field exhausted and hungry. Without regard to his birthright Esau traded it for food right there and then. Jacob knew very well how valuable the rights and privileges of the firstborn son are. Without wasting any moment, he seized that opportunity to his advantage and bought his brother’s birthright (Gen. 25:30 -34). 

Esau: “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!”

Jacob: “But trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”

Esau: “Look, I’m dying of starvation! What good is my birthright to me now?”

Jacob: “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.”

So, Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.

In the second instance, Jacob usurps the rightful blessing of Esau by taking advantage of the physical condition of his father who was stricken with old age and blindness by disguising himself to be Esau. He fooled his father and received his blessing as the rightful firstborn son (Gen. 27). That means Jacob received a double share of his father’s blessing (Deut. 21:17). 

This enraged Esau and vowed to avenge himself by killing Jacob. Fearing for his life Jacob immediately escaped to Haran to his uncle, Laban. (Haran is the place where Abraham came from, a junction of Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which form part of the Fertile Crescent, called Mesopotamia.) This is the start of his long and painful journey. He had nothing except his staff. He is not only a fugitive but haunted by his conscience. Yet through it all we can see the hand of God working to accomplish his greater plan and purpose not only for Jacob but for all humankind. 

Through this unfavorable circumstance God works wonderfully beyond human understanding by turning out what seems impossible to man. In other words, we cannot limit God and we cannot question His sovereignty. Despite our good intentions and plans accompanied with earnest prayers you will be surprised that in the end God has another plan and purpose for you. He will change the direction of your steps and eventually he will direct your path into a different course. This is what Proverbs 16: 9 says, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” 

Indeed, God is a God of surprises, and you will only come to realize Him at the end of the road. This happened to Jacob when he was at the crossroads of life; when he was at his lowest moments not knowing what to do. But along the way, something very unusual happened to him. In an unexpected occasion, in an unexpected time and in an unexpected place God spoke to him in a dream saying, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. 14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. 15 What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything, I have promised you.” (Gen. 28:13-15) 

This dream lingered on Jacob and pondered what it meant to him and for the rest of his life. It was the first time he heard the voice of a loving God personally. He has no idea of who this God is who spoke to him; but only introduced Himself to be a transcendent God; a God who is far from him and even foreign to Him because this God identifies only himself with Abraham and Isaac. It took him years and years to know more about this God and learn from him until finally he blessed him to be the father of the twelve tribes of the future nation of Israel. In all his struggles Jacob succeeded because God was his ultimate source of strength and power. In his golden years, when he was about to depart from this world, he was still able to stand leaning on his staff worshiping the Lord Almighty.

“It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff” (Heb. 11:21).

Although Jacob was called by God to accomplish His purpose through him it does not mean that he is exempted from what he did to his Esau. He surely suffered the consequences of his being a usurper. God is a just God and there is no way to compromise any wrongdoing for that matter. In the eyes of a holy God sin is still a sin no matter how you justify it. There is always a corresponding consequence and punishment for sin. Jacob suffered for it; he learned from it; and, consequently, it turned out for his own good. He became a changed man until he was able to establish a deeply rooted relationship with the Lord. Now I want you to focus your attention on Jacob and see how he faced his greatest struggle in life, that is, his dark past and how he resolved it. Learn from him and identify your struggle with him too. 

First: his struggle of faith in God Almighty 

He said to himself, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God… of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.” (Gen.28: 20-22)

Take note of where the foundation of his faith in God relied upon, namely, self-preservation and security.  It is always the same constant battle cry of man’s basic existence: food, shelter, and clothing. With Jacob’s situation he is running for his life. He is looking for refuge to save his skin. What he needs at this time is something or someone who could counsel or comfort him. In his case, God spoke to him at the right time, at the right place and at the need of the circumstance.  How blessed this man is! When fear struck him down on the road of life God was there with him at the right time! He was consoled. He was comforted. He was cheered up. In a soft voice, in a dream, he was assured of God’s promises. He was given a heavenly peace. This is Jacob’s greatest struggle of all. Lord if it is true that you are a great God, can you provide my needs? Can you secure me from my brother’s wrath? Then if it so, you will be my God!

Can you identify yourself with Jacob? Are you struggling with God’s faithfulness and goodness? You failed many times miserably and it seems there is no way to recover anymore from your dark past. Be like Jacob and struggle with God and claim His promises. Arise and be a highly motivated individual like Jacob who trusted God that He alone can help you overcome all your burdens, sufferings, and pains. One of the many promises of God is found in Matthew 24: 35, which says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

What an assurance our Lord has given us to believe Him on His promises. The problem with man is that he limits what God can do to him. He tries to compartmentalize God in each space and makes Him like a robot, a machine that can only do what He is being programmed to do. That’s not the kind of God Jacob believed in. This God is the God of the past, the God of the present and the God of the future. This is the kind of God who never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and the forever. Therefore, what He promised he will fulfill it and what he said he will do it.

Remember what the Lord promised to His chosen people, the Israelites, when they were exiled in Babylon? The same principle is also applied to you today if you believe and claim that same promise because God’s love does not change. 

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” (Jeremiah 29: 11-14). 

Where are you being exiled today? What is your struggle right now? The Lord wants you to get out of that place and be free. The only way is for you to seek Him and pray to Him because he will bring you back from which He carried you into exile.  Jacob was not only restored and blessed materially, but he was even given a special place in heart of the Lord, in which he became the father of the 12 tribes of Israel where the entire world will soon be blessed through him.  

Have faith in God. Trust Him with all your heart. Continue to seek God in your life. Don’t allow your past to hinder you from pursuing your walk with him. 

Second: His struggle under a deceptive uncle named Laban 

Now when he was in Haran, under the care of his uncle Laban, he was really tested to the limit. He struggled for twenty years. Fourteen years he struggled for his two wives, Leah and Rachel (Gen. 29:20, 27) Then for another six years he struggled to tend the flocks of Laban despite being cheated ten times of his wages (Gen. 29:20, 27; 31:41). But in all his struggles he was able to succeed because God was with him. He made God as his partner in life and although he was repeatedly cheated, he survived them all until he became very prosperous. Jacob never cut his ties with the Lord. With all his tribulations he learned even more to trust in God and that developed in him a very strong character. His grip of faith was settled in the Lord’s abounding guidance and protection. Jacob became great and wealthy because God promised him so. That’s why when he was time to return home to his country, he acknowledged the Lord by saying, “I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become 2 groups.” (Gen.32: 10)

Jacob understood well that he was just paying the price of his sin against his brother. He is now reaping what he sows, a result of his dark past. The Bible says that “your sins will find you out” (Num. 32: 23). 

Jacob must realize the magnitude of his dark past and should be made to account for it otherwise there would never be forgiveness and reconciliation. There would never peace at all in the heart of any man but will forever be haunted by a guilty conscience. This is what happens to his children in later years, how they harshly and cruelly treated their brother, Joseph. There is no doubt Joseph was deeply hurt for all the ordeals he went through at a very young age. But his unbending faithfulness to God made him to be a man of character and integrity. God was with him and prospered him (Gen. 39:2).  

While it is true that the cruelty of his brothers was a vehicle used by God to send him to Egypt that does not excuse them for their cruelty that stemmed from their jealousy and deep hatred for him. They are still responsible to God for their sins. They need to be acknowledged and repented of. Until then reconciliation and forgiveness only become possible. They could not hide their guilt when they were harshly treated by Joseph in return. They were haunted by their guilty conscience (42: 21; 44:16). This is what they said:

21 “Clearly, we are being punished because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn’t listen. That’s why we’re in this trouble.”

16 Judah answered, “Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins…" 

The Bible treats human responsibility seriously. The story of Jacob and later to his dysfunctional family shows how repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation work under the providence of God. In a wider picture it shows the story of God’s purpose for the salvation of humankind.[2]Your dark past should not be a reason for you to lose hope and give up. You need to stand up from where you fall and continue walking. Proverbs 24: 16 says, “For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up.” Scripture tells you to repent and reform your ways to be right with God. 1 John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” How manyfold is the love of God to you. His mercy is beyond all things if only you confess and turn from your sins. Proverbs 28: 13 says, “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.”

Are you struggling with sin? Stop it now. There is no way you can compromise your walk with God. You cannot live with your Christian life while continuously living in sin.  Paul warns us to turn away from evil. “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil (2 Tim. 2:19). And he continues, “Think carefully about what is right and stop sinning (1 Cor. 15:34). Sin will keep you farther away from God until it finally cut all your ties with Him that He will no longer hear you (Isa. 59: 1-2). That is a fearful thing to happen to anyone who turns his back to God and choose to follow the path of damnation. But if you choose to turn from your sins and recommit your life to God then there is “rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Lk. 15:10). 

Satan is like a worn-out tape recorder who keeps rewinding of your dark past reminding you over and over again. He does it repeatedly without any let-up to discourage you. He accuses you before God, day and night (Rev. 12:10). Don’t give in to his lies. Christ has overcome and already prevailed. He has forgiven you. Paul assures you with his letter to the Philippians saying, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Phil. 1:6). God will continue to guide you and assist you to the end.

Look at the life of Melvin Trotter who was once an alcoholic, one who was addicted to alcohol and cannot live a single day without a taste of it. His life was once in total disarray and in complete ruin. There was no hope for him. He was an epitome of a dark cloud without any water in it. He was totally broken; a misfit, a liability to society; a public charge. People who see him around lying anywhere in any place due to drunkenness spurn him. Some even curse the day he was born.   When his baby lay in a little white casket, he sneaks into that room and removed her little shoes from her feet. He went to a saloon and tried to exchange the little shoes of his poor child for a bottle of alcohol. “Give me a drink!” he said, “I’m dying for a drink!” The saloon keeper gave him what he wanted but begged him to return those tiny shoes to his dead baby! But the story of this ruined man does not end there. Not so many years later, this man who had no chance to redeem his lost life due to alcohol addiction; a man hated by many, spurned by anyone, and whom everyone thought he had no hope but would die miserably is now a changed man. He regained respect due to him by the people around him. 

Melvin Trotter became a preacher and soon manages the largest rescue mission in the United States in the early 1900’s. With God, nothing is impossible! Even the vilest sinner can be changed into God’s image only if one accepts God’s offer of grace through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. Yes, my friend, there is nothing impossible with God![3]

Like Jacob, who was once a usurper, let’s humble ourselves and go to his throne of grace asking for his forgiveness and guidance so that He will give us another chance to start all over again.  God is “being patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3: 9) 

It is my prayer that you have been blessed today. Listen to this podcast, Gospel in the Air, and be encouraged in your daily walk with Jesus. Gospel in the Air is a podcast ministry of Cornerstone Christian Church. We are located in Maui, Hawaii, USA. Our number is (808) 463-8859. You can also visit our website at www.cornerstonemaui.org or you can send your email to danibanggo@gmail.com. This is your host, Brother Dani Marantan Banggo saying, keep punching the good fight of faith. Mahalo.
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[1] James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville, TN, 1996), 58 Hebrew Appendix (3290).
[2] Gordon Wenham, Word Biblical Commentary: Genesis 16-50 (Word Book Publishers: Dallas, TX, 1994), 433.
[3] Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations (Assurance Publishers: Rockville, MD, 1979), 122. (#58).