Stephen Whitehouse - From Jacob to Israel - Class 5 - Transformation From Face To Character

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   Well, good morning, brothers and sisters. Good. Morning. Well, Jacob’s transformation from grappling with an Angel. To exchanging. Humble words with Esau revealed. His spiritual transformation yesterday, he now. Sees the face of God. He no longer. Is looking in the face of Esau. We learnt yesterday, didn’t we, that. He had to let go of Esau in order to hold. On to God and in all of this.

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   He. Saw the hand of Providence, but when we come later. In the life of. Jacob. We soon find that he. Meets another low point, a crisis moment, and it’s there in Genesis. Chapter 34 so we’ve. Opened up our scriptures. And we look at Genesis chapter 34 and you. Just can scroll your eyes.

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   Down that chapter and you can see. There. The infamous incident the. The bloodthirsty slaughter of the. Shechemites of Levi and Simeon and how? Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. Is living with the Prince of the Hivites. Brothers and sisters. By the time we get. To chapter 34. Jacob’s house is being destroyed before his very eyes.

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   Jacob again finds himself on his knees. And I want you just to notice a few. Little interesting. Details here. Notice in this situation. With the Shechemites, how Jacob’s fears resurface. So remember yesterday. We looked at. Giving back the blessing of Esau and the day before in the. Power of God. Contending with an Angel, but now somehow.

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   The fears of Jacob resurface. Again. So notice at the end of. Verse 30. Reread these. Words from Jacob they. He’s speaking specifically here. Of the Canaanites and the. Perizzites they shall. Gather themselves together against me. Have we heard this kind of language before? They shall gather themselves together against. Me and slay me and.

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   I shall be destroyed, he. Fears and my house. Just keep your finger there and go. Back to Chapter 30. Two and see. How This is similar to the fears that Jacob earlier expressed regarding. Esau, you see there in verse 11. Of chapter. 32 I fear him. Lest he will come and. Smite me and the mother with the children so you can.

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   Link there chapter 32 verse 11 in your margin and chapter. 34 verse 30 So despite his. Journey. We find. Today, Jacob is still struggling. With the same old. Fears of destruction. At the hands of. His enemies. And that’s how life goes on it. Doesn’t it, brothers and sisters? That’s how life. Unfolds in our own personal.

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   Circumstances we often find ourselves. Estranged in in various. Difficulties, perhaps? You’re in a very situation. Today. Perhaps you find? Yourself with a big problem and if you do. And you find yourself in a similar. Situation to Jacob today a problem. That you feel that you. Can’t resolve yourself personally? We’re going to find today a lovely.

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   Excitation for you and for me. It’s God that can help. Us in these situations of Jacob so with. This then come to Genesis chapter 35.

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    South with the long. Chapter of Chapter 30. Four and. All the problems that Jacob. Finds himself in and the. Fears that he expresses I. Love that chapter 35 begins with and God said it is God intervenes. It is now God taking. Control of Jacob’s situation. We’re going to see so many. Excitations from this morning’s study.

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    God intervenes. And. Speaks directly to Jacob. And says. Arise, go up to Bethel. And. Dwell there. Now Jacob had been to. Bethel 20 years earlier. And it was. There wasn’t. It we remember in verse. One of Chapter 35, the. Chapter we’re looking at today that when he went to Bethel the first time, he was fearful of the face of Esau and now he’s fearful of other faces.

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    It’s not Esau’s face. It’s. Other faces. And it was there at. Bethel, wasn’t it? That God assured him that he was with him. And that he wouldn’t leave him. That he would be divinely protected and somehow brothers and. Sisters. This this incredible intervention in Jacob. ‘S life Jacob had forgotten. And life for all of us is a journey, isn’t it, brothers and sisters?

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    As we’re. Going to see this morning. The journey of Jacob was a. Pilgrimage. It was a pilgrimage. From Bethel to Bethel. These are two endpoints of his journey. 2 great learnings that. We’re going to see today. And our own. Life I would suggest. In this. Wilderness of life is a. Pilgrimage from. Bethel to Bethel. Now why do I say that?

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    Well, throughout the life of Jacob, we have used other. Scripture, haven’t we? As a scriptural commentary. To. Provide additional information and insight. As to what? Is taking place so. I’d like us. To go back to a familiar chapter now. Come with me to Hosea. Chapter 12.

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    Hosea. Chapter 12. Let’s read the verses again. We’ll begin there in verse 3. So Jacob took his brother. By the heel in the womb. And by his. Sprint strength he had. Power with God. And we remember the wrestling with the Angel. Yeah, he had power over the Angel and prevailed. Notice. He wept, and made supplication his weapons unto him.

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    And then? This mysterious phrase here he. Found him in Bethel and there. He spake with us, even the Lord God of hosts, Yahweh. Is his memorial therefore. Turn. So the message of Bethel was to turn the idea to repent. Therefore turn thou to thy. God keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.

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    So I. Want you to to notice. That phrase there he. Found him in Bethel. He found him. He was looking for God in all the experiences that. Jacob had He’s still. Looking for his? God, even though Jacob. Had been assured. I am with you, Jacob. Here. In. Chapter 35 of Genesis. Is still.

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    Looking and before we criticize. Notice those words there? At the end of verse. Four there he spake with us. In other. Words. This lesson that Jacob found. Yahweh at Bethel. Is not a point. For us to criticize. It’s a lesson for all of us to take note of. Well, isn’t this true? When we’re baptized.

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    We, we swear. An oath and we know. God is with us, but. But life. Throws all kinds of problems. At. Us and we forget. We forget. The oath that we made. But we need to be. Listening to God. I am with you. And sometimes brothers and. Sisters, our whole life in the truth, our whole life in the truth, is a pilgrimage in search of God. To.

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    Find him and she you should you should ask. Yourselves a very personal. And probing question this morning. Are you still? Searching is this you today? Have you found Yahweh? Truly. In your life and if you have found him in the past, have you forgotten him? And if that’s you and me this morning, brothers and sisters.

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    Then there’s a very big. Lesson that we’re going to find in the. Life of Jacob come back to Genesis chapter 35. When we see. Here that Jacob. Finds himself in a compromised situation and it’s not something that we would. Expect a man. Who was strengthened by God? To wrestle an. Angel one of the great.

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    Moments in history and, as we said, messianically. Psalm 20. 2 picks up this. Describing the battle, the spiritual. And the physical. Battle that the Lord Jesus. Christ endured with his flesh. We would not expect Jacob to be here. Today in Chapter 35. So God intervenes. God now is beginning to take control. Of Jacob’s life. And verse 2 we read then Jacob.

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    Said unto his household, and to. All that were with him put away. The strange gods that are among you. And be clean and change. Your garments put away. Your strange gods, Rachel. Had strange gods. The Israelites had. Looted the shechemites they had. Taken out of the. Homes these false gods. And they? Had hidden them within their own homes and. Jacob now tells his family to remove these false gods from within their home.

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    Now remember in this situation, on this pilgrimage, on this journey to Beth. El Hosea says there he spake with us, there he spake with us. And the journey now commences. And brothers and sisters. We all have idols. We. All. Have idols there. God spake with us. We all have. Distractions in this life and God is saying. You’ve got them.

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    And I’ve got them. There’s no. Perhaps we have and. God is saying to Jacob. And he’s saying. To all of us put. Them away and come and stay and have fellowship with me. That’s the lesson. Brothers and sisters. We’ve got to get to Bethel. Now this is incredibly. Significant because Jacob, now having wrestled with an Angel, is now. Bearing.

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    A new name. The name. Of. Israel. A name that had been. Assigned by the Angel himself. But Jacob today. Finds that he has problems within his home. Rachel had false gods. And brothers and sisters did all the great things that Jacob was doing in the vineyard of the Lord. His wife had false gods, Jacob. Jacob wasn’t.

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    Spending enough time at home with his family and brothers and sisters. And perhaps I’m directing, particularly this morning, to the brethren and first and foremost to myself. Sometimes we can be. So busy, busy in the service of the Lord. And we get. Distracted, and we lose sight of our first. Ecclesia and our.

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    First, Ecclesia is our home. Our partner, our wife, and if we’ve been. Blessed our children and they. Before ecclesial duties. And responsibilities are our priority. There he spake with us, brethren, we should be opening our Scriptures each day. We should be. Gathering our families. Together we should be. Reading God’s Word, the daily readings and instilling God’s Word into our children’s hearts.

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    The responsibility that we have. To our wives of. Washing her daily in the. Waters. Of life there he spake with us. And here God is saying, Come back, Jacob, come back and dwell with me. You may have forgotten. You may have forgotten in this distant past that I am with you. But I’ve not forgotten.

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    I have not changed. You may have changed. Jacob, but I haven’t. Put away the strange gods. And so there’s a little. Formula in all of this.

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    The way to get rid of the false gods. In our life. The way to get rid of the. False gods in our life. Is to dwell with God in Bethel

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    the way to get rid of the false? Gods in our life. Is to dwell with God. In Bethel now what we’re going to see now, Jacob responds to this and he brings his family together and together as a family he takes Dinah with him, Levi and Simeon and as a family unit now they make.

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    Their way to Bethel. And he finally enters a land that he left 20 years. Earlier. 1st 6 then of chapter. 35. So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is. Bethel The significance of Bethel we’ve already seen this week. He and all the people. That were with him and he built.

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    There an altar and called. The place. F Bethel, because there. You can underline. That word there because there. God appeared unto. Him when he fled. From the face of his brother. See the face there? The face. There in verse 7, the. Face of his brother. And now connected to to verse one. The face of. Esau, his brother.

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    It’s reminding. Us that this was the place that he fled to. When he was fearful of the face face of Esau, and he’s fearful of other faces now, it’s no longer the face of Esau, it’s the faces of all the nations that surround him. There are other. Problems in his life and brothers and sisters in our own lives. Things begin to slip, don’t they? Things happen.

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    Circumstances change. Sometimes it’s our own doing, other times it’s not. And suddenly, when things were going so well, when we had power with God and we had the strength of the Almighty to wrestle with the Angel, suddenly we’re reduced to nothing and we find ourselves in a mess. In a mess. And if you find yourself in a mess, you get yourself and your family to Bethel.

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    That’s the lesson we’re going to see this morning. You get. Yourself and your family. To Bethel. Let’s look at this. Then the name Bethel. As we have seen, is the House of God and now the House of God. Is renamed there in verse. 7. And it becomes. El Bethel Ale of the House of God, Ale of the House of God, The power, the strength of the House of Ale. Not only is it the.

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    House of God. The dwelling place of God. But it becomes now the. Embodiment of God’s immense. Power and strength. Once it was a distant, a simple destination where where Jacob fled from the face of Esau. But now this place becomes a testament to the formidable and the life changing power of God in his life. 20 years had passed and now he’s back in Bethel. And we read in in chapter 32 verse. Ten that when?

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    He goes to Bethel the. First time. He goes just with his stuff. He’s there. Alone, just holding his stuff. And now he’s in Bethel, and God has been. Committed to his vow.

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    And he’s with his wives and his family, his great. Flock. And his wealth and those intervening. Years God has blessed him. And as we reflect for a moment and we think about our own lives, our own journey in Christ from the moment that we were. Baptized. Just take. A moment now, brothers and sisters, to think about the.

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    Blessings that the Lord. Has showered upon you. Just think for a moment. That you began life. As a baptized brother or. Sister holding your. Staff with just the Lord with you. And yes, of course. They’ve been highs and lows, crests and troughs in your life, but think about the blessing. You’re here today. With God’s Word open.

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    Think about the blessings. The Lord has showered. Upon you and showered upon me. And if we’re struggling, brothers? And sisters, if you’re sat. There in your chair and you’re struggling to think about one single blessing. Then I encourage you just to look around and see all the smiling faces. That’s a blessing. You’re not alone.

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    You’re in the. Household of faith fellow. Brothers and sisters, companions, comrades on this journey of life to God’s coming Kingdom. You see how your initial? Steps have blossomed well there we see in verse 10. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob. Thy name shall. Not be called anymore Jacob. But Israel shall be thy.

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    Name. And he called his name Israel. Just reflect upon those words for a moment. And you see there in. Verse 9. That it says that when? He called that place. ETH Bethel that God appeared unto him, and. When God appears unto him. God says to him that his name is. Jacob Well, that’s.

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    Interesting, isn’t it? Because. We saw. Didn’t we? And you can just. Go back if you want to chapter. 32 and verse 28, where we read that the Angel said, Thy name shall be called. Israel.

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    Thy name shall no more. Be called Jacob, but here in chapter 35 the Angel. Says thy name is Jacob. And perhaps it’s worth underlining. The word is he had been named, but what’s taking place now is that the name? Is confirmed. Not by an Angel that was wrestling. With him in chapter 32. But by God himself in the form of an Angel. But it’s stressing that it’s God now. That.

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    Says to him thy name. Is. Jacob the message here, brothers and sisters, is emphatic and it’s direct. And the Angel is saying. Here. Jacob when the Angel wrestled. With you. Your name was changed from. Jacob to Israel. And I’ve been watching you. I’ve been carefully watching you with the Shechemites and the situation that you found yourself with Dinah and Levi and Simeon. And you’ve behaved like Jacob, and you’ve come down here like Jacob.

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    And I’m reminding you in the House of Bethel that your name is Israel. You see the point? It’s more. Than a name. The name. Expresses or should expect express a character a Prince with God fellowship with him. As we. Saw a father and. Son in this. Lovely picture of intimacy, family life. Where a father?

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    Strengthens his son in order for that strunt to prevail against his enemies. We we’ve seen that. What are you doing, Jacob? Why are you? Behaving like Jacob. The heel catcher. When your name is Israel. So it’s interesting and we need to. Notice this that at Bethel. The name now becomes a divine act.

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    It’s God the Angel. Said at the Wrestling. Your name will be called. Israel. But now it’s emphatic, a divine act. Takes place at Bethel. Your name is Israel and his name is Israel. At Bethel.

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    So with that. In mind, with his name now being confirmed from God. That it’s Israel isn’t. It interesting that now God. Says who he he is. Verse 11 then. Of Chapter 35 and. God said unto him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. Now I want you just to. Again, think a little bit. About that.

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    Why does God say to him, I am God Almighty? And there’s a real play. Your Name is Israel. And my name is God Almighty when have. We seen that little exchange. Before. Your name is Israel and. My name is God Almighty, or remember that title there, God. Almighty is El Shadi I. Which we’re going to think about in a moment.

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    But have a look back. Because this is really lovely. Come back to chapter. 32 So verse 28 says thy. Name shall be called No. More Jacob, but Israel OK. So that’s linking with Genesis 35. Your name shall. Be called Israel and the confirmation is made in chapter. 35 AB Bethel your name. Is Israel. But then something happens.

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    There. Verse 29. Now, Jacob. Takes the initiative and Jacob asked the Angel and said tell me I. Pray thee thy. Name and he said wherefore. Is it that thou does? Ask after my name and he blessed him there, so isn’t it interesting? That when? The Angel was wrestling with Jacob. He did not share.

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    He did not disclose his name, but now the Angel discloses his name at Bethel and he says I am El Shaddai you. See that? You are Israel. And I am El Shaddai. Finally, the Angel, the name bearing Angel, reveals himself. The Angel that is working. In the. Life of Jacob. Reveals himself. As El Shadi I bearing.

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    The name of El Shadi. I that’s the idea there. Of course it wasn’t. El Shadi I. But it’s the Angel bearing the name. Of El Shadi I in the life of Jacob. So it said. Bethel that the Angel reveals himself. Now let’s just. Go on a little. Journey here because this is fascinating now so. It’s the El Shadi eye.

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    Let’s now think about the narrative. Around El Shadi eye. Come back then and we’ve. Been to all these little. Signposts come back then to chapter. 28, Chapter 28. So there’s a reason. Why God reveals himself here? As El Shadi eye at Bethel because. There’s a story. There’s a. Story being revealed to Jacob.

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    So in chapter 28 then we see here. And El. Shadi, I God Almighty, bless thee and make thee fruit. For So what is this? Well, we’ve seen this, haven’t we? Chapter 28 Verse. 3. Is how Isaac now blesses Jacob. Now that’s significant, Isaac. Uses El Shadi I20. Years earlier when? Jacob is about to flee from the face of Esau, and the message that Isaac leaves Jacob with is as. You go on your journey as you make your way in life, Jacob. El Shaddai is with you, OK?

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    See that? Well, let’s go even earlier. Now. To chapter. 17 and we’ve been here, but we’re now just pulling all. These threads together. Chapter 17 and verse. 1. And when? Abraham was 90 years old. And nine Yahweh of Peter Abraham, and said unto him. I am El Shadi. I walk before me. Be thou perfect and chapter 17 is.

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    Part of the covenant promises. And the covenant was made, wasn’t it? The covenant was made. So that is really. Interesting. There’s like a little. Sequence that’s going on here. El Shadi I appears to Abraham. And tells him of the promise.

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    Isaac picks up Genesis 17 and says. To Jacob, as he leaves the house, Remember, Remember Jacob, this is what life. ‘S all about Genesis 17. As Al Shadi, I was with Granddad. He’s now with you and now we go 20 years. Later and the same El. Shaddai that was with. Abraham in Genesis 17 and the same El.

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    Shaddai that Isaac blesses Jacob with. Is the same El Shaddai that’s been with him all his life? Can you see that, brothers and sisters, God has not changed. And for Jacob, these 20 long intervening years, and he’d given the blessing back to Esau. And he finds himself in such a situation with his family. This is not the kind of family a man should. Have Who wrestles with God?

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    He’s been reduced to nothing. He’s a shame amongst the nations. And God says to him, Jacob, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter about your family. It doesn’t matter about the things that are going wrong. El Shadi I. He’s still with you. He still loves you. The blessings are still. Flowing through you 20 years.

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    Is enough, isn’t it? It’s time enough. To fill any man with uncertainty. It’s only natural. There God spake with us. Do you feel like? That do you, brothers and sisters. When we’re baptized, we know that we are the recipients of the promise we put on the Lord. Jesus. Christ, but as life goes.

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    On perhaps we do tend to. Forget we. Encounter the problems, the real downs and we make mistakes and things happen in our lives. And we feel. Shameful. And then do we begin to doubt? That our. Place in God’s Kingdom. Is in jeopardy. This is exactly what was happening to Jacob. He’d received all the blessings.

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    He finds himself in a total mess and God says come down to Bethel and then. God tells him. The same message. That he told him all the way through his life. I’m with you. I’m going to bless you. I’m going to bless you. And it’s incredibly important. Brothers and. Sisters. Because up to this point in time. When we come to chapter 34.

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    His life. Was heading for disaster life doesn’t get. Easier does it. But we’ve seen it time and time again with. Jacob and with other Bible. Characters. That. God saves the faithful in. Their problems God saves us amidst. The flames and God was telling Jacob that not only was his name Israel. But the promises were his.

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    And he was assured. Of the Kingdom, that’s something. Really, to latch on to brothers and sisters his. Life was a mess. And he comes down to Bethel. With his. Family and the Angel. The AL Shadi I tells Jacob you have. The Kingdom, Whatever is going on around you, you have the Kingdom. It’s our Father’s good pleasure. To give us the Kingdom.

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    And although we see these amazing moments where Jacob wrestles with an Angel, who of us can emulate that none of. US. But we can empathize today, can’t we? You know, brothers and sisters, God is not looking for. Perfect people and perfect lives. God is not. Looking for perfect? People and perfect lives. And this is the point where God spake.

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    To us, Jacob’s life was a disaster. He wasn’t living a perfect life, and he certainly wasn’t a perfect man. But God gives him assurance. Brothers and sisters, let’s get ourselves to Beth El.

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    Come back to Chapter 35. So we. Began this morning by seeing how God intervened. He said unto to Jacob those words in verse 1 and now. We see how God. Begins to do everything now for Jacob. He does everything now for. Jacob, he takes now total control. Look at these phrases. Here verse 9 of chapter. 35.

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    And God. Appeared unto Jacob again, Verse. 10 And God said unto him, verse 13. And God went up from. Him in the place. Where he talked. With him when? Jacob’s life was. In a mess. God stepped in and he does the same, doesn’t he? For all of us. When our lives are a mess.

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    We’ve got to let our God. Step in and He wants to step into our lives and he. Wants to. Assure us of his. Kingdom and isn’t it interesting if we do reflect upon our lives and. Perhaps we’ve had ecclesial. Problems. Perhaps we’ve had domestic problems. Difficulties with our. Children and we prayed. About it. How many times in our?

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    Lives where? Where? Suddenly, unexpectedly, something happens. That’s that’s so positive that that God leads us. In a certain. Direction. Have you had that experience? I’m. Sure you have. I have. Out of the blue, suddenly, unexpectedly, we’re given guidance. And. Guidance can come from SO. Many different sources. And we’re so thankful for it. And this is.

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    What it’s all about. Of going back to Bethel if we think for a moment about Jacob going to Bethel. We. We really don’t we. When he went there the first time. He saw God. Face to face, that’s. Why he names the place Peniel, but he never made God? Like this before, did he? There was no wrestling Angel here when he came. Face to face with God.

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    Previously at Peniel, this was an altogether different experience, wasn’t it? This was a a loving and a. A very. Personal. An incredibly personal God. I just want you to notice. Some connections here the last time. Jacob came face to face. With an Angel with. God, he wrestled all night. But this is an altogether different. Experience.

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    And and I don’t know. Whether you’ve noticed, but this reinforces the message that’s being. Expressed at Bethel want you. To look at the screen here and see the. Connections between Genesis chapter 20. 8. And Genesis chapter 30. 5. And what we’re seeing. Here is that the message. That he receives in chapter 35. Is the language of Isaac.

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    You’ve got words here like fruitful multiplied multitude of people. And the land? It is Isaac. Language it is. All. Isaac Language. And it’s here with all this Isaac. Language that the Angel is expressing here, verse 13. We, we, we read these. Words and God went up from him in the place. Where he talked with him.

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    So it’s here at Bethel where the Angel expresses. These words of. Isaac that the angels mission now is completed, that the Angel had told him before that he was never going to leave him, and now he leaves. Him after 20 years. The Angel had fulfilled his. Promise. Go back to chapter 20. Eight to see this. The first.

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    Time he was at Bethel. And notice these words in verse 15 of chapter 28, the Angel says. That he would be with. Him until I have done that which I have. Spoken of thee notice. That in verse 15. Until I have done. That which I have. Spoken of thee and now then clearly. When we come to Chapter 35, the work was done. And this is proved later if you go to Genesis. Chapter. 48 We’re here.

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    When he’s blessing Joseph’s boys on his deathbed, which we’ll consider tomorrow, God willing. And you? See the words there? In verse 16, the Angel which redeemed me from. All evil, bless the lads.

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    So the. Work that was done. There at Bethel was to. Redeem him from all the evil. Now. What’s fascinating here? Is that we’ve got these, these. Interventions where the Angel reveals. Himself to Jacob, we’ve got Genesis. Chapter 28. The Angels ascending and descending. With God. An Angel standing by him. You’ve got Genesis chapter 30. Two, where he.

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    Wrestles with a mysterious. Figure through the night and that’s an Angel and. Now here in Genesis chapter 3435. You’ve got Jacob returning to Bethel, and God appears to him again. So we’ve got these three moments where the Angel reveals himself as one messenger, I believe one messenger, one divine messenger working in the life. Of.

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    Jacob, just think about that. For a moment and we’ve seen that the Angel here. In chapter 35, uses. Words of Isaac, but there’s another. Parallel that’s going on. You come back with me to Genesis chapter. 17 So lots and lots of things are happening at Bethel

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    in Genesis chapter 17. And the clue is given in verse one that El Shadi I. That’s where we read of El Shadi I for the first time and. Then in chapter 35, so perhaps there is a connection and there’s lots of connections. So if you see in. Verse one. I am the Almighty God. I am the El Shadi I.

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    And then notice what happens in verse 20. Two, have you seen this? Before and he. Left off talking with him. And God went up from. Abraham. How many of us have noticed that before when we’re looking at the life of Jacob? So you’ve got the El Shadi. Eye here in Genesis chapter. 17 and you’ve also. Now got an Angel leaving.

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    Abraham. And there’s another note there, another little connection. Verse six part. Of the promises would be. Kings shall come out of you. And that’s the very. Same phrase in chapter 30. Five and verse 11 and so. They were the first 3. Connections. That I noticed and then looking more. Closely at the two passages you see there that they are totally interlocked.

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    So not only does the. Angel, utter words of Isaac. It takes us. Right back to Genesis chapter 17 and the promises. The promises that took place there. Now the reason why? We need to appreciate this connection with Genesis chapter. 17 is. Because of the phrase I. Highlighted there the end of verse 6.

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    Kings shall come. Out of thee see that kings. Shall come out of. Thee. Now what’s interesting there of that word Kings. Of the two. 1523 times that that Hebrew word occurs in the Old Testament. Only five times is it translated in the. Plural as. Kings, and I believe that word there should be king, King.

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    So Al Shadi I of course, the royal. Seed would come through Jacob, we know that. Genesis chapter 49. But I believe. The main point here was. The King would come through thee, the Messiah, the seed of promise. So with that. Thought in mind, come back now to chapter. 30. 5 because I feel now.

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    This helps us to. Unlock what takes place. Now, which is rather fascinating. Look what Jacob does here. In verse 14 and. Jacob set up a pillar. In the place where he. Talked with him even a pillar stone and he poured a drink offering there on and he. Poured oil there. On. So the very place of the sacrifice, of the very place of the altar, of the very place of the staircase. All the things that we’ve seen before. Jacob erects this singular altar, I believe. In the recognition.

92. 43:34

    That the king. Would come and it’s interesting, isn’t it? That as he sets up this pillar. In the place of sacrifice. And the heavenly. Staircase of Genesis, chapter 20. Eight. What does he do? Upon this singular altar, he pours a drink offering. You put in your margin. Numbers 15, verse 5 the drink offering. Tells us that it was.

93. 44:02

    Wine. It was blood red. Wine that was poured and the. Oil was. Poured upon the singular altar. The King. The symbol of the Messiah King. Brothers and sisters, can you? See that this is the. Climax of his journey. We may not have noticed it before. This is the climax. Of Bethel to Bethel.

94. 44:32

    And in this great theophany, where once again Jacob. Comes. Face to face with his God. This is not the drama of Moses or the drama of Elijah with the wind and the earthquake and the fire. Brothers and sisters, what do we see in Bethel? What do we see in this theophany? What do we? See in this message of.

95. 44:57

    Comfort. It is the still small voice, isn’t it? It’s the word of comfort. The Revelation of the. Promises and suddenly then all the fears and. Doubts that Jacob have they disappear? His questions have been answered. And as we read there in verse 13, and God went up from him in that. Place Can you imagine? Can you imagine?

96. 45:27

    Brothers and sisters. The Angel now ascending into. Heaven. And perhaps the very same. Staircase is there the. Staircase of chapter. 28 and now. A single Angel leaves Jacob and ascends into heaven. Can you imagine the moment? This is his theophany. This is the revelation. Of God. The working in him was. Over the work was now. Completed the message was now.

97. 45:57

    Understood. And so then the Angel then ascends the stairs and. Jacob watches. Brothers and sisters, doesn’t that remind us of the. The 12 disciples. Standing upon the Mount of Olives and they see the Lord Jesus Christ ascending the clouds into heaven. And perhaps. The very. Same Angel that left Abraham is the same Angel now. That leaves Jacob.

98. 46:28

    The work of the Angel now was complete. But how? Will these promises be fulfilled? How will these promises be fulfilled? Well, we. See here. It is through the pillar.

99. 46:51

    It is through. The pillar, remember. It was Bethel. It was. Bethel that Abraham invoked Yahweh in the name of Yahweh. Remember that, brothers and sisters, where Abraham had the vision. Of. The coming Redeemer, the Lord. Jesus Christ. And I want you just to notice. That little phrase there, that Jacob verse 14. Set up a pillar, and Abraham had erected. A pillar at Bethel, and Jacob had re erected that altar. Hadn’t he?

100. 47:38

     At Bethel when he received the vision. And he anointed it with. Just oil. Remember that And now. Jacob erects it again. That altar stone must have fallen down, and he erects it again so it’s standing as a solitary stone, but this time it’s not. Oil. It’s wine and oil. Can you see all of this, brothers and sisters? How are the?

101. 48:10

     How are the promises fulfilled? He raised that. Stone again, that had been. Fallen that had fallen. Down he raised it again, and he anoints it with wine and. Oil. This was the stone that would die. This was the stone. That would be sacrificed. This would be the stone that was shed righteous blood. And.

102. 48:48

     This would be the stone. Which would rise again, be granted immortality and be anointed as King of Kings and Lord. Of. Lords upon the whole earth, can you see that, brothers and sisters, in these two little bookends of Bethel we have? There the 1st. Mission and Ministry of the Lord. Jesus Christ, where?

103. 49:08

     Where Jacob? Raises it and anoints it, symbolizing being raised amongst his brethren, and anointed as this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And it had fallen down. And he raises it again. But this time first. With wine and then with oil. Can you see that? We’ve got the 1st.

104. 49:27

     Mission and the second mission. Of the Lord Jesus Christ, the full work of. Christ and his redeeming work. This was the. Stone of Israel the. Stone, which the builders rejected. The same has become the head of the corner.

105. 49:42

     And it was. Here the God spoke to all of us just like. Jacob went back to Bethel to reconnect with God and find guidance. We too. Can find. Our way back to God. No matter how off track. We feel we we might find ourselves in a a myriad of life’s troubles. Whatever they may be.

106. 50:10

     Whether they are personal and. And family. Struggles whether they are. Health and emotional challenges. Whether they are? Relationship and and spiritual conflicts whether they are. Financial and career difficulties or. Even or even ecclesial. Problems. Isn’t it reassuring to know? That we could always. Find ourselves we can find. Our way back to Bethel. Are you ready to find your Bethel? Are you ready to get?

107. 50:42

     Back on track, however far. We’ve fallen. We’ve got to get back to Bethel. Remember. Jesus is risen, the pillar that has fallen. Has been raised. It’s been anointed. It’s time to get back to Bethel. Brothers and sisters. What’s stopping us?