ARE WE STRUGGLING WITH GOD?

Gen 35:7 There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

Sometimes in our darkest moments, like Jacob when he was fleeing from his brother Esau, God reveals Himself to us.
Treasure our darkest moments because God can speak to us.

Gen 35:9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him.
Gen 35:10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel. '” So he named him Israel.

Sometimes we need to change our name and personhood to lay hold of the blessing that God has in store for us.
“Jacob” means “he grasps the heel” and it means “a deceiver.”
What a name to have!!!
We don't want such a name because we don't want such an identity and character.
We want to be and believe that we are a different person - a different being.
“Israel” means “he struggles with God.”
At least, Israel has an encounter with God.
And oftentimes we are struggling with God.
And Israel did have huge struggles and disappointments with God even though he was promised this huge blessing in Gen 35:11-12.

Ge 35:11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body.
Ge 35:12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.

Wow … Won't we feel very blessed if God were to promise us these blessings - the blessing of many descendants, nations, land and not only that, our descendants are kings.

This is a repeat and expansion of God's promise to Jacob / Israel when God first spoke to Jacob in a dream in Gen 28:13-15.

But Israel, as his name (“he struggles with God”) suggests, was to struggle with many huge disappointments - especially within his family - as the blessing unraveled.

1. CHEATED & DECEIVED
Jacob worked for 7 years to get Rachel - but got Leah instead.
He needed to work another 7 years to marry Rachel.
Laban deceived him just as Jacob deceived Isaac to receive Esau's birthright.

2. BARRENNESS
When Jacob finally married Rachel after working for 14 years, she was barren.
How can God's promise be fulfilled?
But God ultimately remembered (Gen 30:22) and Joseph was born in Jacob's old years (when he was 78-80 years old!!!).

3. RAPE
Jacob's daughter, Dinah was raped (Gen 34:2).
Imagine the immense pain Jacob and Leah and the rest of the family must have suffered.
What are our struggles compared to this struggle that Jacob faced?

4. REVENGE & MURDER
Dinah's brothers, Simeon and Levi, then tricked the Shechemites into believing that Shechem could only marry Dinah if the villagers circumcised themselves (Gen 34:13, 25). Then when they were in pain recovering from the circumcision (Gen 34:25), Simeon and Levi murdered everyone in the village and looted it.

5. DEATH
Soon after the blessing was repeated in Gen 35:11-13, Israel's favorite wife, Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin (Gen 35:18).
What are our struggles compared to this?

6. CHILDREN PROBLEMS / RAPE? / ADULTERY
Reuben, the eldest son, slept with Israel's concubine (Gen 35:22).
Do we have to struggle with such travesty of morality in our family?

7. CHILDREN PROBLEMS / SIBLING RIVALRY & JEALOUSY / ATTEMPTED MURDER / MURDEROUS THOUGHTS / DECEPTION
Jacob's sons conspired to almost murder his favorite son, Joseph, and sold him as slave.
What are our children challenges compared to this?

Israel was promised a huge blessing by God with many descendants.
But ironically those descendants are causing huge problems and disappointments to him.
The immensity of his grief and disappointment is found in Gen 37:34-35.

Ge 37:34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.
Ge 37:35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son.” So his father wept for him.

Israel didn't know that Joseph was alive until many, many years later
[some 23 years later since Joseph was 17 (Gen 37:2) when he was sold as slave, became prime minister of Egypt at 30 (Gen 41:46) and revealed himself to his brothers 2 years into the famine after 7 good years (Gen 45:6)].
All those lost years that he could spend with Joseph…

Imagine it took Jacob 23 years later to understand why God allowed what happened to Joseph and to see his son again.
How long has it been since we suffered a loss and have been struggling to understand God?

FOR REFLECTION

What blessings have God promised us?
Does this mean that there are no struggles and disappointments coming along the way?
What kind of struggles and disappointments are we facing now?
How can I, relying on God, handle those struggles and disappointments?