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GENESIS 32:22-31

"VICTORY OUT OF DEFEAT"

Intro: Difficult story on surface. God deliberately crippling a man.

I. THE DEFEAT OF JACOB.
        A. A man of complete self reliance and resourcefulness.
                1. He never faced a problem he could not solve.
                2. He outwitted every foe.
                3. He was shrewd, cunning, clever, he would have done very in Los Angeles
                   or New York.
        B. The pressures that were on him.
                1. The bad scene with Laban.
                2. The uncertain scene with Esau.
        C. His scheme for the next day.
                1. Send the servants out ahead with droves of sheep, goats, camels, and cows.
                2. He carefully coached them in what they were to say.
        D. The place of defeat.
                1. All was done that could be done.
                2. He had set all his goods over Jabbok.
                3. As it gets dark he is now alone.
                4. What he needs is a good nights sleep.
                5. What happened, there appeared a man who wrestled with him all night.
                6. Jacob was a man of spunk and grit.
                7. So toward morning He touched the hollow of his thigh causing the muscle
                   to shrivel & Jacob to become a cripple.
                8. It would appear that Jacob was with none other than Jesus in one of His
                   Old Testament appearances.
                        a. We usually think of our Lord as healing the lame & crippled.
                        b. Here we see Him deliberately crippling Jacob.
        E. The cry of defeat.
                1. The Lord then said to Jacob "Let me go for the day breaketh."
                2. Jacob said "I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me."
                        a. That does not sound like a cry of defeat
                        b. It is necessary to hear the tone of Jacob's voice to know what
                           he said.
        F. The reason for defeat.
                1. Jacob was a man of faith in God.
                        a. He believe in God and the purposes of God.
                2. Jacob was a man of tremendous human resourcefulness.
                        a. God can't do it without my help.
                                1. Doesn't God want me to have the birthright?
                                2. Doesn't God want me to have the blessing?
                                3. Doesn't God want to prosper me at the hand of Laban?
                        b. Even in the preparations to meet his brother Esau.
                3. Jacob must be brought to reliance upon God.
                        a. God is able to fulfill His purpose.
                        b. Jesus is able to build His Church.

II. JACOB'S VICTORY.
        A. His place of defeat became his place of victory. His hour of defeat became his
           hour of victory.
                1. When he finally gave up and cried out to God.
                2. We're prone to look at our defeats as the end of the world.
                        a. They can be.
        B. The Lord said to Jacob, "What is your name?"
                1. "Heel catcher."
                2. No more heel catcher but "governed by God" Israel.
        C. The next morning as Jacob crossed the river to rejoin his wives & family he was
           crippled, limping along.
                1. I can hear Rachel saying "Jacob, what's wrong?  What happened?"
                2. I hear him answer "Don't call me Jacob anymore call me Israel." 

THE DAY I TURN MY LIFE OVER TO GOD'S CONTROL IS
ALWAYS A DAY OF GLORIOUS VICTORY.