Second Chances At Fellowship With God - A look at the life of Jacob

Every week for 42 years David Thomas slipped a love letter under the door of his neighbor, Rachel Jones. Each letter attempted to mend the lover’s quarrel that parted them when they were both 32 years old. Rachel Jones burned each letter and refused to even speak to David.

He was asking for a second chance every week for 42 years.  That is 2,184 requests for a second chance.  What happened? She finally gave him another chance. And they got married at the age of 74.  The rarity in that story is not that she refused him another chance. That is common. That is human nature when we get our feelings hurt. The rarity in that story is that he kept on asking for 42 years.

Most likely in every family represented here this morning, there are people who have gotten disappointed in some matter and who are not speaking to another family member. They have gotten hurt and are refusing to give a second chance. I had a cousin in my family that would not talk to an uncle for almost 2 decades.

With man you often do not get second chances. The attitude of this world is all too often you have one shot and that is it.  The problem with that is that we all mess up. We all make mistakes. We are all sinners here right?  We are wary of someone who has hurt us or even disappointed us. And our natural fleshly tendency is to not give second chances, or third, or forth.

But God is not that way. God does give second chances.

I want to look at a great example of this from the Bible. Jacob while fleeing for his life from his brother Esau he met God at a place called Bethel.

• Gen 28:11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put [them for] his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
• Gen 28:12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
• Gen 28:13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I [am] the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
• Gen 28:14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
• Gen 28:15 And, behold, I [am] with thee, and will keep thee in all [places] whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done [that] which I have spoken to thee of.
• Gen 28:16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew [it] not.
• Gen 28:17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful [is] this place! this [is] none other but the house of God, and this [is] the gate of heaven.
• Gen 28:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put [for] his pillows, and set it up [for] a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
• Gen 28:19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city [was called] Luz at the first.
• Gen 28:20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
• Gen 28:21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
• Gen 28:22 And this stone, which I have set [for] a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Jacob promised that if God would take care of him where he was going, (and God did), and if God would make it so that he would come to his father’s house in peace.  Then what?

1) Then shall the LORD by my God.

2) All that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Jacob also promised to give God 10 percent. Jacob has nothing at this point. It is pretty easy to promise to give what you do not have.

Jacob also promised that he would make God his God. At this time Jacob is running for his life. He very easily could be having thoughts like my life is about over. Esau is going to hunt me down. Jacob promised to give his life to God. That is easier to do when you don’t have much to give. Jacob had no wife, no kids, and what looked like not much of a future. God shows up and gives Jacob great promises. Jacob said if you will do that for me, then I will make you my God. That has implications doesn’t it? It implies obedience.

There are many people who get saved but they do not have a whole lot of interest in making Him their God in a practical way. What I mean by that is that they will come to God with a repentant heart. They will be sorry for their sin. They will turn from it to God. They will call upon Him to save them. That is salvation. Right.

Now they get up off their knees and they are super Christian right? No. They still have a lot of things in their life that is not pleasing to God. O.K. so now they are saved and they start going to church. Thru the preaching God brings conviction to them about something.

Being saved does not remove your free will. This new Christian now has to make a choice. Do I make the change that God wants me to make. Do I get rid of _______, or do I ignore the conviction and do what my flesh wants. He is already my God in respect to salvation, but am I going to make Him my God in respect to my daily life. You see it all the time. Even old time Christians. Some will make Him God in 99 areas but hold on to one.

Jacob here says if --, then I will make you my God.

And we all know what happens.

Jacob goes to live with wicked Laban, he works 7 years for one daughter, 7 years for the other daughter, and 6 years for cattle. And thru it all God really blesses Jacob. Laban changes Jacobs wages ten times trying to cheat Jacob and yet Jacob still ended up with the cattle. He gained wealth and had a big family.

But Jacob did not honor God in the home. His family worshiped idols. His wife stole her father’s idols. Do you think that was a disappointment to God that Jacob had idols in his home?  Jacob had made many mistakes. One of the worst ones was that he did not raise his family in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. You all know how most of his boys turned out. A bunch of wicked rebels.

Jacob did not take the leadership role in his family like God wanted him to. Jacob lets his wives sell him for a hand full of flowers.  20 years have now passed since God met Jacob at Bethel. Jacob has not been living for God the way he should.  But God did not say you messed up Jacob, you blew it. That’s it. No God comes and tells Jacob it is time to go home.

What did Jacob say he would do if God brought him home in peace? I will make you my God. Jacob’s life is a mess in a lot of ways and God says time to go home. In a way it is like saying remember your promise Jacob. It is time to make me your God.

Jacob starts heading home. Laban comes after him, but God protects him. Jacob continues on his way home and he hears that Esau is coming with 400 men and he gets worried.

God did not say, I told you I was going to protect you. How dare you not believe me. That is not our God. God reassures Jacob by showing him the host of angels protecting him. Jacob goes out and meets Esau and Esau is glad to see him. Instead of there being war when he goes home. God is bringing him back in peace.

This is a miracle. God changed the heart of wicked Esau. God changed the heart of a man who did not care about the things of God. He sold the birthright for a bowl of beans. Esau the father of the Edomites. The Bible says that Esau is Edom. And Esau is now happy to see Jacob.  Esau goes on ahead expecting Jacob to follow. Jacob should be exited now to get home.

Look at what God has done. He is keeping His promise and bringing him home in peace.  But what does Jacob do. He changes direction and goes to Succoth. Do you think that was a disappointment to God?

Gen 33:17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

This is not a side trip. Jacob is digging in to stay. He builds a house. They were tent dwellers. A tent is movable. You live in a tent when you expect to pick up and move. He built a house. That is a permanent structure. Jacob is not planning on finishing the trip. He made booths for his cattle. By his actions Jacob is saying, I am not finishing the trip.

Why? Was God being mean to him? No. Was he afraid of what Esau would do to him? No. There is peace waiting for him at home. That is why Jacob did not want to finish the trip. That sounds odd doesn’t it. But what did Jacob promise God if peace was waiting for him at home?

1) Then shall the LORD by my God. 2) All that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

When Jacob promised that he had nothing. He was using a rock for a pillow. Now he is rich and a tenth is going to be a lot.  Jacob knew what he promised and what would be expected of him. He would have to make the LORD his God. That means some changes in your life doesn’t. it. When Jacob promised to make God his God. He did not have much of a life. Now he has a large family a large enterprise. Changing his life now is going to be hard and more than a little inconvenient. He would have to get the idols out of his home. His wife is not going to be happy about that.

So instead of going home in peace and keeping his promise to God. Jacob takes a 90 degree turn and goes to Succoth. Jacob refused God’s plan again. Do you think that was a disappointment to God?

Trouble comes in Succoth.

His daughter was defiled, Jacob is not found taking control of the situation. He waits until his sons get home and lets them go deal with it. He lets his wicked sons take care of it. and two of his sons assassinated the entire male population of a city.

Jacob had put God off and put Him off. He delayed and delayed doing what God told him to and go back to the land. Now Jacob is in real trouble. The nations around him are going to be after him for what his sons did.  He had raised most of his kids to adulthood by this time, and he raised them out of the will of God. Jacob had made a real mess of things. He had a bunch of idol worshiping murderous rebels on his hands. And of course this all has consequences.

Jacob is in need of another chance.

Now most of us would have been done with Jacob long before this time. Our limited patience and longsuffering would have found an end years before. And after Jacob had disappointed us over and over and over again, we might just tell him a thing or two.  Why you no good ungrateful disobedient. We are all sinners here right. We can all get in the flesh. And it is tempting to when we have been disappointed isn’t.

God could have said Jacob, I gave you many chances. I showed you my great care and protection. You would not do what I told you so now that is it. No more second chances.

But what do we hear God saying to Jacob. After all that Jacob done wrong. After all the times that Jacob disobeyed God. We might expect a good scolding. But look at what God said to Jacob.

Gen 35:1 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

God is still saying the same thing to Jacob. Jacob go home in peace. Remember that promise Jacob. It is time to make me your God.

God still has his arms open. God is still saying Jacob come and walk with me. God still wants a close relationship with Jacob. What a patient, loving, longsuffering God. Those who say I don’t like the God of the Old Testament must not read the Old Testament. He is the same patient, longsuffering, holy, righteous, just and loving God.

God is giving Jacob a second chance. And this time Jacob takes it.

• Gen 35:2 Then Jacob 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:
• Gen 35:3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

Jacob starts standing up as the spiritual leader of the home like God wants him to. He said put away your idols and clean up because we are going to Bethel and worship the true God.

• Gen 35:4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which [were] in their hand, and [all their] earrings which [were] in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which [was] by Shechem.
• Gen 35:5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that [were] round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
• Gen 35:6 So Jacob came to Luz, which [is] in the land of Canaan, that [is], Bethel, he and all the people that [were] with him.
• Gen 35:7 And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

Even at Jacobs age, even after all the mistakes that he made. He still made a new start. Even after all the times that Jacob blew it. God still gave him a second chance.

We have a God of second chances.

What we see in the life of Jacob is a second chance to have a close relationship with God. We see a man who was given another chance to walk with God. And after this we see a different Jacob in the Bible. No more the deceiver. No more running from the will of God. Jacob took the second chance offered to him and God did a work in his life.

If you walked close to God in the past, but you are not as close to Him now, God is offering you a second chance to walk close to Him again.  If you once were on fire for God, God wants you to be on fire for Him again.  Don’t ever think, I made a mistake. I messed it up so God is done with me. No No No.

God is ever wanting you to walk close to Him. You are His child and He is always wanting you to walk close to Him. You can always get a new start.

How?

• 1Jo 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
• 1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Pray to God and confess it. Getting a second chance to walk close to God is that easy.

We have a wonderful God. A God that does give second chances to have a close walk with Him.

(Note: God does give second chances to walk with Him and as we see in the life of Jacob, third chances and forth chances. However, God does not remove the consequences of our sin while we are running from Him. That town of people were still dead, and Jacob’s sons are still a bunch of rebels. There is a difference between restored fellowship and a right walk with God and the consequences of sin that remain. It is much better to accept the second chance to walk with God as soon as possible and thus avoid the consequences of sin that come from running from Him.)

Please Help cover the cost of this ministry.  Thank You!