Can You Hear Me Now?--Part 1

Genesis 35:1-15

Jacob was an interesting Old Testament character.  I don’t think we’d necessarily call him a good listener, because Jacob was known as a trickster and deceiver. Jacob was the kind of guy to follow you into a revolving door and beat you out the other side. Jacob was always looking out for number one—Jacob.

Jacob was the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham.  When he was born, Jacob grabbed the heel of his twin brother Esau, granting him his name–Jacob–heel grabber.  Jacob was always trying to get ahead.  Esau, his brother, was a hunter and outdoorsman, but Jacob preferred the tents and his mother’s company.  Jacob’s red bean soup was especially appealing to Esau one day after a long, unsuccessful hunt.  Jacob traded Esau a bowl of red bean soup for his birthright, the firstborn’s larger portion of the family inheritance.  That choice forced Jacob on the run for his life for the next 20 years or more. 

But Jacob had some life-changing experiences when he really listened to God. The first one was at Bethel while he was fleeing Esau’s wrath. Jacob dreamed that he saw a ladder going up into heaven, with angels going up and down. God was at the top of the ladder, and God made a covenant with Jacob. Jacob called the place Bethel, house of God. At Bethel, God asked, “Can you hear me now?” And Jacob listened to God.

Over the next 20 years, Jacob made his fortune. He married, had children, grew in wealth, and headed back home to Canaan, the land of his forefathers. His scouts told him that his brother Esau was on his way to meet Jacob with 400 men. Filled with fear, Jacob got alone with God, and really listened to him. The place was Peniel, and there Jacob wrestled with a man all night.  The Bible leads us to believe that this man was the pre-incarnate Christ, Jesus, thousands of years before his conception and birth on earth into the home of Mary and Joseph. At Peniel, Jacob surrendered his all to God. Jacob confessed his name, Jacob, and his nature, heel-grasper.  God changed his name to Israel, Prince with God. At Peniel, God asked, “Can you hear me now?”  And Jacob listened to God.

But there was a third experience Jacob had when he really listened to God. This time, Jacob was at Shechem, when God asked, “Can you hear me now?”

Once Jacob got alone with God and listened, got rid of all the foreign gods in his household, returned to Bethel, and experienced God again, he was able to hear God’s voice.  It was the day Jacob had revival in his household. I call it “a Day Jacob Really Listened to God.”