"brokenness" in the biblical sense
means to renounce self-will to
serve the will of Christ only
• Genesis 25:21-28 – fighting at birth
• Genesis 25: 29-34 – bargains for
Birthright.
• Genesis 27: 1-29 - Jacob with help
from his mother deceives Isaac to
receive Esau’s blessing.
• Gen. 28:5 - Jacob runs to escape his
offended brother’s wrath
• Genesis 28: 10-22 - Jacob receives
God’s protection
• Genesis 29:15-30 - Laban’s games
• Genesis 30: 25-43 - Jacob’s games
• Genesis 31 - Jacob runs from his
father-in-law
• Genesis 32 – NIGHT OF RECKONING
Genesis 32:24-31 Pg. 25
So Jacob was left alone, and a man
wrestled with him till daybreak.
25When the man saw that he could not
overpower him, he touched the
socket of Jacob's hip so that his
hip was wrenched as he wrestled
with the man.
Genesis 32:24-31 Pg. 25
26Then
the man said, "Let me go, for it
is daybreak.“ But Jacob replied, "I
will not let you go unless you bless
me."
27The man asked him, "What is your
name?" "Jacob," he answered.
Genesis 32:24-31 Pg. 25
28Then
the man said, "Your name will
no longer be Jacob, but Israel,
because you have struggled with
God and with men and have
overcome."
29Jacob said, "Please tell me your
name." But he replied, "Why do
you ask my name?" Then He
blessed Him there.
Genesis 32:24-31 Pg. 25
30So
Jacob called the place Peniel,
saying, "It is because I saw God
face to face, and yet my life was
spared."
31The sun rose above him as he passed
Peniel, and he was limping
because of his hip.
Psalms 119:71 Pg. 438
It was good for me to be afflicted so
that I might learn your decrees.
I. We need times ALONE. – vs. 24
Genesis 32:24-31 Pg. 25
So Jacob was left alone, and a man
wrestled with him till daybreak.
There are two things that happen
when we are alone. We are faced:
• By our Recollection
• By our Redeemer
II. We must allow the BREAKING.
vs. 24,25,26
Genesis 32:24-31 Pg. 25
So Jacob was left alone, and a man
wrestled with him till daybreak.
25When the man saw that he could not
overpower him, he touched the
socket of Jacob's hip so that his
hip was wrenched as he wrestled
with the man.
Genesis 32:24-31 Pg. 25
26Then
the man said, "Let me go, for it
is daybreak.“ But Jacob replied, "I
will not let you go unless you bless
me."
III. We must ask for the BREAKING.
vs. 26-29
Genesis 32:24-31 Pg. 25
26Then
the man said, "Let me go, for it
is daybreak.“ But Jacob replied, "I
will not let you go unless you bless
me."
27The man asked him, "What is your
name?" "Jacob," he answered.
Genesis 32:24-31 Pg. 25
28Then
the man said, "Your name will
no longer be Jacob, but Israel,
because you have struggled with
God and with men and have
overcome."
29Jacob said, "Please tell me your
name." But he replied, "Why do
you ask my name?" Then He
blessed Him there.
Brokenness is the process of
sanctifying our God given
character for His use.
IV. Being Broken helps us deal with
our past. – vs. 30
Genesis 32:24-31 Pg. 25
30So
Jacob called the place Peniel,
saying, "It is because I saw God
face to face, and yet my life was
spared."
V. Being Broken Helps us deal with our
future. – vs. 31-32
Genesis 32:24-31 Pg. 25
31The
sun rose above him as he passed
Peniel, and he was limping
because of his hip.
32Therefore to this day the Israelites
do not eat the tendon attached to
the socket of the hip, because the
socket of Jacob's hip was touched
near the tendon.
“Pride, it seems, dogs our steps all our
days, so that we need a reminder
with every step of who we are and
where we've been. It takes a limp
to reaffirm our weakness, to help
us avoid trouble, to keep us from
running away.
And it's a limp in our walk -- the mark
of maturity that the Bible calls
"humility" -- that says so
powerfully to others, "I saw God
face to face, yet my life was
spared."
Does every limp in your life remind you
of your weakness?
•
Does it make you conscious of the evil
within you?
He BREAKES us to make us stronger.
Have you wrestled with God until He had
made you confess your real character
and nature to Him?
Has He humbled you by placing His
finger in the strength of your life and
made you leave limping because you
wrestled with God?
• Proud people focus on the sins of
others; broken people know their
own spiritual needs.
• Proud people need to prove they are
right; broken people are willing to
yield the right to be right.
• Proud people claim their rights with a
demanding spirit; broken people
yield rights with a meek spirit.
• Proud people desire to be served;
broken people are willing to serve
others.
Proud people have an attitude which
says, "The church is lucky to have
me in it." But broken people feel
this way: "I don't deserve to have
any part in this ministry. O how
good of God to include me."
Proud people keep others at arm's
length; broken people are willing
to be vulnerable and close to
others.
Proud people have a hard time saying,
"I was wrong and I'm sorry."
broken people are quick to confess
and are genuinely repentant.
Proud People, in a conflict, wait for the
other person to apologize; broken
people take the initiative to
reconcile, regardless of who was
at fault.
Proud people don't believe they need
revival, but are sure everybody
else does. broken people
continually sense their need for a
fresh encounter with God.
Proud people compare themselves to
others and feel superior; broken
people compare themselves to the
holiness of God and beg for mercy.
Proud people ask, Why me? Broken
people ask, Why not me?