New Shoes

O.T.#68  "New Shoes"
June 13, 2013
Genesis 33-Part 1
And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.  Genesis 33:12

LET IT GLOW

Since I try to stay faithful to my exercise regiment of walking more than 5 miles a week, my shoes get rather worn down and thin over time. So I bought a new pair to take on our mission trip. I sure don't want to forget to take them with me. I'll be on my feet a lot, teaching Bible stories, prayer walking, etc. so I knew it was needful for my journey. One thing I don't want to forget to take on my journey is Jesus. Instead of sitting around, I know He wants me to go with Him there and share the love of Jesus with children.  I am trusting Him to go before me, leading and keeping me safe. This was the similar thing Jacob told Esau in our lesson.

We left Jacob in a wrestling match with the Lord Jesus. Jacob had to admit his sins of deceiving
and scheming when asked his name. Then, God weakened him by touching his thigh joint. All
Jacob could do was cling to the Lord when asking to be blessed.
Once Jacob faced himself and confessed his sin, he was changed.
God gave him a:

• new name-Israel means he will rule as God, prince with God, a god-governed man;
• new walk-limping; in the spirit, not the flesh; walking by faith and not by sight;
• new beginning (surrendered to God) and a new power with God; broken by God but his      limp was a mark of power and not weakness;
• new position with God; 
• a new day-as the sun rose, he limped out to meet Esau with God's help.

Do you have a new name-Christian?
It can be a good thing to have an infirmity, such as a limp, to remind us that we need our God all the day long. We we are weak, we can be strong in faith with Jesus living in and through us. Then
we are given a new day with a new hope.

LET IT GROW

Wouldn't it have been wonderful if Jacob had lived up to his new name and new position with God? But he didn't. Chapter 33 begins with Jacob, the old name, not the new name Israel, lifting up his
eyes and saw Esau coming with 400 men. Again, he was walking by sight and not by faith.
Jacob lost because he did not claim his spiritual privileges:

• his limp-He bowed 7 times before Esau instead of facing him man-to-man; The prince with God cringed before a man of the world; better to limp by faith than to bow in self-trust;
• his power-Jacob was scheming and bargaining with the enemy; he didn't ask for God's power;
• his testimony-Jacob lied to Esau about the flocks and traveled in the opposite direction; the two didn't meet again until they buried their father;
• his tent-Jacob built a house and settled in Succoth;
• his vision-He moved again and pitched his tent toward the city of Shechem, not unlike Lot (13:12); he lost the vision of God's city (Heb. 11:13-16).
• his daughter-Jacob put his family in a place of temptation (she was violated when she investigated the city).

Jacob was a backslider. Yet, don't we do the same things? On Sunday we get filled with the Spirit, determined to do right, then on Monday we walk by sight and take on the ways of the world.
Do we learn lessons from our own sins and Jacob's life?

It was obvious to Jacob that God had changed Esau from hate to brotherly love. He could tell by Esau's expression on his face.
Can people tell by our expression that we have been with the Lord?

In verse 12, Jacob said to Esau, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.
Aren't we on a journey through life? Are we going with Jesus or our own way? Do we a let Him
lead and we follow?

[Resources: Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament]

LET IT GO

Surrender to God and He will make all things new in my life daily.

Walk by faith, not by sight.

Walk in the Spirit, not the flesh.

Go with Jesus where He leads; walk with Jesus.