Altars In The Place of Disobedience

When was the last time you worried yourself sick, spent endless hours running scenarios in your mind and figuring out ways to control an outcome —- and then things didn’t go as planned!?

Jacob has wrestled with God over his fears and now gets to practice what he learned as he faces those fears. Will I walk after the flesh and trust myself, or will I walk after the faith and obey God?

1-11. In Jacob, find yourself. Vacillating from faith to flesh and courage to cowardice. We ponder, plot, plan, pray, panic! And God had other plans! Our worrying reveals our worship (Phil. 4:6-8).

Two options only on the shelf - worship God or worship self. Who are you – Jacob (flesh) or Israel (faith)? Both are now an option for Jacob - and you. God answered his prayer (32:11). Now what?

Don’t be surprised when your spiritual triumphs are followed by significant tests. Jacob has met with God face to face and will now reveal what he’s learned from the experience: He trusts — self.

Jacob shows us what walking after the flesh might look like: Trying to control outcomes, favor-itism (who’s loved least-most), sowing hard feelings, and trusting self not God. Sound familiar?

12-16. Our old ways can die hard. What will Jacob after the flesh do? Deceive? Use tact? Both? Show concern? Avoid unequal yoking or Esau’s control? Obey God (promised land not Seir)?

Whatever the reason, misleading others creates a moral dilemma of our own making. Feeding our flesh strengthens our desire to rely on what’s gotten us through life and slide into sinful ways.

We’re at war and must always be on guard. Whatever we feed (flesh or faith) grows. Choosing flesh sets us up for more hard lessons and God’s loving chastening (in ch. 34-37, Pro. 3:11-12).

17-20. Look at Jacob and see yourself. Sowing to the flesh becomes habitual. We know where God wants us and go the opposite direction or move enough to settle for less than what God wants.

Our vacillation will become our exacerbation when the altar we build in the place of disobedience becomes witness to our future embarrassment. We’ll pay a dreadful price for our delinquency.

When tempted to follow God incompletely because of green pastures, pleasant surroundings and opportunities that fall outside God’s will for your life, you might want to wrestle with God again.

Present actions set future reactions. Jacob is still sowing to the flesh and will once again reap serious consequences. He’s received much light from the Lord so much is going to be required.

What have we learned? Walking after our flesh we can worry ourselves sick, worship self, and build altars of witness to our sin. Maybe it’s time to worship God, walk by faith, and obey Him.

Let’s Take the Message Home:

1. In what ways do you tend to walk after the flesh – control outcomes, fear, favoritism, trust self? Maybe it’s something else. Identify it, give it to God in prayer, and ask Him to keep it / kill it.
 
2. In what ways do you tend to feed your flesh (make it stronger)? Think of how you rely on what’s worked in the past instead of what the word of God clearly says. Give those to God too.

3. Consider when or how you go in the opposite direction from God’s will, or settle just short of His promises? What altar(s) in the place of disobedience have you built? Obey instead.