Children Bible Overview 20 20/08/07

JACOB WRESTLED WITH GOD TO GET GOD’S BLESSINGS

Teachers to read bible scripture: <Gen 32>

Children to memorize bible scripture: <Gen 32:28>

Recap
Last week, we saw how Laban bullied Jacob, but God wanted Jacob to learn how to trust in God and
not rely on himself to trick Laban in return. God will not allow the ones He loves to be taken
advantage of. Therefore, He eventually blessed Jacob greatly.
Introduction
However, for God to truly bless a person, that person has to trust God wholeheartedly and
not halfheartedly. He has to rely on God totally and not rely partially on God, and rely
partially on himself. Therefore, although Jacob left Laban and took with him many of Laban’s
livestock (sheep and cows), he still met with a great danger in life after that. When Jacob
was near his home, his brother Esau brought many people out to kill him because Esau still
remembered that Jacob cheated him of his blessings. At that point in time, Jacob was very
scared and he could not sleep the whole night, but kept praying to God. So God became a
person and wrestled with Jacob the whole night till daybreak. Jacob held on to that person
and did not let him go, saying. “I would not let you go, unless you bless me.” God said,
“Alright, since you held on to me so tightly and want my blessing wholeheartedly, I will give
you my blessing. From today onwards, you shall be called Israel. You have struggled with
God and have overcome. From now onwards, God cannot reject blessing you. No matter
where you go, God will protect and bless you.” Eventually, God also changed Esau’s heart.
When Esau saw Jacob, he loved him and no longer hated him.

1. We are all God’s children, so God will surely protect and help us
1) Who are God’s children? Ans: Those who know and believe in Jesus Christ are
God’s children.
2) God looks after His children. No matter what kind of problems or crises we are in,
God will always protect us and not let us meet with any harm. Although sometimes
we are bullied or cheated by others, God will help us and not let us be taken
advantage of.
3) Therefore, it is the greatest blessing to become children of God. Although there are
many powerful and intelligent people in this world, if they are not God’s children, they
will eventually fail in their lives.

2. However, God wants His children to rely on Him wholeheartedly

1) Because we are God’s children, the devil, Satan deceives us everyday. So when we
are deceived by Satan, we cannot see God, and will become fearful, worried, angry,
dislike others and unhappy.
2) Therefore, when God’s children half-believe in God and rely partially on God and
partially on their own intelligence, they definitely cannot overcome the devil, Satan,
but will be deceived by Satan instead.
3) Therefore, sometimes God allows some very serious problems in our lives, e.g. we
fall very sick, get beaten by our parents severely, get bullied by friends, get punished
by teachers, have no money, etc. These are to make us rely on God in those
moments. If we are like Jacob, and do not rely on ourselves at that point of struggle
but pray wholeheartedly to God and rely on Him, God will definitely lead our
footsteps, help us and allow us to overcome everything, just like Jacob.
3. Until then, all our problems can then be really resolved
1) Actually, in all our problems, God is with us. God also already has the solution to our
problems. God is in control of all our problems. If God wants to solve our problems,
He can do it in one second.
2) However, God wants us to learn how to rely on God wholeheartedly in the midst of
problems. This is because God is not just a God who can solve that particular
problem of ours. God wants to solve every problem we have. Therefore, when our
hearts know how to rely on God wholeheartedly, all the problems which we may
meet in future will be resolved.
3) More importantly, it is not just about our problems being solved (e.g. not just about
recovering from our illnesses, having money now after being penniless, having
friends now after being friendless, or like Jacob, not being killed by his elder brother,
Esau eventually) → What is more important is whether we can talk to people about
Jesus after our problem is solved, telling people how Jesus protected us when we
were in difficulties, how He helped us and then ask them to be like us, to rely on
Jesus.