The wonder and responsibility of being chosen

December 17, 2001

Bible Study for Texas lesson for Jan. 20

The wonder and responsibility of being chosen

__Genesis 28:10-22; 32:24-31; 35:9-15
___^28:10Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. ¹¹ When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ¹³ There above it stood the Lord, and he said: "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. ¹⁵ I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
___¹⁶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it." ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."
___¹⁸ Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. ¹⁹ He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.
___²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear ²¹ so that I return safely to my father's house, then the Lord will be my God ²² and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." ...
___^32:24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. ²⁵ When 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. ²⁶ Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
___But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
___²⁷ The man asked him, "What is your name?"
___"Jacob," he answered.
___²⁸ Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."
___²⁹ Jacob said, "Please tell me your name."
___But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.
___³⁰ So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."
___³¹ The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.
___^35:9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. ¹⁰ God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel." So he named him Israel.
___¹¹ And God said to him, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. ¹² The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you." ¹³ Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.
___¹⁴ Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. ¹⁵ Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.

____By Kyle Reese
___The church has a vocabulary all its own. We use words like faith, grace, redemption and revelation to help describe the reality of our relationship to God. At best, the words we use convey rich images and meaning to those who hear them. At worst, the words are flung into the air with the assumption that everyone will know their meaning.
___As followers of the "Word who became flesh," it is important to give concrete reality to these sometimes abstract words. The story of Jacob gives us a framework to understand a word we might hear in the church: The word is "chosen."
___Chosen for new dreams
___In Genesis 28:10–22, for the first time, Jacob is pictured alone. Previously, we see Jacob struggling with his brother at birth, stealing his brother's birthright and scheming with his mother to gain the blessing of his father, Isaac. Now, Jacob is alone. He is alone somewhere between Beersheba and Haran. In front of him, a prospective bride awaits; behind him lurks a brother bent on revenge; and, in between, Jacob meets God.
___The place soon to be called Bethel (House of God) seems like a good place to rest for the weary Jacob. He stops there simply because the "sun had set," not knowing God had other ideas.
___As he sets up for his rest, he carefully chooses a stone to serve as his pillow. Kathleen Norris points out that the stone could be a convenient weapon against a surprise attack from Esau. We later learn that the place in which he slept was chosen for him, not necessarily by him.
___In the most vulnerable of positions, asleep, God comes to Jacob in a dream. God teaches the struggling Jacob what it means to be chosen. Being chosen is not about who you are, what you have done or what gifts you bring to the task. Being chosen is a gift of God. Being chosen is all a work of God's grace.
___For the first time, Jacob is not pictured as a scheming person but as someone totally at the mercy of God.
___The dream of the ladder challenges Jacob's view of reality. By his actions in the past, Jacob has approached life by seeing what he could make of it. For Jacob, there is no free ride. If he is going to succeed, it is up to him.
___God uses a ladder to illustrate to Jacob that life is not simply what we make it to be. The ladder teaches Jacob that heaven and earth (God and humanity) are not really far removed from each other. As Jacob matures, he recognizes God's involvement with him and his activity.
___What a change in perspective for him, to learn that life is not lived simply by one's own resources. God has something to do with life. Jacob learns something about being "chosen."
___God repeats to Jacob the covenant promise, "The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring." On top of the promise of land, God promises to be with Jacob wherever he goes.
___When Jacob awakes, he will be faced with decisions. Will he believe the world of the dream is more convincing than the life he now knows? Will he revert to his old ways and past experiences, or will he allow God's promise to shape his future?
___God's promise, to be with Jacob wherever he goes, challenged a prevalent belief that gods were tied to particular places. Perhaps Jacob believed leaving Beersheba also meant leaving the presence of God. In the dream, God challenges this notion.
___Chosen for a new relationship
___As Jacob awakes the next morning, the stone used as a pillow and potential weapon is transformed into a symbol of worship. Worship is the only response for one who realizes the grace of God calls us into relationship with God. Jacob's stone would be a reminder for future generations to look in worship toward the God who chooses people for relationship and service to others.
___A couple has tried for years to have a child of their own. Finally, the doctor tells them that they have exhausted every available means for having a child. The doctor recommends adoption.
___The couple makes the necessary arrangements and travels to an orphanage in order to meet their new daughter or son. Walking into a room, the couple sees numerous children playing with different toys. Suddenly they spot her, a little girl sitting in a corner. She is playing quietly by herself. The couple knows she is the one; she will be their new daughter. The girl is chosen.
___Can you imagine the joy felt by this little girl? Can you imagine the confidence she gained in her life knowing that she was chosen by her parents? The same confidence is shared by Christians, knowing that we are chosen in Christ Jesus. The backbone of Baptist cooperation--missions--is spurred on by the fact that all people are chosen and invited to new life by Jesus Christ.
___Jacob now faces his uncertain future with the certainty of God's covenant relationship. Jacob faces his uncertain future as one who is chosen!
___Chosen to encounter God
___The next part of the narrative we study is Genesis 32:24-31. In terms of Jacob's story, it is the second high point in his growing relationship with the God who had chosen him. Just as Jacob hears from God when he leaves the land of promise, he meets God upon his return. What God first communicated to Jacob in a dream will now be communicated in a very "hands-on" way.
___Again, Jacob is alone, though not for long. A stranger in the night comes and initiates a great wrestling match with Jacob. In his mind, perhaps Jacob was anticipating a struggle with his brother Esau, but Jacob quickly learns he must deal first with God.
___Dealing with God first has helped our congregation deal with the Sept. 11 tragedy. How can we take seriously the command of Jesus to love our enemies when so great an atrocity has been committed against us?
___While seeking to avoid a glib answer, I have found that in order to attempt to love one's enemies, one must first do business with God. Without a serious engagement with God, who is described as love, any attempt on our part to "love" enemies turns into hollow sentimentalism. Before Jacob encounters Esau, he must first encounter God.
___God takes Jacob seriously enough to engage him in an epic struggle. What a wonderful gift and heavy responsibility it is to learn that God takes each one of us equally as seriously. Human beings are not viewed by God simply as instruments in some sort of cosmic scheme or as unimportant players in an already-planned future. God considers each person important enough to encounter personally.
___Just like Jacob, we can encounter God in the flesh-and-blood existence of our lives. For some, the notion of God is equated with everything but real-life experience. Some might even argue that Jacob's episode is just a dream. Yet people of faith continue to learn the lesson that Jacob learned in his midnight wrestling match: God is involved in real-life, flesh-and-blood people and their problems! In poignant moments beside the hospital bed, at the graveside or a prison cell, I have seen God's initiative to be present in all of life's situations.
___As one might expect, Jacob is changed from his encounter with God. As the sun begins to rise, God asks Jacob to let him go. True to his character, Jacob requests a blessing before he will allow the "stranger" to leave. What incredible boldness on the part of Jacob, for in the backdrop of this story is the knowledge that no one may see the face of God. Jacob receives his blessing and is changed forever.
___Once someone is truly touched by God, life can never be the same. Jacob assumes a new name and a new limp. Both are symbolic of his encounter with God. With every limping step Jacob takes toward the meeting with his estranged brother, he is reminded he has met with God and that God will continue to help shape his future.
___Chosen to share the gift
___The final glimpse of Jacob is found in Genesis 35:9-15. Jacob returns to Bethel, the place of the promise. Again, God appears to Jacob and repeats the covenant promise. For the first time, Jacob enjoys the presence of God while in the company of others. God has previously dealt with Jacob individually and been with him in his journey. Now God uses Jacob to form a community intent on worshipping this covenant-keeping God.
___The pillar of stone served as a reminder to all people of the covenant given them by God. God transformed Jacob by the gift of relationship with him. Baptist Christians across our state can give witness to the transforming power of God to change lives and use them for purposes of the kingdom.
___While our testimonies may be different, they share one thing in common: We have been chosen. Chosen, not because of our perfection, but because of the radical grace of God found in Christ Jesus who offers the gift of new life to every person in God's world. The story of Jacob dismisses the misguided notion of perfection for servants of God. While we may not walk with a limp, we testify to the fact of God's gracious love in our lives. We are chosen!

Questions for thought and discussion
___ How do you understand God's choice of Jacob? What does it mean for someone to be chosen by God?
___ Have you struggled with God regarding a decision in your life? What were the circumstances? Did you carry with you any lasting effects from the encounter?
___ If you placed a stone for every significant moment and place where you encountered God, where would they be? How would they serve as testimony to other people?
___ Are there any relationships in your life that are in turmoil? How might dealing with God about the relationship help the situation?

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