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Advent Productions

Benjamin Ng

Jacob’s Time of Trouble

Father in heaven, Lord, I know that we have much to be thankful for.

And Lord, I pray that you would please be with us now, bless us with your presence.

And Lord, just your presence, it edifies each and every 1 of our souls I know but Father also pray that you give us your Holy Spirit a double portion in fact because Lord we're living in dangerous times.

We're living in times that are really showing that the end is soon to come and I pray your Holy Spirit would give us wisdom in preparation and lead us and especially as you open your word Help us to discern Your voice speaking to us.

I wanna look at a very interesting topic this morning.

The title of my sermon is Jacob's Time of Trouble.

You know, if your term would mean your Bible is to Jeremiah chapter 30 and verse 7.

This is where we're going to begin our study this morning as we look at Jacob's time of trouble.

Alas for that day is great so that none is like it.

It is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it." You know, I've always wondered why the close of probation and when the 7 last plagues are poured out, why is it called Jacob's time of trouble?

And when I've gone back and looked at that experience, it seems kind of shallow, It seems, but Jacob, he's a very prominent character, actually, in the book of Genesis.

Abraham probably has the most mentions with his name Abraham and Abram added together, but Jacob is the second most mentioned character in the book of Genesis.

You know, the most famous out of all the characters that we find in the book of Genesis is probably Joseph.

He's the 1 that we're all probably most familiar with and then Abraham would come second.

But Jacob really is 1 of the most prominent characters above Joseph in the book of Genesis.

But I want you to turn with me in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 50 and verse 24.

The Bible says, "'And Joseph said unto his brethren, "'I die and God will surely visit you "'and bring you out of this land unto the land "'which he sware unto Abraham, "'to Isaac and to Jacob.'" Jacob is always mentioned with Abraham and Isaac.

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, these are really the major patriarchs of the book of Genesis and really the beginning of time.

Let's turn our Bibles to Exodus chapter 3.

Exodus chapter 3 and verse 6, Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob." He is always mentioned with Abraham and Isaac.

It's very interesting what illustrious characters we mention with Abraham.

Sure, he had a little lie here and there, but it wasn't really a full lie.

When you look at Abraham and his lie, when he said it was his sister.

But he didn't tell the full truth as well.

Isaac, not much wrong said about him either.

He followed in the footsteps of his father.

He lied a little bit about his wife as well.

I wouldn't say full well that was his sister.

But you know what Isaac did was not super bad either.

Jacob is put in the company of Abraham and Isaac, his father and his grandfather and 2 great patriarchs of the old times.

And Jacob, well, from the beginning he had his odds stacked up against him.

As we look at Jacob's time of trouble, really I want to look at a synopsis of Jacob's life because here what we will get is the understanding of what God's people will pass through as well.

But Jacob, when he was brought into the world, he had his odds stacked up against him.

Genesis 25, 25 the Bible says, and the first came out red all over like a hairy garment and they called his name Esau, verse 26.

And after that came his brother out and his hand took hold on Esau's heel and his name was called Jacob and Isaac was 3 score years old when she bare them.

So Jacob, His name actually means heel holder or supplanter, which means to supersede or to replace.

So his name actually was not a good name.

Even though the name Jacob is so famous, His name actually had a bad meaning to it, just like the name Dan and quite a few others.

But little did their parents know that naming their name that would turn out to be a prophecy.

Naming him Jacob would turn out to be what he would be in later years.

And even in that same chapter, you know, the Bible fast forwards when they're probably about teenagers now.

Look at what the Bible says here, and Jacob sawed potage.

And Esau came from the field, and he was faint.

And Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with the same red potage, for I am faint.

And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright.

And just from a bowl of lentils Esau sells his birthright to Jacob and Not content with that.

We know that Jacob would later conspire with his mother to cheat Isaac to lie to Isaac.

Abraham started off with somewhat of a lie, then it got worse in Isaac, and even worse in Jacob.

Friends, it's not that we inherit sins, but the tendency to sin is there when we first commit sin and we do pass on those tendencies to our children.

But here, later on after Esau sells his birthright, Jacob then with his mother cheats his father out of the blessing that he intends for his son Esau.

Esau was Isaac's favorite, and of course, Jacob was the favorite son of his mother.

You know, can you imagine deceiving your dad?

I'm amazed that Isaac does not find out until later.

But Esau, he figures it out and he is so angry with his brother that he is ready to kill him.

And so his Mom sends him off to his brother, her brother Laban's house.

And but as he's fleeing for his life, scared and hungry, Jacob, he lies down to sleep and God gives him a dream.

Please turn with me in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 28 now.

Genesis chapter 28, and we're starting there in verse 12.

This is while he's run and he gets tired and he uses a stone as a pillow.

Verse 12 of Genesis 28, And he dreamed and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven.

And behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac, the land whereon thou liest.

And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south.

And in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places, whether thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land.

For I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

So God promises to Jacob that he would bring him 1 day back to that land from which he's running from and that he would give it to him as an inheritance.

He would receive the spiritual birthright somehow.

And so Jacob, he wakes up from this dream and he vows this vow to God.

Notice what he says in Genesis 28 and verse 20.

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Jacob’s Time of Trouble

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