WHEN GOD BREAKS THROUGH

GENESIS 33:1

A. "I HAVE SEEN THY FACE, AS THOUGH I HAD SEEN THE FACE OF GOD."
  1. No greater tribute than this could be paid by one man to another:
    1. The strange thing is that this tribute comes from Jacob, who was very religious, to Esau, who was a pagan at heart
    2. Yet it was to this man that Jacob said, "I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God"
  2. Jacob's fear and expectation:
    1. He feared that Esau would revenge himself on Jacob as he had vowed before - Gen. 27:41
    2. All his overtures to Esau were rejected and so he expected the worst to happen at their meeting B. WHEN GOD BREAKS THROUGH
  3. God breaks through:
    1. When man has a change of heart - Examples: Ananias was very much afraid to see Saul, until he was told, "Behold, he prayeth" - Acts 9:11; Mephibosheth was afraid to meet King David, until the King told him, "I will show thee kindness" - I Sam. 9:6-7
    2. A change of attitude by man to man is indication that God has broken through - that was the case of the two brothers--Jacob and Esau
  4. Our opening text reveals that God is made known to people by people:
    1. God could, if He so desired, use angels to carry the good news of redemption
    2. But He chose to reveal Himself to men by men - Examples: He sent Philip to the Ethiopian to explain Isaiah 53 to him - Acts 8:26-38; He sent Peter to the centurion to reveal God's plan for him - Acts 10:9-28
    3. Said the Lord to His people, "Ye are My witnesses" - Is. 43:12
  5. It was in Esau's forgiveness that God broke through:
    1. When people have a forgiving spirit that is a sure indication that God has broken through
    2. That is a vital truth for us to remember as we associate with our fellow men C. "I HAVE SEEN THY FACE, AS THOUGH I HAD SEEN THE FACE OF GOD
  6. This testimony of Jacob to Esau is awe-inspiring and challenging to the best of us:
    1. The expression of our face is the index of our inner life - "The eye is the light of the body" - Matt. 6:22
    2. It is impossible for man to hide, for long, the inner feeling of his soul - Truth will out!
  7. The testimony of Jacob is a marvelous revelation:
    1. Of answered prayer - Jacob's wrestling with the angel of the Lord at the brook Jabbok paid off
    2. God influenced Esau to a point where he forgot his vow to kill Jacob
  8. Beloved, has God broken through?:
    1. Can we see changes in the attitude of those that we are praying for?
    2. Do we agonize in prayer as Jacob did on that notable night - Gen. 32:22-28
  9. The opening text is a new revelation to me:
    1. I see that when things look impossible for us - prevailing prayer changes even the most difficult situation
    2. I see, further, that the reason why we do not see more breakthroughs is because we do not prevail in agonizing prayer
    3. Our forgiveness to others, who have wronged us, has more power to see God, than a thousand sermons
    4. Thus we see why our Lord gave such strong emphasis to our willingness to forgive others; it is a sure way for God to break through in the hearts and lives of other people


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