Joab: Undone by Looking Out for Number One

Joab was one of the more interesting people who figured prominently in David’s kingdom. Joab was a son of Zeruiah, King David’s sister (1 Chronicles 2:13–17), and was therefore one of David’s nephews. Joab’s brothers, Abishai and Asahel, were two of David’s mighty men. Joab earned the position of general of David’s armies during the battle for Jerusalem. How he became general provides a valuable insight into Joab’s subsequent behavior and eventual downfall.

King David became king after being selected and anointed for that position by God through the prophet Samuel. When King Saul understood that God was raising up David to be his replacement, instead of cooperating with the plan of God, he made it his mission to murder David. Very importantly, David steadfastly refused to take matters into his own hands, even though he had more than one opportunity to kill Saul, his adversary.

David understood that coming against God’s appointed authority never ends well.

Once when Saul entered the cave in which David was hiding, his men urged him to kill the king, saying:

“Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the LORD is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe. 5  But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. 6  “The LORD knows I shouldn’t have done that to my lord the king,” he said to his men. “The LORD forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the LORD’s anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him.” 7  So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul. After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way, 1 Samuel 24:4-7 (NLT) 

Instead, he waited patiently for God to remove Saul and place him into position as the king. All this is found in First and Second Samuel.

Joab’s ascension to power came very differently, however. In the heat of battle for Jerusalem, David made the following unfortunate promise. He announced that the first to go up and strike the Jebusites would become the leader of his army. (1 Chronicles 11:4–9) Joab fulfilled the requirement and became general. He earned his position; whereas, David received his position as a gift from God. Looking back with 20-20 hindsight, we can see that David should have asked God who should be his commander; nevertheless, the Lord worked through Joab’s generalship for David’s good for the most part, with a few notable exceptions.

The principle we derive from this part of Joab’s story is that how we achieve our position is how we must seek to maintain it. Joab became general through his own efforts, and that is how he sought to preserve it for the rest of his life. Since Joab did not receive his generalship as a gift from God, he had no confidence that God would preserve him in that position. He thought that he must always look out for himself first.

What we receive from God as a gift, we can trust him to keep for us. What we achieve through our own efforts, we must preserve that way.

Looking out for old number one never ends well.

If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. Luke 17:33 (NLT) 

Joab generally served David well as general. He won many victories and usually proved to be very loyal to David. He realized that David was his ticket to success.

As long as upholding David resulted in his own position being preserved, he was steadfastly loyal; but, when his position was threatened, he took matters into his own hands, revealing a lack of confidence in God.

During the years when Saul still retained the kingdom and pursued David in the wilderness, Joab loyally served David. He understood that David was God’s man who would eventually be king. Instead of serving the current king, whom God was replacing, he took the risk of backing the one who had the promise from God. This was perhaps Joab’s finest hour.

The first example of Joab’s putting his own interests ahead of David’s was in the matter of Abner. When Saul died, his son named Ish-bosheth was installed as his successor due, in large measure, to the support of general Abner. David was accepted by Judah as their king, but the other tribes remained loyal to Saul’s son. This situation went on for seven years, and battles were fought between the competing factions, which posed Abner against Joab. In one of those skirmishes, Abner killed Joab’s brother Asahel, which fueled a longing for payback in Joab. Eventually the tides of war began to go David’s way, and Abner fell out with Ish-bosheth. Acting rebelliously toward his king because, like Joab, he was seeking his own best interests, he approached David to work out a way to bring the other tribes under David’s rule. Seizing the opportunity, David made a political choice to give the generalship to Abner, which imperiled Joab and incentivized him to murder Abner, both to revenge his brother’s death and to preserve his own position as general.

Joab probably assumed that Abner would get the generalship, since he had been King Saul’s man. Though David stood to gain politically by choosing Saul’s former general Abner over Joab, Abner was an even poorer choice to be general than Joab. One can imagine how Joab must have felt when his king consorted with his rival. Nevertheless, Joab’s deceitful murder of Abner in cold blood cried out for God’s punishment, which would eventually come years later. In the meantime, Joab retained his position as general, but this episode created a big rift between David and Joab. They continued to work together, but never again would they fully trust one another. David now realized that Joab could not be controlled, and Joab understood that David was not fully loyal to him.

The next big test for Joab came when David committed adultery with Bathsheba and ordered Joab to orchestrate things in battle so that Bathsheba’s husband Uriah would be killed. Joab went along with the murderous plan, but why? Perhaps he identified with David, who in this case also was putting himself ahead of God’s will. Maybe he wanted to gain some leverage against David. Perhaps he was being blindly loyal. Whatever the case, this was a sad day in King David’s life, one for which he, his family, and the nation paid dearly. Eventually what took place here culminated in the lowest point in David’s life, Absalom’s rebellion.

Absalom became embittered against his father when David failed to properly deal with Absalom’s older half brother, Amnon. Amnon was infatuated with his beautiful half-sister, Tamar, who was also Absalom’s full sister. He raped her and subsequently cast her off. David did nothing. When Absalom discovered what happened, he coldly plotted revenge, which he pulled off at a sheep shearing event, when his men killed Amnon. He may have planned to kill David at that time as well, but the king chose not to attend the event. David banished Absalom for a season, but eventually brought him back, but they were never reconciled. Absalom began to carry out a plan to gradually win over the hearts of many in Israel. He plotted with Bathsheba’s bitter grandfather to overthrow David. At the right time, Absalom launched the rebellion from Hebron and sent his army to capture David in Jerusalem.

At this low point in David’s life, the king showed his faith in God in a big way. He told his followers that he trusted that God would restore the the kingdom to him if it pleased him. Otherwise he resigned himself to God’s will. He was not passive, however. He fled the city, and, to his credit, Joab remained loyal to David. The decisive battle came some time later. David instructed his commanders to show mercy to Absalom, but Joab paid his king no mind and personally killed Absalom when the opportunity presented itself. Once again Joab showed that he was ungovernable, but, in this case, he did exactly what needed to be done. Absalom had to die.

After the battle, David grieved for his son, confusing his victorious warriors who risked their lives to end the threat. It was at this point that Joab’s true colors once again showed themselves. He told David that he must stop weeping for his enemy or he would demoralize his faithful, which was good advice. However, he threatened to lead a coup against David, if he did not follow this directive. Joab revealed at this point that he considered himself to be in a superior position to David. He believed David was beholden to him to retain his kingship, which was the very thing Abner had done to Ish-bosheth. I believe this threat sealed Joab’s fate.

The principle here is that, when we presume to dictate to or threaten those God has put in place in our lives as governing authorities, we cross a line that begs for God’s judgment.

After Absalom’s defeat, David once again showed disloyalty to Joab by courting the general who backed Absalom in order to gather the rebellious tribes back to himself. David seemed to alternate between operating by God’s principles and the world’s. When Joab heard about this, he resorted to what he knew best. He murdered Amasa his challenger, once again shedding innocent blood. I blame this one on David, but Joab did not have to react the way he did. What would have happened if Joab had trusted God to sort things out? We will never know.

Joab’s “last rodeo” brought him down. When David was so aged that he scarcely governed, his eldest living son named Adonijah decided to step into the vacuum and have himself declared king. To pull this off, he obtained the support of the general of David’s army, Joab. Previously, God had made it clear that Solomon was the one destined for the throne, but, for whatever reasons, Adonijah thought he could pull it off, and Joab must have believed his future looked brighter serving the presumptive king rather than Solomon. This was a fatal decision.

When David got wind of what was going on, he promptly installed Solomon as king, putting those who supported Adonijah in great danger for their treason. Solomon showed great restraint and refused to punish the rebels, but on his deathbed, David ordered Solomon to take down Joab.

And there is something else. You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me when he murdered my two army commanders, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He pretended that it was an act of war, but it was done in a time of peace, staining his belt and sandals with innocent blood. 6  Do with him what you think best, but don’t let him grow old and go to his grave in peace. 1 Kings 2:5-6 (NLT) 

The opportunity to fulfill David’s directive arrived when Adonijah asked Bathsheba to seek permission for him to marry David’s former concubine, Abishag. This was tantamount to asking to be king, which infuriated Solomon, who dispatched his new commander, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, to execute him. When Joab heard this news, he fled to the altar, hoping it would offer protection, but Jehoiada dragged him out and put him to death. Thus the old general ended poorly.

Benaiah had faithfully served David as captain of his personal body guard. He never once disregarded his king’s command or did anything solely for his own benefit. His loyalty was rewarded, and he was the man who brought God’s judgment upon the self-serving Joab, who over and over violated God’s principles of authority.

Ending well is a bigger challenge than one may think. Some of the biggest temptations come later in life. What we sow when we are young also may come home to roost later in life.

That was certainly the case with Joab. David made plenty of mistakes, too, but he repented when appropriate and kept his heart soft toward God. There is no record that Joab ever repented for his sins.

The final principle we can draw from Joab’s life is that faithfulness is eventually rewarded and rebellion punished.

Joab’s partial faithfulness was rewarded for a time, but the rebellion that was mixed in eventually brought him down. He ended up siding with a rebel, when it seemed to be to his advantage, and went down with him.

Proverbs says:

 Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? 2  Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. 3  Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. 4  Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the LORD, and keep their promises even when it hurts. 5  Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever. Psalm 15:1-5 (NLT) 

Moral character has a tremendous impact on our destiny. Joab’s moral flaws led to his downfall.

It is vital that we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us so that we act, think, and speak more and more like our Lord; otherwise our personal character defects may negatively impact our lives in a big way.

May the Lord be gracious to us and help us so that we can end well as did David, rather than as did Joab. David was a serious sinner, too, but he sought and found forgiveness. Joab never did, which undid him.

What Psalm 23 Reveals about God and the Gospel

Psalm 23 is one of the most beautiful and most quoted passages in the Bible and reveals a lot about God and the gospel. It was inspired by the Spirit of God and written and sung by King David, who was an accomplished musician and poet. It has endured for three millennia and will continue forever because it is the unchangeable word of God. This compact psalm is packed with revelation about God’s heart and nature. Let’s take a look at it line by line. I will be using the New Living Translation for the most part.

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. Psalm 23:1 (NLT) —

Here the Spirit revealed through David that God the Lord is our shepherd, who provides, guides, and protects. David called him Yahweh-raah, the Lord my shepherd. If we know and rely upon him as our shepherd, we have everything we need. Jesus is the ultimate Good Shepherd who gave his life for his sheep. (John 10:11) He did this to bring us back to the Father by providing forgiveness for our sins, setting us free from all that enslaves us, giving us life eternal through the Holy Spirit, and making us children of God through the new birth. Ultimately we will co-rule with Christ over his creation. This is what Jesus called “abundant life.” Once we come to know Jesus as our Shepherd, life will never be the same.

Gospel Hint: If we encounter a person who feels lost, abandoned, or who generally needs a “shepherd,” we should present Christ as the One they seek. He proved his love for us at the cross and his ability to take care of us at the resurrection.

Another Old Testament compound name for God was revealed to Abraham when God tested him regarding his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac. When the angel restrained his hand, Abraham saw a ram caught in the thicket that he could use in Isaac’s place. He named that place Yahweh-Jireh – the Lord who Provides. 

Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.” Genesis 22:14 (NASB95) —

In the hour of his testing and obedience, God’s provision became apparent. When we truly get to know God, we find out that providing for his people is part of his nature. It is who he is. We should never doubt his kind intention to provide for our every need.

Gospel Hint: Is we find someone who is afraid that they will not have what they need, we should introduce Jesus the Good Shepherd and provider. We can always count on God to provide. If we surrender our lives to him, he graciously extends his care to us.

He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. Psalm 23:2 (NLT) —

For sheep green meadows and peaceful streams are part of God’s provision for them, but this verse focuses more on peace and rest. Jesus promised that he will give his disciples peace that passes natural understanding. God revealed himself to Gideon as Yahweh-shalom, the Lord who is our peace, on the day he commissioned him to fight for Israel against seemingly insurmountable odds. (Judges 6:24) Peace does not depend on our circumstances, but on God’s promises and his presence in our lives. 

Jesus said that he will give us peace in the midst of the storms we encounter in life.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27 (NASB95) —

Peace is one of the defining characteristics of those who know God. It is a fruit or result of God’s Spirit inhabiting and transforming us on the inside. The more we trust and rely on our Good Shepherd, the greater our peace.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7 (NASB95) —

Gospel Hint: When we encounter someone who is afraid, we should tell them about the Good Shepherd who relieves us of our fears and replaces them with peace that passes understanding. His perfect loves displaces or casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)

He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Psalm 23:3 (NLT) —

In this case, it is a good idea to compare the New Living Translation with the more literal New American Standard Bible, which translates this verse as follows.

He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Psalm 23:3 (NASB95) —

Our strength is renewed as the Good Shepherd restores and heals our souls. When we are born again, God makes our spirits brand new, but our souls still need work. The new birth is once for all, but the restoration of the soul takes a lifetime. This is part of Jesus’ ministry as healer. Everywhere Jesus went he healed and restored people. He still does today, but now he uses his Spirit-filled people to accomplish the work. Before we can help others, we need to experience his healing and restorative work in our own lives.

One of the compound names of God in the Old Testament is Yahweh-raphah, the Lord who heals. (Exodus 15:26) Healing is part of God’s nature or character. It is not something we have to wrestle from him. It flows from his kind heart to hurting people. Healing and deliverance from demonic oppression accompanied the preaching of the gospel in Jesus’ and the apostles’ day. Nothing has changed in God’s plan. God means for people to experience his healing and restorative touch today, too. 

Gospel Hint: If we encounter someone who has physical, emotional, or spiritual pain or disease, we should offer to pray for them as we tell them that Jesus still heals. We never know what God may do.

Right paths and paths of righteousness are different ways of looking at the same thing. God revealed himself as our righteousness in the Old Testament.

In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’ Jeremiah 23:6 (NASB95) —

When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, he provided a right relationship with God or “justification” for those who put their faith and allegiance in him. By taking our sins upon himself and exchanging our sin with his right standing with God, we became righteous before God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) We are not self-righteous, but righteous in Christ. Apart from him we have nothing.

Now that we have right standing with God, he is working his righteousness into us on a daily basis. In other words, the Holy Spirit is transforming us on the inside so that we more and more think, speak, and act like Jesus. This allows us to “walk” as Jesus did in “paths of righteousness.” When we live like this it brings honor to God and blessings to us.

Gospel Hint: Sometimes we encounter people whose lives are a mess. We can introduce the Good Shepherd to them as the one who can restore them and get them on a path to blessings and success. It starts with their surrendering everything to Jesus the Lord and receiving all he has to offer, which is mainly himself.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (NLT) —

Everyone eventually goes through a dark place. It can be very scary, especially if we feel all alone. One of the most repeated promises in the Bible is “Do not fear. I am with you.” (Genesis 26:24, Deuteronomy 31:8, 2 Chronicles 20:17, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 14:27, and John 6:20) God revealed himself in the Old Testament as the ever-present One, Yahweh-shammah (Ezekiel 48:35). King David knew God in this way, too, as revealed in Psalm 139. Jesus also is known as the One who is present in his name Emmanuel, God with us. (Matthew 1:23) Our Lord also promised that the Holy Spirit, his executor here on earth and our helper, will always be with us.

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; John 14:16 (NASB95) —

The Spirit’s presence in our lives is our most precious gift. Nothing compares. Because Jesus died and rose again, when we put our faith and allegiance in him, God comes to live inside us forever! We will never be alone again.

Gospel Hint: Abandonment is one of our greatest fears. Many people feel rejected and alone. Ultimately this is because our sin separated us from God. Jesus fixed this problem. All who put their faith and allegiance in him never need to be alone again.

The rod and staff represent the shepherd’s commitment to protect and guide his sheep. One of God’s compound names in the Old Testament is Yahweh-Mekoddishkem – The Lord who sanctifies you. (Exodus 31:13) God is committed to transforming us into Christ’s image as we navigate this life with his help. His loving discipline is represented by the rod. God disciplines all his children because he loves them. (Hebrews 12:6)

Gospel Hint: God accepts us just as we are, but he doesn’t leave us there. Most people would like to be better people. Only God can get us there as we learn that he is committed to transforming us on the inside without condemning us for our many failures. (John 5:24, Romans 8:1)

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Psalm 23:5 (NLT) —

God revealed himself in the Old Testament as Yahweh-nissi, the Lord our banner in battle. (Exodus 17:15) Sometimes we think that peace requires us to be delivered from the threat or presence of our enemies. God prepares a feast for us right in front of our enemies. He wants us to ignore the enemy and focus on him. The Bible teaches us the the battle is the Lord’s. (2 Chronicles 20:15) He has already defeated Satan and his evil allies. All authority in heaven and earth has already been given to our Lord Jesus. Nothing can happen to us without the permission of our Lord, and he promises to work out everything, even the bad things, for our good. (Romans 8:28)

God wants us to learn how to stand against evil. (Ephesians 6:13) We do this by understanding that we are protected by God. We are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 2:6) Our enemies must go through God to get to us. This does not mean that we will never encounter tests, trials, or danger. It does mean that God is always with us as we go through these things. He is our victory. Our faith makes us overcomers in everything. (1 John 5:4)

Gospel Hint: When we talk to people who are in the midst of some kind of battle, we can show them that God promises to be with us in the battle and has already overcome the enemy. If we trust in him, he will give us peace in the midst of our struggles.

One of the most exciting things about being a follower of Christ is participating with him in liberating other people. When Jesus launched his earthly ministry, he quoted Isaiah 61:1 and said that God’s Spirit rested upon him, anointing him for ministry. (Luke 4:18) The anointing, which represents the Spirit’s power and presence operating in and through us, is what we need to effectively minister to others. God honors us by allowing us to participate with him.

God is not stingy. He overflows with blessings and has more than enough for all those who trust in him. This ties into God’s being our Shepherd and provider. As we are blessed by God, we can pass these on to others.

Gospel Hint: Many people live outside of God’s blessings because they have never surrendered their lives to Jesus. The gospel promises God’s richest blessings upon all who trust and follow Jesus.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6 (NLT) —

Instead of being hounded by the curse associated with sin, Jesus opened the door for us to be pursued relentlessly by God’s goodness and mercy as long as we live. When we die, we have the promise of being with God forever.

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. John 14:1–3 (NLT) —

Gospel Hint: Jesus provides his followers with blessings here on earth and eternal life with him in heaven. Who would not want this?

Jacob: Hang On Until You Get the Blessing

Jacob is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. He was a deceiver, a complainer at times, fearful, and often lacking faith; yet, God chose him to be a father of the faith, and, despite all his failures, his life ended well. Jacob should give us all hope that God can use even us for his purposes. We should be encouraged that God’s grace and mercy are sufficient to carry us through, no matter how unlikely a candidate we may be.

This teaching will examine a significant episode in Jacob’s life when he was returning to his father’s home after years of a sort of self-imposed exile. God earlier promised his mother, Rebecca, that Jacob would rule over his brother Esau.

But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23  The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger." Genesis 25:22-23 (NASB) 

How he came into possession of that promise involves several unexpected twists and turns. Jacob came out of the womb as the second born of twins, grasping the heel of his older brother, Esau. Jacob’s name is a word play on “heel” and carried with it the connotation of a deceiver, a theme that played out during his life.

The reason that Jacob left his father’s home was because he had tricked his father into giving him his older brother’s blessing, which enraged Esau to the point of wanting to murder him. His father, Isaac, was essentially blind due to old age, which allowed the deception to succeed. Isaac preferred Esau over Jacob, and, according to the convention of the time, Esau, being the first born, should have received a blessing giving him first place among his brothers. But God had already chosen Jacob to have that honor, which is another theme that plays out repeatedly in the Old Testament.

God chooses unlikely people to accomplish his purposes.

It is inconceivable that Rebecca did not tell her husband about the promise God gave her; nevertheless, Isaac, who also had a history of being deceptive, as did his father, Abraham, chose the give his blessing to his elder son. He sent Esau out to kill game and prepare him a delicious stew which would set the stage for his imparting the blessing of the first born. Rebecca heard what was happening and instructed Jacob to bring her a goat to prepare for his father. Following his mother’s counsel, Jacob dressed in Esau’s clothing and somehow managed to pull off the ruse and get his father’s blessing just before Esau’s return. Below is a part of that blessing.

May many nations become your servants, and may they bow down to you. May you be the master over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed.” Genesis 27:29 (NLT) 

Previously Esau had traded his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew.

One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. 30  Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”) 31  “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.” 32  “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?” 33  But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob. 34  Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn. Genesis 25:29-34 (NLT) 

The birthright being Jacob’s by Esau’s choice, it only stood to reason that the blessing should also be his. However, when Esau learned that once again his brother had taken what he felt belonged to him, he was distraught and furious. He determined to kill Jacob after his father died. Upon learning this, Rebecca instructed her son, with Isaac’s blessing, to leave the country and go back to her father’s house to obtain a bride. Jacob left immediately, encountering God along the way, and after reaching Rebecca’s home, ended up marrying two of Rebecca’s nieces, Leah and Rachel. There he built his family and fortune serving his uncle Laban. Eventually God instructed him to return to his father’s home.

Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you.” Genesis 31:3 (NLT) 

This posed two huge problems for Jacob. Laban was sure to oppose the move, and the last time he saw Esau, he had murder in his heart. This brings us to another life lesson we can derive from this part of Jacob’s life.

When God tells us to do something, he promises to be with us, but that does not mean we will not encounter difficulties.

Jacob tried to escape Laban secretly to avoid a fight, but Laban hunted him down. The ensuing confrontation revealed to Jacob that God was helping him.

Laban caught up with Jacob as he was camped in the hill country of Gilead, and he set up his camp not far from Jacob’s. 26  “What do you mean by stealing away like this?” Laban demanded. “How dare you drag my daughters away like prisoners of war? 27  Why did you slip away secretly? Why did you steal away? And why didn’t you say you wanted to leave? I would have given you a farewell feast, with singing and music, accompanied by tambourines and harps. 28  Why didn’t you let me kiss my daughters and grandchildren and tell them good-bye? You have acted very foolishly! 29  I could destroy you, but the God of your father appeared to me last night and warned me, ‘Leave Jacob alone!’ Genesis 31:25-29 (NLT) 

Once past this significant hurdle, Jacob still faced his biggest fear – Esau. As he approached his father’s home, he got word that Esau was coming to meet him with four hundred men. How would you interpret this news? Probably just as Jacob did… He was convinced that his brother was coming to finally get his revenge. Jacob was caught between a rock and a hard place. God clearly told him to return home, but Esau had to be met for that to happen.

God is an expert at setting up situations that require us to face our fears.

He backs us into a corner from which we cannot escape except by going straight forward. Meeting Esau seemed to be the worst thing that could happen, but God was about to turn what Jacob feared into something good.

This brings us to another important life lesson. God promises that he will work all things out for good in our lives, even the seemingly terrible things. He asks us to maintain our faith in him and his promises.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 (NLT) 

A secondary principle that we can derive from this verse of scripture is that we should praise God in every circumstance because we can be sure that he is at work for our good and his glory.

And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20 (NLT) 

Jacob did not yet know these principles. All he knew was that God was with him and his brother appeared to be on the warpath. As the confrontation got closer, Jacob took defensive steps, sending droves of animals ahead of him as gifts to appease his brother’s wrath. The night before meeting Esau, he divided his family group in the hope that perhaps some would be spared. Then he spent the night alone by the river Jabbok.

During that sleepless night, the angel of the Lord appeared to Jacob and wrestled with him. Jacob was a powerful man, having been able to single-handedly role a huge stone that covered the opening to a well. (Genesis 29:10) Despite his prodigious strength, Jacob was unable to defeat the angel, which is not surprising. God will defeat the areas of our lives where we are self-sufficient so that we learn an important lesson.

God never intended that we be self-sufficient. We were created to draw our life and strength from God.

Until we learn to bring everything under God’s benevolent rule, we will encounter God’s loving discipline. Jacob was about to learn the biggest life lesson of all.

Even in the womb, Jacob struggled with his brother; when he became a man, he even fought with God. 4  Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won. He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him. There at Bethel he met God face to face, and God spoke to him— 5  the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies, the LORD is his name! Hosea 12:3-5 (NLT) 

According to the Bible, Jacob won his wrestling match, but that is a surprising twist to the story. His victory with God came because he lost to God. This is another key to life in God.

We win by losing our fight against God.

Jacob and the angel wrestled to a stalemate, at which time, the angel revealed that he had the power to defeat Jacob at any time. Imagine a father arm wrestling with his young son and pretending that it is a struggle.

This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. 25  When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. 26  Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27  “What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.” 28  “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.” Genesis 32:24-28 (NLT) 

Jacob won this match with God because he refused to give up and let go, which brings us to the main point of this article.

Never let go of God and his promises until you get the blessing.

Life often confronts us with overwhelming problems that seemingly contradict or nullify God’s love and promises. The test we often face is whether we will let go of God or cling to him. Instead of fighting God, as Jacob did, why not simply surrender to His plan and purpose? 

The cross has been called the intersection or crossing of our will by God’s. The cross symbolizes the death of our will and our desire to determine our own course or direction in life. God’s will is usually attractive to us on a deep spiritual level, but the journey toward its fulfillment usually runs counter to the comfort and ease we all want.

We inevitably will encounter the cross when we embrace God’s divine purpose. We may struggle fiercely, but we cannot win against God. So why not be wise and surrender early on?

Jacob surrendered with one condition, which we should also adopt: he requested God’s blessing.

Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” 
“I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, “unless you bless me.” Genesis 32:26

As we face the trial before us, we should tell God that we surrender to His will and purpose for our lives in the trial (as best we can) and that we want the blessing contained in it. (Romans 8:28) The old saying that every dark cloud has a silver lining is certainly true with God.

There is nothing that the devil or life can throw at us that will not ultimately work for our good. Therefore, we can face everything with the bold confidence of a conqueror. In Christ the battle has already been won.

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 (NLT) 

Adversity presents us with an opportunity to know God in a fresh new way.

Of course, for the Christian, the Lord is always present, but often we neglect to profit from this most amazing gift until pressed into a corner. We humans are so oriented toward self-sufficiency that we often forget about God, for all practical purposes, until we are faced with something so beyond our capacity to cope that we are forced to run to Him. God is so loving and humble of heart that He accepts us even when we come with such questionable motives.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) 

God has no illusions about our motives, but loves us anyway. He is a true friend as well as our God.

In addition to being an opportunity to meet God in a fresh new way, a severe trial is also an opportunity to hear God’s voice in a way that inspires our faith. God can and will speak to us through Scripture, other human beings, our circumstances, or simply by communicating directly with our hearts.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 (NLT) 

When God requires that we face our greatest fears, it is time to get alone with Him and hang on until He gives us the blessing that is hidden in the trial. Never doubt that it is there. It was for Jacob. When he finally face his brother Esau the next day, it turned out well. Esau came in peace, eliciting these words from Jacob.

Jacob said, “Please. If you can find it in your heart to welcome me, accept these gifts. When I saw your face, it was as the face of God smiling on me. Genesis 33:10 (The Message)

Knowing that God truly loves us is a big key to our having overcoming faith.

Some believers have a feeling that God “loves” them, but fear that He secretly does not like them very much. We have a good reason to think this way, since we are so very well acquainted with our own faults and failings. Many of us still think we are on a performance basis in our relationship with God, and we imagine we are quite unworthy of genuine affection from Him.

The good news of the gospel, however, is that God loves us to the core, despite our very unlovable traits, and that He is favorably disposed to bless us, all because of what Jesus did for us.

When we love someone deeply, it gives us pleasure to show that love through gifts and other favorable acts. That is the way God loves us.

When a severe trial comes, for some it is a confirmation that God’s displeasure has been aroused and they are being punished. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to have overcoming faith if we think like that. Perhaps the word “trial” is part of the problem, since it brings to mind a courtroom setting in which we may see ourselves as the accused. If we substitute the word “test” for “trial,” we may obtain a better grasp of what God is doing.

Tests reveal to us what we know and how far we have come in our training and maturity.

They are meant to be passed, but, if we fail one, God does not discard us. Instead we must go back to the Book, the Bible, to study some more and then go back to God, our life coach, for some more internal work. Tests are good, not bad. God is not hurting us by sending tribulation and pressures our way: He is actually helping us. The Apostle Paul wrote:

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17  For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT) 

We cannot grow spiritually without encountering tests and pressures along the way. God wants us to use them to learn how to overcome by faith.

It’s analogous to a butterfly struggling to escape its cocoon. If someone tries to “help” the insect by tearing open the cocoon, the butterfly will be robbed of its God-given opportunity to strengthen and develop its wings. It is through the struggle to get out of the cocoon that the butterfly becomes strong enough to fly. As we encounter and struggle with tests and tribulations, our faith and ability to persevere will grow.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4 (NLT) 

In adversity, we learn that God is faithful and true and grow strong spiritually. Most of us routinely seek to avoid or quickly escape tribulations. Rather, we should embrace any that God sends our way and seek to profit from them.

God has a purpose for everything in our lives. We just need to find it, which happens more easily when we surrender to God’s will and purpose. Our purpose is found in His purposes. In fact, it is only in the context of His sovereign will that our lives make sense. What before had been terrifying for Jacob, now became the venue in which he beheld God’s smile.

When we go through trials and tribulations with an attitude of faith and an expectation of blessing, we will come to know God in a new way and be able to see His smile.

Do we know that God is smiling at us, or do we imagine that His face is clouded, angry, or frowning in displeasure? The priestly blessing from Numbers reveals that God is indeed smiling at us, or, as the literal Hebrew says, “shining” upon us.

May the LORD bless you and protect you. 25  May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. 26  May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’ Numbers 6:24-26 (NLT) 

A smile is one of the most effective ways to communicate our pleasure in another person. God takes pleasure in His people because we are perfectly pleasing to Him in and through His Son. We are completely justified, accepted, and blessed in Christ.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4  Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6  So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7  He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8  He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:3-8 (NLT) 

Yes, God is smiling at us, but do we believe it yet? Keep seeking the Lord until he shows you the truth about his amazing grace.

Don’t let go of God until you experience the blessing he has already given to us in Christ.

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