244 Counterfeit Gods: Wrestling with God

With the powerful hold idols have over us, is there any hope that we might dethrone these counterfeit gods?  The answer is, “Yes!” …IF we take to heart this foundational truth.  

Idols cannot simply be removed – they have to be replaced.

How do we do that? 

If we hope to deal with our idols, what we need is not merely a vague belief in God but a profound encounter with God.

Jacob had such an encounter, and it changed him forever. 

We met Jacob and his wives, Leah and Rachel, in a previous message. By the time we get to Genesis 31, Jacob has settled into married life and is prospering quite nicely. But Jacob’s success became a threat to his father-in-law, Laban, and tension began to grow between them. So, Jacob decided it was time to part ways and return to his homeland. 

By now, his parents were gone, but his twin brother, Esau, the one Jacob had deceived, was still around. And the last time they had seen each other, Esau threatened to kill him. 

As Jacob and his huge entourage of family, servants, flocks, and herds drew near, he received the alarming news. Esau was heading his way, accompanied by a small army. 

Jacob was sure Esau was coming to make good on his threat. So, he springs into action. He sends out some servants with a huge gift of livestock for his brother. Then he divides his family into smaller groups and sends them across the river. Now night is falling, and Jacob is alone. 

All of his life, Jacob had been a “control freak.” He had sought to control people and circumstances to get what he wanted. He demonstrates the ultimate counterfeit god: SELF.

The idol of self comes in many forms: self-sufficiency, self-determination, self-rule. Every one of us is challenged by the idol of self. Like Jacob, you’ve determined to be a survivor.  And like Jacob, you survived—but at a huge cost.

Jacob’s life had been one long wrestling match to get a blessing.  He wrestled with Esau to hear it from his father’s lips.  He had wrestled with Laban to find it in Rachel’s companionship.  But it hadn’t worked.  He was still needy and empty on the inside. 

And now, he wrestles with God Himself. A mysterious figure comes to Jacob in the night, and they wrestle, struggling all night long, until at last, the Lord touches his hip and it is wrenched out of its socket. 

But rather than let go, Jacob clung all the harder. “I won’t let go until you bless me!” He realized that nothing else matters. If he didn’t have God’s blessing, he didn’t have anything.

At long last, Jacob recognized the true God and surrendered to Him. God gave him a new name—Israel. And He left him with a reminder of who is really in control: Jacob would walk with a limp for the rest of his life.

Jacob’s transformation came after a profound encounter with God.  And, in the end, that is the only remedy against idolatry. When you know God as GOD, you don’t need anything or anyone else. And when you give control to Him, you don’t have to bow to the idol of self.

Text: Genesis 31-32

Originally recorded on December 12, 2010, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN