Jacob went across the Jabbok and wrestled with God over the approach of Esau. Somewhere during the night Jacob forgot about Esau and asked God for His name. This is what happens to us if we do not let go of God. Finally we forget about our own desires and get interested in God. Then our name is changed from the con artist to the struggler with God. We become Israel.

How wonderful to have our name changed! What a narcissistic, cowardly, self-seeking pot of quivering flesh we are until we grapple with eternal Life! What a death we die! God's man of faith and power is seen to be a helpless, hopeless mouse possessing neither faith nor power.

The sooner we die and are raised in Christ the better for us and for our acquaintances.

Has the moment of truth come to you as yet? Until it does you will remain the first creation. What you are is temporary. True life begins when you die with Christ and are raised with Christ.

Job is another portrayal of not being able to keep things until you get them twice. The Book of Job (also the Lamentations of Jeremiah) are nice pieces of literature until God picks up His option on us. Then they become extremely meaningful. They are as meat that we can chew when Christian platitudes become sugar and water.

Remember Job was a righteous man. When we speak of God giving us our inheritance twice we are not speaking just of the destruction of sin out of us. It goes far, far deeper than the removal of sin. All we are, the good and the bad, must die in Christ, and that which is worthy of the Kingdom raised in Christ. Not one mote of our personality is exempt from the process. Anything we hold back is loss for us and loss for Christ. Anything we are or possess apart from Christ is garbage—relatively worthless!

Job's family and possessions were taken from him and then restored to him, not the same people and possessions as before. The first were gone. You never know if you are going to get Isaac back. Such decisions are to be left in the hands of our Maker.

The important thing was that Job became acquainted with God. To have God speak of us as He has of Job is worth every pain, every humiliation, every perplexity. In the world to come Job will once again meet his original sons and daughters, if they are found worthy of the Kingdom and will bring him fullness of joy. Again I say, God must be trusted for this. Do you see what I mean?

Joseph died the death before he governed Egypt. First Joseph died to the world (the pit). Then he died to sin (Potiphar's wife). Then he died to self-will (the prison). These three tests are administered to each of God's rulers. They must die to all three realms of the flesh and soul in order that they may receive the fullness of the inheritance.

To be continued.