Reading: Genesis 32:22-31
Here is a story going back over 3,900 years. Jacob. the younger son of Isaac, married with two wives, Leah and Rachel, and with eleven sons, had a problem. He already had a relationship with God, but he feared meeting his elder brother his elder brother Esau.
The two brothers were very different. Jacob had received the blessing from Isaac, not Esau. It was correct, as God had determined that the elder should serve the younger. The Lord had said to Rebekah, “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25). And whereas Esau became a mighty hunter, Jacob is described in Genesis as a perfect man, the same Hebrew word in the original text as describes Job. Here, unlike the opinion of so many regarding Jacob, was a man who, although his faults are obvious, was God’s man and always sought the blessing of God. Is that how we are? Do we, despite the weaknesses in ourselves that we are aware of, and more importantly, the tendency to sin against God, constantly look to the Living God for His blessing and His approval? Isn’t it easy nowadays for people to take note of the faults in Jacob, but excuse our own shortcomings and failures towards God, others and ourselves? The word of God records much concerning the very eventful life of the patriarch Jacob.
There are two points that we need to consider in the portion of God’s word before us. Jacob feared, and then Jacob fought. So, let us consider first why Jacob feared, and what he did to overcome his fear. Genesis 32v7 states that, “Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed.” Two words are used for the same state of mind Jacob was in. This is not tautology – vain excess of word, at all.
What do we think of Jacob as a man? So often in the Christian world, people think of Jacob as a grabber, as a twister, as a self-centred man. Do you see him as scheming and untrustworthy? Interestingly, in the Jewish world, Jacob has always been seen in a much more positive role. Obviously, he is recognised by all as one of Israel’s three patriarchs, and who God has many deals with. On Biblical matters, sometimes the Christian world is much more accurate than the Jewish world, notably on the recognition of Jesus as God’s Messiah and the only Saviour of men. But sometimes the Jewish tradition should be seen as being more accurate, and I think that concerning the work of Jacob, this is the case. As I said earlier, the same Hebrew word describing Job as perfect is used of Jacob being perfect. When we look at the New Testament, we note that in the Royal Gospel, Matthew-Levi, where he sets out the genealogy of Jesus in the opening chapter, the following is stated in verse 16 – “And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Messiah.” Joseph, who was the foster father of Jesus, had a father who was named Jacob. In the Jewish world, it remains a good tradition to name one’s children after Biblical heroes. So it was in New Testament times, and so it remains today. It is important for us to view how God regarded Jacob.
Here was a man, who, in God’s purposes, always sought God’s blessing. Esau, in contrast, was the mighty hunter more interested in satisfying his stomach. There is a notable comment made by the Lord in Malachi, about 400 BC. The Lord says of the two very different twins, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” Psalm 46 ends with this, “The Lord of hosts is with us; and the God of Jacob is our refuge,” while Psalm 78 verses 70 and 71 states, He (God) also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the ewes that had young He brought him, to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance.” These examples from Scripture show that Jacob was not a name that symbolised cunning and deceit, so commonly thought. But perhaps the most obvious portion of the word of God to demonstrate that Jacob was not abandoned by God, nor thought badly of, is in Exodus 3v15. When, hundreds of years after the patriarchs had died, God called Moses in Midian to go back to Israel in Egypt, He stated: “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” He did not say that he had been the God of Jacob, because He continued to be the God of Jacob.
Jacob feared greatly, because he knew of Esau’s pledge to kill him after the blessing was given by Isaac to Jacob. Jacob devised his own plan to try and avoid being killed. He divided his people and animals into two groups, so that if Esau, accompanied by 400 men, attacked one group, the other could escape.
We can understand this. If we thought that someone was determined to seek us out and kill us, wouldn’t we seek a way of escape? But Jacob did something that must be approved of. He prayed to the Lord, he reminded the Lord of the promise to deal well with him. He acknowledged that he was not worthy of God’s mercy and truth revealed. He admitted before God his fear of Esau’s attack. And he remembered before God, the promise to make his descendants great in number. What a good thing to do: remember God’s promises of help, and admitting one’s own unworthiness before Him. And with a great crisis, how could we not appeal to God for His help? Jacob returns to his plan, so prepares presents for Esau – hundreds of quality animals, to appease Esau. But how would God answer the cry of Jacob?
Now Jacob would fight
Jacob organised taking Leah and Rachel, their servants and his then 11 sons, over the Ford of Jabbok, a stream leading into the Jordan River on the east side. Then his goods were taken over. But here, the plan of Jacob was completed. The human effort depended on use of space with two groups, and generous presents, and placing himself further back. It was good planning. But Jacob had cried to God in prayer; that was the best thing he did. Now God would act, and the action was unique. Then Jacob was left alone. He planned to be further back, but God wanted to deal with strong, masterful Jacob. The Scripture reads, “and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.” Here is a theophany, one of the appearances of the Lord Jesus before His First Coming to Judea. Perhaps this wrestling went on for several hours. Jacob always wanted God’s blessing on his life, and he was going to get it, but it would come about in God’s way. God is no man’s debtor, and His moulding of our lives for those us who are really His, will be achieved His way.
Verse 25 tells us that Jacob was strong in prevailing against the Lord! Do the Lord touched the socket of his hip, so it was out of joint during the wrestling session. Strong Jacob is now vitally weakened, but this is still in God’s purposes. Has God weakened you somewhere, so that you will always need His help for you to serve Him? But it was a magnificent wrestling session – it couldn’t be a better struggle. What a lesson this is! How many people around us have no zeal for the things of God, and cannot be bothered to wrestle with God for His blessing.
The struggle culminated with this: the Lord called out, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” Jacob had held onto the Lord until now, and responds – “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” He can now say face to face to the Lord, what he had long wanted. Can we learn from Jacob? Cling onto God and crave His blessing.
In the struggle, Jacob is told to say his own name, Jacob – “heel grabber,” because at birth he grabbed Esau’s heel. And now he wrestles with the Lord. So,Jacob is renamed during the epic wrestling bout. The Lord stated, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob (heel grabber) but Israel (fighter with God) for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.
Jacob asks for His name, and although this seems not to have been given, He was blessed there. And so Jacob named that place, Peniel (face of God). El is a shortened form of Elohim, God – “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. Therefore, we can confidently say that Jesus has appeared at that time to bless Jacob. Far from being some kind of cheat, Jacob is shown as God’s man.
Now Jacob was alone again, and as the sun arose, he limped on his hip. He would not be able to run away on foot from Esau. Perhaps he would always limp, but his weakness – maybe for the rest of his life – would be a permanent reminder that once, the Lord wrestled with him in order to bring about blessing.
What was it the apostle Paul would tell the Corinthians in about AD56? “The Lord said to me ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.” Friends, may our trust be totally in the Lord Jesus, the only Saviour of men. We are weak creatures when we think we are strong. But if our trust is in Him, we can be blessed by our reliance on the strong Saviour. Whatever struggles we endure in this life, if we belong to Him, we have peace with God today and fellowship with Him forever.