Genesis 32:1-32

November 13, 2013 Jacob has spent the last twenty years in exile from the Promised Land after tricking his brother and taking the birthright and the blessing. But God has called him to go home now which means he must face his brother and his past. Hes uncertain and fearful but he obeys: And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is Gods host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. This was certainly a comfort for him; twenty years earlier God had promised to be with him and keep him and now that promise is confirmed. Mahanaim means double camp. God set up camp with Jacob. But theres still the meeting with Esau and I want you to notice all the back and forth as we read. Jacob goes from confident to terrified repeatedly:
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And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: 5And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight. Jacob sends these messengers in hopes of preparing Esau before actually having to face him.
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And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. He gets terrible news from his messengers. Esau isnt waiting for him to get there. Esau will meet Jacobwith a small army.
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Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; 8And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape. Naturally hes distressed and makes a plan. If Esau will attack then perhaps Jacob can save half of them by making two targets. Maybe the target that doesnt get attacked can scatter into the wilderness and somehow survive.

And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: 10I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. 11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. 12And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. Jacob recounts Gods promise and acknowledged he hasnt been worthy to receive anything so far. When he arrived he had nothing but a stick, but now hes got enough possessions to divide. If God has been faithful thus far, then perhaps He will continue despite Jacobs fear and unworthiness.
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And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; 14Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, 15Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals. 16And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove. 17And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee? 18Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacobs; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us. 19And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him. 20And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. 21So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company. Right now Jacobs biggest fear and obstacle is Esau. He thinks the answer to his problems is pleasing Esau so he sends gifts.
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And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. 23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

He sends his family over safely.

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And Jacob was left alone;

Were not told why hes all alone, but it prepares us for what happens next: and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacobs thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. 31And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. 32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacobs thigh in the sinew that shrank. Theres a lot here that isnt answered, but I want to just stick with what seems to be the main point. Lets look to another Scripture for help: The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him. 3He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: 4Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; 5Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial. 6Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment and wait on thy God continually (Hos. 12:2-6). This whole story is about a man who strives with God and succeeds in the end. How does he do it? God could have broken Jacobs grip without so much as a word; but He allows Jacob to hang on. He disables Jacob by touching his hip. Now Jacob cant even fight back. All he can do is cling desperately. He is turned to God and waiting on Him continually to give the blessing! And its now that we begin to see (at least Jacob does) that the blessing only comes from God. All this stuff hes been doing to stay ahead is nothing. Hes not that

smart or that strong; God has been working for him. And now he can see it literally because he cant fight back but he wont let go either. Bless me! he demands. And so now hes ready for a name change. The name Jacob tells everyone hes a trickster. Hes going to get his way by plotting and scheming. But Israel means that he strives with God. He has wept and made supplication, and he has found Him! Now hes ready to go back into the Promised Land. Now think about what this meant for the original hearer. These Israelites were coming into a place that only God could give. Neither they nor their ancestors deserved it and no one could take it away from them. God was the giver of the gift. But theres even more because of the application for the New Testament ekklesia. You see, Israel as a physical nation is only a type. Many died in the wilderness because of no faith. Many were driven out for the same reason. But God has an elect remnant made up of Jacobs spiritual descendants and we enter into the Promised Land in the same way as those before us: Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able (Lk. 13:24). Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God (Mt. 19:23-24). Its not self-sufficiency that brings a man to the narrow path. Its not ability or power, but blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger for righteousness. Blessed, we can say, are those who weep and make supplication and look for the blessing that only comes from Him. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name (Rev. 3:12). Praise God for the work He begins and finishes despite our wanderings and Satans attacks! newgracebaptistchurch.wordpress.com