(32:1) Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. (2) And when Jacob saw them he said, "This is God's camp!" So he called the name of that place Mahanaim. (3) And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, (4) instructing them, "Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, 'I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. (5) I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.'" (6) And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him." (7) Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, (8) thinking, "If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape." (9) And Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,' (10) I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. (11) Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. (12) But you said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'" (13) So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, (14) two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, (15) thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. (16) These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove." (17) He instructed the first, "When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, 'To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?' (18) then you shall say, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.'" (19) He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, "You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, (20) and you shall say, 'Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.'" For he thought, "I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me." (21) So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp. (22) The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. (23) He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. (24) And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. (25) When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. (26) Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." (27) And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." (28) Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." (29) Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. (30) So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered." (31) The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. (32) Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew of the thigh.
Summary: Jacob is met by the angels of God as he is returning to his land. Jacob sends messengers ahead of him to greet Esau and he prepared a gift for him, remembering Esau's threat. Jacob prays for God to save him, and acknowledges his unworthiness. Jacob divides his family into two camps, hoping that Esau will not attack him. Jacob wrestles with an angel, agonizing in prayer. God allowed him to be overcome by Jacob, though he crippled him by touching his hip. Jacob insisted on being blessed by before God left. God did so, changing his name to Israel, because Jacob struggled with God and with men and overcame.
ReplyDeleteApplication: Lord, forgive me for not stuggling, groaning, and longing for you like Jacob. What a great encouragement that he was able to overcome his fear of his brother, protect his family. Struggling in a foreign land (with Laban), with You for your blessing, and for your encouragement to "return to your country and your kindred, that I may do you good" is awesome!
Summary: Jacob heads back home to Esau his brother. Since he left Esau in a bad situation, he was a bit scared to head home, but trusted God as He said it is safe and nothing will happen to Jacob. But, Jacob doubted as he heard Esau was on his way to meet him along with 400 solders. So, Jacob sent many gifts ahead of him to Esau hoping he would treat Jacob nicely. Jacob then was alone in the camp and at night, he wrestled with God in order to be blessed by him, and God changed Jacob’s name to Israel.
ReplyDeleteApplication: Heavenly Father… forgive me for being like Jacob and not trusting You. Forgive me for taking matters into my own hands and trying to fix things myself. Please Lord, bring me to You as my Shepard. Don’t let me run around trying to figure things out myself. Also, give me persistence in my coming to You and depending on You instead of myself. You will take care of me… I just need to go to You!