A Bible Study by
Charles W. Holt
email: cholt@gt.rr.com
The Story of Jacob:
Contradictions, confrontations and conflicts
This chapter will emphasize two intense events that ultimately result in a profound change in Jacob’s character. In both instances prayer plays a key role. These prayer encounters provide us with an opportunity to listen and learn principles that may strengthen our own personal prayer life. Take careful notice that I’ve said it is about our personal prayer life. Everything that happens in this chapter centers upon Jacob and no one else. Some are inclined to use Jacob’s encounter with the angel as an example of the intense wrestling aspect of intercessory prayer, a kind of dogged persistence that Jesus does encourage in Luke 11:8 and 18:1-8. That is not what Jacob’s story in Genesis 32 is all about. What happens here is not an example of intercessory prayer issues. Matters of far greater consequence are under consideration.
My reason for thinking there is nothing in this chapter that relates to intercessory prayer is simple. By definition, intercession is: entreaty in favor of another, especially a prayer or petition to God in behalf of another (American Heritage Dictionary). In the entire Bible, the nine Scriptures where the word "intercession" (KJV) is found, the entreaty is on behalf of another. Intercessory prayer is other centered. Jacob’s prayers are "Jacob centered." For a very good reason everything he asks for relates to his personal need. His prayer, however, is not the self-centered, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" (Ja. 4:3 KJV) kind of prayer. Quite the opposite, as we will see. Never were the words of the old spiritual more true than here. "Not my sister, not my brother, but it’s me O Lord, standing in the need of prayer." We will now pick up our story from the last lesson.
Having settled the very volatile differences between himself and Laban, Jacob is ready to move on toward home. Each of these powerful figures sealed their commitment to peace between them with a covenant (see 31:44-52) followed by a covenant meal. "And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place" (Gen. 31:55 KJV). It is a fitting end to what has been a tumultuous 20-year’s chapter in Jacob’s life. He stands now at the threshold of a new beginning. He can look back and take pride in the fact that he has handled himself and his affairs quite well. He is blessed with two wives, 11 children, innumerable servants and countless numbers of livestock. In the language of the Old West, he is a very rich "Cattle Baron." As far as he knows the journey home will consist of only the routine stuff that would comprise any cattle drive without the worrisome bother of hostile Indians or cattle rustlers. The only uncertainty was how his brother Esau might react when they ultimately meet. This meeting was unavoidable. And Jacob is worried.
Chapter 32 opens with these intriguing words: "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim [May-hah-NAY-im]" (32:1,2 KJV). Mahanaim means "Two Camps." It refers to his camp and the nearby camp of angels. One would think that the sight of a band of angels--God’s host--camped nearby would provide an absolute sense of peace and the assurance that nothing harmful would happen. The term God’s host has a military implication in it. We are not told the effect it had on Jacob. He merely observed it. He could have said, "Wow! Look at that. There’s a band of warrior angels over there. I wonder what they are doing here." Whatever his thoughts were he went on about the business of facing what he considered to be his next challenge.
I don’t want to accuse Jacob of making light of this camp of angels nearby. I don’t want to accuse him of sloughing it off as if it were of little matter. He may have done neither of these things. It just appears to me, based upon what we will see in a moment, that he didn’t take seriously this angelic escort. He had seen angels before, you know. They seemed to be some sort of heavenly escort and heightens the drama of everything that is unfolding at this time and place. The least that can be said is that there appears to be a convergence of natural and supernatural forces that ultimately will issue in an epic event.
Angelology is a legitimate theological doctrine. The appearance of angels here offers us an opportunity to launch into a study but I will dismiss it with only a brief comment. One of the most favorite verses is: "The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them" (Ps. 34:7 KJV). Fifty-eight times the phrase, "the angel of the Lord" appears in the Old and New Testaments. Almost without exception each details an active involvement with God’s people for their deliverance or guidance. More is happening in the unseen realm than we are aware. Satan attempted to involve Jesus in a reckless act by quoting, "He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone" (Mt. 4:6). It is a promise of God from Psalm 91:11. I find it interesting that Satan believed God would keep His promise to Jesus else he would not have ventured to say it. Jesus was wise in seeing the trap that lay behind Satan’s confession of faith. It is another illustration of the need for balance in all interpretation and use of Scripture. It should, however, be a source of comfort to us knowing that there is angelic activity on our behalf today.
Thinking of Jacob’s apparent non-response to nearby angels reminds me of a time in the life of Joshua when he and the Hebrews confronted their first real test in the land of Canaan at Jericho.
"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant" (Joshua 5:13,14 KJV).
This was an angelic visitor as sure as Jacob witnessed the angels near his camp. One big difference is clear. Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and said unto him, "What do you want to say to me!" We do not read that Jacob consulted with any of his heavenly visitors. I would like to think that I would have wanted to consult with someone in that camp to find out what I could expect from them on my behalf just as Joshua did for himself and the children of Israel.
Jacob could use all the help he could get. Did the Lord send this contingent of angels to provide that help? We don’t know. Was Jacob’s self-sufficient, independent spirit, so strong that it forbade any contact with this form of God’s assistance? We don’t know. But it is possible, if one is willing to admit that we too have often tried to "do it my way." Always in the back of his mind Jacob knew the day would come when he must meet his brother Esau and give an account of himself for the skullduggery of which he was guilty. He proceeded to make his plans. It is at this point that Jacob acts in a manner that is so typical of our own actions. He plans then prays. Isn’t that getting the cart before the horse? In verses five through eight, Jacob lays out his plan to his servants.
"And 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: and I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and women-servants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight"
(32:4-5 KJV).
Jacob may have comforted himself that his "good faith" action would meet with immediate approval of his brother and that he would be willing by now to bury the hatchet and, so-to-speak, let "bygones be bygones." But disturbing news arrives upon the return of his messengers.
"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. 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" (32:6,7 KJV).
This unexpected turn of events causes a great deal of anxiety. This is so typical of life in general and in some of our own more troublesome circumstances in particular. When we think we have things all neatly planned out, covering every detail, and we are secure in the knowledge that "it’s the best plan," therefore incapable of failure, we are rocked back on our heels when an unexpected challenge suddenly appears. What does Jacob do? He prays! A little late, perhaps, but it does create the possibility of getting things back on track. It goes without saying that it is always better to pray first . . . then plan.
JACOB’S FIRST WRESTLING PRAYER
We don’t know what Jacob had been expecting to happen when he finally met up with Esau. It is clear, however, that news of his brother coming with 400 men was completely unnerving. This would be everything except a quiet family reunion he might have had in mind. The element of surprise, something coming "out of the blue," often creates the need for wrestling prayer. Ah! Some may say. This is exactly what intercessory prayer is. It is wrestling prayer. Certainly there can be an element of wrestling when one intercedes but, once again, the focus is upon Jacob . . . what Jacob wants . . . what Jacob needs . . . in no way what someone else needs, which defines true intercessory prayer.
Four verses from nine through twelve supplies us with the details. It is a pithy passage. Here, unlike the second wrestling match, Jacob does not so much struggle with the Almighty as he does with himself. His mind is conflicted. His spirit is conflicted. His emotions soar to great heights then plummet to the pit of despair. Perhaps you have experienced this same sensation. You want to believe. You do believe. You feel bad. You feel good. All at the same time! I’m glad the Holy Spirit has allowed Jacob, our Christian Everyman, to be seen reacting to troublesome events in this way. He prays a good prayer, one that is worthy of imitation. Here is a summary of what I consider to be important conditions found in his prayer.
1. He begins by acknowledging his covenant relationship. "Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and of my father Isaac." He appeals to his covenant relationship with the Lord through his father and grandfather. It is the basis for any hope of attaining anything from the Lord. It is the same as the Christian praying, "in Jesus name." Praying "in Jesus name" recognizes and pleads the covenant connection that provides the only grounds to hope for answered prayer. God is a covenant keeping God. For example, lift up your eyes and,
"Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations" (Dt. 7:9 KJV).
"And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart" (1 Kings 8:23 KJV).
"Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee,
that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day" (Neh. 9:32 KJV).
"And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said,O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments" (Dan. 9:4 KJV).
2. Jacob’s trouble has arisen because he is doing something God told him to do. "The LORD which saidst unto me, Return…" Here is the vital element of obedience to the commandment of the Lord. Jesus said, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (Jn. 15:14 KJV and refer to the passages above, especially from Daniel 9:4). Listening to and obeying the voice of God does not guarantee a smooth passage. It does, however, provide the greatest expectation for success when we know He told us to do it. It’s got to turn out right! It is a strong support for faith while praying.
3. We glimpse a slight attitude change. He freely confesses, "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant" (vs. 10 KJV). Remember, this is the first prayer we have heard Jacob pray in twenty years. He may have prayed before now but we don’t have a record of it. It makes this particular prayer even more meaningful. This indeed becomes a model prayer for everyone. The attitude of humility is characteristic of all great pray-ers. Humility is one of the three pillars of powerful and effective prayer.
4. A sense of unworthiness, self-denial and self-abasement are important components in effective praying. We must ever keep in mind that God has respect to the broken and contrite of heart. (See Matthew 5:3-5.) "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word" (Isa. 66:2).
5. His prayer is specific. "Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau," is a very precise request. There is nothing ambiguous here. Prayer should be this precise. The widow’s request of the "unjust judge" (Lk. 18) was specific: "Avenge me of mine adversary (vs. 3 KJV). The neighbor at midnight demanded "three loaves" (Lk. 11:5 KJV). Brevity may be the soul of earnest prayer. Jesus said, "When ye pray, use not vain repetition, as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking" (Mt. 6:7 KJV). However, he struggles with uncertainty, fear and faith. He confesses his fear--a genuine emotion that is rooted in the distant past. I see Jacob wrestling with his emotions, struggling to be calm, yet at the same time facing a gale of doubt; struggling to come up with a plan that will save his life and the lives of all those he loves; choked by fear of what tomorrow will bring. At the same time, he is trying desperately to cling to the promise God has made. He manages at last to reaffirm God’s word to him.
6. Following up on the thought of brevity, it is worth observing that this prayer is relatively short. The four verses of the Authorized Version (KJV) consist of only three sentences composed of 130 words. It is not the shortest prayer in the Bible but it serves as a worthy example of a prayer that is earnest, brief, and effective. Someone has said, "It is not the length of your prayer but the strength of your prayer" that matters. Trivia question: what is the shortest prayer recorded in the Bible? Check out Mt. 14:30.
7. Twice Jacob pleads for help based upon what God has promised to him. "You said . . .Return. . . and I will deal well with thee . . .And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, etc . . ." (vs. 9, 12 KJV). He makes God’s word part of his prayer. God’s promises are made for us to stand on. Some of the great pray-ers of the Bible have taken this tact when faced with similar crises. Moses and Daniel easily come to mind but the one I want to use to illustrate this is Nehemiah. It is, to me, one of the great classic prayers in the entire Bible.
After hearing the devastating news about the condition of Jerusalem and its inhabitants, Nehemiah, "Sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven" (Neh. 1:4 KJV). In verse five, he reminds the Lord of His: (a) covenant, (b) mercy, and (c) love for those who show their love for the Lord by keeping His commandments. The argument he makes is that God is duty-bound to keep His word because it is His very character to do so and is secured by a covenant that He will not break. He goes on to confess his sins and the sins of all the people. He comes now to the crux of the matter that we are talking about with Jacob. In verse eight, he says, "Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: but if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; . . . [I] will gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there" (KJV). Nehemiah says, "Lord, you have said ..., therefore, based upon what You have said I expect that you will do . . . " Jacob says, "Lord, you told me to go home, and you will deal kindly with me, therefore, based upon what You have said, I expect that you will do . . ." What’s the principle here? It’s simple. If you are in a tough spot and you need God’s help it is always effective to find a promise God has made and hang onto it with bulldog tenacity.
8. He affirms that the problem he is facing is really to big for his hands. At the same time, he affirms that God’s hands are quite capable of controlling the situation. He wants to yield complete control to the Lord but something else is competing with that desire. Have you ever been caught in the struggle between faith and fear? At last his old way of doing business gets the upper hand. He trusts, nevertheless, he takes "of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother" (32:13 KJV). Some will say that Jacob, having earnestly prayed, now wisely sets out a plan that is, under the circumstances, both prudent and generous. He is, as some would say, "praying as if everything depended on the Lord and planning as if everything depended upon himself." We must admit that there is some validity to the idea. Some, however, do nothing but pray, leaving everything (almost literally) to the Lord. Others do all planning and leave nothing (almost literally) to the Lord. Both notions are faulty.
I will be first to say the Lord does expect us to be wise in devising ways and means to meet personal, family, and other challenges that pose problems for us. I find support for this throughout the Bible. A passage from Proverbs comes to mind. "A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps" (Pr. 16:9 KJV). It may be that Jacob intended to show good faith to his brother. However, knowing his history of scheming and conniving leads me to believe that at this point he reverts back to his old tried and true methods for survival that have served him well through the years. He comes up with a plan that he hopes will assuage the fury of the gathering storm. He has, "sown the wind, and [will] reap the whirlwind" . . . as he fears being "swallowed up" (Hosea 8:7,8 KJV) by Esau’s marauders. Once again, he leans upon his own understanding, puts his trust in his natural strength--the self-life--to buy his way out of the problem. He has done it all his life, why not now?
I don’t want to make too much of Jacob’s actions in plotting to soften up Esau with the waves of livestock, one following upon another. It is, however, so typical of human nature (both his and ours) to do things this way. It’s his way. As we sometime think (and say) "it’s just my way." Therein hides the problem. It’s this proneness to plan and pursue with his only interest being himself that plays a critical role in what is coming. So before hastening on, let’s revisit this idea. Jacob joins scheming to his praying. Suddenly he has a flash of inspiration: Mahanaim! That’s right, two camps. Perhaps this was God’s purpose of having a band of angels camp nearby. It was intended to be a sign. The Lord was telling Jacob that the best plan was to divide up his assets and send things along in increments to impress his brother. I say this tongue in cheek, not actually believing this is the reason he did divide up his group. I say it, however, because there are some who actually look for something they may hang on to as a sign that God is leading them to take a certain action. They look for a sign, anything, which will authenticate and validate their plan. Through the years I have heard some bizarre things that were "a sure sign" that "this is the will of God for me!" Shrewd, calculating, creative Jacob did not need a sign. He formulated a strategy that he considered was foolproof. "And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother" (32:13 KJV). Jacob’s grand plan and, "that which came to his hand" is described in verses 14 through 23. Ultimately it consisted of 550 of his finest stock including breeding stock that would make Esau fabulously wealthy.
"So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company. 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. And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had" (32:21-23 KJV).
It has finally come down to this: he is all by himself. Alone. And God meets him. It will be an unprecedented face to face meeting. There had never been a night like this night. He was on the threshold of the greatest fight of his life. He had used all his ingenuity, skill, "smarts," to meet difficult challenges before. This would be no exception. He had not planned on losing anything. He would soon learn that he was slated to lose more than possessions or family. He would lose himself. Jacob is on the verge of experiencing what Jesus would say centuries later. "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it" (Mt. 10:39 KJV).
"And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him,he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And
he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And 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" (32:24-28 KJV).
This episode is cloaked in so much mystery as to invite endless speculation about what exactly happened. Some things, however, are pretty straightforward. We know for certain that the "man" (vs. 24) was an angel. "He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed" (Hosea 12:3,4 KJV). In all probability this person was the Angel of the LORD, the pre-incarnate Son of God (Jesus), Who appeared in human flesh. I say this because Jacob later said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved" (Gen. 32:30). For certain also, we know this was no dream or vision. He literally wrestled with a man and walked away from the struggle with a limp!
Let’s pull back momentarily to reset the scene. We have watched as Jacob has ordered his servants to lead one company of stock after another across the brook Jabbok. He has been careful to put space between the droves so that they don’t all arrive at Esau’s camp at once. Only his immediate family is left with him. He proceeds to help his wives and children across the brook then he goes back to spend some time alone. Later, perhaps in the wee hours of the morning, he decides to cross the Jabbok and follow the others into the land of Canaan. Before he can set a foot in the shallow stream, however, a figure comes out of the darkness, grabs him and pushes him back. This man refuses to let him cross to the other side. He blocks him from entering the land of Canaan. The Lord who told him to return now does His best to prevent it! For sure there is an element of mystery here but it provides us food for serious thought, as we are about to see.
Scholars differ on whether Jacob wrestled with the angel or the angel wrestled with Jacob. I believe, at least in the beginning, the angel took the initiative to withstand, thus wrestle, with Jacob who was determined to cross the little stream. Later, as time wore on, he obviously became aware of some larger issues. I don’t want to fabricate conversation that did not exist. I can’t help believe, however, that these two could wrestle for hours without saying something to each other. I believe that somewhere along the way Jacob became aware of some greater need than merely crossing the border and confronting his brother. Until now it appears that the only one who could possibly block his return was his brother Esau. In reality, however, it wasn’t Esau. Who then is responsible? Jacob himself. Some time during this encounter the angel made him aware of this. He had spent a lifetime of trickery and treachery and deceit to obtain blessings through his own natural strength. Jacob was a fighter, self-indulgent, independent. Win by wit or self-taught wisdom but at all costs win had been Jacob’s philosophy of life. God would not allow him to take another step into the land of promise--the land of great blessing--until Jacob would confront all those issues. This must end. Therefore, the Lord opposed him.
These were the issues of which he became aware and it became clear he must face himself before he could even think of facing Esau. It had everything do with his own attitude, his human nature that was in such opposition to what pleased the Lord.
When the full force of self-revelation broke upon him and a desire to change became the primary focus of his life he grabbed the angel and refused to turn him loose. This is not a figment of my imagination. A passage from Hosea sheds light here. Speaking of this event, Scripture says, "Yea, he (Jacob) had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him" (12:4 KJV).
"A man wrestled with him until daybreak" (Gen. 32:24) by which time the tide was turned and Jacob had such a hold on the angel that the angel resorted to brute force to break his hold. He touched Jacob’s thigh--dislocated his hip. This action by the angel was the breaking point (no pun intended) in this entire matter. It resulted in Jacob’s confession of his true nature and of the subsequent change of status. Jacob won by losing!
Twenty-plus years prior to this night Jacob, at the behest of his mother, entered into a conspiracy to deceive a near-blind Isaac. The purpose of the deception was, in his words to his father, "that thy soul may bless me" (27:19). At last, in this fateful contest with the angel on the bank of the Jabbok, Jacob is exhausted yet now, more than ever, determined. One has a right to wonder how Jacob could fight a supernatural being to a standstill. Of course the angel could have ended the matter any time he wanted. He didn’t. Why didn’t he? Only God knows the answer. There are, however, a couple of possibilities for us to consider.
First, and clearly the most obvious reason, is that it was for Jacob’s benefit. The struggle was necessary for what God needed to accomplish in and through him. This would ultimately result in a kind of "born again" experience for him. In many ways, he would never be the same after this night. In other ways he would be the same. After tonight, the brook Jabbok would be called Peniel. After tonight, Jacob would be called Israel. After tonight Jacob would walk with a limp and people would see it and learn. After tonight the return to Canaan takes on new meaning and purpose. He may have thought that his return was to "go back home," reunite with family, friends, and revisit, rekindle old memories. The Lord had a higher purpose in mind. The spiritual principle Jacob was to learn--and by extension, we are to learn--is declared by the prophet Isaiah.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa. 55:8,9 KJV).
Jacob was consumed with the natural, the physical and material. His thoughts were on how to best his brother, how to survive, to get out of this situation alive. God’s concern was with the spiritual, the supernatural; to change Jacob’s focus from his fear of Esau to facing himself.
When the angel first surprised him in the blackness of the night, seizing him and shoving him backwards, Jacob may have thought that Esau had sneaked in under the cover of darkness intending to keep his 20-year-old pledge to kill him. Here is the first appearance of the fabled "intruder" now famous through legend and lore appearing in so many modern day stories and movies. Thus he would fight with all his might not to die by his hand. Little did he realize at first what the struggle was all about. I would love to have heard Jacob’s startled response to this dark visitor. I would love to have heard his screaming protests and angry arguments why it should not end this way. I would love to witness the change when it began to seep into his consciousness that it wasn’t Esau but perhaps, as he by now may have thought, one of the angels from their nearby camp. Nevertheless, somewhere, sometime, in the midst of the tumbling, struggling, groaning, Jacob was made aware of the real purpose for this encounter. He came to understand that he could not return to Canaan with all the old mental, emotional, and spiritual baggage that had served him so well over the years. It had to change. HE had to change. Thus, the struggle was necessary to lay bare Jacob’s true character and, most importantly, to gain from him an open, verbal, admission of it.
Secondly, it is for our benefit and for the same reason. The Holy Spirit seeks to bring our Jacob-like nature into submission. O, how strong and defiant it is! How independent and self-serving. How it fights to make others responsible for its thoughts and its actions. How it wants to see some "Esau" as the problem. Esau is not the problem. A mythical Esau can easily become our spiritual straw man to divert attention from the real inner culprit. Our own Jacob-like nature is the problem. Professionals in clinical psychology tell us that change is the hardest thing to accomplish in the lives of those who seek their help. First there must be an admission of the need for change. Not an easy task. Second there must be an admission of the role one is personally playing in the problem that calls for change. Even more difficult. Third there must be some motivation to accept the difficult challenge of making the change. This is getting into the hard part. Change is not easy. Change is difficult. We do not want to change because we are comfortable with the way we are. To change is to disturb our "comfort zone." No one wants to disturb his or her comfort zone. As strange as it may sound, even in uncomfortable situations there is an underlying degree of comfort that some are unwilling to give up.
Lord, it’s clear as the day to me.
Why, I see it perfectly.
Not enough’s wrong with what I say or do
For them to be in such a stew.
If they don’t like the way I am--tough!
Let ’em change. It can’t be that rough.
But even if it seems to be
They should do it just for me (C.Holt)
Wrestling provides a good illustration of how the Lord deals with our Jacob-like nature. We have within us a tremendous natural force. It resides in our carnal nature. The Bible calls it "the flesh." We call it "human nature." It is capable of doing great and noble things. It is capable of doing the most horrendous of things. Our natural, earthy, carnal, fleshly, human nature is opposed to God. Never underestimate the strength of the old man (i.e., the sinful nature, the carnal, flesh nature) of which Paul describes as "corrupt according to the deceitful lusts" (Eph. 4:22 KJV and see Col. 3:9). It is worth remembering that at the time of this wrestling match Jacob is an old man physically, being at least 100 years of age. He is still physically strong but his old (carnal-natural) man is stronger. Calendar years are no measure of the strength of the "old man." We have all seen people who were as "weak as a kitten" but as stubborn as a mule. Even those with advanced dementia, barely able to move unassisted, have, in certain areas, a mind of their own that is unassailable. Yes, the "natural" man is very strong indeed--with or without handicaps. There is a truism in the old adage, "We have met the enemy, and he is us!"
The Lord, through the working of His Holy Spirit, desires to achieve His highest aim in us. This is no mystery. It’s what living the Christian life is all about. He sets it forth in Scripture saying, for example, "that we should be holy and without blame before him in love . . . to the praise of the glory of his grace . . . to the praise of his glory . . . that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God . . . that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world" (from various passages in Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians).
As unpopular as the idea is, nevertheless, the Holy Spirit is opposed to our Jacob-like nature. The New Testament doesn’t call it "wrestling" but the idea of conflict is clearly seen in these verses.
"I mean this: if you are guided by the Spirit you will not fulfil the desires of your lower nature. That nature sets its desires against the Spirit, while the Spirit fights against it. They are in conflict with one another so that what you will to do you cannot do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law" (Gal. 5:16-18 NEB).
"For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the (Holy) Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (Godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other -- continually withstanding and in conflict with each other -- so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do" (Gal. 5:17 Amplified Bible) .
Jacob’s human nature manifested itself in the form of deceit, treachery, lying, conniving, subversion, independence, self-will, self-indulgence, etc. Our human (carnal) Jacob-like nature is manifested in, "impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons), hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, the feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group--and there will be wrong doctrine, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing" (Gal. 5: 19-21 Living Bible). It was because of Jacob’s "human (flesh, carnal) nature" that God wrestled with him. To bring about his utter surrender. The object of wrestling is to force a man down until he is unable to move, so that he yields to the winner.
I suspect that the contest seesawed back and forth throughout the wee hours of the night. Perhaps the angel had the advantage for a while then Jacob may have felt he won a few rounds. Eventually, however, Jacob’s physical strength began to wane. By this time, he had what I will call "a death grip" on the angel. Holding to the angel for so long, his fingers were numb and rigidly clutched the angel’s garment. An example of this can be found in the story of Eleazar, one of David’s three mighty men. "He arose, and smote the Philistines, until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword" (2 Sam. 23:10 KJV). The Jerusalem Bible translates it: "…his hand was so numb that it stuck to the sword," or "until, from sheer weariness, his hand stuck fast to his sword" (NEB). It is no stretch of the imagination to see how Jacob could have such a grip on the angel.
As the first hint of the approaching dawn appears in the east the angel knew it was time to end the fight. It is inconceivable to merely make mention of it, nevertheless, as incredible as it is, the facts are that the Angel had not prevailed against Jacob. One remedy remained. "He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him" (32:25 KJV). The Living Bible says, "And when the Man saw that he couldn’t win the match, he struck Jacob’s hip, knocking it out of joint at the socket. The Man said, ’Let me go, for it is dawn.’ But Jacob panted, ’I will not let you go until you bless me.’" (32:25-26). His strength nearly gone, gasping for air, he beseeches the angel for a blessing. I believe that the words of Hosea apply at this point. "…he wept, and made supplication unto him" (12:4 KJV). It was an intense appeal but as the word supplication implies, it is a request made with an attitude of humility. He is pleading for mercy because he has recognized his loathsome condition. It has the elements of Paul’s cry, "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"(Rm. 7:24 KJV). Jacob looked into the face of God and saw himself as detestable and one to be despised, a candidate for God’s mercy and forgiveness. For this he pleads, refusing to give in until he receives it. The angel says, "Let me go, for the day breaketh." Jacob said, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me" (vs. 26). (Note: intercessory prayer says, "I will not let you go until you bless them.") This is a totally unselfish "bless me" prayer.
For reasons known only to God, the angel chose this time to do the one thing that would break Jacob’s tenacious grip. He touched him at the source of his greatest physical strength effectively disabling him. He touched his thigh knocking his hip socket out of place. This severely impacted the sciatic nerve. Obviously he could have done this at any time during the course of the night. If it was intended to test the limits of his physical strength, I believe it succeeded in doing that. If it was intended to test the limits of his raw courage, determination and tenacity, I believe it succeeded there also. This wrestling put Jacob in a crucible that ultimately extracted the true essence of the man. It took the true measure of the man’s nature. Now Jacob feels the searing pain in his hip radiating down his leg like liquid fire. This immobilizes him. More importantly, however, he feels the searing pain of his wretched nature. "Woe is me! For I am undone," he could have cried as Isaiah, when he "saw also the LORD" (Isa. 6:1,5 KJV). Out of this burning, searing, mental and physical pain comes his desperately agonizing prayer: BLESS ME! I have the feeling that it was said in a frantic voice that was little more than a whisper. Frantically gasping for air, measuring each word in a cadence, he rasps out, "I will not let you go until you bless me!"
Ah, yes! The "bless me" prayer is the most often prayed prayer. "Bless our food
. . . Bless our fellowship . . . Bless our family, children . . . Bless my job . . . bless . . . bless . . . Very often [not always] our requests for blessing is focused upon getting some material or financial gain. We automatically assume that blessing means prosperity, i.e., having wealth and all that it affords. Is this what Jacob had in mind when he relentlessly refused to release the great angel unless he blessed him? Absolutely not! Jacob was already a fabulously wealthy man. He had already determined to give his brother over 500 head of his finest stock. That was only a small portion of his wealth. He didn’t need or desire greater abundance of what he already possessed. To use Jacob’s wrestling prayer as an example of how believers should contend for the blessing of prosperity, i.e., wealth, health, or any material, physical thing is to miss the point of the entire episode. No, Jacob sought something that made wealth pale by comparison.
God’s intention from the beginning is to bestow His blessings upon His creation, especially those who are in covenant relationship with Him. Various words under the generic term blessing occur over 600 times in the Old Testament. This is sufficient evidence to understand God’s intention in this regard. While the earlier chapters of Genesis depict and seem to be dominated by the curse following Adam’s sin in the Garden this is countered by God’s promise to Abraham. He said to Abraham, "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Gen. 12:3). This blessing reaches and benefits all of us to this day. Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology has this informative comment on this subject.
"The parallels between the Old and New Testament usage of blessing are striking. To be
blessed is to be granted special favor by God with resulting joy and prosperity. In the New Testament, however, the emphasis is more on spiritual rather than on material blessings."
"The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it" (Pr. 10:22 KJV). Emphasis in this verse must be placed upon the word IT. The blessing of the Lord is the source of true riches. Matthew Henry comments:"What that wealth is which is indeed desirable, not having abundance only, but having it and no sorrow with it, no disquieting care to get and keep it, no vexation of spirit in
the enjoyment of it, no tormenting grief for the loss of it, no guilt contracted by the abuse of it—to have it and to have a heart to take the comfort of it, to do good with it and to serve God with joyfulness and gladness of heart in the use of it."
How should we define the concept of blessing? It is easy enough to define the word. According to The American Heritage Dictionary blessing is, "something promoting or contributing to happiness, well-being, or prosperity; a boon." From the same source, to bless is, "to confer well being or prosperity on." To sum up: "Two distinct ideas are present. First, a blessing was a public declaration of a favored status with God. Second, the blessing endowed power for prosperity and success. In all cases, the blessing served as a guide and motivation to pursue a course of life within the blessing" (Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary).
"And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob" (Gen. 32:27 KJV).
"[The Man] asked him, What is your name? And [in shock of realization, whispering] he said, Jacob --supplanter, schemer, trickster, swindler!" (32:27 Amplified Bible).
Why does the angel ask for Jacob’s name? Surely the angel knew with whom he was wrestling. And of course, we know he did know. Asking for the name was to effectively cause him to relive the past. In the literary and cinematic world it is called a flashback. It can be an intensely vivid mental image of a past traumatic experience. Jacob’s experience of stealing the blessing from his brother Esau by deceiving his father Isaac certainly qualifies. Twenty years earlier when the ruse was unfolding, his father asked, "Who are you?" Jacob lied, saying, "I am Esau." Still troubled and doubting, Isaac repeated the question, "Are you really my son Esau?" Jacob lied again, saying, "I am." Now the angel asks, "Who are you?" Is he ready to admit it? Is he ready to face all the sordidness of his character? Without a moment’s hesitation, he blurts out, "My name is Jacob." And the angel said, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and has prevailed" (32:28 KJV).
"And he blessed him there" (32:29 KJV). Those five words are so filled with wonder and amazement. Jacob had cried, "Bless me!--and he blessed him there." The liar, schemer, deceiver, self-serving, self-seeking, independent, rebellious--that Jacob said, "bless me!--and he blessed him there." That Jacob, sobbing said . . . Bless me!--and he blessed him there." That Jacob, the supplicating, humble, surrendering Jacob said, "bless me--and he blessed him there." With what blessing did he bless him, I want to know. We can read Isaac’s blessing to Jacob and Esau; of Jacob’s blessing to his sons before he dies in Egypt. There are a number of spoken, thus written, blessings recorded in the Bible. What did the angel say to Jacob? We must be content with, "and he blessed him there."
But I am not content. I fast forward by centuries to a time when Moses is saying his good-byes to the people he has led from Egypt to the edge of Canaan. "And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death" (Dt. 33:1 KJV). The chapter is filled with pronouncements of blessing upon one then another. It is wonderful reading. I have no right to go here to say what I want to say about Jacob. Jacob has been dead for centuries. The people Moses addresses are his descendents. These are the results of, "and he blessed him there." But I wanted to go here because Moses speaks a blessing to one of the tribes of Israel. I want to imagine the angel could have said it to Jacob. Yes, I am about to murder the context in order to make my case. If anyone reading this is offended . . . well, get over it. The angel said something when he blessed Jacob. I hear him say, "And this is the blessing of Jacob: and he said, Hear, LORD, the voice of Jacob, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him from his enemies." Now you will have to read Deuteronomy 33:7 to find out to whom these words were originally intended. In my mind, nothing could be said more eloquently, more succinctly than these words. They are a fitting response to Jacob’s cry, "bless me!"
Returning from our momentary flight into fantasy, however, one could argue that the blessing pronounced upon Jacob is contained in the words, "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" (Gen. 32:28 KJV). Indeed, what a blessing that is. It gets to the heart of what the wrestling was all about. I will add also that it was a blessing that he didn’t die, as he said, "for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" (32:30). Ultimately, of course, the very friendly and congenial meeting with Esau was the greatest blessing of all when the reconciliation was complete between them. And Jacob moved on up the road toward home.
Is this the end of the story? No. It actually goes on for several chapters ending happily in Egypt with all his sons, their families and grandchildren, gathered around him as he is dying. "And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet unto the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people" (Gen. 49:33 KJV). He was 147-years old when he died. Jacob has blessed the world through the people who bear his name--Israel.
Here, at last, is my favorite line that I will use to close our journey with Jacob:
…. And Jacob slowly limps off into the sunrise! (see 32:31)
The Dénouement
I think the most honest thing that is to be said about our study of Jacob is that it has barely scratched the surface of this intensely interesting and complex individual. I am left with a feeling of dissatisfaction. It is an honest feeling. I have no need to apologize for lack of effort in research, study, and preparation. I feel no need of self-reproach for not having done a "perfect" job. My dissatisfaction may lie in the very complexity of the issues that lie deep within the soul of the story. Reflecting as I am doing now, my mind sees a jigsaw puzzle consisting entirely of a bed of wildflowers. It is a puzzle of 5,000 pieces. They all look the same but each piece has a unique shape of its own. We know the pieces fit together. The challenge is to find how they fit. Once we have all the pieces in place we have a beautiful picture. Such is the story of Jacob. Such is the problems associated with it. Such is the reason why we don’t have the whole picture.
In the movie industry, when it is time to edit and splice all the different pieces of a film into a continuous whole, they have pieces they choose not to incorporate into the movie. They are edited from the picture. These pieces are known as having come from "the cutting room floor." Sometimes they are called "out-takes." I have from this study, lying about, "out-takes" and pieces on "the cutting room floor". They are in the form of questions that I found which had no satisfactory answer. So I dropped them. This doesn’t mean they don’t have an answer at all. It just means that I didn’t have a satisfactory one. Conjecture is allowable to a point but not to the point of skewing truth. Let me give you an example or two.
Esau and Jacob yet unborn, while they were still in the womb of Rebecca, before either had an opportunity or chance to make a choice about anything, God chose Jacob over Esau. Scripture says, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated" (Rm. 9:13). If you go back into your notes you will see how gingerly we treated that concept. Election, predestination, sovereignty, free will and more are all bound up in that concept. A lot more could have been said than what was said. It will never be resolved this side of heaven.
I see him lying upon his pillows of stone and having a dream of titanic proportions. This is on the first night of his flight from home. He has just lied two or three times to his Dad, succeeded in pulling off a cunning scheme to cheat his brother of his rightful inheritance. And God comes to him and promises to bless his socks off! The thing that really hits me like a ton of bricks there is that God has His own purposes, His own ways, His own thoughts and they are mostly filled with mercy--not judgment. He could have (in my estimation should have) scalded Jacob’s hide. But then, He would have to scald mine and I’m not too much in favor of that. So, I’ll stick with the mercy that comes out of that encounter because that’s what I am receiving all the time.
One of the overarching questions in the whole affair with Jacob is why would God take so much time, go to so much trouble, to continue to pursue the man, to reach out to him again and again and again. Why bother? Why didn’t he start out with somebody that would more or less automatically have a heart for God, his righteousness, his purposes, etc. Instead, he chooses a man who was recognized right during the birth process as "the heel grabber." That’s a bummer of a beginning. And it didn’t get any better for a hundred years! But the Lord never gave up. Well, there is a message of hope there.
I’ve got some major problems with the wrestling story. The Lord told Jacob to go back to Canaan. He is doing what he is told to do, then WHAM! Just as he is about to cross the border a big angel knocks him back on his heels. The angel won’t let him cross. What is really going on here? This raised some other questions that are related to this incident. Later in Hebrew history a similar thing happens. Moses has been out of Egypt for 40-years when God appears to him. He tells him to return to Egypt to lead the Hebrews from slavery into Canaan. He packs up his bags, and accompanied by his wife and kids he begins the journey into Egypt just as he has been instructed. They are spending the night at the Motel along the way when WHAM! an angel comes into the room and sets about to kill him! (I’m not making this up. See Exodus 4:24.) The quick thinking of his wife is the only thing that spares him. Much later in the story of the Exodus, a prophet named Balaam is hired to curse these people who have come out of Egypt and are enjoying so much success on their way to Canaan. God is against cursing His own chosen people. Nevertheless, for some unexplained reason, he instructs Balaam to go to the place where this can be done. On his way, doing what the Lord tells him, an angel meets him with a drawn sword and would have killed him except that the stupid ass he was riding on just happened to see it and panicked. Finally Balaam saw the angel too. If God told him to go, why would he want to kill him in the process? (I see more stuff falling to the cutting room floor.)
How could a hundred-year-old man have strength enough to wrestle an angel--and WIN! The angel could have knocked his hip out of socket instantly. He didn’t. What does that teach us about persistence? What does it teach us about the reluctance of God to grant us answers the first time we pray? Does this incident say anything about how long and how intense the struggle may be when we seek blessings? Why should we struggle at all? Most preachers I hear make it sound so simple. All you have to do is simply ask! Boom! You’ve got it. Yeah . . . sure…
The whole "bless me" plea by Jacob caused me to spend days wondering what all is involved in asking and receiving an answer to that request. I have no doubt that we are to ask for a blessing. I barely touched on the subject. Does God want to bless us? A dumb question. Of course He does. But it is an unnecessary question. We are blessed . . . already . . . without asking. In Matthew 5:3-11 Jesus tells us who are the blessed. The Apostle Paul is in absolute ecstasy when he writes, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3 KJV). God’s blessing is a done deal. Like Jacob, we may be so absorbed with "Esau" that we fail to recognize what we already possess!
A lot could have been said about Jacob’s limp. That idea has so much potential. For example, something could have been said about our witness. Jacob had a witness. His witness was in his limp. He didn’t have to say he had seen the Lord. People knew it by his limp. We can either witness by our lips -- or by our limp! Which do you suppose is the most effective?
And Jacob slowly limps into the sunrise. Nothing more profound or eloquent could be said of any child of God than what is contained in that little sentence. I wish I could write 50 pages on it. As Jacob moved across the Jabbok--now renamed Peniel because of what happened to him there--I wanted to say that, "the Jabbok was Jacob’s Rubicon because it meant he would never return this way again. He had made an irrevocable commitment.
"Thank you Lord, for allowing us to see some of the shadows that comprise the story of Jacob. We have indeed looked through a glass darkly. What we have seen in those shadows has filled us with encouragement and hope. We have wondered and questioned but have not been left to doubt Your greatness and unfailing faithfulness and righteous judgment. Although so many questions are left unanswered we are nevertheless challenged to pursue knowledge of You. Above all, may we truly experience the blessing Jacob received. May we know what he knew, feel what he felt, experience the change he came to know. May we limp into the sunrise of a new beginning in faith, hope and love. In Jesus name we pray. Amen."
