Wrestling With God

Like Jacob and myself, are there times when you want to argue with God when you are afraid to obey. Times when even though you know God you hesitate to trust your life to Him, fearing to follow his will?

And so, Jacob wrestled with God’s command. He gathered all of his possessions. He gathered his flocks and his family and he headed home. He even prayed, Chapter 32: vs 9-12 (READ).

And then after having prayed and putting things into God’s hand Jacob takes back control of his own life. You know God I know your are suppose to strong and power but sometimes I think you needed a little help to make this work out the way the right way. Jacob wanted to control his own destiny. He could say the words, “I trust you God.” But when it really came down to it, he trusted himself more.

He would fix it to where Esau’s anger would be soothed and would welcome him and his family back into the land of their father. Jacob would say, that’s okay God I got it all under control. I really don’t need you right now. I have my own plan. And so Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to greet Esau, to try and soften Esau’s anger.

Genesis Chapter 32 verse 4, Jacob instructed his messengers: “This is what you are to say to my master Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord (Esau), that I may find favor in your eyes.’” But the words did not seem to be enough to pacify Esau’s anger. Verse 6, “When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you and four hundred men are with him.”

Jacob was frightened. He didn’t have an army. It was just him, his wives and children, and a few shepherds and herdsmen. How could they ever stand up against an army of four hundred men. To follow God’s command meant he would have to put his life at risk. To continue on meant he had to put everything he loved and cherished on the line and yet ...

Jacob wanted to obey God. But could He really trust God to handle Esau’s anger? What if Esau attacked? Fearing Esau more than he thought he feared God, Jacob made a decision to handle it again by himself. He divided his people and flocks into two groups. If Esau attacked one group, the other group would still have a chance to escape. He would put them out in front of him. That would give him a little more time to figure out how to hand things. Jacob sent gifts to Esau.

Verse 14: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. He put them in the care of this servants, each herd by itself and said to his servants, ‘Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.’

He instructed the one in the lead: ‘When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ’To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and who owns all of these animals in front of you?’ then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’