Genesis 32
Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
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 that place Mahanaim.[a]
Jacob Sends Presents to Appease Esau
3 Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau 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 lived with Laban as an alien, and stayed until now; 5 and I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male and female slaves; and I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’”
6 The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies, 8 thinking, “If Esau comes to the one company and destroys it, then the company 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, and I will do you good,’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the 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 companies. 11 Deliver me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid of him; he may come and kill us all, the mothers with the children. 12 Yet you have said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted because of their number.’”
13 So he spent that night there, 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 milch camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 These he delivered into the hand of 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 foremost, “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 meet 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 afterwards I shall see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” 21 So the present passed on ahead of him; and he himself spent that night in the camp.
Jacob Wrestles at Peniel
22 The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had.24 Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the 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 is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” 27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then the man[b]said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,[c] for you have striven with God and with humans,[d] 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 place Peniel,[e] saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the hip socket, because he struck Jacob on the hip socket at the thigh muscle.
What does the Passage say?
Verses 1-8 Jacob is finally returning to his homeland with his family, having spent many years in the land of his uncle Laban. Yet he remains fearful of his brother Esau, who he had tricked out of the rightful blessing and inheritance from their father, Isaac. His fear increases when he learns that Esau is coming to meet him.
Verses 9-23 Concerned for the safety of his family, Jacob divides them into two groups, so that if one is attacked, the other may be able to escape. He also separates out from his herds and flocks a large number of animals as a peace offering to Esau, and they are sent ahead.
Verses 24-32 With the company divided and sent ahead, Jacob is left alone for the night. He is visited by an angel of God during the night and they wrestle until Jacob’s hip is injured. Before leaving, the angel blesses Jacob and gives him a new name, Israel, meaning he “struggled with God”. Jacob is so inspired by encounter with God that he renames the place Peniel, for he was aware that he had “seen the face of God and survived”.
What does the Passage say to me/us?
Jacob had lived a large part of his life on the run, fearing to return home. Though he had married and had many children and was wealthy with his herds and flocks, he was living the life of an exile. God had renewed the covenant with Jacob. But Jacob needed forgiveness and acceptance, and could not be at peace in his spirit without it.
Jacob was fearful of coming face to face with Esau and his own identity. Instead, in those dark moments of the night, he encountered God face to face and received new life!! He wrestled (struggled) with God and in the process received God’s blessing and a new identity. He would be reconciled with his brother, Esau. Even more, his new name, Israel, would become the identity of the whole nation generations later when they came out of Egypt into the promised land.
Like Jacob, we live in fear, separated from our brothers and sisters, until by grace we receive the forgiveness and acceptance of Jesus Christ. In Him, we see the face of God, and receive our new identity and new life! Fear is beaten down. The walls of separation crumble. Faith, joy love and hope bloom! As expressed in 1 John 3:1, “Look at how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God. And we are!” We can face our past and embrace our future because we are children of God, disciples of Jesus, heirs of salvation!
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You have called us by grace to walk with You. You have freely given us Your love; we don’t have to strive for it. You have created this day and given us the gift of life to live in it by faith, assured that as disciples of Jesus we are forgiven, made clean, accepted, made new and set free. Each breath we take, every heartbeat, sight, sound and smell come from Your Hand. By your Holy Spirit living and working in us, bring every one of our thoughts, words and acts under your Holy Hand, that disciples we live abundantly!
Amen
Contributed by Larry Dickenson
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