As Jacob starts out on his journey back to his family in Canaan; he has mixed feelings. He is returning as a rich man and he longs to see his father Isaac; but this also means confronting his brother Esau. He had fled for his life twenty years before; when Esau vowed to kill him. His only concern is to reconcile and make peace. So Jacob sends messengers ahead to meet Esau and he instructs them to express a very humble greeting as if Esau is Jacob’s master; and that he seeks Esau’s favor and grace. The messengers return with the foreboding news that Esau is fast approaching with an army of four hundred men!
Genesis 32:6-8 KJV 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. (7) 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; (8) And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.
This news struck terror in Jacob’s heart and he devises a plan to divides his caravan into two separate camps in the hope that if the one would be lost, destroyed and killed; that the other may have a chance to get away. Then Jacob prays. His prayer is from a contrite heart and a plea for undeserved mercy. Yet he claims the promises and the blessings that God had given him and reminds the LORD that he was following His instructions to return to the land of his father. He prays specifically that the LORD would deliver him from the hand of his brother Esau.
Genesis 32:9-12 KJV 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: (10) I 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. (12) And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
Most young men go out into the world with the same arrogance of Jacob. In an effort to make a stake in life we can think that we are invincible. We take chances with little regard for the consequences. With age, comes wisdom and a much humbled spirit if we are a fast learner. A young man under the age of twenty five feels that everything is owed him and that he knows more than his father. About the age of twenty five, he begins to question both. No one even takes him seriously until about the age of thirty. His decade of the thirties is one of struggling to get respect. Finally, around age forty, a man begins to be respected; after all, he now has twenty years of experience. The next ten years are a flash in the pan. Then at age fifty, he has to fight to stay ahead of the younger men. He reaches a pay level that is beginning to fall on the meter of diminishing returns and few careers are able to continue on into their sixties to retirement. Early retirement incentives begin to push many out of the way for younger, sharper and more energetic men; who are also willing to work at a lower pay. Material interests begin to wane.
Jacob is now a middle aged man looking for a simple and quiet life. He wants to enjoy his children and grandchildren. All he wants is peace. He then prepares a very generous and substantial gift for Esau; a peace offering consisting of; two hundred female goats, twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty camels with their nursing young, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. He sends them ahead telling his servants to keep a large space between each herd. He instructs them to say to Esau; “These are gifts from your servant Jacob, and he is on his way behind us.” As herd after herd, gift after gift were to come to Esau, with that same message, it was hoped that this would soften Esau’s heart. So Jacob sends this entourage ahead as he settles in for the night.
Genesis 32:13-19 KJV And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; (14) Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, (15) Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals. (16) And 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. (17) And 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? (18) Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us. (19) And 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.
In the middle of the night he awakes and sends his wives and his entire family across the ford at Jabbok. Remaining by himself; he finds himself wrestling with a man; no ordinary man. They wrestle until daybreak; Jacob will not let him go, even after his hip is dislocated. He realizes that he is wrestling with God and he won’t let Him go until He blesses him. God asks him, “What is your name?” He replies, “Jacob.” Then God changes his name to Israel. The Message translates the name Israel as God-Wrestler.
Genesis 32:24-28 KJV And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. (25) 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. (26) And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. (27) And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. (28) 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.
So often we settle for less. Yet Jacob prevailed and insisted on getting his blessing. We need to build that same kind of relationship with God. It is a fine balance to exercise both humbleness and yet boldness. Jacob found that balance e and we need to as well.
Hebrews 4:16 KJV Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Prayer: Father in Heaven, you know my heart. I am not worthy of your love and grace; your divine calling upon my life. Only through you can I be redeemed and reconciled. Therefore, LORD, bless me as I come boldly before your throne of grace. I need you every moment. You have promised to take my sin, my sickness and my pain. Let me live in the fullness of life as you have called me to your promises, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment