Journal Through the Bible: Week 9 Thursday

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Genesis 32:1-33:16

This is one of those passages that leave me awestruck! It is the Old Testament equivalent of James 1:3-4 that tells us that the trying of our faith works patience and that we must let patience have her perfect work so that we can be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. In other words, God's child will get an answer to his/her prayer but maybe not in the exact way in which he/she anticipated. It could be a painful encounter.

Here we see a frightened Jacob preparing to be reunited with his long-estranged brother, Esau, after a separation encompassing many years. Not only that, but the last time they were together Jacob had stolen Esau's blessing and Esau had threatened to kill Jacob! And now Esau was coming to meet Jacob with 400 men. Jacob had only a band of women and children and some servants. So he feared for the lives of his family. And he prayed for deliverance. The way that God answered his prayer amazes me. Instead of making Jacob physically stronger God wounds him so that when everything turns out okay (and it does), Jacob can take no credit for it. God protects Jacob by incapacitating him. This was a humbling experience for a man like Jacob, but one that had been a long time coming. Jacob acknowledged this in 32:10.

Also, when Jacob and Esau finally meet Jacob pleads with Esau to take the animals that Jacob is giving him as a gift. Actually, he says, "Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee. . ." which is fitting since Jacob had taken Esau's blessing to start the feud in the first place.

There are many lessons in this passage, but I will let you discover them for yourself (and perhaps share them with me) but I'll leave you with one that I learned by experience.

To wrestle with God is to walk with a limp. 

Heed that warning! The trying of your faith certainly will work patience in your life but the God who works it will also be your protection as He works to bring you to perfection.

Does God make any promises in this passage?

God changes his name from Jacob (meaning "supplanter") to Israel (meaning "prince of God").

He also fulfills the promise of protection that He gave Jacob when He told him to leave Laban and go back home to his father.

Are there any references to Jesus?

The man that wrestled Jacob was most probably Jesus because He is God in the flesh. Notice that the man does not tell Jacob his own name but has the authority to change Jacob's name to Israel. Jacob obviously believes he has wrestled with the physical form of God (see 32:30).

Are there any references to yet-future events?

None that I identified.

Does God issue any commands in this passage?

Not unless we count the words at daybreak of the man who wrestled with him! ("Let me go, for the day breaketh." 32:26)