Chapter 32

As we approach this chapter there is an interesting principle that we see unfold. That principle is that while we are following a path of obedience to God, we should expect our faith to be tested. So it is with Jacob.

· Genesis 32:1-3, Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

You will remember that the last we heard of Esau was when he was very angry with Jacob for stealing his birthright. Jacob has just departed from another family that had been angry with him. Now he is to face his brother who has four hundred men with him. Don’t forget that Jacob is met by “angels of God.” Mahanaim means “two hosts”. This brings to mind the Children of Israel as they were leaving Egypt when they were led by a pillar of Cloud by day and a pillar of Fire by night protected their rear.

· Genesis 32:4-5, He instructed them: “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, that I may find favor in your eyes.”

Jacob obviously intends to conciliate. Nothing is said about the “blessing”, or why he fled to Padam-Aram. No, Jacob once again shows his shrewdness in being very conciliatory.

· Genesis 32:6, 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 could only think that revenge was on Esaus mind and that someone must have informed Esau that Jacob had been with Laban.

· Genesis 32:7-8, In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.”

Jacob is clearly fearful of being attacked by Esau and his band of four hundred, so he devises a plan that if the worst happens, at least some will escape.

· Genesis 32:9-12, Then Jacob Prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed the Jordan, but now I have become two groups. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. But you said, ‘I will surely make you prosper, and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”

That which is before us in these four verses has claim to uniqueness. This is the first prayer in the Bible!! And there is much significance to it.

Notice first the God to whom he prayed. He approached God not merely as Creator, but as the “God of his father Abraham and the God of his father Isaac.” It was God in Covenant relationship. It was a prayer of faith, believing in God’s faithfulness. His prayer was based on the covenant made by God between Himself and Abraham and Isaac. We, on the other hand come before God not as the God of our forefathers, but as the and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore our “God and Father.” It is in this relationship that He is pleased to bless us.

Second, Jacob cast himself on the sure word of God, reminding God of His promise. We can learn here from Jacob’s prayer that the Scriptures contain many promises for believers in general, and we have the privilege to claim them in our prayers. Jacob claimed a definite promise and so should we.

Third, Jacob acknowledged his own unworthiness. This is something we should note particularly because we too, are unworthy of His blessing. It is well, like Jacob, to own up to the fact that we are not deserving of God’s blessing, and be ready to receive from Him on the basis of grace alone.

Finally, look at the motive in Jacob’s prayer. It would seem at first that this was the prayer of a kind husband and father. But notice the conclusion of his prayer. While he was concerned about the safety of himself and his family, he also reminded God of His promise regarding the future generations which were to be to God’s glory. If we are praying for the salvation of loved ones, is it because they are near and dear to us or because God would be glorified in His act of saving them?

At the beginning of chapter 32 the angels of God appeared to Jacob. It was suggested that they were to protect Jacob from both Laban, from whom he had just fled, and from Esau, who was advancing toward him. Then followed Jacob’s prayer.

· Genesis 32:13, He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau.

As we read what follows, we are inclined to be very critical of Jacob, because he has just finished praying a prayer of faith and then in contrast what seems to be unthinkable, but the sad fact is that his behavior is often very much like our own. Well what did he do? He sends his servants to take a number of his possessions and go to meet Esau.

Then verse 20 is very telling:

· Genesis 32:20, “And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “ I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.”

Instead of trusting the Lord to work in him a spirit of conciliation, he tried to pacify Esau. But after all of his scheming all he could say was “perhaps”, maybe, he will accept me. He must have been filled with anxiety. How different from the assurance that comes from trusting in God.

How can we account for the change in Jacob where he has just finished a seemingly fervent prayer to a scheme to appease Esau? Was Jacob really an unbeliever? Had he fallen from grace? We must say no to both questions. Once God has called one of us into salvation, He never withdraws that calling or withdraws His gift for the sinner did nothing to merit that salvation and he can do nothing to de-merit it. The basis on which God bestows His gifts is not of works or human deserving, but of His sovereign grace.

Now this does not give us license to sin as much as we wish. So how do we explain Jacob’s behavior? Verses 9-12 give us full reason to believe that he was a believer. But though he was a believer there still was the matter of the “old nature”. The same two natures that we see in Jacob are present in each of us.

· Genesis 32:21-24, So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp. That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till the daybreak.

.This passage introduces us to the greatest crisis in Jacob’s life. Here in Genesis we see the two characters of Jacob: those of Jacob and Israel; the one looking at the natural man, and the other looking at the spiritual man. The first telling of Jacob as God found him and the other telling of what God made of him. We will now look at when Jacob received his new name.

Jacob believed he was in deep trouble. His brother Esau with four hundred men was ahead of him; Laban was behind him in Padam-aram and all that he had worked so long for was in jeopardy, His wives and children seemed to be in great danger and he even believed that his own life was in danger. And he was alone.

To be left alone with God is the only true way of arriving at a just knowledge of ourselves and our ways. Getting away from the world, away from self, away from nature and alone with God is the only way to get a correct view of ourselves. And there a man wrestled with him till daybreak. It is generally believed that the “man” was Jesus Himself, Jesus in Genesis!!!!!!!

· Genesis 32:25- 28, When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked, “What is your name?” “Jacob”, he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”

Much has been made of this passage. Some believe that Jacob wrestled with the “man” to get a blessing. Most commentators agree that it was the “man” wrestled with Jacob to get Jacob to see what a poor, helpless creature he was; and for him to see his weakness. Why would God wrestle all night with Jacob? Couldn’t he have defeated him in seconds? Yes, but we are to see here God’s patience toward His own. He is long suffering.

Finally God touches Jacobs hip. All He had to do was touch the socket of Jacob’s hip and Jacob’s power was gone. So Jacob is brought to the end of his own resources. Jacob could no longer wrestle; all he could do was hold on, cling to God. Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you bless me. Have you ever come to the point where you could say to God, “I will not let you go”? Seems to me that that is real spiritual growth.

In verse 27, why would God ask Jacob his name? Wouldn’t He know that? Of course He did. But He wanted Jacob to think about his name. Jacob’s name meant “supplanter” or “contender”. His new name is “Israel”. Hebrew names that are a compound using “el”, the “el” always means “God”, such as Bethel, House of God; Emanuel, God with us, etc. So Israel then is God commandeth.

Now think about that. It was Israel that God chose as His chosen people and He commanded them by His promises and by giving them His word with the command to share this word with the world. They were and will be again the center of God’s governmental dealings on earth.

Let’s look back a bit. Jacob had “contended” for the birthright and succeeded. He had contended for the blessing and succeeded. He had contended with Laban and succeeded. Now he contends with God and fails. As Jacob he had “prevailed”, but as Israel God would command and prevail.

In summary:

· In choosing the present for Esau we see the character and activities of the flesh, devising and scheming.

· In Jacob’s experience we are shown the helplessness of the flesh.

· We learn that our unworthiness can only be discovered by being alone with God.

· In the Man coming to wrestle with Jacob we see God subduing the flesh in the believer and in the wrestling through the night we see the patience God exercises because the flesh is subdued only gradually.

· In touching the hollow of Jacob’s thigh we see God’s method of rendering us helpless and bringing us to that realization.

· In Jacob clinging to God we see that it is not until God has made us helpless that we determine to depend and cling to Him.

· The fact that Jacob’s name was changed to Israel causes us to learn that it is only as we come to a realization of our unworthiness that we are ready for God to be our commander.

· We learn that when God commands blessings follow.

Chapter 33

· Genesis 33:1-3, Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two maidservants. He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

A writer other than the Holy Spirit might have followed Jacob’s spiritual experience at Peniel with examples of his new life but not the Holy Spirit. He tells the truth about behavior and character. Abraham in faithful obedience to the call of God went out not knowing where he would go, but after arriving in Canaan, when a famine arose, he sought refuge in Egypt. Elijah displays exceptional courage on Mt. Carmel, as he alone confronted the four hundred priests of Baal, but the next we hear of him he is fleeing from Jezebel. David dares to meet Goliath, but later runs away from Saul. God’s saints can be very inconsistent in their lives. There is a lesson for us here. It is one thing to be privileged with a special visitation from the manifestation of God, but it is quite another to live in accord with that visitation. Unless our faith remains active we cannot expect to live in the power of the Spirit.

In the above verses we see Jacob putting the women up front as they approached Esau. Then he goes out to meet Esau and bowed seven times before him, seven times indicating complete surrender.

· Genesis 33:4, But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.

Most commentators see in this scene the magnanimity of Esau. But maybe they miss the point. Jacob had prayed and reminded God of His promises, yet he apparently did not believe that God would be with him and protect him. Can we not see in this event the providence of God in causing Esau to deal kindly with Jacob?

In the following verses we see that Esau says he doesn’t need the presents that Jacob offers. Yet Jacob insists. Finally Esau agrees. Even so, Jacob seems still not to trust Esau as evidence that he suggests that they split up and go in different directions. Jacob even lies to Esau as to where he was going. We continue to see the old Jacob in action.

As we skip ahead we pass over certain events in Jacob’s life, many of which were very sad times. For example, his beloved wife Rachel takes her father’s idols and does not tell Jacob that she is hiding idols. Rebekah’s nurse Deborah dies as does Rachel. The 35th chapter is not a happy time for Jacob and there are many moral lessons to be learned here. But of great importance is the way we see so many typical pictures of the coming restoration of Israel. And it is of great interest that the central character is himself named “Israel”. So notice:

· Just as Jacob left the house of God (Bethel) for the land of exile, so has the nation which had descended from him.

· Just as God said to Jacob” Arise, go up to Bethel”, return to the place of Divine communion and privilege, so will He yet call to Israel.

· Just as the immediate effect upon Jacob of God’s “call” was to purge his house from idolatry and to issue in a change of his ways, (changing of garments 35:2), so the nation will yet be purged from their final idolatry (in connection with Antichrist) and be changed in their ways and walk.

· Just as Jacob acknowledged that God had “answered him in the day of his distress, so will Israel when He responds to their cry in the Great Tribulation.

· Just as the “terror of God” fell on the Shechemites (35:5), so will His terror fall once more upon the Gentiles when He resumes His dealings with His covenant people.

· Just as when Jacob returned to Bethel he built another “altar”, so will Israel once more worship God acceptably when they are restored to His favor.

· Just as now the link with Jacob’s past was severed (the death of Rebekah 35:8), so will Israel die to their past life.

· Just as God now appeared to Jacob “again”, so will He, in the coming day, manifest Himself to Israel as of old.

· Just as God said, “Thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be they name” (35:10), so his descendants shall no more be called Jews, but as Israel shall they be known.

· Just as God now for the first time revealed Himself to Jacob as the “Almighty”, so on Israel’s restoration will the Messiah be revealed as “the wonderful Counselor, the mighty God.”

· Just as national prosperity was here assured to Jacob---“be fruitful and multiply, a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee” (35:11) ---so shall the prosperity and blessings promised through the prophets become theirs.

· Just as God here said to Jacob “the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, to thee will I give it and to thy seed after thee” (35:12), so will He say to the restored nation.

· Just as Jacob poured oil on the pillar he erected at Bethel, so will God pour the Holy Spirit on Israel and all flesh.

· Just as Jacob found Bethel to be but a little way from Bethlehem, so shall Israel at last find the Bread of Life once they have had their second Bethel.

· Just as Benjamin now took his place in Jacob’s household, so will the true Benjamin---“Son of his mother’s sorrow, but also of his father’s right hand---take His rightful place among redeemed Israel.

The Sunset of Jacob’s Life

Let me ask you a question. Which do find more amazing; the love of God which washes us clean of our sins or the love which loves us despite our sins? As we have followed the Holy Spirit’s record of Jacob’s life we have observed again and again the amazing patience of God in His dealings with Jacob. The only way to account for God’s dealings with Jacob, and with you and me, is that which we call grace. In his early and middle life Jacob was walking in the flesh and it is difficult to determine exactly when his spiritual life actually began. In the later years of his life we see the evidence of God’s transforming grace. It is that to which we now turn our attention.

Maybe a good place to start is:

· Hebrews 12:5, 6 &11. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.”

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. These verses give us a key to the closing years of Jacob’s life. We see God’s hand in chastening him. First there is the death of the faithful nurse Deborah, then the death of Rachel. We skipped over the section where Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son went in and slept with Bilhah, one of Jacob’s concubines. Next, his father Isaac dies. Poor Jacob. All these sad things begin to pile up on him. But the worst is yet to come. The story of Joseph, his favorite son, unfolds and he grieves for him because he thinks he is dead.

· Genesis 37:34-35, Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son.” So his father wept for him.

Well, how should we view these events? Is God angry? Is He exercising judgment? Probably not. Even afflictions are sometimes love-gifts from God. More likely these were events sent from God to draw Jacob away from his worldliness. The losses that he suffered and the trials he faced were among the “all things” that worked together for his good. But as the eleventh verse of Hebrews 12 just told us, no discipline seems pleasant at the time, and he reacted in the flesh.

You remember the story; the brothers were out tending the flocks and Joseph was sent out to check on them for Jacob. When he found them they conspired to kill him. Reuben stepped in to stop them from killing Joseph. Instead, they sold him to a band of Ishmaelites and took word back to Jacob that he had probably been attacked by wild animals and killed. All the while Joseph was sold to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials.

As time went on Joseph rose up in the ranks of Pharaoh’s palace. Then there was the series of events where Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph and when he refused her she schemed to have him put in prison. God was kind to Joseph while he was in prison and he was able to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker who had displeased Pharaoh and were in prison with Joseph. When Pharaoh had a dream and no one could interpret it, he was told that Joseph could interpret dreams. As a result of Joseph’s God given ability to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, he was put in charge of the palace.

When a famine developed in the land Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy some grain. As they came in contact with Joseph, he recognized them but they did not recognize him. He charged them with being spies. For them to prove that they were not spies, they were to go back home and bring their youngest brother back with them. Meanwhile, they must leave Simeon with him as evidence of their good faith.

Now they return to Jacob, tell him of these events and now Jacob mourns Joseph’s loss, he is not sure he will see Simeon again, and they must now take Benjamin back to Egypt. In 42:36 Jacob says, “Everything is against me.” It would be natural to wonder if Jacob had any idea that God had a purpose in all of these events. But now notice the attitude expressed by Jacob in:

· Genesis 43:12-14, “Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

Jacob here expresses confidence that God will move in “the man’s” head and be willing for his sons to come back home. Jacob committed Benjamin into God’s hands and he was returned safely.

A very important principle is seen here. Joseph, Jacob’s favorite son is presumed dead. Therefore, Benjamin, the next youngest and dearest to Jacob’s heart must go back to Egypt in order to prove that they are not spies. The principle here is that just as God gave his nearest and dearest son who was returned to Him, so we are to give to Him that which is dearest to us, and he is faithful to return it to us.

Isn’t this precisely what God tells us in Malachi regarding our money? Not only that, when the brothers returned home they were able to report that Joseph was still alive and a very important man in Egypt.

· Genesis 45:26-28, They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.” Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, “I am convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

In chapter 45 we see that very special scene where Joseph makes himself known to his brothers and the very emotional reconciliation that takes place. This event has helped many of us to remember a biblical concept that we find ahead in 50:20 where Joseph says to his brothers:

· Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done.”

· Genesis 46:1, So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

So Israel sets out for Egypt. Now please take special note of the next few verses.

· Genesis 46:2-7, And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied. “I am God, the God of your father,” He said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.” Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. They also took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt. He took with him his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters---all his offspring.

It is interesting to me that God calls to Jacob and tells him not to be afraid to go down to Egypt because He (God) would go with him. We are told in the Scriptures that we are to be in the world but not of the world. Remember, Egypt is a type of the world system in Scripture. Are we to see here a message in type that God will go into the “world” with us when we have come to a realization that He is trustworthy and that we should worship Him?

I think it is not a big leap to interpret these verses as to say that we are to go into the world as servants of God, knowing that there will be persecution and difficult times. However, we can be assured that He will be with us and deliver us out of that persecution in a miraculous way just as He did the Israelites in the Exodus. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

In Chapter 47 we find Jacob and his family moving into Egypt and Joseph introduces his father and brothers to Pharaoh. They settled in Goshen which is in the area of the Nile delta. (Do any of you remember an old radio program called “Ma Perkins”? Well, Ma Perkins used to use an exclamation, “land o’ Goshen”!) They are provided with seeds to plant so that they could raise their own crops.

Chapter 48 contains a very interesting passage.

· Genesis 48:8-19, When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?” They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so that I may bless them.” Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.” Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm---may He bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth.” When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.”

Here once again we see the concept of the younger receiving the blessing.