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6 Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him." 7 So 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 And he said, "If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape." ~ Genesis 32:6-8
When Adam and Eve rejected God, they became peculiarly aware of their nakedness, so they hid from God and each other. Humans have been hiding from each other ever since, covering ourselves in various ways. We have learned to present a false version of ourselves to others because we’ve become aware of the true version and we’re not sure it will be accepted. In today's passage, we will learn some valuable lessons from Jacob as he continues to come out of his hiding.
In v.6 of today's passage we read, "Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, 'We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.'"
It had been 20 years since Jacob left Canaan. In that time, Esau had become a prominent chieftain of his people in Edom a neighboring country to Canaan. Esau had married daughters of the Hittites and also of Ishmael and he had consolidated power among them. This is evident by the large number of men he had with him. Jacob had just left one very difficult relationship and now was to meet with his very angry brother. God allowed yet another trial in the life of Jacob as he awaited Esau's arrival. This trial was necessary because in order for Jacob's faith in God to grow stronger, he had to be stretched and convinced that he needed God who by the end of this chapter would purge some things that were trapped within Jacob's soul.
In v.7 of today's passage we read, "So 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."
Jacob came into the land of Canaan to meet his brother whom he believed was out to kill him because, after all, twenty years before his brother Esau said, "As soon as the days of mourning for my father are over, I'm gonna kill that brother of mine." And, since Esau was coming with 400 men, Jacob was afraid and distressed. At this point, Jacob's fear and distress was starting to show his lack of trust in the very promises of God which he had been given. His worry was the weakness of his soul as he struggled with what was ahead. Though he was comforted by the angels, Jacob's flesh called out for his allegiance.
It was James F. Bell who once said, "Fear is an insidious virus. Given a breeding place in our minds, it will permeate the whole body of our work; it will eat away our spirit and block the forward path of our endeavors. Fear is the greatest enemy of progress. Progress moves ever on, and does not linger to consider microscopically the implications of each particular action. Only small and over-cautious minds see the shadows of lurking enemies and dangers everywhere, and shrink away from the increased efforts needed to overcome them."
With Esau advancing, in order to protect at least a portion of his people Jacob divided them into two separate camps. If one camp were to be attacked, maybe the other would be safe. Part of the process of coming out of our hiding and growing in our trust of the Lord is the struggle that we have with our fears and anxieties. As we encounter these struggles, we are afforded the opportunity to turn to God for help. Of course, if we do not turn to Him in the midst of these struggles our growth in His reality will be stunted. But, this doesn't mean that the battle is over, it just means there is a pause in the action.
In v.8 of today's passage we read, "And he said, 'If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape.'"
The "if" part of our walk with God is what makes our life of faith in God so difficult. Like Jacob, we do not know what God has in mind. And, there have been times that we have learned that what God had in mind was hard, difficult and painful. It is so easy to lose sight of the fact that with God all things work together for our good. Out of uncertainty and the help of the Holy Spirit's work in our lives comes the assurance that no matter what happens in our lives, it will work together for our good. And, the more we experience this with God, the more we will be adjusted to any scenario that He sends or allows to come our way. God does not tell us that everything that happens to us will be good; He tells us that whether the situation is bad or good, it will work together for our good as we learn to give our hearts to Him.
When Jacob divided up his people, he revealed the wisdom learned on many a battlefields. Jacob knew that if the enemy had engaged a portion of his people, the others could either rally to help those under siege, or escape alive. Jacob was so unsure of the outcome that he took this course of action. Of course, in the end his tactics were not needed.
We needlessly worry about such things. Our fears make us desperate. A thief may steal from us once, but anxiety can steal from us for decades. And, it may not mean that we ever truly overcome our fears and anxieties. It may mean that it isn't about our fear of man or things but about being overcome by the One who loves us beyond measure. When we truly encounter the lover of our souls, it will be then that we will embrace the only healthy fear, the fear of God. "If we do not fear the God above us, we will fear everything around us. If we do fear the God above us, we will fear nothing around us."
