Genesis 34:3-6

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3 His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman. 4 So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.” 5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him.  ~ Genesis 34:3-6

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 34 where we find Jacob and his family settled in the town of Shechem. This town was either named after the son of Hamor or he was named after the town. Either way, this son of Hamor the ruler of the Hivite land was rather spoiled and whatever he wanted he believed he had the right to it whatever it was. Shechem was drawn to Dinah, he then loved her, and then he spoke to her. This was all backwards. The first thing he should have done was to speak with her, then he should have gotten to know her, then he should have learned to love her, and then as he was being drawn to her in his soul, he then should have made a commitment in marriage to her. Since Shechem knew not God and His culture, he pursued her through the desires of his flesh.

In raping Dinah, Shechem displayed the kind of possessiveness that often follows this type of an assault.  After an incident like this, there is often a period where the abuser wants to pull the victim in and make them think that they are the greatest. An abusive and controlling person will often do something horrible and then make it seem like everything is alright and that they aren’t a bad person and if the victim disagrees, then they’re blamed for not loving or forgiving the abuser.   

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman."

As mentioned before, Shechem was the son of the ruler of the land and he therefore felt that he had the right to do what he wished. After Shechem saw the beautiful young daughter of Jacob, he just had to have her. It was then that he raped her and after that he felt a strong attraction to her. The original translation of this verse gives clear indication that Shechem spoke to the heart of Dinah. This meant that he loved her and wanted her to love him. Of course, Shechem did not know what love was. The sequence here was that he spoke to her heart after he forced himself upon her.

Our emotions for another are to be a result of the commitment made unto them, not as the basis for the relationship. If we get this wrong, when the emotions change, there is no support for the commitment. This was the case with Shechem who knew not for himself the love of God for him. Even though he would not have admitted it, Shechem believed love was solely the passion he felt for this young attractive girl. This is why divorce has been so high in America since the beginning of the eighties. We truly do not know what love really is.

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, 'Get me this young woman as a wife.'"

The request from Shechem to his father for Dinah was lust not love. When we have sex with someone there is a bond created. During sexual intercourse, in the female brain there are more receptors for oxytocin, and in the male brain there are more receptors for vasopressin. Both hormones cause the person to feel emotionally attached to the other, even with just one act of intercourse. Sexual intercourse creates an invisible bond that works like super-human glue, attaching us permanently to all past lovers — emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Inside marriage, God designed sex as a powerful, unifying bond. Outside of marriage, the bonds of sex can be devastating. Long after the lover has gone, the bond we’ve created stays with us, impacting our lives and our future relationships. 

In v.5-6 of today's passage we read, "5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him."

When Jacob heard that Shechem violated his daughter Dinah all of his sons were out in the fields tending to their flocks. The fact that the name of God does not appear even once in this chapter is a clue as to why these events happened as they did. When Jacob learned of the rape, he was passive. In the moment Jacob lacked the wisdom of God even though he had been growing in his faith in God rather rapidly. You will remember that the place where God made Himself known to Jacob was at Bethel which means the house of God. It was there that Jacob built an altar to the Lord. It was a place of intimacy and fellowship between God and Jacob.

Bethel was the place where Jacob should have gone to when he entered the Promised Land but he kept his family in Shechem for ten years. Jacob's lack of wisdom in this context was due to the fact that his relationship with God was as stagnant as he was in the land. Satan is always busy trying to lure us away from the only culture that promotes harmony in all of our relationships and that is God's culture. Satan always is out to convince us that the thing we need is the thing that God forbids. He offers promises for our joy that contradict God’s promises for our joy.  And then when we follow him, he turns it around on us and accuses us for believing his promises. God doesn't work like that. In fact, even when we have ignored Him and we have resisted being defined by Him, He still stands ready at any given moment to deliver His culture into our souls only if we let Him.

Genesis 34:1-2

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1 At this time Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. 2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of the land, saw her, he took her and forced her to have sexual relations with him. ~ Genesis 34:1-2

Today, we transition into Genesis 34 where we see that Jacob and his family have arrived in Shechem where they will remain for 10 years. Just as Lot pitched his tent near Sodom, we will see that in like manner by building his house in Shechem, Jacob will invite the wrong kind of attention to his daughter. Throughout this entire chapter, until the end, Jacob was never quoted as saying anything, in any way. He is mentioned 12 times as Jacob and once as Israel, but it’s always speaking about him, not quoting him until the end. Jacob remains to be a picture of the Lord and the Lord is not once mentioned in this passage, nor is he prayed to for guidance. This is a chapter devoid of God in many ways. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "1 At this time Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land."

Dinah is the only recorded daughter of Jacob, but she wasn't  his only daughter. Elsewhere, the Bible mentions his daughters in the plural and so it’s likely that he had more. Dinah alone is recorded, certainly because the events of this chapter and what they ultimately picture. Dinah was the daughter of Leah. Leah, as we have seen since her introduction, pictures the Old Testament law. Dinah, was probably about 13 years of age right at this point in her life. She was born right around the same time as Joseph. Joseph will be 17 when he is sold by his brothers, which is seen in Genesis 37:2. So that means that Jacob has been living in this area and the place he came from, Sukkoth, for about six or seven years.

We are informed that "Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land." It was the time of festival, and so, the ladies would have been wearing their best outfits. Being a curious young lady, as most young ladies are, Dinah took the opportunity to see the newest fashions. With too much liberty given raises the chances of bad things happening especially to a pretty young girl. When we aren't careful to be defined by God, we discover danger lurking around the corner. In fact, when Jacob decided to settle down in Shechem, he placed his family in greater danger because Shechem was not known for its love for God and His ways. 

Previously, the place where God had made Himself known to Jacob was Bethel which means "the house of God." Bethel was the place where God had previously spoken to Jacob. As a result, it was in Bethel that Jacob built an altar. For Jacob, Bethel represented the place of intimacy and fellowship with God. Jacob should've gone to Bethel to meet intimately with God once again and to influence his family. But, Jacob didn't go to Bethel, he went to Shechem.

In God-like fashion, there is an incredible message in a study of the names in this chapter. I find it most amazing that Leah's final three children all picture for us the final workings of Christ as He fulfilled the law for us. Issachar means "He is wages." Zebulun means "Glorious dwelling place." And Dinah, means "Vindicated." It was the Lord Jesus Christ who fulfilled the law and substantiated the truth. He is our wages unto eternal life. He entered "the glorious dwelling place" with His own blood, and He was vindicated by the Spirit through His resurrection. The law was fulfilled and New Testament grace, pictured by Rachel is now bestowed upon all of the people of the world who place their faith in the Lord Jesus as their Savior.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of the land, saw her, he took her and forced her to have sexual relations with him."

As mentioned before, Shechem comes from a verb which means to "rise early" and a noun which means "shoulder." The two words indicate the wisdom and diligence of a person. Shechem’s father, Hamor, means "a male donkey" which is an unclean animal, just as Gentiles are considered unclean to the Jews. The term Hivite means "villager," and it is related to the noun meaning "village" and the verb which means "to worship." These three names are given to connect us to Dinah and what happen in this chapter further.

Shechem was the son of Hamor, the ruler of the surrounding area. When Shechem saw Dinah, he wanted her. Shechem lusted after Dinah. Lust has as its focus pleasing oneself, and it often leads to unwholesome actions to fulfill one’s desires with no regard to the consequences. Lust is about possession and greed. This is what happens to someone who is not being defined by the Lord. Shechem was a place known for its ungodly people. In fact, the name of God does not appear even once in this chapter.

Hamor, the father of Shechem was a Hivite. In Genesis 10, we learned that the Hivite was a son of Canaan, who was the son of Ham. Canaan was the one cursed by Noah when Ham did something perverse to his father Noah. These people were Gentile people as opposed to the Jews in Jacob’s clan. They were Gentile because they were not defined by God. Sadly, after spending quite a bit of time around them, Jacob's family found themselves more defined by them than they were by the Lord.

Jacob and all other Jews were defined as such by God. The word Jew comes from the name Judah which means in its essence "Thank you!" Gratitude is a weapon against sin because the very attitude of gratitude keeps us close to the cross. Gratitude keeps our memory close to the powerful love of God that overcame sin and death once and for all humble enough to believe in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. Thankfulness keeps us near to the Lord Jesus because it keeps us moving forward with the perspective He intended for our lives.

Genesis 33:16-20

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16 So that day Esau started back to Edom. 17 But Jacob went to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his animals. That is why the place was named Succoth. 18 Jacob left Northwest Mesopotamia and arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan. There he camped east of the city. 19 He bought a part of the field where he had camped from the sons of Hamor father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver. 20 He built an altar there and named it after God, the God of Israel. ~ Genesis 33:16-20

Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 33 where Jacob has been enrolled in God's school of sanctification. Jacob had seen God and he had been given a new name and a new limp but the benefits of his experience with God didn't appear immediately. Very often this is the case with our sanctification, I have found that the work that He is preparing me for later has to do with the lessons He is teaching me now. When this is the case, we have a hard time seeing the purpose behind our trials, but when we give Him time, He will make it clear to us. The growth that Jacob was realizing in his life resulted in reconciliation with his brother, Esau. Once Jacob encountered his brother, there was ample enough evidence that he had been changed by God. The most notable change was Jacob's servant attitude and his humility in relation to his brother. 

In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 So that day Esau started back to Edom. 17 But Jacob went to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his animals. That is why the place was named Succoth."

On the same day they met for the first time in 20 years, Esau departed for home. Both were probably immensely relieved at the reunion and the end of their animosity that had driven them apart for so long. Esau returned to Seir, the land which means "hairy" a name akin to Esau which also means hairy. Hair in the Bible denotes awareness. Having met with his brother and having cleared up their differences, Esau returned to his normal life with a new awareness of God's work being done in his life.

Jacob journeyed to Succoth which gets its name from the  meeting between Jacob and Esau which pictured the first coming of the Lord Jesus. Succoth was east of the Jordan river and it was there that Jacob "built himself a house." Succoth was named in honor of the building of the tabernacles for his livestock, not his house! In Leviticus 23:34 we read, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord.'" The word translated "Tabernacles" is the word Succoth. This feast of the Lord pictures the dwelling of God with man. It pictures the day the Lord Jesus came and "tabernacled" among us. The house Jacob built pictures the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers who are known as the church in the New Testament.

Jacob's meeting with Esau represented the fact that the Lord Jesus came to remove that which was between us and God. Now that the enmity created by our sin before God is forgiven and removed from us, there is now peace between God and us. In his first epistle Peter tells us that God is now building a house of living stones. All who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ are the living stones that make up this so-called building of believers in Christ. This, perhaps is why so many wrongly refer to the church as a building. No where in the New Testament is the church a building for the church are the people.

In v.18-19 of today's passage we read, "18 Jacob left Northwest Mesopotamia and arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan. There he camped east of the city. 19 He bought a part of the field where he had camped from the sons of Hamor father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver." 

The name Shechem comes from a verb which means "to rise early." The noun form means "shoulder." These two concepts indicate wisdom and diligence. To rise early is indicative of having a good start to the day. Carrying a load on the shoulder also shows wise diligence. These two concepts point us to the Lord Jesus who arose from the grave early on Sunday morning who also and of whom the Scripture says, "The government shall rest on His shoulder."

Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem "in the land of Canaan." Canaan means "servant." It pictures the bringing of a once proud but now wise people into subjection to God. There are those who complain that God is power hungry. This could not be further from the truth, just look to the cross to smash that idea. God knows infinitely what is best for us and we do well to submit to His kind wisdom. 

Jacob "pitched his tent" before the city, in so doing, Jacob yet again pictured the Lord Jesus who came and tabernacled among us. This place was the spot where the Lord Jesus would later sit with in the presence of the woman who had six different men in her life and she was still empty. As her seventh man, the Lord Jesus offered the woman at that well living waters which would flow out of her continuously. This living water speaks of the personal relationship which God offers to all willing enough the believe. The woman at the well received the living waters and her life was dramatically changed that day in Samaria.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "He built an altar there and named it after God, the God of Israel."

During the twenty years that Jacob was outside of the Land of Canaan, there is no record of him having built an altar. But now that his time of exile was over he had returned to the land of his fathers just as God promised him, he built an altar. Before Jacob left Canaan 20 years earlier, he made a vow to God that he would do something if God would protect him and return him home safely. The building of this altar was the fulfillment of Jacob's promise, proving that the Lord had been faithful to Jacob.

Jacob stopped in Shechem just 20 miles short of his target. Earlier in Genesis 28 Jacob vowed to return to Bethel but he stopped in Shechem where he stayed for 10 years before he moved on to Bethel, the place where he first met God. This was a bad decision because in Genesis 34 all kinds of horrible things happen to his children while in Shechem due to his procrastination and compromise. When we compromise, we give sin a greater capacity at pulling us away from God. And, before we know it we are diving into all kinds of sin and experiencing the effects of that sin. No one takes large leaps away from God. No, it is through a series of small steps that we find ourselves removed from God. And, it always begins with one small compromise which leads to another and yet another. And, before we know it, we discover sin has taken us to a place we could not have imagined was possible. 

All of this happened because Jacob forgot the message of the altar which is at the center of our sanctification. The altar was the place of the sacrifice. Being a "living sacrifice" is the product of growing in intimacy with God. And, this type of intimacy is only experienced by those who go through deep waters with the God of the Bible. The essence of sin is the self, and, when we follow the self, we will deviate from our sanctification every time. When we die to self, God is always faithful to usher us into deeper intimacy with Him. The way of the self is not the way of our Savior. His way leads us to selflessness or down the pathway of the servant of the Lord. 

Genesis 33:8-15

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8 Esau said, "I saw many herds as I was coming here. Why did you bring them?" Jacob answered, "They were to please you, my master." 9 But Esau said, "I already have enough, my brother. Keep what you have." 10 Jacob said, "No! Please! If I have pleased you, then accept the gift I give you. I am very happy to see your face again. It is like seeing the face of God, because you have accepted me. 11 So I beg you to accept the gift I give you. God has been very good to me, and I have more than I need." And because Jacob begged, Esau accepted the gift. 12 Then Esau said, "Let us be going. I will travel with you." 13 But Jacob said to him, "My master, you know that the children are weak. And I must be careful with my flocks and their young ones. If I force them to go too far in one day, all the animals will die. 14 So, my master, you go on ahead of me, your servant. I will follow you slowly and let the animals and the children set the speed at which we travel. I will meet you, my master, in Edom." 15 So Esau said, "Then let me leave some of my people with you." "No, thank you," said Jacob. "I only want to please you, my master." ~ Genesis 33:8-15

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 33 where we have been witnessing the sanctification of Jacob whose name had just been changed to Israel. In tandem with Jacob's name change, God gave him a limp that would remind him of his utter dependency upon Him for the remainder of his years on this earth. In addition to Jacob's sanctification, we have also witnessed the reunion of two brothers who were once enemies and now they have been reunited after being apart for twenty years. This is where God is leading us all, to be reconciled to Him and to one another.

In v.8-11 of today's passage we read, "8 Esau said, 'I saw many herds as I was coming here. Why did you bring them?' Jacob answered, 'They were to please you, my master.' 9 But Esau said, 'I already have enough, my brother. Keep what you have.' 10 Jacob said, 'No! Please! If I have pleased you, then accept the gift I give you. I am very happy to see your face again. It is like seeing the face of God, because you have accepted me. 11 So I beg you to accept the gift I give you. God has been very good to me, and I have more than I need.' And because Jacob begged, Esau accepted the gift."

The herds that Esau referenced here were the five droves of goats, rams, camels, cows and donkeys that Jacob was giving to him. Esau already knew that these groups of animals were gifts being given to him by Jacob because Jacob's servants had told him. However, he asked Jacob this question directly so that he could have an opportunity to refuse them. As Esau graciously refused the gifts, Jacob knew that he had found favor with Esau. People who have found the favor of God desire the favor of others, whereas those who seem to seek out conflict are themselves struggling with their own inner conflict. Hurt people hurt people.

Esau responded to the graciousness of his brother with the words, "I already have enough." The fact that Esau had more than enough to satisfy himself and his people proves he was not beyond the blessing of God. No one is beyond God's blessing. In Matthew 5:45 we read, "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Oh, the selfless love of God known as grace. Everyone is a recipient of God's grace while on this earth. The question is: Will God's grace lead them into a personal relationship with Him? 

Sadly, it appears that the kindness of God did not lead Esau to repentance before Him for in Hebrews 12:16 we read, "Be careful that no one takes part in sexual sin or is like Esau and never thinks about God. As the oldest son, Esau would have received everything from his father, but he sold all that for a single meal."

In v.10 of today's passage, Jacob used an idiom found elsewhere in the Bible. Someone’s face being compared to seeing the face of God is to say that just as God favors them when His face shines on them, so it is when a person favors another. The high priestly blessing of Israel included, "The Lord make His face shine upon you." Jacob saw God’s favor to him in Esau’s favor extended to him. Jacob was learning to see the world through God's eyes as God continued to define him.

In this interaction between Jacob and Esau, we are reminded that when we repented from trying to be our own savior and we invited the Lord Jesus to be our only Savior, we demonstrated our understanding of the Father's acceptance of us through the Lord Jesus death on the cross. It was Adrian Rogers who once said, "Grace is God’s acceptance of us. Faith is our acceptance of God accepting us."

In v.12-14 of today's passage we read, "12 Then Esau said, 'Let us be going. I will travel with you.' 13 But Jacob said to him, 'My master, you know that the children are weak. And I must be careful with my flocks and their young ones. If I force them to go too far in one day, all the animals will die. 14 So, my master, you go on ahead of me, your servant. I will follow you slowly and let the animals and the children set the speed at which we travel. I will meet you, my master, in Edom.'"

In a sign of both acceptance of the gift and of a happy relationship restored, Esau offered to travel with Jacob, leading the way and helping him as they traveled. Despite Esau's offer, Jacob turned him down due to the fact that Esau would be slowed down by the needs of Jacob's family to not travel at a brisk pace. Jacob was a changed man who once was quite selfish but now was becoming more selfless. When we serve more, we take less. When we give more, we need less. When we are more grateful, we will want less. When there’s more of God in our lives, we tend to be more selfless. This is the point of our sanctification.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "So Esau said, 'Then let me leave some of my people with you.' 'No, thank you,' said Jacob. 'I only want to please you, my master."

When Jacob declined Esau's first offer, Esau offered to leave some of his men with Jacob. This was a gesture of protection and help on his journey, but Jacob declined again. Jacob had all the help and servants he needed. A subtle picture that we are being given here is that as we tend to God's flocks on this earth, his people, we don’t need secular man’s help in the process. The people of God are God's flock, and His responsibility. If a church cannot sustain itself, it needs to close. If the mission isn’t productive, it needs to be ended. There is no reason that we should have to rely on the secular world to have God's business accomplished. 

Jacob was learning that it was the Lord who was His protector. This is what happens when we are being defined by the Lord. We begin to see life through His eyes. I'm reminded of that scene at the end of the movie, Bruce Almighty, when God played by Morgan Freeman asks Bruce the question, "What do you want?" Bruce surprised God when he answered, "Grace! I want her to be happy, no matter what that means. I want her to find someone who will treat her with all the love she deserved from me. I want her to meet someone who will see her always as I do now, through Your eyes."

Genesis 33:1-7

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1 Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down. ~ Genesis 33:1-7

Today, we transition into Genesis 33. We live in a world which is constantly trying to divide us. When He came to this earth, the Lord Jesus said, "For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior." God is not the author of division. No, He is the author of reconciliation. But, we must be willing to yield our will in order to enjoy the reconciliation that He desires to give us. C.S. Lewis once said, "There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way.'"

When man rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, we were all immediately separated from God due to the entrance of sin in our existence. With the entrance of sin into this world, two paths were presented. One path, the path of Lucifer, is natural, easy to do, yet it leads to our destruction. The other is supernatural and it requires the brokenness our will to access. His path leads to eternal life. This path was earned for us by the Lord Jesus Christ who went to the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty that our rebellion created. 

In v.1-3 of today's passage we read, "1 Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother."

After 20 years, the long-awaited and greatly anticipated meeting between Jacob and Esau finally was to happen. Jacob had deceived Isaac and had stolen the blessing from Esau. As a result, Esau had threatened to kill Jacob as soon as their father was dead, so Jacob fled to Haran at the behest of his mother. Now, these many years later, still before the death of Isaac, Jacob was returning home as directed by God. As Jacob moved to the front of the line, he was noticeably limping, exposing his injury from the night before. His vulnerability had granted him a deeper intimacy with God and it would render a great reunion with his brother.

The many expressions of our brokenness are often useful at weakening our wills to the point that we might be strengthened in our faith in God. Faith is what we need to face our fears, even our fears of losing control to God. Faith is not the absence of fear but the courage to face our fears with trust in God. Like Jacob, with faith we have "crossed over" that place between the Esau's in our lives and ourselves. We must not placate or appease or impress those with whom we are at odds. No, we must choose to bless them. And we bless them by being ourselves, not by being someone we think they’ll like better. We must show up with our true selves, not our false selves. We come close to them, not to take, as the old Jacob, but to give, as the new Israel.

When Jacob divided up the families of Leah and Rachel, he unknowingly provided for us a picture. While Jacob was a picture of the Lord Jesus, Leah pictured the law, Rachel pictured grace, and their two maidservants pictured man's captivity to sin. And, their children represented the people of Israel as a whole. Jacob divided each up in such a way that the Gospel of the Lord was presented. Captivity to sin was pictured first by the maidservants, then came the law whom Leah pictured, and finally, pictured by Rachel, was the grace of God. Jacob, pictured the Lord Jesus as he went before them. 

Jacob bowed himself before his brother seven times. These bows half way down to the ground were a sign of respect to the older brother. Jacob's deference to Esau was striking especially in light of the blessing that he had stolen from Esau 20 years earlier. This story reveals to us man’s reconciliation to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is when we recognize that it is truly impossible to navigate our existence into eternity that we are prompted to run to the Lord Jesus for our salvation. 

In v.4-5 of today's passage we read, "4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, 'Who are these with you?' So he said, 'The children whom God has graciously given your servant.'"

In light of the fact that Esau was a picture of fallen man, this meeting pictures for us the coming together of the Lord and repentant fallen man. Reminiscent of the parable of the prodigal son, this story reveals what is required for a sinner to be saved. It was Esau who initiated the embrace followed by the kiss. I think of Psalm 2:12 which reads, "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him."

After their embrace, both Esau and Jacob wept. This is the heart of God and the glory of the gospel of the Lord Jesus who was so moved by the plight of the broken that even He wept over man's waywardness. The embrace between these once adversaries was largely due to the fact that Jacob consistently humbled himself to Esau. He consistently refers to himself as Esau's servant. In like manner, the Lord Jesus humbled Himself by coming as a descendent of Adam to be the Savior of all humble enough to believe in Him. And, although our justification before God depends solely on the Lord Jesus' death on the cross, our sanctification is largely realized by us as we consistently choose to humble ourselves before God.

In v.6-7 of today's passage we read, "6 Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down."

It is clear that Jacob could not have known the ultimate significance to how he aligned his family to meet his brother Esau but a careful look into their placement spells out the greatest story in the history of man on this planet. Most interestingly is Joseph mentioned before his mother Rachel in today's final verse. Further study of the Scriptures reveals that Joseph was a clear picture of the Lord Jesus Christ at that time. This accentuation of the name of Joseph and especially before Rachel is to show us the coming of the Lord Jesus born under the law for Joseph means "He shall add." It was He who went to the cross of shame and woe in order to fulfill the law and to remove the condemnation of the law from all who would trust in His finished work on the cross. Positioning Joseph before Rachel pictured for us how the Lord Jesus introduces the repentance sinner to the marvelous grace of God.

Genesis 32:27-32

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27 So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” 28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank. ~ Genesis 32:27-32

Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 32 where we have just witnessed the first fixed wrestling match in the history of man. Of course, for quite some time we have been witnessing the sanctification of Jacob or the changing of his soul from being self-defined to being God-defined. Like Jacob, we will never be fully sanctified this side of heaven, but the point of our sanctification isn't really about us, it is about others seeing God at work in our yielded lives. Jacob's story with God is that of being broken to the point of resisting his stubborn self-reliance, his feeling that it all depends on him, that he has got to do it or else it is not going to get done. Jacob did not prevail over God by wrestling. The moment of prevailing came when the deceiver was absolutely helpless and could do nothing but depend upon God.

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "So He said to him, 'What is your name?' He said, 'Jacob.'"

This is the second question God asked of Jacob. Here we find another divine question like those asked in the Garden of Eden. God, of course, knew Jacob's name, but Jacob needed to confess. As you know, "Jacob" means, "deceiver." When he answered God's question, Jacob confessed and was reminded of his condition apart from God. Since Jacob had entered into a personal relationship with the God who overcame sin and death, Jacob had to be renamed.

We are all just like Jacob, we are all good at covering up who we really are. We, like Jacob, pretend to be those whom we are not. We do this for a variety of reasons, self-preservation is the chief of them all. And then, our dreams we find are being built on such deception. It is only a matter of time that we gain the wisdom to recognize that such dreams built on such poor theology do not last. It is not until we lose the life of our dreams that we will be able to receive the dreams the Lord Jesus died to give us. This is the point of our sanctification.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "And He said, 'Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.'"

God now tells Jacob that he has been struggling with none other than God Himself. Like Jacob, all of our struggles with others and even ourselves are products of our struggles with letting God be God in our lives. The Lord above the ladder was the very same Man who wrestled Jacob in the dark. Jacob struggled with man throughout his life and he prevailed. Here, he struggled with God and the same was true. Jacob's change of name was a reflection of the change at the helm of his life. Oh, Jacob didn't become perfect, he had just gained enough wisdom to recognize the stupidity behind resisting being defined by God.

The giving of a name implies ownership. God was gaining ownership over this once self-absorbed man. The name God gave to Jacob was "Israel" which means "Prince before God." When God defined Jacob, Jacob became a prince with God. Jacob didn't earn the favor of God, he yielded to the favor of God. There is that concept once again, Grace! If it were not for God's grace, we would all be without hope. Grace, when grasped, is always fueled by our willingness to let it do the work in, to and through us that God desires to do.

In v.29 of today's passage we read, "Then Jacob asked, saying, 'Tell me Your name, I pray.' And He said, 'Why is it that you ask about My name?' And He blessed him there."

Asking for a name is asking for an understanding of the individual. By asking for the name, Jacob was looking to understanding the nature of God better. Then the Lord asked Jacob, "Why is it that you ask about my name?" Jacob never answered that question because Jacob knew that he was already known by God who stood before him.

In v.30 of today's passage we read, "So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: 'For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.'"

Jacob named that place Peniel which means "Face of God." There is a place where man can see God and not die, which sounds contrary to the very words of Scripture. At the cross of Calvary, when God united with humanity, He was no less God, but the humanity of the Lord Jesus allowed for what is otherwise not possible. The eternal Christ wrestled with Jacob in the dust and spoke to him face to face, and Jacob lived because of the work that had been accomplished in the realm of eternity. It just had not been accomplished in the realm of time yet.

In v.31-32 of today's passage we read, "31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank."

Penuel means the same thing as Peniel, but they are spelled differently. They both mean "Face of God," but they aren’t at all speaking about the same thing. Peniel references a location while Penuel is a reference to the relationship that God granted to Jacob with Him. Jacob crossed over to the Face of God. because God allowed it. Jacob was like Abraham and Sarah, he had it up to his neck with the ways of the flesh and now, he was pursuing God.

In 2 Corinthians 4:6 we read, "For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 

The Lord Jesus Christ is Penuel. Through the person of God, the power of God is revealed through the weakness of a broken and yielded life. The work of Christ reveals God’s power and yet it shows us that our uniting with Him is a bond which He Himself will not break because He cannot break it. It is an eternal and unchangeable part of His very being.

The practice of not eating the muscle on the hip socket became a ritual in Israel, designed to remind them that the moment when prayer is most effective is when we really believe God is going to do something because we can do nothing. Over and over again throughout the Scripture we find that God's great struggle with us is to teach us to stop thinking we have to do it all ourselves. We only overcome by that upward look which reveals that we have come to the end of the self. Any battle for victory, power and deliverance from ourselves and from sin which is not based constantly upon the gazing and the beholding of the Lord Jesus, with the heart and life lifted up to him, is doomed to failure. Jacob limped the rest of his life, as a constant reminder to him that he needed God most desperately.

Genesis 32:22-26

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22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” ~ Genesis 32:22-26

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 32 where Jacob is gearing up for his meeting with his brother Esau. Whereas Jacob expected to meet with his brother, God had a different plan for this somewhat broken man. In today's passage we will see Jacob meet with God who will wrestle with Jacob, and in the end, He will rename him reflecting his necessary struggles with God that will lead to Jacob being made a new man. 

In v.22-23 of today's passage we read, "22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had."

The context here demands that we remember who these people picture. The two wives of Jacob, Rachel and Leah, picture the grace of God and the Law of God respectively. The two female servants are Bilhah and Zilpah who picture the two exiles of the people of Israel. Jacob's children picture the people of Israel as a collective whole. Jacob took all of them in the night and prepared them for what laid ahead by having them cross over the Jabbok river which means "pouring out."

The Jabbok river was a tributary to the Jordan River and it was located between the Sea of Galilee up north and the Dead Sea down south. The Jabbok is named here because it shows what will come to those who trust in the God of the Bible. And it will be just like the name of Israel, a double entendre. In the years ahead for this group of people, God will deal with them in a singular and unique way. It will be a relationship distinct from all other peoples on earth and it will show to the world God’s immense love and His covenant keeping faithfulness. There will be pouring out of God’s favor and God's wrath upon them. The difference will be determined by what they will choose to do with the Lord Jesus Christ. For those who trust in Him, God's favor. For those who trust not, the wrath of God.

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day."

Jacob was alone in the dark on the north bank of the Jabbock river. All of a sudden, without any announcement a Man entered into the narrative. Although Jacob probably thought this was Esau, he didn't know that it was actually God. In this encounter, Jacob was being given a new experience with God, one which would prefigure the coming days for his posterity. I have discovered that in order to bring about such an event in any of us, God begins with our senses. We are physical beings and so God uses our physical senses and experiences when He reveals Himself to us. But we are also rational beings and so He will come to us through our memories, our reason, and our logic. In addition, we are spiritual beings and so He will come to us by communing with us on a spiritual level. This is how God chose to meet Jacob that night in the dark of night.

Jacob was a man of self-determination. He was the greatest manipulator in the history of mankind. He set up a pillar and made a vow to God before leaving Canaan and then obtained two wives, a family, and wealth from his father-in-law. Now on his return, he took wise measures to ensure his brother would receive him favorably. All the while God had been with him, but he hadn’t been fully dependent on Him in the truest sense.

There are some things that we’ll only learn through pain because it is our pain and suffering that make us desperate enough for God. As God wrestled with him that night, Jacob experienced a measure of desperation which made him begin to learn what it meant to be reliant and dependent on God. This fixed wrestling match which occurred a bit less than 4000 years ago pictures for all of us our utter need to struggle with ourselves, life and God. Whoever wins this battle will determine so much including our sanctification and the role we will play before God into eternity.

In v.25 of today's passage we read, "Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him."

The fixed wrestling match continued throughout the night. Since the Man was none other than the Lord Jesus, He could have defeated Jacob easily, but He chose not to because the struggle was a must for the development of Jacob's faith in God. For all of his existence, Jacob was a man of strength even before his birth. In the womb, according to Genesis 25:22, Jacob struggled with his brother. For all of his life, Jacob was a man who struggled with himself, others and God. His life was one of meeting and defeating adversaries. 

One of the most curious passages in the world, we read, "Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him." The all-powerful God could not prevail over Jacob? How ridiculous are these words. That is until we remember that in order to complete His spiritual development in the life of Jacob, it had to be this way. God used a physical ailment to bless Jacob. God touched him right at the socket of his hip in order to reduce him to a state of complete dependence. God just touched Jacob, He didn't even hit him. God did this so that Jacob could not run. That's what he was used to doing his whole life, running. When he stole the blessing twenty years before from his brother, Jacob ran away. When he was with Laban and he wanted to leave, Jacob ran away. And he was probably thinking I can just run away. The only thing Jacob could do at that point was to cling to the Lord. 

God wrestles with us like this because we learn best through processes, not the propositions. It was at that point that suddenly Jacob's hip was wrenched. Our physical strength comes from our legs. In that moment, Jacob could no longer rely on them as he once did. He could no longer prevail in his struggles relying on His own strength. With a single touch by this Man of mystery, Jacob was utterly made dependent on Him to stand. In one moment, this Man had become Jacob's only hope. Like all of us, Jacob had a singular moment with God when he realized his utter dependency upon God as God touched him and he could no longer be dependent upon himself. Again, there are some things that we’ll only learn through pain.

The name of the Jabbock River came from this fixed wrestling  match between God and Jacob. In his isolation, all the things that had defined his life to that point had been stripped away and Jacob was alone with God. God has to break us before He can bless us. The pouring forth of eternal life is the result of us coming to the end of ourselves and realizing we must have the God of the Bible at the helm of our lives. 

In v.26 of today's passage we read, "And He said, 'Let Me go, for the day breaks.' But he said, 'I will not let You go unless You bless me!'"

The Creator wrestled with Jacob and he overpowered Him. At that point God sought deliverance from Jacob. We read His words, "The day is breaking, let Me go." How odd, until we begin to realize that this is a picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead! It was the Lord Jesus who went to the cross and freed us from the penalty and power of sin. And, unless the Spirit of God brings rebirth to us, we remain in unforgiven sin which is out to destroy us. The picture God gave us that night was of the battle won for us through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.

It was then that Jacob said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" It is completely evident that Jacob had come to realize that this Man was God. And so, Jacob asked for a blessing and he remained firm until the blessing was given. In that moment, Jacob's disability revealed a greater power in his life, the power of God. This power is discovered by the weak as we decide to be totally reliant on the all-sufficient God of the Bible. This is the goal of our sanctification which is the on-going process in the born again believers life whereby God is changing our way of thinking and our way of living.

Jacob had spent his whole life grasping for the blessings of this world. He sought it from his father, his wife, and his wealth. His whole life was a wrestling match looking for the so-called American Dream. Up until this point of time in the life of Jacob nothing that this world offered him really worked. Not until, he found himself alone and afraid, and in the darkness of the night, God subdued him. It is not until God begins to define us that we begin to see what life on planet earth is really about. 

Genesis 32:13-21

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13 So he lodged there that same night, and took what came to his hand as a present for Esau his brother: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals. 16 Then he delivered them to the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put some distance between successive droves.” 17 And he commanded the first one, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going? Whose are these in front of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us.’ ” 19 So he commanded the second, the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, “In this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; 20 and also say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he said, “I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” 21 So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp. ~ Genesis 32:13-21

Today, we consider another interesting portion in the life of Jacob. Having just prayed to God, Jacob anticipated the arrival of his brother along with 400 of his men from Edom. Needless to say, Jacob was scared. In this context we see the struggle between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. Jacob was careful to prepare well in advance of his brother's arrival, but at the end of the day, the will of God would be accomplished. So often this is the case and perhaps we spend too much time in preparation for the arrival of our angry brother rather than resting in the sovereign hands of our loving God. 

In v.13-15 of today's passage we read, "13 So he lodged there that same night, and took what came to his hand as a present for Esau his brother: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals."

After Jacob’s great prayer of faith, he remained at Mahanaim, the place of the convergence of the seen and the unseen. Without moving on to the Promised Land, Jacob waited for the arrival of his brother Esau and he prepared a gift for him. In so doing, Jacob was trying to soften the blow with his brother. In addition, Jacob's actions pulled back the curtain on the struggle that Jacob was experiencing within. 

Jacob, if he were alive today, could be the poster boy to the American Dream. The old saying, "God helps those who help themselves," although not biblical, was very descriptive of Jacob. In Jacob's actions we see the struggle within a man who is learning to trust in God and a man who struggles trusting. This conflict within us all is a very vital part in our sanctification, because a contrast is drawn for us to finally conclude that it is God's will that we need most, not ours.

Since God had blessed Jacob so much in Haran, Jacob used that which God had provided to him to mitigate the coming conflict with his brother. It is obvious that Jacob was struggling with how the confrontation would play out. God had promised Jacob that he would protect him and he had demonstrated His faithfulness to that promise during the confrontation that Jacob had with Laban earlier. Jacob's struggle was a necessary part of the development of his faith in God. We should never be surprised by our trials, our struggles and our doubts especially when we consider that without them our faith in God will have little depth. And, with the deepening of our faith comes the deepening of our intimacy with God.

Jacob sectioned off a total of 580 animals as a gift to his brother. Then he divided the animals in proportion to their ability to mate, 1 male for every 10 females of the goats and sheep and 1 bull for every 4 cows. Jacob knew the right proportions since he had been tending flocks all of his life. Jacob hoped that his brother would be so overwhelmed by his generosity, that he would be willing to forgive Jacob for his past sins.

In v.16-18 of today's passage we read, "16 Then he delivered them to the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, 'Pass over before me, and put some distance between successive droves.' 17 And he commanded the first one, saying, 'When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going? Whose are these in front of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us.'"

There were five groups of animals and there were five droves made ready to meet Esau prior to his meeting with Jacob. These droves were placed in the hands of Jacob's servants and they were directed to go ahead of Mahanaim and to keep a specific span of distance between the droves. They were not to follow too closely to each other but there was to be some distance between each. Jacob set, in advance, the distances in order to allow Esau to adjust to each and to think on each before meeting another drove.

By doing it this way, there would be a prolonged period of time before Esau's meeting with Jacob. Jacob expected Esau to stop and observe each group of animals. The servants were instructed very specifically, to say to Esau that they were "your servant Jacob’s." By saying this Jacob placed himself as a servant of Esau and the droves which were being included were a gift to Esau.

In v.19-21 of today's passage we read, "19 So he commanded the second, the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, 'In this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; 20 and also say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.'" For he said, 'I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.' 21 So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp."

Again, there were five droves of animals that Esau would pass until he arrived at his brother. The repetition of each drove was to make sure that Esau would understand the message from Jacob. The gifts would have no significance without the guarantee of a meeting. Jacob was preparing Esau this way in hopes that "perhaps Esau would accept Jacob." Jacob was hopeful that any wrath that Esau may have had would be removed from him.

Jacob was a deceiver who often tricked his family, and didn't think anything of it. But once Laban began deceiving him, Jacob realized how bad it felt to be tricked. Accordingly, Jacob sought forgiveness from his brother and sent gift after gift to appease him, recognizing just how deeply he had hurt his brother. When we go above and beyond to seek the forgiveness of our brother, it is demonstrating to him that we recognize how deeply our sin must have hurt him. That mutual recognition will lead to reconciliation. So, whether it costs us camels and sheep, or money, or even our pride, we should be willing to do whatever it takes, as far as it depends on us, to live peaceably with our brother.

Genesis 32:9-12

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9 Then Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you:' 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. 11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. 12 For You said, 'I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'" ~ Genesis 32:9-12

Today, we return to our study in Genesis 32 where Jacob, after all of his planning for the scary arrival of Esau, then turned to God in prayer. Jacob turned to God due to his fear of his brother. Prayer is talking to God and it is something everyone can do. In the New Testament the Apostle Paul commands us to pray without ceasing which is actually practicing God's presence at all times. If God is our mind, then every thought that goes through our head will include Him. This is the goal of all of our prayers. Today, we will learn from a man about what it looks like to grow in honesty and humility.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Then Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you.'"

The Lord told Jacob to return to Canaan and Jacob obeyed. He packed up his belongings and headed off. Jacob was about to encounter his brother who had told him that his goal was to kill him. Jacob had come to the point where he had realized that he was totally dependent upon the Lord which is the best place for any of us to be. So, Jacob prayed to the God of his grandfather Abraham who was also the God of his father Isaac. Jacob prayed to the God who transcends time and exists throughout all generations.

Jacob didn’t pray to the idols that Rachel had stolen from her father, Laban, and he did not pray to the angels that he saw in the camp of God. Never once in the Bible is prayer allowed to or through anyone but God. Any prayer to anyone other than the God of the Bible is a failure to give Him the credit and the glory that He alone is due. By reminding God of what He had earlier promised him, Jacob demonstrated that he was truly being defined by God.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies."

These are the words of a man who was learning to come out of hiding, this was the prayer of an honest and humble man. This prayer represents a remarkable turn of events where Jacob had shifted from his physical concerns to his spiritual concerns. This is why he begins this prayer with the fact that he was not worthy. This is humility. When we lose sight of our unworthiness we will be in danger of being side-swiped by arrogance. And if we are being defined by our arrogance, it always will keep us from the Lord.

Jacob based his plea to God upon two things: the mercies of God and the truth of God. The more we come to see the mercies of God, the more we will long to submit ourselves to Him and to obey Him because it is His mercies that train us to trust Him. The word used for mercies means to supply forgiveness and compassion for past failures. Mercy is what God pours out upon us through the Lord Jesus Christ. Mercy is our only hope because there is nothing we have done, or can do to make us acceptable before God. The mercy of God counters the fact that we deserve hell for our violent rebellion against God.

Jacob appealed to the truth of God in this prayer. The Lord Jesus said of Himself, "I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life." Truth is what says it is and despite the fact that many believe that they have their own truth have yet to learn that the only truth comes from God who had defined things as they are. Anything that deviates from what God says of something is a lie and is sin. Jacob appealed to God on the basis of truth because Jacob was being trained by God to be authentic and truthful. And, of course, the truth had been spoken by God to Jacob when He promised Jacob that He would be with him and He would protect him. This prayer was prayed by a man who was learning that it is the truth as defined by God that sets us free.

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. 12 For You said, 'I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'"

The honesty in this prayer is like a cup of cold water on a very hot day for the man who has been known for his deceptive nature. Jacob revealed through this prayer that he was learning that honesty and being defined by the God of truth are among  the cornerstones of a successful life. Being truthful with the God of truth is the first step toward being pulled out of the deceptive domain of the enemy.

Jacob feared for himself, his family and his God. Any person concerned about the integrity of God’s promises will fear. If Esau had attacked Jacob and had overcome him, then the covenant promises would have been made void and the Lord’s honor would have suffered. Jacob recalled the promises that God had made to Abraham and to his descendants and as a result he was strengthened in his faith. Jacob was able to access God's truth and His promises and stand on them due to the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jacob was learning to not be defined by himself or any of his accomplishments but in the accomplishments of the God of mercy and of truth.

Genesis 32:6-8

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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."

Genesis 32:1-5

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1 So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is God’s camp." And he called the name of that place Mahanaim. 3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, "Speak thus to my lord Esau, Thus your servant Jacob says: 'I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.'" ~ Genesis 32:1-5

Today, we transition into Genesis 32 where Jacob's time of exile in Haran has ended and he is back at the edge of the Promised Land. The emphasis in today's passage is most subtle and yet it is as clear as could be but it is only clear to those who are growing in their hearts as servants. Jacob was being freed to rule with the heart of a servant and to serve the heart of a king.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him."

While on his way to Canaan, the angels of God met Jacob again. He was met by the angels of God before when he left Canaan some 20 years earlier. The last thing recorded was his vision of the latter and the angels ascending and descending on it. As Jacob re-entered the Promised Land he again had another vision of angels who were there with him all along but he simply didn't know it. Of course all things created ladders and angels serve to point us to the One who has served us best by laying down His life so that we could know forgiveness of sin and have a personal relationship with God. 

In Hebrews 1:14 we read, "Are they not all ministering Spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" This passage speaks of angels as ministering spirits sent forth by God. When we hear about some miracle we find ourselves wondering about what really happened in the realm of the unseen to make the miracle happen. It is most plausible that the miracle came about due to the intervention of God's angels. It is clear through the Bible that God's angels do His bidding in this world and it is largely due to those miraculous moments that we truly experience the miraculous involvement of God in our lives.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "When Jacob saw them, he said, 'This is God’s camp.' And he called the name of that place Mahanaim."

Jacob saw into the unseen and he saw the angels who prompted him to identify Mahanaim as God's camp. Interestingly, before he left Canaan 20 years earlier when he had awakened from his sleep after his dream of the latter, Jacob said, "Surely this is God's house." What began as the house of God was now seen by Jacob as the camp of God. Then he called the place Mahanaim which is mentioned 13 times in the Bible and it literally means "two camps" revealing the convergence of the seen and the unseen worlds. 

In v.3-5 of today's passage we read, "3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, 'Speak thus to my lord Esau, Thus your servant Jacob says: I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.'"

The word translated messengers here is the same word translated angels earlier. In other words, in the same way that God had sent His angels to Jacob, Jacob sent his messengers to his brother Esau. Despite the fact that Jacob had stolen Esau's birthright and blessing, he commanded his messengers to address Esau as "Adonai" which means "Lord." He did this in order to communicate to Esau that he was not a threat to him and he wanted to mend their relationship. This is why Jacob subordinated himself to Esau by using of himself the word "servant."

Esau, like Laban, was not in a personal relationship with God, he knew of the Lord but he did not have a personal relationship with Him. Our adventure with God is dependent upon our perceived need of Him and our awareness of His daily involvement in our lives. We often miss the adventure because we have an unhealthy fear of God and we are afraid to go where He leads. Over and over we are reminded by the Old Testament prophets that "the Servant is coming." In fact, Isaiah 53 has long been titled "The Suffering Servant." 

In Revelation 7:17 we read, "The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters." And, according to Luke 12, the Lord Jesus will serve believers in heaven for eternity. There is much more to this concept of servanthood that meets the eye. I find it startling that Paul's ultimate goal in the book of Romans was to reveal what a servant looks like in various contexts. This is what the final five chapters in Romans is all about. 

According to v.5 of today's passage, Jacob accentuates the fact that he had obtained great wealth during his time away in Haran. He did this because he wanted his brother Esau to know that he would not be a burden to him. He also wanted Esau to know that he was not a threat to him as his family had grown to such size. Seeing such a large group coming in his direction would have alarmed Esau. So, Jacob served his brother by sending his messengers to him with a message of peace.

In Matthew 20:25-26 we read, "25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.'"

While in Haran Jacob had learned to lose sight of himself as he served Laban for 20 years. As we move further into our study of Genesis 32 the concept of servanthood will become more and more evident. As he arrived at Mahanaim, Jacob was beginning to see that God's ultimate goal in the life of the believer is to help those arrested by this seen to see the unseen. This is the case for all believers in the God of the Bible because the more we get to know the heart of the Lord, the more we will reflect the heart of the servant.

Genesis 31:51-55

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51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. 55 And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place. ~ Genesis 31:51-55

Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 31 where we have watched God dramatically change Jacob with the truth. In this chapter Jacob has gone from a man afraid of his father-in-law to a man who exuded confidence, primarily because he was now being defined by the truth. When we are being defined by the truth that means that we have come to appreciate what it means to fear the Lord. We are told in the Scriptures, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" and in this passage we see that Jacob was leaving his foolish ways behind because he was now being defined by the wisdom of God.

In v.51-53 of today's passage we read, "51 Then Laban said to Jacob, 'Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.' And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac." 

Laban spoke of the heap and the pillar as if he they were his idea. Earlier, we were told that it was Jacob who set these up. As we have considered before, Laban pictures for us what it looks like to be one who is defined by the flesh which always wants notoriety and credit. The heaps and the pillar were erected to show where Jacob's allegiance was and Laban was struggling to get to the point where his fear of God determined everything else about him.

The heap and pillar were also placed there to be a witness of the peace that would be shared between Jacob and Laban. This was a picture of the work the Lord Jesus accomplished for us on His cross at Calvary. There would be harmony between Jacob and Laban as long as they didn’t pass beyond the boundaries to harm one another. Should they breech those boundaries, then the account would be judiciously and righteously settled as the violation of their covenant.

Laban spoke of the God of Abraham and Nahor, their common ancestors. Jacob, knowing that idolatry had crept in among Laban's side of the family, swore by the "Fear of his father Isaac." The expressed difference here was to show that for Laban idolatry had crept into his heart thus negatively affecting his worship of God. In Joshua 24:2 we read, "And Joshua said to all the people, 'Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods.'"

Laban was confused about the identity of the one true God and it showed in his choices and words. It is clear from what God had earlier said to Laban on the night before he met up with Jacob that he intended to do harm to Jacob and his family. At a minimum, Laban came with the intent to call down curses on Jacob. And, as always, if we let Him, God will turn our curses into blessings.

In v.54-55 of today's passage we read, "54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. 55 And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place."

While Laban was a picture of the man of the world, Jacob pictured the Lord Jesus. While Leah pictured the law, Rachel pictured grace. The pillar in this passage was a picture of the cross of the Lord Jesus and the heap pictured the Bible. In this story symmetry is discovered. The usage of two languages, Hebrew and Aramaic, indicates that this witness was meant for all people, Hebrew and Gentile alike. This explains why, for the first time in the Bible, a non-Hebrew word was used. This covenant between Jacob and Laban stands as a reminder to all people that God has offered to sinful man a pact of peace through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The only question remains is: Who is humble enough to believe in God's promise?

This story proves that the Bible is a physical, tangible word. Not just a spiritual concept without form. In John 1:14 we read, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” The written Word of God, the Bible, points us to the living Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Both, the Lord Jesus and the Bible are the standard by which God will judge all people. The peace that we all long for is found in these two where we discover that restoration and harmony between God and man are realized only through the cross of Christ. 

This is the last time in the Bible that Laban is referred to directly. He will be mentioned only two more times, both in Genesis 46 and only in reference to the children of Israel born to Bilhah and Zilpah, not as an individual. In the end, Laban is a picture of most people who know of God but do not know God personally and for themselves. Laban represents the person searching the world for that which won’t satisfy and who so desperately needs to be defined by the one true God.

Today's passage took place in a place known as the Perpetual Fountain which is analogous of the eternal life the Lord Jesus offers to anyone humble enough and willing enough to believe in Him. The bread Laban and Jacob ate together that day was a symbol of the Lord Jesus who is the One who delivers to the repentant sinner this perpetual fountain. He said of Himself, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

The Fear of Isaac is one of the more obscure names of God in the Bible. This name is only found in this passage. By using this phrase, Jacob was saying that his father, Isaac, feared God and worshiped Him exclusively. Jacob was right to refer to God as the Fear of Isaac, and Isaac was right to have a holy reverence and godly fear. In Luke 12:5, the Lord Jesus said, "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." In fearing God, Isaac submitted to Him and regarded Him more highly than anyone else.