Years earlier, he had left town on the run because he had cheated his brother out of a blessing. Now he is returning a wealthy man, and his brother is on his way to say “hello” with 400 soldiers.
It’s hard to sit here and read this passage and remain calm. Jacob is almost certainly heading toward a battle, and he doesn’t have an army with him. His route from the east has taken him almost straight west, following the route of the Jabbuk river, which eventually empties into the Jordan and travels to the Dead Sea. Esau has found a home in the desert south of Jacob’s route. His men are traveling North to intercept Jacob.
Anyway, back to Jacob heading into battle. You know that Jacob is scared because he is dividing up his family and anticipating the violence that Esau will bring. It must have been horrible to live through those hours, knowing that tomorrow at the this time some of your kids may be dead. And to still keep moving forward (or at least, to not run away in other direction) is laudable. I notice that angels appear to be walking with Jacob as he travels. There isn’t much explanation given for the comment at the beginning of Chapter 32. It just says “angels came to meet him”. Maybe these interactions with the angels are what gave him the courage to keep moving east.
After Jacob knows that Esau is on his way, he falls asleep by himself with the family out of the way. A man comes and wrestles with him all night long. I find myself thinking that this was Jesus. Think of this….Jesus takes on a human form and appears in front of Jacob. What caused that wrestling match? Who is bold enough to take on God? What in the world is Jacob thinking about here? I have a problem reconciling my image of Jesus with a sweaty guy rolling around on the floor with Jacob. And, thinking of that..how is it that God didn’t win? Clearly he could have….He’s God. So for some reason He allows Jacob to live, and even to win the wrestling match. Honestly, I just can’t get my head around the whole thing.
Esau shows up with 400 men, and a huge smile on his face. All the sins of youth and words spoken in anger are long forgotten. The brothers spend time together and then head off in different directions. Reconciliation is so sweet. It would be wonderful if we saw more of it. I wish our politicians would read this passage and apply it to there daily practices.
When Esau later leaves Jacob, he heads back south staying on the eastern side of the Dead Sea. Jacob continues east until he crosses the Jordan river north of the Dead Sea and settles in Shechem on the far side of the mountains, heading toward the Mediterranean Sea.
I thought from the sounds of their conversation that Jacob was going to join his brother Esau. He doesn’t. I wonder if Esau was under the same impression.
But Jacob is moving in a direct line toward the “Promised Land”…the land of Canaan. If we learn one thing from these chapters it’s that God goes with us when we are obedient to Him. You don’t have to be perfect, you only have to be perfectly submitted. Jacob was, and because of that the whole nation is named after him. Jacob becomes Israel after wrestling with God. What a story! What a Savior!
God is for us, and will be with us wherever we go!
Faithfully,
PR
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