Genesis 32:1-32

As Jacob continued his journey back to the land of Israel there was one problem. The issue was that he had to deal with his unresolved conflict with Esau. Remember that twenty years earlier, Esau pledged to kill Jacob, because he deceived his father Isaac, and stole the birthright from him. What would Jacob do about this problem? As you read this chapter you will see that Jacob was clearly afraid of Esau. This fear will bring Jacob to a crisis point in his life, and the ultimate transformation of his heart. We read in our text, “So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, ‘This is God’s camp.’ And he called the name of that place Mahanaim” (Gen. 32:1-2). 

Jacob visited by angels.  Vs. 1-2

First, why do these angels visit Jacob as he is about to enter back into the land of Canaan? It is interesting that no dialog is recorded between them, but Jacob simply sees them, and he was comforted and believed that this was God’s camp. He realized again that God was with him, and that he wasn’t alone on this journey. It is also interesting that this visitation of angels was very similar to what happened to Jacob at Bethel as he was leaving the land of Canaan twenty years earlier. Jacob came to realize that he was camping out with angels.

It is also a very comforting thing to know that God’s angels are with you too. God declares concerning angels in Hebrews 1:14 that, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” In other words, angels are ministering spirits that God sends to help those who are to inherit salvation. Jesus also warned people not to look down on the least among us, for they also have angels about them, which are beholding the face of God. Jesus said, “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). There are angels all around each of us as believers to help us and protect us (Ps. 91:11-12). Knowing this fact should give you tremendous confidence that God wants to support you. 

Many years ago, I read the autobiography of John Patton, who was a missionary to the New Hebrides Islands, which are a group of islands in the South Pacific near Australia. Today these Islands are called Vanuatu. When Patton and his wife arrived there, they realized that the native people were cannibals and headhunters, and they wanted to kill him and his wife. Patton related in his book that one night the natives surrounded his little cabin, and he could hear them outside. Patton and his wife believed that they were moments away from being killed by these natives. He and his wife prayed and asked the Lord to protect them and surround them with His angels, and to their joy nothing happened that night. They continued their ministry, and months later some of the natives began to become Christians. One day Patton asked one of the new believers that had been outside his cabin that night, why they hadn’t been killed. The man said, “When we came that night, and we surrounded your cabin, we saw a bunch of large men with large swords outside of your cabin, so we turned around and ran away in fear.” Obviously, John Patton knew that the only men who could possibly have been outside his cabin that night with swords, where the angels of God, because they were all alone on the island. God had revealed to these headhunters a vision of angels protecting John and his wife. Billy Graham also refers to this particular story in his book on angels.

Stories like these only confirm God’s sure Word. David realized that God had protected him many times over the years when Saul sought to kill him. He declared, “This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them” (Ps. 34:6-7). I believe that when we all get to heaven, we are going to realize just how often the angels of the Lord delivered, protected, and kept each one of us from harm.

Jacob reaches out to Esau.  Vs. 3-8

“Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 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. 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.”’” 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.’ 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. And he said, ‘If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape’” (Gen. 32:3-8).

Why Jacob reached out at this point to let Esau know of his journey home, we are not told in the text. Jacob told his servant exactly what to say when he met up with Esau, and it is clear that he was specifically seeking Esau’s favor. But, when his servant returns, and he hears that Esau is coming to meet him with 400 of his men; Jacob panics. Jacob must have realized that Esau clearly meant him harm, or why would he be coming with an army of men?

Now think about this whole scenario. Twenty years had passed and hundreds of miles of geography had separated these two men. There had been no contact over all these years, and the first moment that Esau realized that Jacob was near, he intended to kill him. Why? Because there was a major unresolved issue between them. Twenty years means nothing if you have hatred and resentment in your heart towards someone. You can hear just the mention of their name, and you can instantly become angry about that past offence.

Is there anyone in your life at this moment, that when you think about them you have immediate anger toward? If you do, that means you have an unresolved conflict with that person. Scripture teaches, “‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:26-27). In other words, don’t let the day end before you attempt to reconcile that issue. When you don’t obey this command, you are giving place to the devil, and giving him an opportunity to condemn you, and separate two people. If you have attempted to reconcile the conflict, and the other person was unwilling to talk or reconcile the issue, then you are free. You have done what God has commanded you to do! But at a minimum, you must try to reconcile the issue. I have personally gone to people two or three times to seek reconciliation, but they have refused, so this allows my conscience to be clear in that matter (Rom. 12:18). May you heed God’s commandments concerning reconciliation!

Jacob’s appeasement.

In the message that Jacob sent to Esau, note the words he chose to use. He used very submissive terms such as, “Your servant,” and calling Esau, “My lord.” Jacob is obviously concerned about his brother’s attitude toward him, but he becomes much more concerned when he hears that Esau is coming with 400 of his men. Jacob’s concern immediately now turns to fear, and rightly so, because he knows that there is a major unresolved issue between them. What does Jacob do next?

Jacob prayed.  Vs. 9-12  

Scripture declares, “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”: 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. 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. 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” (Gen. 32:9-12).

Notice that Jacob was doing the right thing at that moment when fear gripped his heart. He prayed for God’s deliverance from his brother’s wrath. Prayer in the midst of anxiety and fear is the most important thing you can do when you find yourself in this position. Paul taught us all to do the same when he wrote, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7). Prayer is our most important solution to fear and worry, because the Lord is the only one who can guard our hearts and minds.

Also, it is important to see in his prayer that Jacob reminded God twice, that He had promised to treat him well if he returned to his home. In other words, Jacob was saying to God, “Look, you are the one who told me to come home, so please keep your word to me.” Note that Jacob was simply praying the Word of God. This is so powerful, because the Word of God is what inspires faith in our hearts when we first hear it (Rom. 10:17). But, praying the Word of God also inspires faith even as we pray these same words. However, you can’t pray the promises of God if you don’t read the Word and know what these promises are. This is one of the reasons Paul encouraged Timothy, his son in the faith, “Till I come, give attention to reading” (1 Tim. 4:13). If you plant the Word in your heart, it will inspire you to pray according to the will of God, and to pray in faith. Yet all of these blessings are hinged upon you first reading God’s Word.

Jacob’s humility.

One of the most important parts of Jacob’s prayer was when he acknowledged in humility that he didn’t deserve the least of God’s mercies. Humility is such a key aspect to bold and believing prayer. But there is a balance here that is important to understand. You should not come to God in prayer demanding or commanding Him based on his Word, because this is not boldness, it is sheer arrogance. Neither should you come without any confidence, thinking that humility means that you can’t ask in total confident faith, knowing He will answer you. Humility recognizes that you don’t deserve to receive anything from God. Yet, faith stands upon God’s own Word to believe that you can receive from Him by His grace alone. Note how Paul struck this perfect balance when he wrote, “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Cor. 15:9-10). Jacob also had this same perfect balance in his prayer.

Do you have this same attitude of humility, knowing you deserve nothing from God, but trusting His Word to fulfill His promises? Not one of us deserves the least of His mercies! What I do deserve is to go to hell. That is what I truly deserve for all the evil that I have committed before coming to Christ. But it is God’s mercy that forgave me, and has adopted me as His son. I will never be able to deserve His mercy, no matter what good things I do today. I can only receive His mercy based on what Christ has done for me. Then His mercy opens the door to all that His grace provides. This is why the Scripture puts these two truths together. We are commanded to pray in this manner, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Note the balance again between coming boldly to His throne, and obtaining mercy to find His grace!  

Jacob’s scheme to appease.  Vs. 13-21

The text continues, “So he lodged there that same night, and took what came to his hand as a present for Esau his brother: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals. 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.’ 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?” 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.” 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; 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.’ So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp” (Gen. 32:13-21).

Have you ever prayed, “God help me, deliver me, provide for me,” and then soon as you are done praying, begin to think, How can I fix this problem myself? What can I do to get myself out of this fix? This is exactly what Jacob did at this point. He began to scheme and plan how he would appease his brother Esau. Appeasement was clearly his intent, because he declared this was his motive (Vs. 20). So, Jacob devised a plan to send numerous presents, at regular intervals, that would meet Esau on the road before he met up with him. These gifts were clearly designed to appease the anger of his brother.

However, the problem with devising your own plan to fix your problems, is that you will then naturally begin to take all the anxiety and fear surrounding this problem back on your shoulders. Now don’t misunderstand what I am saying here. There is nothing wrong with taking action after you have prayed, but it must be biblically warranted action, not some scheme you have devised to help God out. A perfect example of what I mean is, when you have an unresolved conflict with someone, you should pray, and then you should go to them to resolve the issue. When God has already commanded you to “go” to your estranged brother, and you sit there and do nothing, that is wrong (Matt. 18:15; Matt. 5:23-24). Devising your own scheme of reconciliation, would be to call others and ask them to go ahead of you to try and appease the offended party. This would be directly contrary to God’s commandment for you to first go “alone” (Matt. 18:15). This would not be a biblical course of action. This is exactly what Jacob tried to do.

Jacob wrestles with God.  Vs. 22-32

What did Jacob do next? “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. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 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. And He said, ‘Let Me go, for the day breaks.’ But he said, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me!’ So He said to him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Jacob.’ 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.’ 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. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: ‘For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.’ Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 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” (Gen. 32:22-32).

Jacob arose that night and took his wives and children and put them on the other side of the river Jabbok, but he stayed alone on the other side of the river. Why Jacob did this we are not told, but God used this opportunity to deal with him at this moment. When you are alone, many times this is when God will speak to you so clearly, because there are no other distractions. This was exactly what took place in Jacob’s life. God had him alone, and began to deal with him, so He could bring him to a place of surrender. Ultimately, as you will see, Jacob was brought to the end of himself.

Now the first thing that is important to notice is in verse 24 where it is declared, “And a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.” Notice that it doesn’t say that Jacob was wrestling with the Man, but the Man took hold of Jacob. Who was this Man? This was none other than the Angel of the Covenant, the Son of Man (Judges 2:1; Dan. 7:13). Remember that the word angel simply means messenger. This was another of the Old Testaments theophanes that we have looked at before in Genesis, where God appears to men in the form of a man. Just as God appeared to Abraham, or Joshua, or to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo (Gen. 18:1; 16; 22; Joshua 5:13-15; Dan. 3:25). It is important to note that Jacob was the one who acknowledged that this Man was God Himself. Jacob said, “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”

The second question that arises is, why would God come to wrestle with Jacob? F.B. Meyer said it best when he wrote, “The Angel wrestled with him, as though to discover and reveal his weakness, and to constrain him to quit reliance on his own strength, and to learn to cling with the tenacious grip of a lame man, who dare not let go, lest he fall to the earth. Ah, it is well to be even maimed, if through the withered thigh we may learn to lay hold on the everlasting strength of God, and learn His secret Name!” This Man took hold of Jacob to show him that he could not prevail in his own strength. Oh, how each of us needs to learn this powerful lesson! When we see our own weakness, and then the strength and ability of God, it makes us want to cling to Him (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

But you say, why then did this Man who wrestled with Jacob tell him to let him go? That seems like Jacob did prevail over the Man. The answer to this question is found in Hosea 12:3-6. In this section of Scripture God is using Jacob as an example of humbly, weeping, and a repentant man getting right with God. In this passage, God was encouraging the people of God to wait upon Him and return to a right relationship with Him. The text declares referring to Jacob, “He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and in his strength he struggled with God. Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in Bethel, and there He spoke to us--that is, the LORD God of hosts. The LORD is His memorable name. So you, by the help of your God, return; observe mercy and justice, and wait on your God continually” (Hos. 12:3-6). So, how did Jacob prevail? Only through his weeping and seeking the LORD’s favor. God then declared through Hosea how anyone can prevail with Him. He said, “So you, by the help of your God, return; observe mercy and justice, and wait on your God continually.” Jacob was seeking God’s help with tears in the midst of this fearful circumstance, not knowing what Esau would do to him the next day. Jacob only prevailed through humility, weeping, and surrender. God also wants us coming to Him in this same manner. He wants us waiting on Him continually when we struggle in the midst of our stressful circumstances. We will surely then prevail.

But why did God dislocate Jacob’s hip?

This was God’s chastisement in Jacob’s life. God didn’t want Jacob to ever forget this moment of surrender. Every time Jacob walked anywhere from this point forward, he would always remember this lesson that he learned. Yes, this was a hard way to have to learn this lesson, but God obviously thought this was necessary. God was humbling Jacob, and when God must do this, it always is going to hurt. Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t want the Lord to have to humble me. The easier way is for me to choose to humble myself. Peter declared, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). Why should I humble myself under His hand? Because, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). I don’t want God to have to humble me! I don’t want Him resisting me! I want to humble myself and surrender to Him, so I might experience His grace. This is doing life the easier way. When God shriveled that muscle in his hip, this is what brought Jacob to the place of surrender and brokenness, so then with weeping he begs God for His blessing.

Why did God ask Jacob his name?

Now before God blessed Jacob, He asked him, “What is your name?” Could it be possible that God did not know Jacob’s name? No! The Lord knows everyone’s name. So, then why is God asking Jacob for his name? I believe it was because God wanted Jacob to acknowledge who he was at that moment. Jacob had to acknowledge that he was the supplanter and schemer! Jacob knew what his name meant. He knew that he was a man who deceived other people. Why was this so important? Because Jacob was only concerned about getting God’s external deliverance from Esau at this moment, but the Lord was more concerned with delivering Jacob from the person he was.

We are all concerned much more with the external, but God is after a changed heart. When God was about to select David to be king over Israel, He told Samuel not to look at the elder son of Jesse, and then told him the reason for this command. The LORD said, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). Likewise, God spoke to David many years later to do one thing, “Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!  (Ps. 27:14). This is exactly what God wanted to do in Jacob heart as he clung to the Man.

God is waiting for each of us to acknowledge our need before Him, and who we have been in our past. He wants us to acknowledge our selfishness, self-reliance, and our scheming in unbelief. This is who we are in the flesh. But He desires us to ask for His forgiveness, put our trust in Him, and seek the infilling of the Spirit to transform us. Until we are honest with Him, repent, and trust Him, He will not bless us, any more than He would Jacob at this moment. If you want to prevail with God in prayer, come to Him in this manner!  

How long did it take Jacob to get to this place of honesty and humility? Twenty years! Oh, may it not take this long for any of you that are reading these words. Come to Him with this heart of humility and honesty, and you will be changed.

Jacob’s change of name.

Now with the change of Jacob’s heart, God also changed his name. This is another proof that this is the LORD that he was wrestling with, because only God changes a person’s name. God changed Abram to Abraham. He also changed Sari to Sarah. Jesus even changed Simon’s name to Peter. Why did the Lord declare these name changes? God changed Abraham and Sarah’s name, because they finally after 25 years were persuaded to trust Him for the birth of their promised child (Rom. 4:17-21). Jesus also changed Simon’s name after his confession of faith that He was the Christ, the Son of the Living God (Matt. 16:15-18). The Lord changed Jacob’s name because he finally surrendered his life with tears and supplication before God.

What did Jacob’s name change mean? The word Israel is a combination of two separate words.  Notice at the end of the word Israel is the word El, which is the name for God. The first part of the word means to prevail, or to be governed, or to rule. So literally the Lord changed his name from the supplanter and deceiver, to the one God rules, God governs, God prevails. Jacob now becomes the man whom God was ruling within. This was the transformation that took place in this wrestling match. In addition, this is the first use of the word Israel in the Bible. The descendants that will come from Jacob, will later become known as the Children of Israel.

Does God rule inside of you?

The most important question each one of us must answer is, does God govern you? The Lord’s government over you is what His lordship in your life is all about. Jacob grew up believing in God, had encounters with the Lord, but he was not governed by God until this wrestling match took place. The lordship of Christ over your life, also only occurs when you surrender yourself to Him, just as Jacob did in this account.

I would assume that most of you reading this article came to faith in Christ in the midst of some crisis in your life. You had a dramatic encounter with Jesus, and you chose to begin following Him. When Jacob was leaving the land of Israel and running from Esau’s threat to kill him, that was when he had his dramatic encounter with the Lord at Bethel. His encounter with God at Bethel was Jacob’s crisis moment. This was when he came to the realization that God was truly real. Jacob made a commitment there with the Lord to follow Him. But the transformation of a person’s life is a completely different subject. Transformation of a person’s life is when you go through that sanctification process, and become that new person by putting on the new man as Paul declared. Salvation is called putting on Christ (Gal. 3:27). But, the transformation of your life requires putting off the old man and putting on the new man. Paul taught, “If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:21-24). The word renewed in this text is in the present tense, which means that there must be a continual renewal of a person’s life as they put off the old man, and put on the new man each day. This is accomplished as you are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.  

Notice how Jesus addressed this topic of conversion and transformation in the New Testament. He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3-4). Jesus clearly dealt with two aspects of the Christian life in this passage. He noted that a person must be converted if they ever hope to enter the kingdom of heaven. The word converted means to turn around and change from a previous position. This is definitely describing the salvation requirement of repentance and the turning away from sin. But then Jesus also declared that this converted individual must become as a little child. Coming to Christ in child-like faith is where every believer must begin their walk of faith with Him. However, continuing to become as little children is really the only way any believer can grow and mature in their faith. Walking with Jesus as little children is what keeps you listening and obeying His voice. This becoming and living as little children can only be achieved by humbling ourselves to Him as Lord of our lives. This learned humility was exactly what took place in Jacob’s life after he yielded to the Lord during his wrestling match.

How can you tell if you are walking with Jesus as a little child?

Is there a way to tell if you are truly ruled and governed by God? How can you tell if He is truly Lord of your life? There is absolutely a way to know! Jesus addressed this issue when He reproved His disciples, and He said to them, “But why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Obedience to His voice, and the voice of His Word, is the surest sign of His Lordship in your life. Obeying Him is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. You must also remember that this obedience must be motivated by love. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Obedience is not forcing yourself to obey God. Another way you can tell if you are obeying God while being motivated by love is, that you won’t consider His commandments to be burdensome. John penned this truth when he wrote, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

Another sign that He rules inside of you is the fruit of peace in your soul. Paul said, “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts” (Col. 3:15). When He rules within, there will be peace inside your heart and mind. This is because, when you are obeying the voice of your conscience and the voice of His Word, His Spirit is upon you, and the fruit of the Spirit is peace (Gal. 5:22-23). Even when things are not going well, and there is turmoil in your life, you can still find His peace, because you are surrendering to do what He commands. You can’t change other people’s response, but you can choose what you will do.

These are some of the ways you can know that He is Lord of your life. May you allow His Spirit to draw you to that place of surrender. If you are a supplanter and a schemer like Jacob, I can assure you there will be no peace within. Only by being converted and humbling yourself to become as a little child, will you find the blessings you long for in the Christian life. Wait upon Him, and ask Him to do this work inside you. Jesus commanded and promised, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matt. 7:7-8).