Genesis 32:13-32 April 13, 2003

Genesis 32:13-32 April 13, 2003

Wrestling for a Blessing

[13] And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; [14] Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, [15] Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals. [16] And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove. [17] And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee? [18] Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us. [19] And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him. [20] And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. [21] So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company. [22] And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. [23] And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

Present:

580 animals were sent in all. This was not a bribe but an offer of good will and reconciliation.

This was a wise move on Jacob’s part as the proverb says:

Proverbs 17:8,

A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

And also:

Proverbs 18:16,

A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.

This present was also an indication of God’s blessings in the area of material possessions and proof that he had no need of what Esau had.

Prevailing:

[24] And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. [25] And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. [26] And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

With,

Hosea 12:3-5,

He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: [4] Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; [5] Even the Lord God of hosts; the Lord is his memorial.

There are some things to notice from Hosea:

Jacob:

Shed Tears, made Supplication and Struggled.

Shed Tears: emotional effort (spirit)

Supplication: spiritual effort (soul)

Struggled: physical effort (body)

If we want God to bless us we are going to have give ourselves as a living sacrifice to God: body, soul and spirit.

We need to wrestle for a blessing!

Prince:

[27] And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. [28] And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. [29] And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

God now renamed Jacob with the name Israel. There was no need to ask the name of the One he was wrestling with because they now shared the same name! Jacob was wrestling with the Prince of peace.

Isaiah 9:6,

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Peniel:

(the face of God)

[30] And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

cf.

Exodus 33:20,

And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

1 Tim. 6:16,

Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Pain:

[31] And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. [32] Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

Sometimes there is some pain associated with walking with God. This Christian life is not a bed of roses. Sometimes our victories are hard won and fraught with pain. Israel would experience pain and fatigue the rest of that day. God would bless him but there was a price to be paid. I think that price can be summed up with the word persistence.

No doubt God allowed this in Israel’s life as a reminder that God Himself had allowed Israel to prevail. It is a perpetual testimony that weak and halting Israel, as a nation, prevails because God has blessed Israel.