April 27, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Genesis? Here’s today’s reading:
Genesis 32 (NIV)
Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
1 Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.
3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.……Continue Reading
Genesis 32
Jacob sends messengers to tell Esau he was on his way.Jacob arranged family and stock. When messengers returned said Esau on his way with 400 men. Jacob was afraid he wanted to harm them so he sent 1st what he was giving him then the next. Esau came in peace and wanted none of what Jacob was giving him. Jacob insisted so he took the gifts. Jacob wanted to come in on his own and not travel back with Esau. The last he knew Esau wanted him dead. Maybe just being cautious.
Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him. God earlier gave Jacob a dream; then God intervenes between Laban and Jacob and God has clearly blessed Jacob yet when he hears that Esau is coming with 400 men he becomes afraid. Now he decides to appease Esau with many gifts instead of fully trusting God. But this time he prays to God and realizes that he is not worthy of God`s mercy and asks for God`s deliverance from Esau. He reminds God of His promise to him. But he still sent the gifts to Esau. It looks like he is still struggling to give it all to God. At least that is how I see it. Then when Jacob is alone he wrestles with a man. This is the second person of the Trinity the Lord Jesus Christ. He touches Jacob`s hollow of his thigh and causes him to limp. Jacob`s name is changed to Israel for as a prince has power with God and with men, and has prevailed. Jacob has been making steps in his faith with God. He finally has come to make God, his own but still will need to grow further. For him it will take a life time for he will lose his beloved Rachel when she gives birth to Benjamin; then his father Isaac. He will see his daughter { Dinah} raped. He sees death and destruction. Then he thinks that Joseph his favorite son has died. Not realizing that most of his sons have lied to him. There will be a blessing latter when he finds out that Joseph is alive and their whole family is saved. I guess the lesson that we can learn here is that the Christian walk with Jesus is not easy but He will be there with us even through the darkest times. Even through these dark times He will give us blessings. Melodye and I have found that to be true. We both got saved as young adults and now many years latter the Lord has brought us through many, many horrible things. We are weary but still standing. We look forward to the day that we see Jesus in Heaven. Mean while we are seeking to grow more in Him and to follow Him. Bless all that love His appearing.
Genesis 31
Jacob clearly has had some time of growth and while his fear of seeing Esau made him take some practical steps of self preservation in splitting into two groups, it also brought him to a place of a humble, earnest prayer to God. He was going to God with his fear and a request for protection, that he knew He was there but seemed to finally be trusting in.
The wrestling just shows the internal struggle that he was having and God’s desire for him to relinquish all of those old parts of himself, the pride, selfishness, and deceitful ways of his past. The end result was he came to a place that eventually everyone should come to with God, where God conquers us and makes us new! The reality is every one of us comes to this place of wrestling with God, and then we acknowledge how great God is and He has defeated our old self. I love that Jacob was left with a limp that forever reminded him of this struggle and God’s victory in his life.
Genesis 32
Genesis 32
Genesis 32
Jacob’s prayer is profound. Abraham, Isaac never prayed as such. In great fear, Jacob realizes he needs God. He cites God’s direct promise of preservation and prosperity. He admits fear of death for his family. He has come to his place of brokenness, inability to deliver himself. Jacob needs a Saviour. -reb
Genesis 32
Jacob is afraid of meeting Esau, and he plans for the encounter with practical plans, safeguarding the women and children, vulnerable herds, etc. but he also prays and reminds God of His promise and specific instructions.
”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.’ ”“
Genesis 32:9-12 NKJV
Jacob is faithful in following God by returning to his homeland. That by definition will involve interaction with Esau. Because he knew how he had left things, he sends messengers to get a pulse check. Because he hears Esau is coming with 400 men, Jacob assumes that he must plan on fighting him. Once again he is acting according to observation and circumstances rather than faith. If God had promised to bless him, then how could anything Esau do change that. Now Jacob does a wise thing and prays for God to help and although he reminds God of His promises to him, he really doesn’t trust in those promises. Prayer and the word of God changes things, but the first things it should change is us: our thinking, behavior and the state of our hearts. And it is not necessarily wrong for him to strategize about how he will return and seek to placate Esau, it really is inconsistent with faith for him to do so. May we embrace a faith that confronts fear and then leads us to action that are consistent with that faith.
And what an interesting interaction. It shows us a few things: how strong Jacob was, yet in spite of his strength, God is always stronger, and it is good to have things in our lives that remind us to be humble as well as remember the powerful moments we have met with God.
Genesis 32