JACOB WRESTLES WITH GOD
Genesis 32:1-33:11
Key Verse 32:28
“Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”
Welcome to Sunday Worship Service. Last week we learned how Jacob accumulated his wealth and left Laban and headed to return home through M. Joshua Kim. Today, Jacob prepares to meet Esau. Jacob cheated his brother Esau to get Isaac’s blessings and Esau tried to kill him. So, he escaped to his uncle Laban in Paddan Aram. Now he is confronting his old unsolved problem with Esau. During his return home fear captured him. So, he sent his servants to Esau with a lot of gifts ahead of him and divided his family by groups and then prayed to God for his protection. Still his fear did not subside and loomed larger and larger as he drew nearer to home. Finally, he moved all his family members and possessions beyond the river and wrestled with God. Jacob won the wrestling match with God and God changed his name from Jacob to Israel. God changed his character from a deceiver to a man of God who became the foundation of the nation Israel. Let’s not wrestle with other people but wrestle with God so that we can be transformed to a new person in God. I pray that we all may wrestle with God personally and find peace and meaning in our changed life.
PART 1 THE GOD OF MAHANAIM (32:1-21)
Life is a journey. Let’s look at Jacob’s journey back home after a long exile in the foreign land. Look at verses 1 and 2. “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.” As Jacob drew near his home country, he began to think about the 20-year-old unsolved problem he had left behind him. Soon he must face Esau, the brother who he had deceived and from whom he had fled—the brother who had vowed to kill him. Jacob’s past had caught up with him. He had struggled and gotten everything he wanted. But he had no peace. His heart was full of fear. He feared for his life. He feared that he would lose everything he had worked to get–his family and his wealth. But what was God doing at that time? 32:1 says, “Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him.” When Jacob met God and made a selfish personal vow, God promised him to be with him all the time. Gen. 28:15 says, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Jacob established his personal relationship with God. But he forgot about it during his exiles. God did not forget his promises. On his return home God was doing his part to protect Jacob as he promised. God is faithful to keep his promise. But Jacob was too preoccupied with his own problem to realize what it meant that an army of God’s angels was with him. He saw them and commented, “This is the camp of God!” And he named the place where he met the army of angels, “Mahanaim” which means “two camps.” God’s army was marching with Jacob. Jacob did not link God’s army to his situation. Jacob should not fear Esau because God was with him. His fear was groundless and of his own making. He clung to his fear, and, as he drew nearer and nearer to Esau, his fear grew bigger and bigger. Fear paralyzed Jacob and he did many crazy things to relieve his fear of death.
Like Jacob we are filled with fears of life. Fear is a terrible thing. It is a tool of the devil. Hebrews 2:14 tells us that the devil holds men in slavery by fear of death. Fear is the opposite of faith. Once Jesus rebuked his disciples who were trembling in fear because of a storm, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mk 4:40) If one’s heart is full of fear, he can have no peace. These days we see many student protesters occupied campus buildings and they became violent, and many Jewish students feared about their lives. Police arrested so many agitators. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Many people in our violent and corrupt world are full of fears and anxiety and depression. There is no peace among many young people. What shall we do in this situation? Escape to Florida or caves? No. We should trust God and come to Jesus. We are afraid of losing health, financial crisis, failing school, and losing jobs, and friends. However, God is with us always and Jesus our good shepherd is with us to protect us. Jesus said in John 14:1, “Do not let your hearts be troubled; You believe in God; believe also in me.” Let’s have faith in God and overcome mountain of fears by coming to Jesus moment by moment. He will give us peace coming from God above.
Jacob began to devise plans to alleviate his fears. Look at verses 3-5. “Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’” “He sent messengers to Esau announcing his arrival and asking for Esau’s favor. Jacob tried to appease his brother Esau with many gifts. When the messengers returned, they told Jacob that his brother Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men. How did Jacob interpret Esau’s coming to meet him? He interpreted it as an attack. Jacob was shocked and fell into deep fear by saying, “Oh, no. My brother is coming to kill me with 400 men. Wow! I am going to lose all my possession and will die by the hand of my brother.” But there was nothing in the messenger’s report to indicate that Esau and his 400 men had hostile intentions, but Jacob immediately interpreted this as a hostile action. Jacob’s fear convinced him that Esau wanted to kill him. He was horrified. He knew that he might lose his family and possessions. He had many women and children and slow-moving flocks and herds. It was his own imagination. How could he defend himself and all of these? He confronted the worst-case scenario. This is the end of the world.
Verse 7 says, “In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, ‘If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.'” He was planning to save something in the event of an attack. In one sense, Jacob was smart in handling an emergency. Still, his fear did not go away. What did he do next? Finally, he prayed as the last resort. Jacob’s prayer is in verses 9-12. He prayed to the God of Abraham and Isaac, to the God who had commanded him to return to his own country and relatives, and who had promised to make him prosper. He acknowledged God’s great work in his life. Verse 10 says, “I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups.” Then he got to the main point in his prayer: “Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid that he will come and attack me…” He again reminded God of his promise to make him prosper and make his descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted. How could he have many descendants if “the mothers with their children” were attacked and killed? So, he asked God’s mercy to save his family. We call this emergency prayer. Some people pray only when they have urgent life-threatening problems. When God solved their problem, they no longer pray until the next emergency comes again. This is not good. We must prayer always because this is God’s will for us.
After praying, Jacob was still restless. He had no peace. He was full of anxiety. So, he sent a gift to Esau. It was an expensive gift of goats and sheep, camels, and donkeys. These were sent in three groups, and the servants attending the animals were to announce, when asked, that these animals were a present from Jacob to Esau. Jacob’s purpose is clear; verse 20b says, “For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.” Even sending the expensive gifts to Esau did not bring peace to Jacob’s troubled, anxious heart. Man’s basic life problem is not solved by expensive gifts. Jacob had to meet God. He had to be changed into his inner person. That night he slept in the camp. But in the middle of the night, he got up and moved his family across the river. He also sent all his possessions across. That night, Jacob remained alone. He was without his family and without his worldly possessions. Everyone must meet God alone. Whether we like it or not, one day we must stand before God to settle our own account whether we will go to heaven or hell. Only Jesus can help us at that time because he paid our sins on the cross and became our salvation. We cannot depend on anyone or anything for our salvation. We must depend on Jesus because he is our only Savior. Let’s find out what happened to Jacob that night.
PART 2. THE GOD OF PENIEL-JACOB STRUGGLES WITH GOD (32:22-31)
This part is the climax of Jacob’s journey of faith. When Jacob wrestled with men, he was filled with fear and despair and sorrow. He deceived other people, and he was deceived by other people too. Finally, he stayed alone and began to wrestle with God. Look at verse 24-28. “ So, Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. 28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[f] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” That night Jacob wrestled with God. He would not give up. Even when his hip was thrown out of joint, he held on. He said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” We thought that Jacob possessed all the blessings like honor, love, children, and wealth. Why did he not let God go unless he blesses him? What blessing did he want to have more? He earned blessings with his human struggles with other people. He realized that those possessions were not true blessings. His life goal was to possess all things and possession-oriented life created conflicts, jealousy, hatred, broken relationship, deception, depression, and anxiety. Possessions did not give him peace and freedom but rather, they brought fear and troubles. True blessing does not come from what we possess but from our relationship with God. True blessing comes from who we are before God not what we have. Jacob learned that true blessings only come from God. He wanted a spiritual blessing. Toward the end of his life, Jacob confessed that God’s blessing brings peace and joy and security. Even though we work hard and live well, we must not forget that man needs God’s blessings. We must also remember that all men need God’s blessing. No matter how hard we work, without God’s blessing our lives are empty and miserable and hopeless and bound to hell. Jacob knew that though he had worked hard, he had succeeded because of God’s blessing. Now he wanted a spiritual blessing. He wanted God’s living presence in his life. He wanted to be a spiritual man. This was a great spiritual discovery. Hebrews 9:27 says, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” When we stand before the judgement seat of God, our possession cannot save us from God’s judgment. A million dollars cannot buy salvation. Only those who are saved by the blood of Jesus will pass the judgement of God. Only the children of God born again by faith will enter the kingdom of God. We need God’s blessing as children of God to enter the kingdom of God not by possessions but by our relationship with God as his children.
Finally, when Jacob refused to let go, even at daybreak, after his hip was injured, the Lord asked his name. He said, “My name is Jacob”–the deceiver. God helped Jacob to discover himself. For the first time he saw himself as a selfish deceiver. Jacob realized that he was a sinner in need of God’s mercy. Jacob was ready for a new name and a changed character. God gave him a new name–Israel.
Israel means “one who struggles with God.” One who struggles with men becomes proud and fearful if he wins; he despairs if he loses. But one who struggles with God lives life forever on a different level. Not only was Jacob’s name changed; his inner life and character were also changed. He began a new life as a spiritual man. He walked with a limp, but his face was shining, and he named that place Peniel, the face of God. The story of Jacob is our story. It is my story. I did not like the name Jacob because it means that I am a deceiver. I struggled with others to win. I made many enemies to win competition and feared their revenge. I cheated others and they cheated me. Fear occupied me all the time. However, when Jesus came to my heart through John 3:3, “You must be born again,” I was changed into the new person as a precious child of God. It was a turning point. Instead of taking something from others, I began to give something to others and my life and everything to serve campus mission. God transformed me from a selfish ambitious man to a sacrificial servant of God who served Washington UBF for 40 years. I had a great journey of faith because God was with me and changed my life to be a source of blessing. M. Esther was my faithful companion in my journey of faith. I pray that M. Joshua and Ruth may have a great life serving UD students with the word of God.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.” Indeed, we are the new creation in Jesus. Our sinful old man has gone and the new has come. As God changed Jacob to Israel, so God changed us into the new creation. Dre, Franco, Rommel, Than, Jonathan, Ugay, Ruth, and Joshua are new creations. By the grace of Jesus, we are born again into the kingdom of God. God gave us the new name written in glory through Christ. Praise God who changed us from sinful men and women to wonderful servants of God and Bible teachers.
PART 3 THE MEETING WITH ESAU (33:1-11)
Then the dreaded moment came. Jacob looked up and there was Esau coming with his 400 men (33:1). He arranged his family with Joseph and Rachel in the most protected place, and he went ahead and bowed to the ground as he approached his brother. The meeting turned out to be an anti-climax. Esau had forgotten all about his grudge against Jacob. 20 years’ time healed Esau’s hatred towards Jacob. Time was good medicine. Jacob looked at Esau’s smiling face and said, “Seeing your face is like seeing the face of God.” He knew that the resolution of his life problem was an act of God and a direct answer to prayer. Often the things we fear and dread most become like a morning mist when we commit them to God in prayer.
In conclusion, life is a journey. When we look at Jacob’s life of faith, we learn that it was God who shaped Jacob’s life until he struggled with God. The names of the place Jacob went through have a deep meaning. Sometimes we only struggle with men and the result is not good. However, when we struggle with God, we grow in his character, and we become happy and blessed. We learn that there are two lifestyles we can choose. The first one is the possession-oriented life with the motto, “Possession is everything and I struggle with men and get everything.” This kind of lifestyle ends in despair, bitterness, emptiness and division and enmity like Jacob before he was changed to Israel. This kind of life is centered around materialism which results in selfishness and bitterness and revenge and unbelief. The second is the relation-oriented life with God. They live before God by faith. They focus on their inner character as they imitate the life of Jesus. They are happy and blessed in sight of God and will inherit the kingdom of God. They focus on building relationship with God and others. They are ready to serve others with the love of God. God blesses them and protect them and give them success. After God changed his name from Jacob to Israel, Jacob became a source of blessing even blessed Pharoah of Egypt. His chanted name became the nation of God Israel. I pray that we should not struggle with men but struggle with God so that we may be a blessing to others and inherit the kingdom of God. Let’s read the key verse 32:28, “Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”
