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Facing His Fear
Genesis 32:1-32
November 27, 2016
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Download the bulletin.
Download the Kids’ Korner.
The sermon starts at 17:30 in the audio file.
Or, Jacob Wrestles with God
Moses used only four chapters to cover two decades. Jacob left home in chapter 28 to escape from Esau. He met and married into Laban’s family in chapter 29, started having children at the end of chapter 29 and into the first part of chapter 30, grew his own flock in the last part of chapter 30, and absconded with all he’d acquired in chapter 31. The LORD protected Jacob, even prospered him under the shadow of Laban’s exploitation. But now that Jacob is nearing the promised land he has to face his biggest fear.
His biggest fear was not Esau. Esau is his big brother and a big cause of fear, just not the biggest. Jacob and Esau won’t actually meet until the next chapter, but Esau is definitely in Jacob’s head in this chapter. Jacob sends messengers to begin the pacification process in verses 3-5. He will send waves of presents to Esau in verses 13-21. Yet, as I said, the two brothers won’t actually face off until chapter 33.
Though the previous four chapters reported twenty plus years, this chapter covers only a couple days, with most of the attention on just one night. It’s that night when, left alone, Jacob faces his biggest fear, better, his Fear, and wrestles with the God-man. Things happened that night that changed Jacob’s life, including a change of name and a change of pace. He wouldn’t walk the same way again.
Meeting Angels (verses 1-2)
As we’ve seen in Genesis already, some of the stories intrigue us as much as they inform us. We read the verses and have as many, or even more, questions than explanations.
After Laban’s departure, Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. Why did they meet him? They don’t say anything that we’re told about. They’re just there. When Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp.” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
Mahanaim means “two camps.” What are the two? His own and God’s? Jacob will split his group into two camps in verse 7, but that appears to happen after this meeting. Maybe that’s what gave him the idea. Jacob last encountered angels aware when he left the land of Canaan (Genesis 28:10-22), so now he is greeted by similar supernatural beings as he returns.
Sending Messengers (verses 3-8)
I assume that Jacob was glad to be so close to being home, and I also assume that his meeting with the angels was encouraging. But it didn’t make him cocky about potential conflict with his brother. Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. Messengers is the same Hebrew word translated as “angels” in the verse one. Seir sounds like “hairy,” and Edom means “red,” both of which were descriptions of Esau from before, both of which were associated with either the birthright transfer or blessing deception.
The message about flocks and servants was probably not a boast. It may have even been an relief to Esau, as long as he was in the right mood. The description of assets, at this point, may have assured Esau that Jacob wasn’t coming to mooch. Jacob already took the birthright and blessing, he wasn’t coming now to take more. Jacob’s hope in this communication was to make contact with Esau and try to find favor in your sight.
The messengers returned with information but no reassurance. ”We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” But, “What did he say? Why in the world is he bringing so many men? Did he seem angry?” None of that is revealed.
On one hand, if Esau really wanted to make Jacob dead, why wouldn’t he kill the messengers and then surprise Jacob in attack? But it’s hard to envision a 400 man company as a welcoming committee. Laban had a posse that chased Jacob down, but this was a posse. So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He “was beside himself with [...]
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By Trinity Evangel ChurchGenesis 32:1-32
November 27, 2016
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Download the bulletin.
Download the Kids’ Korner.
The sermon starts at 17:30 in the audio file.
Or, Jacob Wrestles with God
Moses used only four chapters to cover two decades. Jacob left home in chapter 28 to escape from Esau. He met and married into Laban’s family in chapter 29, started having children at the end of chapter 29 and into the first part of chapter 30, grew his own flock in the last part of chapter 30, and absconded with all he’d acquired in chapter 31. The LORD protected Jacob, even prospered him under the shadow of Laban’s exploitation. But now that Jacob is nearing the promised land he has to face his biggest fear.
His biggest fear was not Esau. Esau is his big brother and a big cause of fear, just not the biggest. Jacob and Esau won’t actually meet until the next chapter, but Esau is definitely in Jacob’s head in this chapter. Jacob sends messengers to begin the pacification process in verses 3-5. He will send waves of presents to Esau in verses 13-21. Yet, as I said, the two brothers won’t actually face off until chapter 33.
Though the previous four chapters reported twenty plus years, this chapter covers only a couple days, with most of the attention on just one night. It’s that night when, left alone, Jacob faces his biggest fear, better, his Fear, and wrestles with the God-man. Things happened that night that changed Jacob’s life, including a change of name and a change of pace. He wouldn’t walk the same way again.
Meeting Angels (verses 1-2)
As we’ve seen in Genesis already, some of the stories intrigue us as much as they inform us. We read the verses and have as many, or even more, questions than explanations.
After Laban’s departure, Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. Why did they meet him? They don’t say anything that we’re told about. They’re just there. When Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp.” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
Mahanaim means “two camps.” What are the two? His own and God’s? Jacob will split his group into two camps in verse 7, but that appears to happen after this meeting. Maybe that’s what gave him the idea. Jacob last encountered angels aware when he left the land of Canaan (Genesis 28:10-22), so now he is greeted by similar supernatural beings as he returns.
Sending Messengers (verses 3-8)
I assume that Jacob was glad to be so close to being home, and I also assume that his meeting with the angels was encouraging. But it didn’t make him cocky about potential conflict with his brother. Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. Messengers is the same Hebrew word translated as “angels” in the verse one. Seir sounds like “hairy,” and Edom means “red,” both of which were descriptions of Esau from before, both of which were associated with either the birthright transfer or blessing deception.
The message about flocks and servants was probably not a boast. It may have even been an relief to Esau, as long as he was in the right mood. The description of assets, at this point, may have assured Esau that Jacob wasn’t coming to mooch. Jacob already took the birthright and blessing, he wasn’t coming now to take more. Jacob’s hope in this communication was to make contact with Esau and try to find favor in your sight.
The messengers returned with information but no reassurance. ”We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” But, “What did he say? Why in the world is he bringing so many men? Did he seem angry?” None of that is revealed.
On one hand, if Esau really wanted to make Jacob dead, why wouldn’t he kill the messengers and then surprise Jacob in attack? But it’s hard to envision a 400 man company as a welcoming committee. Laban had a posse that chased Jacob down, but this was a posse. So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He “was beside himself with [...]