Preaching the Word
Preaching the Word
Gen 32:1-21 Jacob's Journey: Faith; Fear; and Angels - The Myteries of God's Word
Witness the extraordinary transformation of Jacob on his spiritual journey as we explore his pivotal encounters in Genesis 32. Our episode unveils Jacob's awe-inspiring meeting with God's angels at Mahanaim, symbolizing the powerful convergence of Jacob's camp and God's camp. Experience the gripping tension as Jacob, torn between faith and fear, strategizes to face his brother Esau while wrestling with his trust in God's promises. This episode promises to enrich your understanding of Jacob's growing relationship with God and the profound lessons that emerge from his struggles and triumphs.
As we navigate through the nuances of Jacob's path, a captivating story unfolds—a man grappling with the fear of an impending encounter with Esau and his internal conflict of relying on human cunning rather than trusting in God. Discover how Jacob's manipulative plans to appease his brother reflect a deeper spiritual turmoil and set the stage for his dramatic encounter with God next week. This exploration reveals not just a historical narrative but timeless insights into faith, fear, and the transformative power of divine encounters. Don't miss this engaging discussion that sheds light on the complexities of faith and family in Jacob's remarkable journey.
Email: nathan@nathandietsche.com
Welcome again to the Mysteries of God's Word. In our last episode, the scripture described to us how Jacob had flood from Laban and how the Lord had delivered Jacob from Laban, and, finally, how Jacob and Laban had made a covenant of peace in the hill country of Gilead, and the place where they made their covenant was called Galid and Mizpah. This week, jacob is moving on from Galid and heading back towards Bethel, towards his father's homeland, and we begin in Genesis 32, verse 1. Let's talk about these first two verses. It says let's talk about these first two verses. It says Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him. Again, jacob had picked up and went on his way from Galid or Mizpah, where he made a covenant with Laban, and the angels of God met him.
Speaker 1:The Hebrew word for angel is messenger, and whenever we see this word in the Old Testament, it's very important to note the context of the passage. The same word for angel or messenger is the exact same word that's used for a human messenger in the Old Testament. So we need to make sure we examine the context. And here we see it's a messenger of God. Angels or messengers of God on rare occasions made an appearance to minister to God's people and they even took on human form. The phrase that is often used in scripture is a messenger of God or messengers of God. Context is also important because we don't want to confuse an angel of God with the angel of Yahweh, which is often seen frequently in the Old Testament. And the angel of God was a theophany or physical manifestation of the Son of God, a pre-incarnate Christ. Again, context is always important when we see an angel or a messenger who is sent.
Speaker 1:In the Old Testament and here Jacob sees messengers of God. When Jacob saw them, he said this is God's camp. So he called the name of that place Mahanaim, not to further belabor the point and what we've already been told. But the fact that Jacob literally saw angels of God may seem astounding to some people and hard to believe. The angels took on a physical manifestation so that Jacob saw them. Jacob seeing a camp of angels was a way for God to remind Jacob of the promises he had given Jacob in a dream 20 years ago when he was on his way to Haran. It also helped to remind Jacob that God continued to be with him as Jacob was now contemplating his encounter with his brother Esau.
Speaker 1:Jacob's exclamation that this is God's camp is much like his response 20 years ago, back in Bethel. Jacob declares this location to be the camp of the Lord. Back in Genesis 28, 16, and 17, which was 20 years ago for Jacob, jacob had awoken from his dream and he said Surely, the Lord is in this place and I didn't know it. Jacob was afraid and he said how awesome is this place. This is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven, none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. So much. Like 20 years ago, jacob is now seeing again the angels of God and he declares this is God's camp. Jacob associates this very location means double camp or two camps. It describes how there were two distinct camps at this place Jacob's camps with his wives, children and flocks, and God's camp with the angels.
Speaker 1:In verse 3, we read I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants and female servants. I have sent to tell my Lord in order that I might find favor in your sight. Here we see Jacob's messengers. In verse 1, we saw God's messengers. Now we see Jacob's messengers. Now we see Jacob's messengers. It could be better translated here Jacob had sent messengers. From the context we see that Jacob had sent these messengers even before he had arrived at Mahanaim where he saw the angels of God arrived at Mahanaim where he saw the angels of God. As we will see, jacob's messengers will soon return while Jacob is still camped at the brook of Jebrok in Gilead.
Speaker 1:It is very likely that after Jacob's confrontation with Laban at Galid, where they made peace, jacob quickly realized that he would soon meet and have to make peace with his brother Esau. So he immediately sent these messengers ahead of him, even before leaving the camp at Galid. We also see here that Esau is living in the land of Seir now, some 20 years after Jacob had taken his blessing from Isaac in Beersheba. Isaac, their father at this point, was now living near Mamre or Hebron, so Esau would have had to separate from his father, isaac. Sometime during the 20 years Jacob was with Laban and Esau had begun to settle in the hills of Seir. The hill country of Seir later became known as the land or the nation of Edom, of Edom. The land of Seir or the nation of Edom was the mountain range southeast of the Dead Sea that extended all the way down to the Gulf of Aqaba and we see that in Jacob's message to Esau he says my Lord, esau, twice that phrase my Lord means my master, and Jacob calls himself your servant. Jacob is attempting to establish a respectful dialogue between himself and his brother. He's trying to make peace and seek the favor of his brother, esau.
Speaker 1:In verse 6, we read and the messengers return to Jacob, apparently while he's still north of the Jabbok River, and they don't have a message from Esau. Their silence is ominous. The only message they have is that Esau is coming with 400 men. That many men suggests Esau put together an army and intended to attack Jacob. Back in Genesis 14, we read that Abram had 318 men when he went to war against Kedlaomer. So it's not a shock to see Jacob's reaction in verse 7 and 8, where we read Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed.
Speaker 1:He divided the people who were with him and the flocks and the herds and the camels into two camps, thinking if Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape. Jacob assumed the worst, not receiving a message back from his brother Esau and hearing the kind of force that was coming and Jacob divides his animals and his people into two separate groups just in case there is an attack from Esau. It's interesting that Jacob uses two camps. It's almost reflective of what we just learned, where there were two camps earlier. Perhaps Jacob gained the idea of two camps from seeing God's camp next to his.
Speaker 1:Then, in verses 9 through 12, we read and Jacob said O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, o Lord, who said to me Return to your country and to your kindred that I may do you good. I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of your steadfast love and of all the faithfulness that you've shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed the Jordan and now I've become to camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him that he may come and attack me. The mothers with their children. But you said, I will surely do you good and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
Speaker 1:In verses 9 through 12, we see Jacob's prayer. Jacob prays O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac. It's interesting in Jacob's prayer he calls out to the God of Abraham and Isaac. God is not yet personal to Jacob, he's the God of his fathers. But in his great distress, jacob begins to pray to God, proclaiming the commands and the promises that God has given him to bring him back to his own country. Jacob's reaffirming for both himself and as he petitions God, knowing that the God of his fathers is faithful, faithful to keep his promises, faithful to deliver, jacob calls upon God, asking him to deliver him. His prayer is for the salvation and deliverance of his people, the deliverance from the hand of the wrath of his warrior, brother Esau.
Speaker 1:In verses 13 through 21, we read so he stayed there that night and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau 200 female goats and 20 male goats, 200 ewes and 20 rams, 30 milking camels and their calves, 40 cows and 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys. These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and he said to his servants Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove. He instructed the first. When Esau, my brother, meets you and asks you To whom do you belong, where are you going and whose are these ahead of you, then you shall say they belong to your servant Jacob, they are a present sent to my lord Esau. Moreover, he is behind us. He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves. You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, and you shall say Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us, for he thought I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me. So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.
Speaker 1:To summarize these eight verses, what we're seeing is that Jacob stayed in his camp all night. His camp, as we'll see next week, was just north of the Jabbok River in Gilead. So Jacob is staying there all night long. But that same night Jacob is sending out servants with droves of animals as a present to his brother Esau. And this is going to put some distance between Jacob and all of these droves of animals, some distance between Jacob and all of these droves of animals. And again, there's distance between each drove of animal. Drove number one was 200 female goats and 20 male goats. Drove number two 200 female sheep, 20 male sheep. Drove number three, 30 milking camel and their 30 young offspring. Drove number four, 40 female cows and 20 male cows or bulls. And drove number five, 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys. So there's five droves with a total of 550 animals. So there's five droves with a total of 550 animals.
Speaker 1:And we read in verse 20 that Jacob thought he might appease Esau with this present. Jacob had a careful and very well thought out plan to try and change his brother's mind and his heart through his own scheming. While Jacob is calling upon God to help him, he's not quite fully dependent and trusting on the Lord In true form for Jacob. He tries to manipulate his brother's emotions with gifts before he sees him, which highlights how Jacob still isn't fully trusting in God to change Esau's heart. We're going to pause here, and next week we'll see the famous story of Jacob wrestling with God. Thank you for joining me this week and God bless you this week.