Chapter 32

Chapter 32 1Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. Wasn’t this the case all along, though unseen?

Chapter 32 1Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. 3Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my master Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’ ” Jacob is groveling here. (As he probably should.) I need nothing from you. (The birthright would allow him 2/3 of what Esau had.) A way of admitting that he had done Esau dirty.

Chapter 32 1Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. 3Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my master Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’ ” 6When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

Chapter 32 7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Does he need to be concerned here? Genesis 28:13-15 “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15I 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.” None of this works if he is dead . . .

Chapter 32 7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Does he need to be concerned here? Genesis 28:13-15 “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15I 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.” None of this works if he is dead . . .

Chapter 32 7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Does he need to be concerned here? Genesis 28:13-15 “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15I 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.” None of this works if he is dead . . .

Chapter 32 7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Does he need to be concerned here? Genesis 28:13-15 “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15I 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.” None of this works if he is dead . . .

Chapter 32 7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Does he need to be concerned here? Genesis 28:13-15 “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15I 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.” None of this works if he is dead . . .

Chapter 32 7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Does he need to be concerned here? Genesis 28:13-15 “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15I 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.” None of this works if he is dead . . .

Chapter 32 7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Does he need to be concerned here? Genesis 28:13-15 “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15I 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.” None of this works if he is dead . . . See Matthew 22:29-32

Chapter 32 7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” 9Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ If anything happens to me, it will be your fault

Chapter 32 7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” 9Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. This is very true (of you and me, too.)

Chapter 32 7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” 9Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10I 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. This would reflect on the fact that the promise of God to him was fully in force.

Chapter 32 7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” 9Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10I 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. 11Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. Isn’t protection a given, seeing that the promise / plan depends on Jacob not dying?

Chapter 32 7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” 9Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10I 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. 11Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’ ” Does God need to be reminded? Jacob needs to learn more about the character of God.

Chapter 32 13He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”

Chapter 32 13He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.” 17He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’ ” 19He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’ ” 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.” 21So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.  

Chapter 32 22That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.

Chapter 32 24So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25When 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. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” Jacob would not quit. Perhaps in a Rocky Balboa sort of way. Even with the hip injury, he held on. Why the daybreak departure?

Chapter 32 24So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25When 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. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why is he demanding what he already has? He is afraid. Was his fear reasonable? Was his fear necessary?

Chapter 32 24So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25When 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. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Jacob” means “heel–catcher”. By implication, he a low down dirty sneaky underhanded trickster seeking to take advantage.

Chapter 32 24So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25When 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. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. 28Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Israel” ~ to prevail as/with gods/God “struggled” ~ literally “prevailed” (gone toe to toe with?) “God” ~ “elohim”; could be God or gods “overcome” ~ the idea of not quitting or “still standing” Ephesians 6:13

From weaselness to tenacious integrity. Chapter 32 24So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25When 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. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. 28Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~ From weaselness to tenacious integrity. (transformation)

Chapter 32 29Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. 30So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face and yet my life was spared.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hosea 12:2-6 “Elohim” is used here without “the”. Therefore, the hugonian view would be that Jacob is saying that he dealt with an angel(s) rather than this being a Theophany or a Christophany. A frequent reaction to angelic appearance is fear of harm. Numbers 22:31.

Chapter 32 29Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. 30So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face and yet my life was spared.” 31The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. 32Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Chapter 32 Take home stuff: God is near. Growing from panentheism (localized god-view) Where ever Jacob was, God was with him. God is not geographically attached. Unknown to Jacob, God was taking care of things back home all along. (Where ever you are, He is.)

Chapter 32 Take home stuff: God is here. His provision is a given. Jacob struggled with this, and even fought for what he just needed to walk in. Context: What you need, not what you want. Pursuing want can be dangerous.

Chapter 32 Take home stuff: God is here. His provision is a given. His purpose is undeterred. Whose purpose do you want? Directed or your best guess?

Chapter 32 Take home stuff: God is here. His provision is a given. His purpose is undeterred. Therefore: Fear is unnecessary

Chapter 32 Take home stuff: God is near. Growing from panentheism His provision is a given. His purpose is undeterred. Therefore: Fear is unnecessary Walk, expecting provision

Chapter 32 Take home stuff: God is near. Growing from panentheism His provision is a given. His purpose is undeterred. Therefore: Fear is unnecessary Walk, expecting provision Commit to his purpose, not your own.

God is near. Growing from panentheism His provision is a given. Chapter 32 Take home stuff: God is near. Growing from panentheism His provision is a given. His purpose is undeterred. Therefore: Fear is unnecessary Walk, expecting provision Commit to his purpose, not your own. Understand that you will be growing (be being sanctified) Be being sanctified Understand that you have a purpose God will prosper you in the mission he has given you. Do whatever God tells you to. All is provided for us in the person and work of Christ.

Chapter 32 Take home stuff: God is near. Growing from panentheism His provision is a given. His purpose is undeterred. Therefore: Fear is unnecessary Walk, expecting provision Commit to his purpose, not your own. Understand that you will be growing (be being sanctified)

God is near. Growing from panentheism His provision is a given. Chapter 32 Take home stuff: God is near. Growing from panentheism His provision is a given. His purpose is undeterred. Therefore: Fear is unnecessary Walk, expecting provision Commit to his purpose, not your own. Understand that you will be growing (be being sanctified) Be being sanctified Understand that you have a purpose God will prosper you in the mission he has given you. Do whatever God tells you to. All is provided for us in the person and work of Christ.

Psalm 23 ~ A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

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