Facing Fear and Danger
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Key Verse: “ I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over the Jordan; and now I am become two bands.” Selected Scripture: |
AFTER JACOB LEFT Bethel, he arrived safely at his Uncle Laban’s home in Padan-Aram where he eventually found not one, but two wives. After some years, Jacob had become very prosperous and God told him in a dream to take his family and all his possessions and return to his own land.
Jacob reasoned that surely Esau would eventually become aware that he had returned to Canaan, and he decided that he would seek a reconciliation immediately. He sent messengers ahead to Esau, instructing them to tell his brother that he had been staying with Laban these many years. In addition, he said to tell him, “I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.”—Gen. 32:5
“The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.” (Gen. 32:6) Jacob was frightened and he divided the people and his many animals into two groups, saying, “If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.”—vss. 7,8
Then Jacob prayed for Divine protection: “O God of my Father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.
“Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.”—vss. 9-12
Jacob made elaborate preparations to appease Esau, then he sent his wives and family “over the brook” (vs. 23) ahead of him, while he remained alone. He was to meet his brother on the next day. “There wrestled a man with him [apparently an angel] until the breaking of the day.” And the man said unto him, “Let me go,” but Jacob said, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”
The angel then told Jacob that his name would be changed to Israel, which means ‘a prince of God,’ which the angel applied to Jacob: “as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. … Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: … for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”—Gen. 32:24-30
The next morning, as the much feared meeting of the two brothers took place, Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
Jacob was greatly relieved, and happy that his brother had no evil intentions toward him. God was with Jacob and kept him, as he had promised.