1 “And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met 2 him. And Jacob said when he saw them, This is God’s host; and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. 3 “And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother 4 unto the land of Seir, the field of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye say unto my lord Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now; and I have oxen, and asses and flocks, and men servants and maid servants; and I have sent to tell my 6 lord, that I may find grace in thy sight. And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and moreover he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with 7 him. Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed; and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and 8 the herds, and the camels, into two companies; and he said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the company which is left shall escape. 9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will do thee good; 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now 11 I am become two companies. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and smite me, the mother with the children. 12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which can not be numbered for multitude. 13 And he lodged there that night; and took of that which 14 he had with him a present for Esau his brother: two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty 15 rams, thirty milch camels and their colts, forty kine and ten 16 bulls, twenty she-asses and ten foals. And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space 17 betwixt drove and drove. And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose 18 are these before thee? then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau; and, 19 behold, he also is behind us. And he commanded also the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him; 20 and ye shall say, Moreover, behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept me. 21 So the present passed over before him; and he himself lodged that night in the company. 22 “And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two handmaids, and his eleven children, and passed over the 23 ford of Jabbok. And he took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over that he had. And Jacob was left alone; 24 and there wrestled a Man with him until the breaking of the 25 day. And when He saw that He prevailed not against him, He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s 26 thigh was strained, as He wrestled with Him. And He said, Let Me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let 27 Thee go, except Thou bless me. And He said unto him, What is 28 thy name? And he said, Jacob. And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast striven with 29 God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked Him, and said, Tell me, I pray Thee, Thy name. And He said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after My name? And He 30 blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel; for, said he, I have seen God face to face, and my life 31 is preserved. And the sun rose upon him as he passed over 32 Penuel, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not the sinew of the hip which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day; because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.”
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What additional assurance did Jacob now have of God’s protecting care? Gen. 32:1. (2) What did Jacob say? What is the meaning of Mahanaim? V. 2. Note . (3) What message did Jacob now send to Esau? To what place? Why? Vs. 3–5. (4) What reply did he receive? V. 6. (5) What immediate effect did this have upon Jacob? What did he do and say? Vs. 7, 8. (6) To whom did this news drive him? What was his prayer? and in what spirit? Vs. 9–12. (7) What presents did he send before him for Esau? Why? Vs. 13–16. Also v. 20. (8) What questions did he expect Esau to ask? How was the foremost, and every other servant, to answer? Vs. 17–19. (9) What statement were they each to make? Why did he pursue this course, and adopt this special order of arrangement? V. 20. (10) Where did he stop for the night? Could he sleep? What did he finally do with his wives and children, and all that he had? Vs. 21–23. (11) Where was he then? What troublous experience did he now have? V. 24. (12) At daybreak what serious event occurred? V. 25. (13) What did this reveal to Jacob, and what attitude did he now assume? What was his great desire? V. 26. (14) What question did this mighty wrestler ask Jacob? V. 27. (15) What great change was this night effectually wrought in Jacob’s character? V. 28. (16) What did Jacob now desire to know? What was the result of his struggle and desire? V. 29. Note . (17) Did Jacob now know who it was? What effect did this knowledge have upon him? V. 30. (18) As he passed over Penuel, what rose upon him? V. 31. (19) How did the children of Israel keep this significant vision in mind? V. 32.11
Suggestive Readings.—“Patriarchs and Prophets,” pp. 195–203; “Mount of Blessing,” pp. 193, 194; “Great Controversy,” pp. 613–634; “Spirit of Prophecy,” vol. 1, pp. 118–125.
NOTES.
ADDITIONAL STUDY.
(1) What will become of us when Christ prevails? What is our name before Christ takes us? What after? After our “royal birth,” what are we to be with God? See Rev. 20:6; 22:4, last clause. (2) How only can we have power over wicked men for good? When only do we really live? When do we live most? (3) When a man becomes a prince with God, what becomes of the prince of this world? (4) Draw a careful comparison between Jacob in his time of trouble, and the remnant people of God in their time of trouble. (5) Show that the Angel was Christ. See Hosea 12:4, 5. (6) What other persons do you think of whose names the Lord changed? Whose names are yet to be changed? (7) How does God wrestle with us, and we with God? What for? and with what result? (8) What effect should trial and adversity have upon the servant of God always? Does it have this effect upon me?
