Episode298 - "Jacob prepares to meet Esau" - Genesis 32:1-12

Gen. 32:1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

Gen. 32:3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, 4 instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’”

Gen. 32:6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, 8 thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”

Gen. 32:9 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,’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 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 the children. 12 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.’”

Let’s do a quick review of what’s happened in our study in recent weeks. Jacob had finally had enough of Laban cheating him, and the LORD told him to return to his homeland. Jacob, with his wives’ support, decided to leave without telling his father-in-law Laban. When Laban found out that Jacob had fled with his wives, Laban’s daughters, and everything else he had, Laban went after him with a militia. When Laban caught up with him, he leveled his complaints at Jacob, and it culminated with the accusation that Jacob had stolen Laban’s household gods. Rachel had stolen them, but Jacob was unaware of it and invited Laban to search for them. Rachel cleverly hid them. Then, Jacob had words for Laban, and, for whatever reason, it seemed to have a humbling effect on Laban. The two made a covenant of peace, and Laban returned home.

Now Jacob is continuing his journey back to his homeland. Genesis 32:1-2 records that “angels of God met him.” Do you remember when Jacob encountered angels before? It was when Jacob had left home on the run from the vengeance of his brother Esau. Jacob had lain down and fallen asleep and had a dream of a stairway extending from heaven down to earth, and angels were descending and ascending on this stairway (Gen 28). The LORD spoke to him and promised to protect him, provide for him, and ultimately return him to the promised land. When Jacob awoke, he recognized the LORD had spoken to him and called the place Bethel (House of God). So, if that was God’s house, Jacob says, “This is God’s camp” (Gen 32:2) and calls this place Mahanaim (Two camps).

These first two verses seem out of place in relation to what follows, which reveals that Jacob, having resolved his conflict with Laban, now has to interact with Esau, who had vowed to kill him after their father Isaac's death. Why is it important that Jacob sees these angels? I believe there can only be one reason, and that is that God is reminding Jacob of the promises he made to him twenty years earlier when he was on the run from Esau. This had to be an encouragement to Jacob.

In Genesis 32:3-5 Jacob sends servants ahead of their caravan to meet Esau with the purpose of finding out whether he’s cooled off or to possibly appease Esau. But, beginning in verse 6, the messengers return with the message that Esau is on his way with four hundred men. That is not encouraging, and Jacob plans his strategy to ideally protect some of his camp by dividing them into two camps. Therefore, if Esau’s army were to slaughter one camp, the other might escape. But Jacob is not trusting only in his plans. Jacob has come a long way in his faith through God’s work in his life over the past 20 years. Jacob prayed to the LORD and repeated the LORD’s promise to him 20 years earlier, and called upon him to deliver. He even revealed his own fear, his vulnerability, and entreated the LORD to deliver him from Esau’s wrath.

I love this! I love this picture of faith, which, first and foremost, appeals to God’s word. Faith has no pride within it. It’s humility that confesses we are weak and acknowledges our need for God’s help. Faith is never blind. It is always based upon God’s self-revelation. I cannot say, “If you have enough faith, God will give you a new car. God hasn’t promised to give anyone a new car. That’s called wishful thinking, not faith. God does not promise to keep us from any or every form of suffering and death. But God does promise to give you eternal life by faith in Jesus, the author of life. We will die. But according to God’s promise, Jesus will return and raise us to eternal life with the LORD. We may experience fears. Confess that to the LORD. He can take it.