Story 53 Facing Esau and Facing God
As Jacob and his family left the land of Laban behind, they were headed towards something that could become an even bigger problem. Twenty years before, Jacob fled his family. He had tricked his brother and father and taken the birthright and the blessing of the firstborn, and then he had to leave. He had never faced Esau’s anger. Now that he was going back to the land, what would happen when he saw Esau again? Was Esau still burning with rage?
It is interesting to think about how long this question must have burned in Jacob’s mind over the years as he dreamed about returning to his homeland. The sneaky, mistrustful ways of the family had cost them twenty years of unity. Would it cost them twenty years more?
Jacob’s camp moved on, gathering their tents and loading up their camels and donkeys. As they went, something remarkable happened. Angels of the Living Godcame and showed themselves to Jacob. One of them explained that Jacob had come upon an encampment of the army of Heaven. There were vast numbers of God’s heavenly warriors standing by, ready to do battle!
It was no accident that these angels were at the crossroads where Jacob passed into the Land of the Promise. It was a major spiritual event. God was invading the cursed world through his chosen family, and now they were entering the land of their sacred inheritance! Jacob’s family was playing a critical role in establishing the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth! The High King of Heaven had made a covenant treaty with Abraham to give him that land, and it was to be the sacred space of the Most High God here on earth! Imagine how much theenemies of God wanted to put those plans to a stop! He wasn’t going to let it happen.
As the family took down their tents and prepared to journey on their way again, Jacob sent special messengers to greet his brother Esau. Jacob’s plan was to meet Esau head on. There would be no sneaking back into the land. The whole region would hear rumors of this massive clan moving across the desert. But perhaps Jacob could do something to make peace with Esau. Jacob’s messengers were told to give him this message,
“‘Your servant Jacob says, “I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I 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”’”
Gen. 32:4b-5
Jacob’s men hurried off to find Esau in the land of Edom. When they returned, they told Jacob that Esau was coming to meet him. In fact, he was bringing four hundred men with him. Was Esau coming in revenge or in peace? Imagine the terror of Jacob as he imagined his brother, the hunter, coming in a rage with all of his fighting men. Jacob’s wives and children and servants and all his flocks were with him, but he had no army to protect them. Would everything be lost in a day?
The thought of the sword coming against his own family was more than Jacob could bear. He divided his camp into two different sections. If Esau attacked one group, perhaps he would think he had killed everyone and leave, and the other camp would survive.
Then Jacob turned to the LORD in faith. God had given him a great and mighty covenant, and God was perfect in his righteous integrity. Somehow, he would keep his promises to Jacob, and that was Jacob’s hope. He 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,”I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed the Jordan, but now I have become two groups. Save 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. But you have said, “I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.”’”
Gen. 32:9-12
Jacob was in an impossible position, and he was totally, utterly terrified. Esau was in front of him with an army. Yet he couldn’t go back. He had just made a pact with Laban that he would never cross the boundary line into Laban’s country again. God had organized everything to put Jacob in a position where there was only one way to go. Jacob chose to trust God.
Jacob and his people spent the night there. The next morning, he gathered 220 sheep, 220 rams, 30 camels, 40 cows, 10 bulls and 30 donkeys to send ahead as a gift to his brother. He told his servants to break this great herd of animals into groups. Each group would be a new wave of gifts to Esau as he journeyed closer to Jacob’s camp. When Esau asked them whose men they were and where they were going, each servant was to say, “‘Your servant Jacob’s; they are a gift sent to my lord Esau; and Jacob himself is right behind us.’” Jacob hoped that his gifts would wipe the anger from Esau’s face. Perhaps this display of humility would soften his brother. Perhaps Esau would forgive him.
Late that night, Jacob moved his family to the other side of the Jabbok River. This river cut deep canyons into the ground and was hard to cross in the light of day. Now that it was dark, it was an even more dangerous decision. But perhaps by keeping his family on the opposite side, Jacob could protect them from the wrath of his brother. Then Jacob sent all of his possessions across as well. Imagine the long line of animals and servants climbing through the swirling, black waters to the other side. Imagine the sense of helpless, vulnerable fear.
Jacob journeyed back to the other side of the river by himself. He was all alone. Imagine the quiet of the stars and the cool whispering breeze. Then, somehow, out of nowhere, a man came upon him. They started to wrestle each other. Through the dark hours of the night, they wrestled and tumbled along the riverbank with all their strength. Their furious battle did not stop until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he would not beat Jacob through mere wrestling, he forcefully wacked Jacob’s hip socket so it wrenched out. Jacob was in excruciating pain, but he was so stubborn that he still refused to let go. The man said, “‘Let me go, for dawn is breaking.’”
Jacob said, “‘I will not let you go, unless you bless me.’” The man asked Jacob what his name was. Ah, but Jacob’s name meant “he deceives.” If he told this man his name, he revealed the guilt and shame of his conniving past. But Jacob told him anyway. He said, “‘Jacob.’”
It was like a confession of his guilt, and it was truthful. Instead of trying to play games, Jacob spoke to the man with humility. His driving, hard ambition that had caused him so many problems was turned to a humble petition for blessing. It was a request made by faith. A blessing is only valuable to those who believe in the power behind it. Jacob believed.
The man looked at him and said, “‘Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed.’”
Jacob was given a new name. It meant “striving” and “prevailing.” Israel would also become the name of God’s chosen people. Like Jacob, they would be a mixture of faithfulness to their Lord and striving against him. How right that they should be named after the patriarch they most resembled!
Though Jacob was waiting for the conflict with Esau, the true battle was won during that night of wrestling. He had asked for a blessing by faith, and he was transformed as a person. His days of running away from the problems caused by his own manipulation were over. He was ready to enter the Land of Promise.
Jacob asked the man for his name, but he refused to tell him and left. Jacob named the place of his great wrestling Peniel, which means “face of God.” He said, “‘I have seen a divine being face to face, yet my life has been preserved.’”
For you see, Jacob had wrestled with God. And any meeting with the magnificent and majestic God of Abraham is so powerful and intense that frail humans perish in his presence. Unless God protects them, they will die. Because the great and mighty LORD of the universe longs to be close to his people, he does protect them from the power of his holiness so that he can come near, just as he did with Jacob. And ever after this story, in honor of this remarkable meeting, when the children of Israel ate meat, they always left the muscle from the hip socket alone.