Bible Commentaries
Genesis 32

Introduction

ISRAEL

(Genesis 32-36)

After taking his departure from Laban, Jacob traveled on with his family and all his livestock. When he

neared his native land he was beset by the fear that Esau his brother, who had threatened his life twenty

years before, might still make his threat good. So he sent messengers before him to Esau.

And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I

have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: And 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. And

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. Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people

that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; And said, If Esau come to

the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape (Gen. 32:4-8).

After he had carried out this plan and had done all he knew to do, Jacob turned to God in prayer and

supplication. In his prayer it seems that he is calling on God on the basis of His promise. It was God

who had blessed him while he was serving Laban, and it was God who had told him to return to the land

of Canaan.

And Jacob said, 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 (p.118) 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 (32:9-12).

Jacob knew that he was in great danger and he called upon God as any believer would pray in like

circumstances: "Lord, help me. Be merciful to me."

Though he was asking God to help him, Jacob showed his personal cleverness in the very astute way

in which he dealt with his brother.

And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his

brother; Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, thirty milch

camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals. And he delivered them

into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me,

and put a space 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 are these before

thee? Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and,

behold, also he is behind us. And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the

droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him. And say ye 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 be will accept of me. So went the present over before

him: and himself lodged that night in the company (32:13-21).

Today we would call such an approach "applied psychology." This is an example of human wit and

cleverness. It was actually the wisest thing he could do, and Jacob was smart enough to know that

sooner or later a day of reckoning must come and consequences must be faced. He (p.119) knew that he

could never handle this situation by himself and yet he did what he could.

Jacob believed in God. It is wonderful to realize that a man need not be good or strong or even above

reproach to be able to count on the blessing of God if he believes in Him. God is gracious and merciful.

He waits for a humble, contrite heart which turns to Him seeking His divine blessing. So it can be with

anybody. When a storm approaches and I seek shelter, how wonderful to find a rocky cave where I will

be safe and secure from the storm. The shelter is not there because of any goodness on my part: it is

there by the providence of God. He is my shelter and my refuge in any storm. Salvation is by His grace.

Knowledge of my own sinfulness and unworthiness must never stand in my way when I need a Savior.

He came for the very purpose of seeking and saving sinners. When I know my own weakness, then His

strength will see me through.

The record goes on to reveal the very heart of Jacob’s experience: "Jacob was left alone." Face to face

with his peril this man was alone. Then the account goes on to report: "And there wrestled a man with

him until the breaking of the day." Bible students have felt this was an angel who came as a messenger.

So far as Jacob was concerned, it was a man he wrestled with until the break of day. Jacob was doing all

he could but he was not able to overcome the man. But even so, the man was not able to overcome Jacob

because he persisted in holding on. At the break of day Jacob was still desperately hanging on to the

man. It was then that the messenger crippled Jacob: "and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint,"

and yet he would not let go. Jacob still clung to the man. When the messenger indicated he wanted to

depart, Jacob cried out, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me."

Before the angel left, he asked, "What is thy name? And he said, Jacob." But in God’s sight Jacob was

now ready for a new name.

And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God

and with men, and hast prevailed (32:28). (p.120)

And he blessed him there. Thus Jacob received great spiritual blessing, though not without physical

suffering. Jacob limped when he walked from that day on, having been humbled by God. Yet he had

received so very, very much. He had been given a new name which in itself was a promise and a

benediction, "For as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed."

The believer can read about Jacob and rejoice in the assurance that God has not changed. He is ever

ready to hear when His people call on Him. He is a God of grace and mercy and compassion. It is

written that "He is touched with all the feelings of our infirmities." It is wonderful to remember God is

no respecter of persons: anyone may come and partake of His salvation, which He offers as a free gift.

Just as it is true that as long as he lived in this world Jacob limped and still had to endure many

disappointments, even so it is also true in the lives of Christians that they may have sorrow and loss

even after they accept Christ.

Christians may lose a beloved child and even begin to have misgivings about the power of prayer, but

they need to remember this is the time to hang on to God, who will give strength to endure and faith to

trust Him. When the Christian knows this from the bottom of his heart, he will bless God’s name even in

ills and in sorrows.

Some Christians are distressed because of the animosity which some people feel toward them for no

other reason than that they represent the Lord. Any who are troubled with this kind of a situation can be

comforted to know they can follow in some small measure their Lord’s example. Jesus of Nazareth was

rejected and eventually killed by the very people He came to save.

Undeserved animosity and even hatred without cause was certainly exemplified in the life of Joseph.

Joseph was Rachel’s firstborn, and he was greatly beloved by his father. We know how very much Jacob

loved Rachel, so this may have been one reason why he loved her son. When Joseph was seventeen

years of age, he was an obedient son. He was reliable and respectful toward his father and we find that he

displayed high integrity in his personal conduct. He was (p.121) ready to help and to serve others.

Altogether Joseph was a superior person, and this caused his brothers to hate him. It was also true that

he received favorable recognition. Rewarding someone who does well should not be criticized. It is a

common fact that outstanding students in school receive recognition. Being noted for doing well can

cause certain reactions. There is the classic case of Cain and Abel. When God had respect unto Abel’s

offering, Cain was angry. This was not Abel’s fault, but it happened to him nevertheless. Even today

when Christians really seek to serve God, when they want to be sincere and humble and reverent, as

they study His Word and pray, there will be people who will oppose and dislike them. This sort of

thing has happened all through history, down to the present day. So it was with Joseph when his

brothers were envious of him, even though he had done nothing to deserve this.

Hatred of the rich is also very common among mankind. People who are rich and prominent and have

position and power are often hated. Such hatred can actually be grounded in self-love. A man’s personal

egotism can’t bear to see someone else better off than himself. This type of egotism with its envy and

jealousies is the most common source for trouble between people. Joseph certainly had to face this sort

of thing. But there was something else about Joseph which did not endear him to his brothers. Joseph

knew that some day he would be the most important person in his family. He knew this when he was

just a teen-ager because of his dreams, and he spoke of it quite openly. He was probably neither proud

nor vain, but rather spoke of his dreams in an interested, honest way. But this provoked his brothers to

greater jealousy and envy and hostility.

It is written, "A man’s foes shall be they of his own household." There are young Christians whose

family makes fun of them. They resent the fact that someone in their own family circle is reading the

Bible and praying. It is good to remember that such people can be changed by the transforming grace and

power of God. Jacob, who in his youth had been conniving and all for self, was changed when he met

God face to face. It is possible for a man’s whole personality (p.122) and character to change, but only

by the grace of God. A man can receive a totally new outlook on things. His thoughts will no longer

revolve around self and his immediate circumstances. His eyes will be lifted up to higher levels and higher

ambitions. He will behold the King in all His beauty, and his soul will be filled with praise and

thanksgiving. Such a man will also face the future with new aspirations and expectations when he is

called to a significant place of service by the Lord. When David knew that he was to become king over

Israel, his whole outlook changed. His thoughts turned to God in psalms of praise and trust. When he

was anointed by Samuel while a teen-ager, he acquired new values and new ambitions. In the New

Testament, in 2 Corinthians 5:17, we read these meaningful words: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new

creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." We notice here that it is the

"old things" which are passed away. This verse does not only refer to the ego and the old nature. It is the

individual himself who "becomes new" in his thinking and in his attitude when he establishes a

connection and a relationship with God. We are reminded of the occasion when our Lord said to Peter,

"Thou art called Simon; thou shalt be called Peter." The word Simon refers to "sand," and the word Peter

means "rock." A house built upon sand will give way; a rock stands fast throughout every storm. Peter,

whose old nature had much that was impetuous and unstable about it, changed after the Lord dealt with

him. He became steadfast and faithful even unto death. I may try to do the best I can, but I will never

succeed until I come face to face with God. Then, as in the case of Jacob and Peter, something can

actually happen to me. I will no longer seek my own, but I will seek to do God’s will. All this can be felt

in the story of Joseph and his brethren.