The Night of Wrestling
[This chapter is based on Genesis 32 and 33.]
Though Jacob had left Padan-aram in obedience to the divine direction, it
was not without many misgivings that he retraced the road which he had
trodden as a fugitive twenty years before. His sin in the deception of his
father was ever before him. He knew that his long exile was the direct
result of that sin, and he pondered over these things day and night, the
reproaches of an accusing conscience making his journey very sad. As the
hills of his native land appeared before him in the distance, the heart of
the patriarch was deeply moved. All the past rose vividly before him. With
the memory of his sin came also the thought of God's favor toward him, and
the promises of divine help and guidance.
As he drew nearer his journey's end, the thought of Esau brought many a
troubled foreboding. After the flight of Jacob, Esau had regarded himself
as
the sole heir of their father's possessions. The news of Jacob's return
would excite the fear that he was coming to claim the inheritance. Esau
was
now able to do his brother great injury, if so disposed, and he might be
moved to violence against him, not only by the desire for revenge, but in
order to secure undisturbed possession of the wealth which he had so long
looked upon as his own.
Again the Lord granted Jacob a token of the divine care. As he traveled
southward from Mount Gilead, two hosts of heavenly angels seemed to
encompass him behind and before, advancing with his company, as if for
their
protection. Jacob remembered the vision at Bethel so long before, and his
burdened heart grew lighter at this evidence that the divine messengers
who
had brought him hope and courage at his flight from Canaan were to be the
guardians of his return. And he said, "This is God's host: and he called
the
name of that place Mahanaim"--"two hosts, or, camps."
Yet Jacob felt that he had something to do to secure his own safety. He
therefore dispatched messengers with a conciliatory
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greeting to his brother. He instructed them as to the exact words in which
they were to address Esau. It had been foretold before the birth of the
two
brothers that the elder should serve the younger, and, lest the memory of
this should be a cause of bitterness, Jacob told the servants they were
sent
to "my lord Esau;" when brought before him, they were to refer to their
master as "thy servant Jacob;" and to remove the fear that he was
returning,
a destitute wanderer, to claim the paternal inheritance, Jacob was careful
to state in his message, "I have oxen, an *****, flocks, and menservants,
and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace
in
thy sight."
But the servants returned with the tidings that Esau was approaching with
four hundred men, and no response was sent to the friendly message. It
appeared certain that he was coming to seek revenge. Terror pervaded the
camp. "Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed." He could not go back, and
he feared to advance. His company, unarmed and defenseless, were wholly
unprepared for a hostile encounter. He accordingly divided them into two
bands, so that if one should be attacked, the other might have an
op****tunity to escape. He sent from his vast flocks generous presents to
Esau, with a friendly message. He did all in his power to atone for the
wrong to his brother and to avert the threatened danger, and then in
humiliation and repentance he pleaded for divine protection: Thou "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 showed 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."
They had now reached the river Jabbok, and as night came on, Jacob sent
his
family across the ford of the river, while he alone remained behind. He
had
decided to spend the night in prayer, and he desired to be alone with God.
God could soften the heart of Esau. In Him was the patriarch's only hope.
It was in a lonely, mountainous region, the haunt of wild beasts and the
lurking place of robbers and murderers. Solitary and unprotected, Jacob
bowed in deep distress upon the earth. It was midnight. All that made life
dear to him were at a distance,
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exposed to danger and death. Bitterest of all was the thought that it was
his own sin which had brought this peril upon the innocent. With earnest
cries and tears he made his prayer before God. Suddenly a strong hand was
laid upon him. He thought that an enemy was seeking his life, and he
endeavored to wrest himself from the grasp of his assailant. In the
darkness
the two struggled for the mastery. Not a word was spoken, but Jacob put
forth all his strength, and did not relax his efforts for a moment. While
he
was thus battling for his life, the sense of his guilt pressed upon his
soul; his sins rose up before him, to shut him out from God. But in his
terrible extremity he remembered God's promises, and his whole heart went
out in entreaty for His mercy. The struggle continued until near the break
of day, when the stranger placed his finger upon Jacob's thigh, and he was
crippled instantly. The patriarch now discerned the character of his
antagonist. He knew that he had been in conflict with a heavenly
messenger,
and this was why his almost superhuman effort had not gained the victory.
It
was Christ, "the Angel of the covenant," who had revealed Himself to
Jacob.
The patriarch was now disabled and suffering the keenest pain, but he
would
not loosen his hold. All penitent and broken, he clung to the Angel; "he
wept, and made supplication" (Hosea 12:4), pleading for a blessing. He
must
have the assurance that his sin was pardoned. Physical pain was not
sufficient to divert his mind from this object. His determination grew
stronger, his faith more earnest and persevering, until the very last. The
Angel tried to release Himself; He urged, "Let Me go, for the day
breaketh;"
but Jacob answered, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me." Had
this
been a boastful, presumptuous confidence, Jacob would have been instantly
destroyed; but his was the assurance of one who confesses his own
unworthiness, yet trusts the faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God.
Jacob "had power over the Angel, and prevailed." Hosea 12:4. Through
humiliation, repentance, and self-surrender, this sinful, erring mortal
prevailed with the Majesty of heaven. He had fastened his trembling grasp
upon the promises of God, and the heart of Infinite Love could not turn
away
the sinner's plea.
The error that had led to Jacob's sin in obtaining the birthright by fraud
was now clearly set before him. He had not trusted God's promises, but had
sought by his own efforts to
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bring about that which God would have accomplished in His own time and
way.
As an evidence that he had been forgiven, his name was changed from one
that
was a reminder of his sin, to one that commemorated his victory. "Thy
name,"
said the Angel, "shall be called no more Jacob [the supplanter], but
Israel:
for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast
prevailed."
Jacob had received the blessing for which his soul had longed. His sin as
a
supplanter and deceiver had been pardoned. The crisis in his life was
past.
Doubt, perplexity, and remorse had embittered his existence, but now all
was
changed; and sweet was the peace of reconciliation with God. Jacob no
longer
feared to meet his brother. God, who had forgiven his sin, could move the
heart of Esau also to accept his humiliation and repentance.
While Jacob was wrestling with the Angel, another heavenly messenger was
sent to Esau. In a dream, Esau beheld his brother for twenty years an
exile
from his father's house; he witnessed his grief at finding his mother
dead;
he saw him encompassed by the hosts of God. This dream was related by Esau
to his soldiers, with the charge not to harm Jacob, for the God of his
father was with him.
The two companies at last approached each other, the desert chief leading
his men of war, and Jacob with his wives and children, attended by
shepherds
and handmaidens, and followed by long lines of flocks and herds. Leaning
upon his staff, the patriarch went forward to meet the band of soldiers.
He
was pale and disabled from his recent conflict, and he walked slowly and
painfully, halting at every step; but his countenance was lighted up with
joy and peace.
At sight of that crippled sufferer, "Esau ran to meet him, and embraced
him,
and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept." As they looked upon
the scene, even the hearts of Esau's rude soldiers were touched.
Notwithstanding he had told them of his dream, they could not account for
the change that had come over their captain. Though they beheld the
patriarch's infirmity, they little thought that this his weakness had been
made his strength.
In his night of anguish beside the Jabbok, when destruction seemed just
before him, Jacob had been taught how vain is the
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help of man, how groundless is all trust in human power. He saw that his
only help must come from Him against whom he had so grievously sinned.
Helpless and unworthy, he pleaded God's promise of mercy to the repentant
sinner. That promise was his assurance that God would pardon and accept
him.
Sooner might heaven and earth pass than that word could fail; and it was
this that sustained him through that fearful conflict.
Jacob's experience during that night of wrestling and anguish represents
the
trial through which the people of God must pass just before Christ's
second
coming. The prophet Jeremiah, in holy vision looking down to this time,
said, "We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. . .
.
All faces are turned into paleness. Alas! for that day is great, so that
none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be
saved out of it." Jeremiah 30:5-7.
When Christ shall cease His work as mediator in man's behalf, then this
time
of trouble will begin. Then the case of every soul will have been decided,
and there will be no atoning blood to cleanse from sin. When Jesus leaves
His position as man's intercessor before God, the solemn announcement is
made, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy,
let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous
still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Revelation 22:11. Then
the restraining Spirit of God is withdrawn from the earth. As Jacob was
threatened with death by his angry brother, so the people of God will be
in
peril from the wicked who are seeking to destroy them. And as the
patriarch
wrestled all night for deliverance from the hand of Esau, so the righteous
will cry to God day and night for deliverance from the enemies that
surround
them.
Satan had accused Jacob before the angels of God, claiming the right to
destroy him because of his sin; he had moved upon Esau to march against
him;
and during the patriarch's long night of wrestling, Satan endeavored to
force upon him a sense of his guilt, in order to discourage him, and break
his hold upon God. When in his distress Jacob laid hold of the Angel, and
made supplication with tears, the heavenly Messenger, in order to try his
faith, also reminded him of his sin, and endeavored to escape from him.
But
Jacob would not be turned away. He had learned that God is merciful, and
he
cast himself upon His mercy. He pointed
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back to his repentance for his sin, and pleaded for deliverance. As he
reviewed his life, he was driven almost to despair; but he held fast the
Angel, and with earnest, agonizing cries urged his petition until he
prevailed.
Such will be the experience of God's people in their final struggle with
the
powers of evil. God will test their faith, their perseverance, their
confidence in His power to deliver them. Satan will endeavor to terrify
them
with the thought that their cases are hopeless; that their sins have been
too great to receive pardon. They will have a deep sense of their
shortcomings, and as they review their lives their hopes will sink. But
remembering the greatness of God's mercy, and their own sincere
repentance,
they will plead His promises made through Christ to helpless, repenting
sinners. Their faith will not fail because their prayers are not
immediately
answered. They will lay hold of the strength of God, as Jacob laid hold of
the Angel, and the language of their souls will be, "I will not let Thee
go,
except Thou bless me."
Had not Jacob previously repented of his sin in obtaining the birthright
by
fraud, God could not have heard his prayer and mercifully preserved his
life. So in the time of trouble, if the people of God had unconfessed sins
to appear before them while tortured with fear and anguish, they would be
overwhelmed; despair would cut off their faith, and they could not have
confidence to plead with God for deliverance. But while they have a deep
sense of their unworthiness, they will have no concealed wrongs to reveal.
Their sins will have been blotted out by the atoning blood of Christ, and
they cannot bring them to remembrance.
Satan leads many to believe that God will overlook their unfaithfulness in
the minor affairs of life; but the Lord shows in His dealing with Jacob
that
He can in no wise sanction or tolerate evil. All who endeavor to excuse or
conceal their sins, and permit them to remain upon the books of heaven,
unconfessed and unforgiven, will be overcome by Satan. The more exalted
their profession, and the more honorable the position which they hold, the
more grievous is their course in the sight of God, and the more certain
the
triumph of the great adversary.
Yet Jacob's history is an assurance that God will not cast off those who
have been betrayed into sin, but who have returned
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unto Him with true repentance. It was by self-surrender and confiding
faith
that Jacob gained what he had failed to gain by conflict in his own
strength. God thus taught His servant that divine power and grace alone
could give him the blessing he craved. Thus it will be with those who live
in the last days. As dangers surround them, and despair seizes upon the
soul, they must depend solely upon the merits of the atonement. We can do
nothing of ourselves. In all our helpless unworthiness we must trust in
the
merits of the crucified and risen Saviour. None will ever perish while
they
do this. The long, black catalogue of our delinquencies is before the eye
of
the Infinite. The register is complete; none of our offenses are
forgotten.
But He who listened to the cries of His servants of old, will hear the
prayer of faith and pardon our transgressions. He has promised, and He
will
fulfill His word.
Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His experience
testifies to the power of im****tunate prayer. It is now that we are to
learn
this lesson of prevailing prayer, of unyielding faith. The greatest
victories to the church of Christ or to the individual Christian are not
those that are gained by talent or education, by wealth or the favor of
men.
They are those victories that are gained in the audience chamber with God,
when earnest, agonizing faith lays hold upon the mighty arm of power.
Those who are unwilling to forsake every sin and to seek earnestly for
God's
blessing, will not obtain it. But all who will lay hold of God's promises
as
did Jacob, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he
succeeded. "Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night
unto
Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them
speedily." Luke 18:7, 8.
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