God’s order, deliverance from self, identity transformation, then deliverance from others
When
they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in
the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child
was (Matthew 2:9).
The experience of the Magi perfectly echoes the principle
seen in Jacob’s encounter at Mahanaim, that separation from worldly systems
restores spiritual clarity and divine guidance. When the Magi left the city of
Jerusalem, the star that led them to Bethlehem reappeared. When Jacob separated
with Laban was now in a position to recognize God’s activity.
When Jacob saw the angels, he declared, it was God’s camp,
and named the place Mahanaim, meaning two camps; Jacob’s and God’s camp. The
principle here is not isolation from people, but detachment from worldly
dependence and compromise. When Jacob stepped out in obedience, trusting God
rather than human manipulation, God reassured him with divine protection.
Intimacy with God sharpens spiritual discernment [James 4:8; Romans 12:2].
So
Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he
said, “This is God’s camp.” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim
(Genesis 32:1-2).
Angels are always with us and are ordained by God to be our
servants [Hebrews 1:14] as they served Jesus [Matthew 4:11]. In [2 Kings
6:15-17], Elisha’s servant had his eyes opened to see the tremendous angelic
host surrounding them.
Jacob’s fear and panic
Jacob confronts Laban with remarkable courage. He rehearses
his years of faithful service, his integrity, and the injustice he suffered.
Jacob is bold because he is in the right. His conscience is clear. He had not
wronged Laban, he has been wronged by him. This moral clarity produces
confidence, courage, and freedom of speech. The righteous are bold as a lion
[Proverbs 28:1]. When a person stands on truth and integrity, fear has no
legitimate ground.
So
Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were
with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies (Genesis
32:7).
In contrast, Jacob was afraid and distressed at the news of
Esau’s approach. This fear was not merely about Esau’s strength, but Jacob’s
unresolved guilt. Unlike his situation with Laban, Jacob knew that he wronged
Esau, through deception, manipulation, and taking what was not rightly his.
Even after 20 years, guilt does not expire with time. Jacob’s fear is intensified
by the fact that, he fled without reconciliation and Rebekah, who promised to
send word when Esau’s anger subsided [Genesis 27:45], had died before doing so.
Thus, Jacob returns home uncertain, exposed, and inwardly condemned, which
makes him vulnerable to fear.
The encounter at Peniel reveals how God lovingly but firmly
dismantles human self-reliance in order to establish true dependence on Him. It
is one of the most searching moments in Jacob’s life. God often waits until all
human supports are removed. Jacob had sent his family, servants, and
possessions ahead. The planner, negotiator, and schemer had no tools left.
Aloneness exposed Jacob’s true condition, he could no longer manage his future
by intelligence or strategy. Regrettably, Jacob had forgotten that had promised
him protection and he had a special camp of angels to protect him [Genesis
32:1-2]. His fear and distress was not appropriate for someone under God’s
protection.
I
am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You
have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now
I have become two companies. 11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother,
from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the
mother with the children (Genesis 32:10-11).
Jacob did the right thing, he prayed in humility, full of
faith, thanksgiving and God’s Word. Therefore, it is profitable to study the
promises of God. Remember what God has said to men, and when He has said them,
and to what kind of men he has said them, and discover by this means how far he
has said them to you.
Jacob wrestles with God
The wrestling reveals Jacob’s lifelong pattern. Jacob had
wrestled all his life, with Esau in the womb and for the birthright, with Isaac
through deception, and with Laban through cleverness. The Angel of the Covenant
allows Jacob to wrestle through the night, not because God lacks power, but
because He is exposing Jacob’s false source of strength. For years, Jacob had
trusted his mind, persistence, and willpower more than God.
Then
Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25
Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of
his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with
him. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not
let You go unless You bless me!” (Genesis 32:24-26).
When the Angel touches Jacob’s hip, the contest ends
instantly. This was not a blow of cruelty but of precision. The hip represents
strength, mobility, and independence. In one moment, God disables Jacob’s
ability to stand on his own resources. This teaches a sobering truth, God will
allow self-reliance to continue until it must be broken. He did not overpower
Jacob at the beginning, He waited until Jacob’s strength was exhausted, then
touched the very source of it.
Once crippled, Jacob could no longer wrestle, but he could
cling. His words change from resistance to desperation. That he would not let
Him go unless He blessed him. This is no longer the voice of pride but of
surrendered dependence. [Hosea 12:3–5] tells us Jacob wept and pleaded. His
tears reveal the breaking of his heart, not just his body. The man who once
grasped blessings by deception now seeks them by grace. God “overcame” Jacob,
not to destroy him, but to remake him. A rebellious person may appear to
succeed for a time, but God remains sovereign. He allows the struggle to
continue until His purpose is achieved. When God decides to act, resistance
collapses instantly. Jacob limped away from Peniel, but he was changed. The
limp was a lifelong reminder that power now came from God, not from himself.
Jacob’s name is changed
The name Jacob meant “heel-grabber,” a figure of deception,
manipulation, and self-advancement. Jacob had lived up to his name. Though
chosen by God, he consistently relied on cleverness rather than trust. Deep
within, Jacob knew this. His fear of Esau was not only fear of judgment, it was
shame over who he had been. Jacob had to say aloud his name before God could
change him. He had to own his true identity without excuses.
And
He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have
struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28).
The name Israel is a compound of two words: Sarah (fight,
struggle, or rule) and El (meaning, God). Jacob longed to be saved from Esau,
but God addressed a deeper problem. Esau was not Jacob’s greatest threat, Jacob
himself was. His self-will, self-reliance, and manipulative instincts had to be
broken before reconciliation could safely occur. God’s order is crucial,
deliverance from self, transformation of identity, then deliverance from
others. Without this inward change, Jacob might have repeated old patterns even
if Esau forgave him.
A new name, meant a new governing principle. The principle
of God ruling through broken dependence. Jacob did not prevail by overpowering
God, he prevailed by refusing to let go in helpless faith. His strength was no
longer in control, but in clinging. Additionally, he walked away with a limp, a
physical reminder of a spiritual truth. This “memorial of weakness” was not
humiliation but grace. It guarded Jacob from returning to self-reliance and
kept him anchored in humility. The limp cost him little compared to what he
gained, a transformed identity and restored relationship.
George G. Ruheni, PhD.
Comments
Post a Comment