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Genesis 32:1-35:27<\/strong><\/span> In Chapter 32 we see Jacob preparing to meet his brother Esau.\u00a0 And \u2013 we see Jacob praying to God an amazing prayer!\u00a0 Verse 10 is beautiful: \u201cI am not worthy of all the faithfulness and unfailing love you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home, I owned nothing except a walking stick, and now my household fills two camps!\u201d <\/em>Do you believe that God has been showing faithfulness and unfailing love to Jacob in our readings?\u00a0 Do you believe that God is showing faithfulness and unfailing love to you today?\u00a0 Below is an engraving by the artist Gustave Dore of Jacob praying to God here in chapter 32 (I love this image!):<\/span><\/p>\n Genesis Chapter 32 closes out with Jacob in a wrestling match! With God?\u00a0 Or an angel?\u00a0 Or God in the form of an angel?\u00a0 Or Jesus preincarnate? Or Michael the archangel?\u00a0 Biblical commentaries offer a few different views on just who Jacob was wrestling with.\u00a0 Clearly, God ordained whomever was wrestling with Jacob and I do think it could have been God himself in an angelic form.\u00a0 It was obviously not God himself in all of his glory \u2013 because He would have whooped Jacob in a wrestling match!\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 We do see the quick & fierce power of whom Jacob was wrestling in verse 25 when \u201che struck Jacob\u2019s hip and knocked it out of joint at the socket.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Please do let me know your thoughts on who Jacob was wrestling this night in the Comments section below?<\/span><\/p>\n This painting above from 1855 by Gustave Dore of Jacob wrestling with the angel is one of my favorites! I think it says so much about our faith journey at various stages. I don\u2019t know about you, but there are times when I have wrestled with God over aspects of my faith. It happens at various stages and seasons \u2013 sometimes unexpectedly. And I think it is okay to enter into these wrestling matches as long as we ultimately realize that God is in control and we are not. God is going to win the wrestling match. We will not. But, sometimes the wrestling match \u2013 the struggle \u2013 is something we need to go through to move forward in our faith. Sometimes we need to wrestle with God before we enter the Promised Land, as was the case with Jacob returning to Canaan with his family in our readings in Genesis this week coming up.\u00a0 Below is the French Romantic painter Eug\u00e8ne Delacroix\u2019s \u201cJacob Wrestling the Angel\u201d from the year 1861:<\/span><\/p>\n This is what I love about the chapters of Genesis that we are entering into with our readings now \u2013 we read about imperfect humans, not so unlike us, trying to make sense of their lives and their relationships with God. Sound like anyone you know? \ud83d\ude42 In this early part of the Bible we are shown a God who is willing to wrestle with us, if we need to wrestle. A God who gives us dreams that end up saving a family that will soon become a nation that will save the world. A God who moves us into places and lands and situations to where we need to be to fulfill His perfect will. And in the midst of all of this \u2013 we read about imperfect humans that make mistakes. And God still can work through those mistakes and redeem mankind. This is incredible narrative in our readings coming up this next week in Genesis!\u00a0 Below is Rembrandt\u2019s \u201cJacob\u2019s Struggle with the Angel\u201d from the year 1659:\u00a0 (can you tell by all the paintings I\u2019m posting up here that I\u2019m fascinated by this wrestling match\u2026 \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n Chapter 32 verse 28 is an incredibly important verse: \u201c\u201dYour name will no longer be Jacob,\u201d the man told him. \u201cIt is now Israel, because you have struggled with both God and men and have won.\u201d\u201d <\/em>This is interesting to know!\u00a0 Israel means \u201cGod struggles\u201d or \u201cone who struggles with God.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0It is also interesting I think to see that God gives people new names at times in the Bible, and the names are reflective of their new lives with God.\u00a0 Abram becomes Abraham.\u00a0 Sarai becomes Sarah.\u00a0 Jacob becomes Israel.\u00a0 Simon becomes Peter.\u00a0 Okay, no more wrestling images\u2026 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 Below is stained glass artwork from the Duomo Cathedral in Milan, Italy of the angel blessing Jacob:<\/span><\/p>\n Today\u2019s Genesis chapter 32 starts off with Jacob preparing presents for Esau.\u00a0 Overall, I thought this was pretty smart.\u00a0 I suppose in some ways you could look at all this as bribery\u2026 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 But, I guess I thought Jacob was demonstrating some good business \/ political principles here.\u00a0 \u00a0This is something that I do struggle with at times in my own life \u2013 a balance of utilizing good business principles versus relying completely on God.\u00a0 I suppose you could argue that Jacob should have simply relied on God to prepare the way for Jacob\u2019s meeting with Esau.\u00a0 And this would be a good argument \u2013 Esau had become wealthy over the years himself, and seemed to have forgiven Jacob before they met up here again.\u00a0 Though, if you were in Jacob\u2019s shoes, think about how you would have had no way of knowing this\u2026 and think about the last time you saw your brother 20 years earlier and how that ended\u2026 I do think that while clearly our reliance should be on God and His work and providence first and foremost, I believe God also wants us to be actively partnering with him.\u00a0 So, I think after we first pray to God about a situation, we should also do the work that we are called to do by God for the situation as well.\u00a0 This is where I think good business \/ political principles can come into play \u2013 as long as they are clearly aligned with the will of God.\u00a0 Again \u2013 a fine line to walk, and a line that can only be blessed by the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 We cannot walk this line on our own power or smarts.\u00a0 Do you pray to God to show you the work He wants you to do in your life?\u00a0 Do you also ask God to show you the work to be done in various situations that arise in your life?\u00a0 Do you enjoy working with God?<\/span><\/p>\n In Genesis chapter 34 Jacob and Esau meet again!\u00a0 I found verses 5 through 7 interesting.\u00a0 Jacob presents his concubines and sons first \u2013 then Leah and sons \u2013 and then Rachel and Joseph.\u00a0 I read a commentary that he was keeping his favorite wife and son back, as the last presentation to Esau \u2013 just in case anything should go wrong with Esau and the introductions of his family\u2026\u00a0 Meaning, if any violence erupted \u2013 Rachel and Joseph would hopefully be removed from it.\u00a0 Below is an image of Esau and Jacob meeting in verse 4: \u201cThen Esau ran to meet him and embraced him affectionately and kissed him. Both of them were in tears.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em> Below is Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens\u2019 \u201cThe Reconciliation of Jacob and Esau,\u201d from the year 1624:<\/span><\/p>\n In verse 14 of this chapter we see Jacob likely being deceitful again: \u201cSo go on ahead of us. We will follow at our own pace and meet you at Seir.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0 He did not follow Esau and meet him at Seir, as we will see in the next chapter.\u00a0 And commentaries suggest Jacob never intended to go to Seir.\u00a0 Below is a pretty good map showing you where some events in this chapter took place:\u00a0 Peniel, where Jacob wrestled with God \u2013 Shechem in chapter 34 \u2013 and Seir is basically where you see Edom on the map, just south of the Promised Land.<\/span><\/p>\n Genesis chapter 34 is a chapter where we see a lot of violence\u2026\u00a0 It is interesting to note that the name of God ends chapter 33 and begins chapter 35, but is completely absent from this chapter!\u00a0 The NIV Study Bible has this note about this chapter: \u201cJacob is now confronted in the promised land with the danger of being absorbed by the native Canaanites (verses 9 & 16), and then with the threat of their hostility after his sons\u2019 vengeful act (verse 30).\u00a0 These were dangers Israel constantly faced from the peoples around them \u2013 either absorption or hostility, both of which are perpetual threats to God\u2019s people.\u201d\u00a0 As there is so much going on in this chapter, I highly encourage you to spend a few minutes with <\/span>Bob Deffinbaugh at bible.org for his commentary on Genesis chapter 34 \u2013 surf down to about mid-page at this link for ch. 34.<\/span>\u00a0 Below is a 13th century French miniature painting of Simeon and Levi taking Dinah from Shechem:<\/span><\/p>\n Today is a big day for Jacob in that he finally returns to Bethel \u2013 the same place where his pilgrimage began with God in <\/span>Genesis 28:10-22<\/span>!\u00a0 Bethel is where Jacob had his dream of the angels ascending and descending the staircase, when he was leaving the promised land for 20 years in Haran.\u00a0 Below is a map of Jacob\u2019s journeys for his entire life:<\/span><\/p>\n Bethel was the place where God first gave to Jacob His covenant promise that was also given to Abraham and Isaac \u2013 and the covenant promise is reconfirmed in today\u2019s readings in chapter 35 verses 11 and 12: \u201cThen God said, \u201cI am God Almighty. Multiply and fill the earth! Become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! And I will pass on to you the land I gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 These 2 verses are essentially thought to be the climax of the Isaac-Jacob portion of Genesis.\u00a0 In tomorrow\u2019s readings we begin the Jacob-Joseph portion of Genesis. (which is an amazing narrative that begins tomorrow\u2026)\u00a0 The covenant continues!<\/span><\/p>\n Bible.org\u2019s commentary on today\u2019s readings in Genesis chapter 32 titled \u201cHow to Win with God and Men\u201d<\/strong> is <\/span>at this link.<\/span><\/p>\n Worship Video:<\/strong>\u00a0 Today\u2019s readings in Genesis 32 of Jacob struggling with God reminded me of Britt Nicole\u2019s song \u201cThe Lost Get Found:\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
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