Genesis 32:1-12 comments: Jacob prays for deliverance from Esau

Genesis 32:1 ¶  And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2  And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

Jacob sees an amazing sight from the spiritual world. An army of God’s angels approaches him. This is a sign to Jacob showing the protection of God.

Psalm 34:7  The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

Angels are spiritual beings, typically unseen to us.

Psalm 104:4  Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

What a spectacular and frightening apparition that must have been.

As he saw God’s host, His army, Jacob called it Mahanaim, the plural of a word that is translated as camp or host or armies elsewhere. Jacob may have named it based on his people meeting God’s angels, two groups passing each other, his and the angels. Remember what angels are; representatives of something or someone that is somewhere else.

Hebrews 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

We are surrounded by a great army of God’s saints that have gone on ahead of us, as a matter of fact. Paul says this after talking about the great saints of God that have gone on before us.

Hebrews 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Genesis 32:3 ¶  And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4  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: 5  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. 6  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. 7  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; 8  And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

Jacob and company are about to meet even another group, but this one does not comfort or put Jacob in awe but terrifies him. Jacob knows that he took advantage of his brother twenty years ago. He has to pass through Esau’s territory.

Genesis 25:30  And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

Genesis 36:8  Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.

Notice the following as the Hebrews travel to the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 2:1 ¶  Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days. 2  And the LORD spake unto me, saying, 3  Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward. 4  And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore: 5  Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession. 6  Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink.

Clearly, Jacob has kept informed about his brother’s doings. He appears to be making an offering to Esau, to hopefully buy off his desire for revenge. Jacob’s servants, which he sent as scouts to see what Esau’s mind was about, tell him that Esau is coming his way with four hundred men. It does not look good for Jacob, his family, his servants, and his wealth, if not his life.

Dividing his group into two Jacob hopes that if Esau attacks one the other will escape. Notice two things here. God made provision for Esau even though Esau, perhaps, did not do right by our view. He was carnal, a man dominated by his flesh. But God took care of him. He was not part of the ministry to reconcile man to God except in this part with his relationship with Jacob. But God put his territory in the path of God’s man so that God’s man would have to pass through it. 

There are a lot of potential sermons in this passage, for instance, how you as a Christian, a type of Jacob, may have to pass through an Esau’s territory to get where God wants you to go. Or, how you may have to face an unsaved person or a brother in Christ whom you’ve wronged in the past. How your fears may blow things all out of proportion to what God has planned. Many sermon possibilities, many examples of the Christian’s real-life experiences.

Another thing to consider is how fearful Jacob is even though God told him to go back to his own place. He lacked the courage of his faith to believe God would continue to bless and protect him. Here we see in the Bible an understanding of our weaknesses. Even in the face of our greatest spiritual triumph, even doing God’s perfect will, we sometimes have fear and uncertainty, doubts and concerns. It is not unusual, does not show you are denying God’s will, just that you are human and weak.

Genesis 32:9 ¶  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 with thee: 10  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. 11  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. 12  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.

Jacob’s prayer acknowledges who God is and then repeats what God told him to do. He makes the interesting statement that he knows he is not worthy of the least of God’s mercies or the truth that God has revealed to him and so he humbles himself. Then, he pleads for deliverance from the imagined fury of his brother for he fears his brother will slaughter his entire family. He finally restates the promise God made to his family.

Moses does this when God tests him by threatening to destroy the Hebrews when Aaron made them a golden calf to worship and they engaged in their wicked heathen worship.

Exodus 32:13  Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

We must be careful of imposing human limitations on God as if He needed to be reminded of His promises or He might forget them. Since God clearly knows the future and what will be done, not only what we will do but what He will do, the reminder is on the human’s part an argument expressing the justification for confidence that God will help. We do this in argument with each other when we remind a boss or a spouse or a friend or acquaintance of something they had promised when its performance appears to be in doubt. It rarely means that we actually think they’ve forgotten the promise.

Here it should be noted that Jacob is making a direct prayer to God with a purpose, not a prayer at God meaning nothing. In Christian culture much is often made of the so-called Lord’s Prayer of Matthew 6.

Matthew 6:9 ¶  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11  Give us this day our daily bread. 12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

It is repeated in movies and literature, in public events and private, and yet, as per the context, it is not, “the Lord’s prayer,” but is a model of a prayer for His disciples and us. It is Jesus teaching the disciples how to pray and in what form to make a prayer, not even the only form in which to make a prayer. Yet, most people in the Christian culture and even those who just have a passing acquaintance with it but feel vulnerable will use this as an excuse not to engage God but to throw up a ritualistic prayer as if that means something. Why not just repeat Genesis 1:1 and then ask for something? What about John 1:1-18? Here, Jacob is seeking and assumes he has an audience with the throne of God and is not just repeating a formula, a chant, or a mantra.

Hebrews 4:11 ¶  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Always remember Jesus’ own admonition against endless and vain repetitions and ritualistic prayers.

Matthew 6:7  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Speak to God directly if you know He is there to hear you, as Jacob has done. Throw words out you do not believe if you only hope there is a God and have no intimate contact with Him through your spirit.

God wants your genuine, heart-felt prayers and concerns. Of what value is throwing up the Lord’s Prayer when something bad happens, considering you have no regard for God at any other time unless you force your children to recite meaningless mantras like;

“God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen.”

“Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.”

Then, there is the good old stand-by, “Bless this food to our bodies and our bodies to your service.”

What do memorized ritual prayers mean if nothing is behind them? Do you think those recited prayers are considered in these verses?

Psalm 141:2  Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Psalm 107:21  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 22  And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

Jacob here is speaking to God, not at Him. How do you pray?