Genesis 32

God’s Reassurance and Faithfulness

God’s faithfulness is on display when Jacob returns to the land he cheated his brother out of.  The significance of the angels in verses 1-2 denote God’s supernatural intervention in human history.  Such sightings of angels mark special events when God is revealing something and the angels serve as a testimony that this is indeed from God.  If you are reading the Bible chronologically, then we have already seen angelic beings guard the entrance to Eden marking the rift between God and man.  Abraham was visited by the angel of the Lord on several occasions to highlight the importance of the covenant God made.

In this scenario Jacob, the deceiver, is returning to his covenant land where Esau has been living.  Regardless of Jacob’s earlier deception, the Lord has chosen him to be the inheritor of the promise, deception wasn’t necessary on his part, and instead of possessing the land, he was forced to flee to his uncle Laban’s, and now finds himself fleeing again.  Jacob’s poor decision making leads one to guess if God will put up him much longer.  But now that Jacob is heading back to the land God promised him, he is full of doubts and worry. Jacob sees angels, messengers of God, and  is reassured that God is with him, regardless of his poor decisions (v2).

Now comes time to face his cheated brother Esau, and it doesn’t look good.  Esau receives Jacob’s spy/messengers. They report back to Jacob that Esau is on the way to greet him, along with an army of 400 men (v6).  Jacob of course is scared and so splits up his house. Perhaps if Esau attacks, the other group has a chance to get away (v8).

Jacobs Prayer

Jacob hasn’t been the best example of an anointed one of God.  He’s deceptive, makes bad decisions, and has hardly been a blessing to other nations as God instructed.  Instead, he has been drawing the ire of those closest to him. But Jacob’s prayer is pure gold for those wanting to know how to pray.  It’s a simple prayer, no doubt condensed to fit inside this narrative, but what we see what prayer is all about. Other’s have their opinion of what all belongs in a good prayer, but here are the three basic elements we see here and in other prayers in the bible:

1. Jacob rehearses what God has already said. “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…” (v9) Much of our superficial praying is spent on thinking about what we want and need.  We assume if God grants the things we are asking for then all is well.  But we truly need is what God promises and provides.  This isn’t to say we shouldn’t pray for Agnus’ health problems at church meeting, but we are wasting our prayer time if we fail to meditate on the promises God has already given.  Jacob is perhaps for the first time realizing that God’s promises is what he should have been asking for all this time instead of trying to deceive his way to the things he wants.  He says to God, “Oh God, I remember what you promised! You said to come back here and you would treat me kindly!”
2. Jacob humbles himself before making requests.  “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, of all the truth, which thou has shewed unto thy servant..” (v10).  Humility shows up everywhere in the Bible.  Humility is the garden of which all other godly virtues grow. We either humble ourselves before God or will finally be humiliated by the very things we take so much pride in.  Jacob has experienced both.  The bitter consequences of his own deception taken its toll.  But Jacob does the right thing here and humble’s Himself before the almighty.  “Not my will Lord, but thy will be done.”  Humility prepares the human heart to take the proper role in relation to God, total submission is the only appropriate and reasonable response to this awesome God.  His mercies and love are astounding, His wisdom is matchless, His power is terrifying. Indeed, we are not worthy.
3. Jacob’s request is application of what God has already promised.  “O LORD, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children” (v11). Has God promised to treat Jacob kindly?  So that is what Jacob asks.    A great deal more can be said what hasn’t asked for.  No doubt he has blisters on his feet from such a long journey running from Laban.  No doubt his family is in complete upheaval because of the bitter strife between his wives who are also sisters.  No doubt there is a great number of things that all could be requested, but Jacob only asks for what he knows God has already promised.   Trusting God means we trust that what He promises is actually what’s best for us.  Not the new car, not good grades, not promotions… these are all things we ask for in our own great wisdom, but if we truly believed God like we often say, then I encourage my sons in Jesus Christ to learn from Jacob and take his prayer as a model for you own.

In order to pray like Jacob however, one must know what God has said, or else you will have nothing to say in prayer. I wish that our prayers could be full of scriptures highlighting the promises of God.  And then after great meditation and comprehension, we come to truly believe and trust that what God gives is what we really need.  May we spend less time thinking and praying about stuff we want, and more time asking for the things God has already promised to give.  Jacob’s prayer both starts and ends with what God has said (v9,12).

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