Gen. 32:1-21

1. Locate the passage

Jacob has left Laban and is finally on his way home. He doesn’t get far before he experiences a Divine reminder of the Lord’s faithfulness to His Word. But, there is one major obstacle between Paddan Aram and home—Esau! Now, Jacob must prepare to meet the brother he deceived, the reason he left home, and one of the sources of their families division.

2. Genre

The passage is narrative. It records the response of Jacob to the angelic visit and his conversation with his family in preparations for meeting Esau. It includes a theophany, a prayer, and two occasions of preparing to meet Esau.

3. Determine the structure of the passage

4. Exegete the passage

32:1-2 – The angels of God

• It’s no coincidence that when Jacob was obedient to God’s call to leave, the Lord reminded him of His presence.
• Gen. 28:20 – The angels of God are another reminder of God’s faithfulness to His promise to be with Jacob.
  • Surely, seeing the angels reminded Jacob of the last time he saw angels. In Gen. 28:20, the angels were ascending and descending into and from the presence of the Lord. Jacob may have thought he was seeing that again.
• “This is God’s Camp”
  • Everywhere Jacob went belonged to God (as is true for us), but Jacob is now starting to understand
    • Although, his plan to engage with Esau that is about to unfold seems to reflect his old life of strategizing rather than his new life of faith
  • 28:16-17 – Jacob realized that Bethel was God’s house and now Mahanaim was God’s camp.
    • Mahanaim is derived from the Hb. (“mach^aneh”)
  • Nothing more is said about these angels. As remarkable a sight as this must have been, the significance of the moment was not in the presence of the angels, but the reminder of God’s promise
    • Jacob knew that. He didn’t say, “This is the place that I saw angels.” He said, “This PLACE belongs to God.”

32:3-8 – The narrator points out two actions of Jacob that play off of the events of 32:1-2.

• First, Jacob sent “messengers” to his brother Esau
  • The Hb. for “messengers” (“malak”) is the same word used for the angelic messengers in 32:1)
• Second, Jacob divided his family into two camps.
  • The Hb. for “camp” (“Mahanaim”) is the same word used for the name Jacob ascribed to the location where he met the angels of the Lord, “God’s camp.”

32:3 – Immediately after being reminded of God’s presence, Jacob prepares for the inevitability of meeting Esau.

• There’s nothing in the text (in contrast to most commentaries on this passage) that obliges the conclusion that the actions of Jacob are out of a lack of faith.
• Making a strategy does not necessarily suggest that his actions lacked faith.
  • Perhaps the reminder of God’s presence gave him courage (despite his fear) to attempt to reconcile with his brother
  • Jacob initiates the contact with Esau (32:3)
  • Jacob recognizes that his blessings are from the Lord (32:10)
  • Jacob later turns to the Lord in prayer (32:11)
  • Jacob claimed God’s promise of protection (32:12)

32:3 – In the land of “Seir,” the country of “Edom”

• “Seir” means “hairy” and recalls the fundamental difference between the twins
• “Edom” means “red” and recalls the stew that Esau requested from Jacob (cf. Gen. 25:30)

32:4 – Thus says your “servant” Jacob

• Jacob presents himself as a humble servant before his twin brother

32:5 – Jacob is up front with his request – He desires to “find favor” with Esau

• “hēn” means “grace.”
• The text does not specify any gift offered to Esau in this first interchange with Esau.
  • Rather, the text seems to be a request to find favor (and perhaps safe passage) from another.

32:6 – Esau is coming

• Jacob’s initial strategy may have been an effort to prevent having to meet Esau face to face.
• The narrator does not record any more of the servant’s conversation with Esau other than the fact that he (personally) is coming and bringing an army with him
  • Though Jacob is unsettled by the approaching army with Esau, it seems from Esau’s response to Jacob that he brought the army with him to provide protection for his brother on the journey (cf. 33:15).

32:7 – Jacob’s fear seems to center around the army coming with Esau.

• Jacob was “greatly afraid” and “distressed”
• But, Jacob was still clear-headed enough in his distress to devise a plan
  • The two companies (“camps”) were for protection (vs. 8; if Esau attacks the first camp, perhaps the second camp could escape) and also as a strategy to appease Esau to two sets of gifts (vs. 20).

32:9-12 – Jacob’s fear also directed him to the Lord

• Jacob’s prayer has four parts
  • Jacob reminded God that he was following God’s instructions to return
  • Jacob recognized that his blessings came from the Lord and that he was aware of his own unworthiness of them
    • I started with just this staff (he seems to still have it with him) and now I have become two companies.
  • Jacob pleaded with the Lord for protection
  • Jacob claimed God’s promise of protection
• Jacob did not accept responsibility for the rift between him and Esau or his sin, but he did trust God for protection
• 32:9 – “I will make you prosper.”
  • Jacob seems to have interpreted God’s promise of Divine Presence (31:3) with a promise of prosperity

32:13 – The next day … Jacob took “what came to his hand”

• Perhaps this word “hand” (Hb. “yad”) contrasts the reference to Esau’s “hand” in 32:11)
• What “came to his hand” suggests what Jacob earned by his work
  • As contrasted by what was given to him by his father’s blessing
  • 33:11. Jacob is offering to give to Esau NOT what his father gave to him, but what he, himself, earned

32:16 – Jacob distributed his “gift” to his brother among the two camps of his family.

32:18 – Here, Jacob refers to this gift as a “present.” In 33:11, he calls it a “blessing.”

32:20 – Jacob, again, refers to himself as a “servant” of Esau.

32:20 – I will see his “face.”

• The word “face” (Hb. “panim”) occurs 4 times in this verse with alternating pronouns:
  • “I will cover (atone, make amends) his face with the gift which goes before my face, and thus, after I will see his face and perhaps he will lift my face.”
  • 32:21 – “the gift passed over his face.”
  • 32:30 – “face of God;” and 33:10 – “I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God.”
• While Jacob and Esau were not identical twins, the reference to seeing the “face” of his twin brother suggests something of a hope to which Jacob clung of a softening of Esau’s heart; when he sees my face (which looks something like his face), perhaps he will accept me.

32:21 – Rather than keeping his family with him for the night, Jacob sent his family away and spent the night by himself.

• After his night of wrestling with God, Jacob changed his plan and went to see Esau ahead of his family (cf. 33:3).

5. Let the structure of the text drive the sermon

• Believers can be comforted by the presence of the Lord
  • Sometimes in His grace, God reminds us that He is still there
  • We can be comforted by His presence
  • We need to be aware of His presence

• Reconciliation requires initiative, effort, and risk
  • The text is not a formula for resolving conflict, but does provide an example of Jacob’s proactivity, humility, courage, prayer, offer of kindness, and plan.
  • What’s missing here is any remorse on the part of Jacob. In a moment that was just between him and the Lord, this would have been the time to confess his part in the deception of his brother.

• I can turn to the Lord in my fear
  • Jacob sought the Lord in prayer for protection
  • Jacob claimed God’s promise
  • Yet even in Jacob’s fear, he took measure to protect his family