STRUGGLE
Read from Genesis 32:6 (Esau is now coming to meet Jacob with 400 men) - ARBA MEOT, ‫אַ ְרבַ ע‬
‫מֵ אֹות‬.
Keypoints:
Why is Jacob so alarmed? Why does he know that Esau will come after him?
- “four hundred” signifies military conflict in the Bible; ARBA MEOT or this
number implies an army.
- Jdg 20:2 - Israel's War with the Tribe of Benjamin - And the chief of all the people,
even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people
of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword (Armed men)
- 1 Sam 22:2 - David serves as military commander over “about four hundred men”
( - during his stay at the cave of Adullam).
- 2 Chron 13:3 - Judah’s king Abijah fights against Israel’s Jeroboam, and has “an
army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men.
Jacob proceeds to pray. (Genesis 32:9) Emphasize SAID. Notice here how Jacob repeats
“Thou hast said.”
- Jacob is repeating God’ promises or quoting God’s word.
● When we are placed into distressing situations like Jacob, we ought to REMEMBER
what God has promised to us; in which we’ll only know if we read our Bible - which
is filled with His loving promises.
- Example: In times when we feel that the test/trial is too much for us to bear;
we remember 1 Corinthians 10:13 that God’s word has promised that he
will not tempt us beyond what we are able but he will make a way of escape.
- Joshua 21:45 - Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed;
every one was fulfilled.
- Isaiah 55:11- so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return
to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for
which I sent it.
● Why is Jacob repeating? Jacob BELIEVES GOD IS FAITHFUL, like what is said in
1 Cor 10:13,
i.
Hebrews 10:23 - Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
ii. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 - But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and
guard you against the evil one.
So Jacob proceeds to send presents to Esau by dividing them through stations.
Gen 32:22- We enter the scene of Jacob’s trouble, where Jacob wrestles with God - That man there is God, or the pre-incarnate Jesus. (Confirmed in Genesis 35:1).
How did this end up in wrestling?
● Place your shoes in Jacob’s place, you are all alone at night, darkness surrounds you, at
the same time, you know that someone is going to kill you. According to Patriarchs and
Prophets by Mrs. White, when God had placed his hand on the shoulder of Jacob; Jacob,
who was immensely stressed out, thought it was the enemy - he thought it was Esau, thus
he acted defensively out of his own instinct.
● Some theologians suggest that God’s hand that he placed on the shoulder of Jacob was
meant to comfort him.
Keypoints:
● Faith is a lot like wrestling - we wrestle with doubts during trials, we wrestle with staying
faithful to God, we wrestle with our human infirmities. We may be hit with painful sorrows
and experiences. But whatever happens, WE WILL NOT LET GO OF GOD like Jacob
had said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
○ When God had told Jacob to let go, God was actually testing Jacob’s faith - will he
be persistent or not?
○ 1 Timothy 6:12 - Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to
which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of
many witnesses. The Christian pathway is not a path full of daisies, but it’s paved
with many rock roads that we can only go through if we hold onto Jesus who is
willing to guide us.
● When we wrestle with faith, God is not our enemy - there are times when we think God
is against us. When we are hit by so many situations that are not in our favor, we question:
God, are you really for me? Likewise, Job also said:
○ Job 7:20 - Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have
You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden [a]to myself?
○ The truth of the matter is, God is our helper and he’s the only one we can turn to.
“Romans 8:31” - “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is
for us, who can be against us?”
●
The symbol of God touching Jacob’s hip socket - Our greatest strengths are our weakest
points.
(Where Jacob also learned that the man he is wrestling with is God, not Esau). In wrestling,
a lot of the strength comes from the hips and the legs (balakang at binti) - God touches us
at our “greatest strengths” to reveal our weakness.
● It is oftentimes when we think we are self-capable, things so confidently without
remembering God that it becomes our frailty. (i.e pharisees, people that work for
their “salvation”, etc., Nebuchadnezzar thinking of his kingdome that he built up
with his mighty strength (Daniel 4).
REDEMPTION
-

God asks Jacob his name.
When was Jacob’s identity questioned first?
- Two times his father asked his identity: Jacob kept saying “I am Esau.” - At the
deception, where Jacob also took the Lord’s name in vain and also dishonored his
father. This must have been heavily marked on Jacob’s memories.
This is scene is the REVERSAL of Jacob’s deception (READ Genesis 32:27)
Gen 32:27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”
- This time, Jacob says his name - which means, He is a supplanter ‫( ַיעֲקֹ ב‬Ya'aqov)
AND DECEIVER.
- In his prayer, Gen 32:10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast
love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only
my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

God IS A MERCIFUL redeemer.
- Jacob is no longer called a deceiver! Gen 32:28 - Then he said, “Your name shall no
longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have
prevailed.” - Israel means 'Wrestles with God', 'Triumphant with God.
- When we feel hopeless and worthless with our sinful nature - God is willing to cast our
sins into the sin (Micah 7:19) and renew us (Psalm 51:10-12). God change and redeem us
sinners, like he did with Jacob.
FORGIVENESS
Gen 33:3 He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he
came near to his brother.
Gen 33:4 But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and
they wept.
A. This teaches us the lesson of forgiveness, and recognizing the mistake we have made
towards others, especially family members.
B. Jacob has seen the face of God in his brother - not literal, but it is meant to symbolize
GRACE. Jacob felt that he was not worthy to be forgiven, but Esau forgave him.
Likewise, God does to us the same.
a. In Patriarchs and Prophets - God protected Jacob through sending a dream
towards Esau (Esau really did consider killing Jacob - but the Bible is silent about
this.)
FAITH
(Despite being limp, Jacob displayed courageous faith that he has been redeemed by God.)
C. Jacob’s injured hip was a BLESSING - God could’ve healed Jacob’s dislocated hip,
but He did not. Why is it so? Theologians have suggested that this may have sparked
sympathy in behalf of Esau when he saw his younger brother not being able to walk right.
If God touched the hip of Jacob, God had touched the heart of Esau.