Title Page. Lesson Four Genesis 32:9-10 9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return.

Title Page

Lesson Four

Genesis 32:9-10

Genesis 32:9-109 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.

Genesis 32:11-12

Genesis 32:11-1211 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.

Genesis 32:24-27

Genesis 32:24-2724 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

Genesis 32:28-30

Genesis 32:28-3028 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Focus Verse

Genesis 32:28

And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a

prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Focus Thought

Man can please God only when he dies to self and allows the Lord to

become Master in his life.

IntroductionIntroduction

Sometimes our past gets ahead of us and waits just around the corner to confront us with our yesterdays. Such a situation awaited Jacob as he left Padanaram and returned to the land promised to his grandfather, Abraham.

IntroductionAlthough the situation with his father-in-law, Laban, had become untenable, Jacob just swallowed hard and continued to watch every deal closely until the Lord spoke to him to leave. Once God had spoken to him, Jacob began preparing to return to the land of his fathers. He met with his principal wives and presented his case against their father. They agreed with their husband and pledged to cooperate with him as he obeyed the command of God.

IntroductionAs untenable as the situation had become in Padanaram, all was not rosy ahead of Jacob. The bitterness from his connivance approximately twenty years before had sunk its roots deeply into Esau’s psyche. Bitterness has a way of slowly germinating within a person and suddenly springing up to defile that individual. (See Hebrews 12:15.) Jacob now had to deal with the fruits of yesteryear’s planting before he could find rest.

I. Jacob—Homeward Bound A

Jacob—Homeward Bound

A. Homeward Bound

“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” (Genesis

32:9).


Jacob started home at God’s command. Although he was walking in the will of God, he still faced difficulties. God had promised to “deal well” with him, but Esau seemed to be an immediate threat that might overwhelm the promise of God. Jacob made a desperate plea for the help of God. Despite the fact that his problems with his father-in-law, Laban, had finally ended amicably, he had qualms about the impending meeting with his estranged brother.


It is not unusual for someone who is obeying God to face problems with less than perfect faith that everything will turn out all right. Even the fact that Jacob had recently encountered a host of angels at Mahanaim was insufficient to keep fear from his heart. Each of us can become frightened by the growl of oncoming events even though we know that God is greater than any lurking threat. A menacing obstacle may call for extra caution on our part, but ultimately God will deal with every obstacle and challenge believers may face.

I. Jacob—Homeward Bound AYesterday’s dream of encouragement

during the night of despair (Genesis 28:12-22) can easily fade in the glare of an oncoming problem (Genesis 32:6-7). At times, God’s definite direction and promise can seem like a figment of our imagination when we face the immediacy of a looming crisis.

I. Jacob—Homeward Bound B

B. Humbled Spirit

“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” (Genesis 32:10).

I. Jacob—Homeward Bound BThe approaching danger helped Jacob to

remember how many blessings he had received from God. He remembered his pitiable condition twenty years earlier when he had passed near this place going the other way. At that point his only possession worth noting was the staff he held in his hand.

I. Jacob—Homeward Bound B

Since that time he had become a wealthy and powerful man. Not only did he have four wives and twelve children, but he also had acquired herds and flocks sufficient to provide Esau with a sizable gift. He also commanded sufficient manpower to send this gift in three droves while others cared for his animals that remained. Remembering such bounty caused Jacob to acknowledge the beneficence and blessing of God.

I. Jacob—Homeward Bound C

C. Hallowed Promises Remembered

“And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as

the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitide”

(Genesis 32:12).

I. Jacob—Homeward Bound CNow that Jacob faced the perceived

danger of the meeting with his brother, he also remembered the promise of God to his family. It is amazing how we can rock along in our lives, taking God and His promises for granted, until some danger or trauma reminds us of our weakness and God’s goodness.


Mankind has changed little through the centuries. When we face a situation that seemingly will not yield to our puny efforts, we quickly remember God’s promises from the past. Trouble reminds us of the pledges of Him who is ever faithful. God’s assurances are steadfast even when we bring them to the forefront only in times of distress. Thankfully, He does not hold our forgetfulness against us if we remember and act on His promises.


Our remembrance of promises provides a semblance of a rudder when the stormy seas of trouble toss our boat of life. When problems toss us so violently that the rudder of God’s promises comes out of the water, we lose our stability. However, even in the most tumultuous times, the rudder of His promises can be in contact with His eternality often enough to send us in the right direction.

II. Journey’s InterruptionJourney’s Interruption

After settling affairs with Laban, a meeting with another part of Jacob’s family interrupted his steady march back to the land of his fathers. He knew that eventually he would have to deal with his brother, Esau. The disturbing news that Esau was coming accompanied by four hundred men certainly caused Jacob to change his planned itinerary.

II. Journey’s InterruptionInstead of a mere announcement of his coming, Jacob took 580 animals from his various flocks and sent them as a three-part present to Esau. He also divided his family into two companies and separated them so if one were attacked the other might have time to escape.

II. Journey’s InterruptionAfter having made what natural preparations he could, Jacob separated himself on the other side of the brook Jabbok. This stream constituted the boundary of area claimed later by the children of Ammon (Deuteronomy 3:16). Its name may be symbolic of the great events that took place there that night. During the wrestling, Jacob experienced a great pouring out or emptying of his self-sufficiency.

Jabbok DefinitionJabbok: “emptying” (Smith’s Bible Dictionary);

“a pouring out, or a wrestling” (Easton’s Bible

Dictionary); “pouring out or emptying”

(Fausset’s Bible Dictionary); “evacuation,

dissipation, wrestling” (Hitchcock’s Bible

Names Dictionary)

II. Journey’s Interruption AA. Alone with Self

“And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day”

(Genesis 32:24).

II. Journey’s Interruption AAfter Jacob had done all within his power—sending gifts and communicating through his herdsmen that he was Esau’s servant—he withdrew himself from his family into a solitary place. The Scriptures do not inform us of Jacob’s purpose in this severance. Whether he withdrew to pray or to plot and scheme is at best a matter of conjecture.

II. Journey’s Interruption AOften in times of solitude we come face-to-face with our own weaknesses and inadequacies. We frequently discover the solution to our difficulties in such times. Seldom do we find the same answers on the crowded highways of life that become apparent in the stillness of separation.

II. Journey’s Interruption AMultiple mighty people of God had times of solitude in the development of their walk with God. Joseph was alone several times, even while surrounded by brothers, merchants, slaves, officers, and rulers. Moses, Joshua, David, John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul, and Jonah all had a time of isolation in their development.

II. Journey’s Interruption BB. Alone with God

“And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he

touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of

Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him”

(Genesis 32:25).

Hosea 12:4II Timothy 2:2

“Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made

supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us”

(Hosea 12:4).

II. Journey’s Interruption BWhatever Jacob’s purpose may have been, he wound up in a face-off with God. In the dark stillness of the night, what seemed to be a man assaulting Jacob interrupted his plans. Jacob’s strategies were broken up by the intervention of “the angel.” At the end of the battle, Jacob realized he had wrestled with One who was no ordinary man, but truly was the Lord Himself (Genesis 32:30).

II. Journey’s Interruption BWhen the dust of the conflict had settled and Jacob—whose name was now Israel—had gathered his wits about him, he renamed this place of conflict Peniel, which means “the face of God.” In whatever way others might later describe his opponent in this battle, Jacob knew that he had encountered the Almighty.

II. Journey’s Interruption BIn his book Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants, Dr. Paul Brand pointed out that the turmoil on the battlefield may prevent a wounded soldier from feeling the severity of his wound. However, when the battle is over and that stimulus is removed, the pain of the injury becomes uppermost in his consciousness. In similar fashion, when Jacob removed himself from the busy preparations to face Esau, his need to face himself and his own shortcomings came to the forefront.

II. Journey’s Interruption CC. Abdicates Personal Pride

“And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said,

I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” (Genesis 32:26).

II. Journey’s Interruption CIt is one thing to acknowledge the material blessings that one has accumulated over the years. It is yet another to abdicate a position of personal superiority by admitting one’s need that only a greater one could supply. A principle of relative worth and importance had been established in Abraham’s day. The writer of the Book of Hebrews stated this principle: “And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better” (Hebrews 7:7).

II. Journey’s Interruption CEven though Jacob demanded a blessing as a condition for releasing his opponent from the fight, his acknowledgement of his need of a blessing showed his awareness of his need. His cry, “Bless me,” was a concession that sounded the death knell of Jacob’s self-sufficient pride. Jesus could have had this incident in mind when He addressed a certain multitude:

II. Journey’s Interruption C“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). By admitting his need and weakness, Jacob positioned himself to receive far more than he bestowed.

II. Journey’s Interruption CCenturies later, Saul of Tarsus learned the same lesson through a similar encounter. (See Acts 9:3-6.) His abdication of self-directing pride ultimately brought him to a similar position of power with God. He became known as the apostle Paul, and he described the result in his letter to the church in Philippi.

Philippians 4:12-13II Timothy 2:2

“I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where

and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry,

both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ

which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:12-13).

III. Jacob—A Prince with God A

Jacob—A Prince with God

A. Acknowledges His Name—Jacob, the Deceiver

“And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob”

(Genesis 32:27).

III. Jacob—A Prince with God AThe first step in making a change is to

acknowledge a problem. The fact that various self-help organizations have incorporated this principle does not invalidate it. Long before any multiple-step program rephrased this tenet, the Bible contained the principle.

III. Jacob—A Prince with God AIn the midst of the wrestling match,

Jacob’s opponent asked his identity. The name Jacob meant “heel-catcher,” and by implication, “supplanter and deceiver.” Jacob may have been able to self-justify his deceitful responses to the chicanery of his uncle, Laban. However, he needed to acknowledge that he too had a problem with honesty. (See Proverbs 18:17.)

III. Jacob—A Prince with God A

As long as Jacob could win by his sneakiness, he was not compelled to admit and change his own character flaws. His repeated successes only ratified his methods of reaching those triumphs. He took advantage of Esau’s time of weakness to buy the birthright. He took advantage of Esau’s absence and Isaac’s blindness to gain the blessing. Although Laban tricked him, Jacob used his knowledge of breeding and genetics to increase his portion of the herd despite the multiple revisions of their herding contract.

III. Jacob—A Prince with God B

B. A New Name—Israel

God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. There seems to be no solid consensus among Bible scholars as to an exact meaning for the name. Rather, we discover a plethora of suggested meanings for the name Israel: “prince with God”; “he strives with God”; “let God rule”; “God strives” (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary); “soldier of God” (Smith’s Bible Dictionary); and “you have wrestled with God” (Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology).

III. Jacob—A Prince with God B

This is one of three instances in the Old Testament where God changed a person’s name. The change from Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah were the others. Some people in the Bible changed their names upon their ascension to an office or position. (See Genesis 41:45; II Kings 23:34; 24:17.) Others used multiple names, much as someone might have a nickname today. (See Genesis 25:30; Numbers 13:16; II Samuel 12:25.)

III. Jacob—A Prince with God BSimilarly, in the New Testament, Jesus

changed Simon’s name to Peter or Cephas (Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:16; Luke 6:14; John 1:42). He also tagged James and John with the nickname Boanerges, or “the sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). The apostles gave Joses the name of Barnabas (Acts 4:36).

III. Jacob—A Prince with God BAlthough changing names was common

in ancient times, Jacob’s name change carried great significance. It marked a turning point in the life of the man whom God had chosen to be a key link in the chain of mankind’s salvation. From this time forward he approached the challenges of life from a different perspective. He was more prone to trust in God and less likely to lean on his own strength and ability.

III. Jacob—A Prince with God C

C. A New Relationship

In his night at Jabbok, Jacob was forced into a new relationship—not only with God, but also with others. When the wrestling match reached the breaking of dawn, the Lord crippled Jacob’s strength by dislocating his thigh with just a touch.


The human body is constructed in such a way that its strength is concentrated in the thighs and hips. Strong arms are of little value if there is no strong and stable platform in the legs. A person should never attempt to perform serious lifting with only his arms or back, but he should lift using the strength of his legs. Only in this major set of muscles and bones is there enough might to accomplish many challenging tasks. No matter how strong one’s arms may be—if he cannot stand, he cannot fight well.


Though now crippled, Jacob discovered a strength within himself that had been hidden under the veneer of his human ability. He still refused to cede the match. Until that point, Jacob had relied on his own abilities. However, he threw himself upon the Lord and clung to Him for a blessing after losing his human strength. Suddenly, his reliance had to be on the blessing of God rather than on his own capability. Jacob showed a spiritual strength at least equal to his physical power by holding on to the only real source of might.


Sometimes we are hindered more by our natural strength than by our spiritual weakness. As long as Jacob was naturally strong, he had little concept of his weakness in the Spirit. His human ability was well capable of great accomplishment with only a minor involvement of God, or so he thought. It was only when his human might was crippled that Jacob began to realize his true need and the source of real strength.

III. Jacob—A Prince with God CInterestingly, when Jacob fled to his

Uncle Laban, he set up the stone he had used as a pillow to be a pillar unto the Lord. No further mention of anything resembling an altar to the Lord is mentioned until Jacob was on his way back home.


When Jacob “threw himself on God” as a result of the crippling disability, he made a proper contact with the Lord. Until then, God had been merely an intermittent—albeit helpful and encouraging—part of Jacob’s life. After the night at Jabbok, however, every step Jacob took reminded him of his encounter with real might. From that time on, Jacob no longer depended on his own abilities.


After the battle at Jabbok, Jacob knew from whence any victory must now come. Not only was he aware that his physical strength was insufficient, but also that his devising and scheming fell short of long-term solutions for his problems. All his plotting had repeatedly gotten him out of one problem only to lead him into another greater difficulty.


When Jacob learned to trust God for the process as well as for the product, his life went much more smoothly. Instead of taking advantage of weakness and using deception, Jacob trusted God. In his trust lay the seeds of a new type of harvest. As Jacob exercised submission and humility before Esau, God wrought change in the elder brother’s attitude. When Jacob took control of his family and commanded the cessation of idolatry, God put a fear on those in nearby cities, which gave protection to his kin. (See Genesis 35:4-5.)


We could easily pinpoint various failures in Jacob’s life after his encounter with God. Indeed, even the most faith-filled individuals still have problems with their flesh. When God touched Jacob, the sinew only shrank. God did not remove his flesh; He only weakened it. Failures and unbelief continued to follow the life of Jacob; but overall, he became a man who had power with God because he had submitted to God’s rule.

III. Jacob—A Prince with God CBecause Jacob began to operate in God’s

strength instead of his own, God fought his battles for him. God turned the murderous intent of Esau into a tearful reunion (Genesis 27:41-42; 33:4). He also transformed the bitter anger of the friends of the Shechemites into terror (Genesis 35:5).

III. Jacob—A Prince with God CWhat Jacob lacked in physical strength,

God supplied by moving upon the hearts of those around him. When age and infirmity of body gripped the patriarch, Jacob stood as a guest and blessing-giver before Pharaoh, the ruler of the greatest nation of that time. On his deathbed, Jacob received power from God to pronounce the future of his sons and their descendants through the ages. God gave him power with mankind.

III. Jacob—A Prince with God D

D. A Brother Forgives

“And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and

kissed him: and they wept” (Genesis 33:4).


As Jacob’s adrenalin level returned to normal after the previous night’s engagement with the angel, Esau and his warriors came into view. Because of the outcome of Jacob’s struggle, he no longer relied on holding an upper hand or the trickery prescribed by his mother. Instead, he “took the humble side.” Jacob did not approach Esau from the superior position that the birthright and blessing had provided him.


Whatever Esau’s original intentions may have been, when he met Jacob the hatred of the previous twenty years was no longer the driving force in his life. The strong grip of emotion overcame Esau as he greeted his long-separated sibling. This may have been Esau’s intention all along. We may never know, but traveling with four hundred men does not suggest nonviolent intent.


The wise man wrote, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7). Certainly, Jacob’s response to God’s plan paid immediate dividends in the peace that came between the two brothers.

ReflectionsA person’s talents and abilities may often lead him to suffer delusions of adequacy. Only when we yield our plans and strengths to God do we find real sufficiency. Our own abilities and talents generally come up with solutions to problems that only get us “out of the frying pan and into the fire.”

ReflectionsAs masterful a trickster as Jacob was, he was bested by his uncle in the arena of deception. No matter how great our talent or strength, there is always someone more talented and stronger. Our success in life does not come from our abilities alone, but from having a right relationship with God.

ReflectionsJeremiah found that God could cause everything to come out in his favor even when all the rulers of the country opposed him. Pleasing God was more powerful than political pressure: “The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction” (Jeremiah 15:11). When God’s people were not cooperative in protecting His messenger, the enemy broke through the gates to safeguard God’s prophet.

ReflectionsSaul of Tarsus thought he was doing God a service by persecuting the church. (See John 16:2; Philippians 3:6.) However, his encounter with God on the road to Damascus proved how very wrong this able young man was. After his own wrestling match between God’s will and his misconceptions, Saul yielded his talents to the Lord and declared Jesus to be the Son of God (Acts 9:19-20).

ReflectionsWhen we sacrifice self-will and ambition on the altar of God’s will, the road to happiness and success opens. Looking out for number one may make a good title for a book, but placing ourselves ahead of God’s purpose is a poor philosophy of life. Indeed, doing the will of God is the only way to real fulfillment and abundant life.

Title Page. Lesson Four Genesis 32:9-10 9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return.

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