Jacobs messengers brought him the frightening news that Esau is approaching with a group of four hundred men. He thinks this is an army coming against him and that Esau may kill him and everyone with him, so he prepares a plan that he hopes will save at least some of his family. Then he prays and reminds God of His promises to him.
"In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, 'If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.'" (Genesis 32:7-8) Esau has no idea how many people Jacob has with him. It's not as if Esau will know if half of the group is missing, so Jacob hopes if Esau attacks one group at least the other group will remain hidden from him.
Jacob is trying to do everything humanly possible to protect those who depend on him. Why did he not turn to God first? Why is he not bold at the impending approach of Esau as he was when Laban confronted him? I think his faith is struggling against his guilty conscience. When Laban pursued him and accused him of things he didn't do, Jacob knew he was innocent. He could stand up to Laban fearlessly because he was in the right and Laban was in the wrong. In that case I believe Jacob trusted the Lord to vindicate him and protect him. But in the case of Esau, Jacob is in the wrong. Jacob treated his brother unfairly and dishonestly. If Esau is bent on exacting revenge, Jacob hardly has the high ground. Jacob is guilty of any accusations Esau might bring against him regarding their relationship and the family inheritance and the blessing of the firstborn. Jacob doubts whether the Lord will protect him against the righteous indignation of his brother. He doubts, and yet in his mind he retains the promises of God. If God is going to fulfill the promises He's made to him, He can't allow Esau to kill him. These promises are the only firm footing Jacob can find in his panic, so now that he's done everything he can humanly do, he turns to the God who can do all things.
"Then Jacob prayed, 'O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, You who said to me, 'Go back to your country and to your relatives, and I will make you prosper,' I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. But You have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'" (Genesis 32:9-12) This is a beautiful, humble prayer. I think we can learn a lot from the way Jacob prays to the Lord in verses 9-12.
First of all, Jacob reminds himself who God is. This is the God his father Isaac trusts. This is the God his grandfather Abraham trusted. The Lord has done great things for Isaac and Abraham. Surely He is still the same God. Surely He is just as mighty. Surely He hasn't used up all His mercy but has plenty to spare for Jacob. When we come to the Lord in prayer, especially when we are asking for a big thing, it helps to remind ourselves how powerful God is. This is the One who spoke everything into existence out of nothing. This is the God who has done great things in the past and He is still the same God. His power and His mercy are not diminished in any way. He has plenty left for us.
Second, Jacob admits he is unholy and that God is holy. He humbly confesses that he is unworthy of God's kindness and faithfulness. I think sometimes our unworthiness is a reason we don't fully trust God. We think, "Why should He help me? I can understand Him helping people who have more faith than I do, or helping people who work harder in the church than I do, or helping people who are nicer and more compassionate than I am. But I've messed up a lot. Why should He help me?" Jacob had these same thoughts but he doesn't let them stop him. Instead of dwelling on his own unworthiness, he chooses to dwell on God's love. None of us is worthy of God but He loves us anyway. Because of His great love for us He has shown us compassion instead of judgment. Because of His great love for us He has made promises and kept them. If His offer of mercy depended on our worthiness, we'd have no hope. But it depends on His love, the love that compelled Him to make a way of salvation for us even though we could never earn or deserve salvation on our own. The Apostle Paul, who was once a far worse man than Jacob, marveled at God's love and mercy toward him and made this powerful statement: "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Christ didn't say, "Okay, you've gotta shape up, people. If I'm going to make this great sacrifice for you, you're going to have to clean up your act first." No, while we were still sinners and while we were still unworthy and while we were still unprofitable, Christ died for us! He died for us so that He could make us profitable servants worthy of being called by His name.
Third, Jacob reminds himself how far God has already brought him. Jacob left Canaan for Harran with nothing to his name but his walking stick. Now he has a big family and many servants and large flocks and herds. When we're struggling in the face of a problem, it helps to remind ourselves how many times God has rescued us before. Our faith will be strengthened by looking back on our lives and realizing how many times God has turned situations around. He's done miracles in my life. He's fixed things that were absolutely not fixable by human standards. They looked as hopeless as they could be, and they were hopeless if they depended only on human strength. But the God of the universe stepped in and everything changed.
Fourth, Jacob reminds himself that the Lord promised to protect him and make him prosper. If God doesn't protect him from Esau, then God is going back on His word. And God doesn't go back on his word. "God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?" (Numbers 23:19) We have to stop thinking God is like man. We've all had people break promises to us. We've all had people tell us one thing and then do another. But God is not like man who makes a promise without thinking it through. God is not like man who breaks his word. The Lord promised to be with Jacob and protect him wherever he goes, and God will not break this promise. He can't. It's not in His nature to lie or change His mind or break promises. Those traits are human traits, not God's.
Jacob concludes his preparations for meeting his brother by putting together a gift for him. He wants to show Esau he's coming in good faith and in peace. He's not coming to take over their father's estate or to claim the birthright and to lord over Esau. He has come to bless, not to receive blessing. "He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, 'Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.'" (Genesis 32:13-16) Esau is coming with his men and he is going to be met by one herd after another along the way. He's going to be increasingly impressed as he encounters each herd. He's going to want to know whose animals these are and why he's being met by them.
Jacob tells the servant who will be in front what to say when Esau asks the meaning of this procession. "He instructed the one in the lead: 'When my brother Esau meets you and asks, 'Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?' then you are to say, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.'" (Genesis 32:17-18)
Jacob makes sure the leader of each herd knows what to say. "He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: 'You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. And be sure to say, 'Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.' For he thought, 'I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.' So Jacob's gift when on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp." (Genesis 32:19-21) These gifts aren't intended to make up for what Jacob did to his brother. Nothing can replace missing out on the birthright and the blessing. The gifts are intended to smooth the way so that Jacob can enter Esau's presence peacefully. King Solomon recognized the value of gifts in paving the way for a successful meeting, and he said, "A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great." (Proverbs 18:16)
Jacob has done all that can be done. Now he just has to wait to see what will happen. We've all been there, haven't we? We've all had to just be still and wait to see what God will do. God is going to do more than Jacob ever imagined.
No comments:
Post a Comment