PREPARING FOR THE ENCOUNTER WITH ESAU If Jacob got much confused, and feared his encounter with Esau, yet God prepared his heart for that encounter by His appearance and warning to his uncle Laban, to confirm to him that He is his Keeper and the Disposer of his life. And on his way, God appeared, and allowed Jacob to wrestle with Him, to be granted a new name, to be carried by the Church of the Old Testament along the ages. 1- Jacob with the angels of God 1-2. 2- Jacob sends messengers to his brother 3-8. 3- Jacob resorts to God, the God of his father 9-12. 4- Jacob sends a present to his brother 13-23. 5- Jacob wrestles with God 24-32. 1- JACOB WITH THE ANGELS OF GOD “So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, ‘This is God’s camp,’ and he called the name of that place, ’Mahanaim’” (Gen. 32:1-2). While Laban returned with his brothers to the land in which he had put his heart, Jacob, in turn, set forth with his household and all his possessions toward Canaan, as though to the heavenly Canaan, the promised land. This is why the angels of God met him. Jacob represents the Church sojourning on the earth, setting forth with all its hearts, members, and all its possessions, toward the bosom of the Father, by the Holy Spirit, through its union with, and abiding in its Head, Jesus Christ. It walks hidden in its Christ, and supported by His hosts (the angels of God). That was what Jacob saw, as he said, “This is God’s camp...”. We are walking in a divine procession, accompanied by the angels, who desire our salvation. It seems that the number of angels that Jacob saw, was so huge, that he called them, “God’s camp” and called the place “Mahanaim,” meaning ‘two camps’: Jacob and his household representing an apparent army, while the angels of God supporting them are representing a divine, unseen army. Origen believes that the Church that embraces those fearing God, when it convenes, it also includes the angels of God, who surround them. There would be both a seen Church, another unseen one of angels. All convene together in Jesus Christ the ‘Cornerstone,’ who unifies the earthly with the heavenly, for the Church to become a “Mahanaim,” namely two camps united together. 2- JACOB SENDS MESSENGERS TO HIS BROTHER God taught Jacob two lessons, the first through His appearance to Laban, approaching with the intention to harm Jacob, but stopped by God. The second was through the appearance of His angels to him. Yet Jacob, in his human weakness, feared the wrath of his brother Esau, so he sent messengers to test his feelings toward him. Esau has been in the land of ‘Seir,’ the country of ‘Edom,’ which were two names of Esau: He was called ‘Seir,’ namely ‘hairy,’ as well as ‘Edom,’ namely ‘red or bloody’ (Gen. 25:25). That region, might have been called ‘Seir,’ because of its numerous trees that gave it the impression of hair covering the body; and extended from the Gulf of Aquaba to the Dead Sea, it belonged to the ‘Horites’ (Gen. 14:6), 4 then taken over by Esau. Jacob sent messengers with a message of hope to have favor in his sight, without seeking the counsel of God, or asking for his support... even though, in his message, he used the spirit of love and humility, calling his brother ‘lord.’ Esau listened to the message. He was very rich, and came to meet his brother with 400 men with him, something that made Jacob afraid and distressed (Gen. 32:7). He divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels into two companies, so that in case Esau attacked one of them, the other company would escape, and thought of sending a present of love, to find favor in the sight of his brother. Jacob is not to be blamed for his plan especially that he acted with wisdom and humility. However, he is to be blamed for not seeking God’s counsel! 3- JACOB RESORTS TO GOD, GOD OF HIS FATHERS Greatly distressed and afraid of his brother Esau, Jacob resorted to God by prayers that came strong and effective, having the following criteria: (1) He speaks with God through a personal relationship, calling Him: “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac” (Gen. 32:9). He does not speak with God, as a God, isolated from humanity, nor as a lover of mankind in general, but as His Father, and Father of his family. How wonderful for man to feel that he is on the level of a personal relationship with God. This was obvious in the life of St. Augustine, who once said, that he feels that there is nobody else in the world, but God and himself; God granting him all love, and he responds by presenting God with his whole heart. (2) He reminds God of His promises: “The Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and your kindred, and I will deal well with you” (Gen. 32:9). God is pleased, when His children insist on the realization of His divine promises, and hold on to them in the spirit of loving sonship. (3) In his prayer, he feels weak before God’s exalted and rich love; as though he shies from asking for more, saying: “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all the truth which you have shown your servant” (Gen. 32:10). All what he is asking for now, is nothing but an extension of enjoyment of the practical riches of God’s love, which he had already tasted! He is not asking, as though he has some right, nor asking Him to give him back, for some good he did. But he is asking Him to give him, as he used to, along all his years, as He was, and still is, rich and generous in His giving. (4) Jacob says, “I crossed the Jordan with my staff; and now I have become two companies” (Gen. 32:10). He left his father’s house empty-handed, with no possessions other than the staff in his hand. And now, he is returning in two great companies. He is, as though, like a believer, setting forth from the world, carrying in his heart, his staff, namely his cross, as the source of his strength. Through this divine staff he acquired, he becomes, in God’s eyes, as two companies, as he is sanctified in his spirit, as well as in his body, the spirit presenting all its energies, and the body all its senses, sanctified in the Lord! Fr. Caesarius sees in Jacob, as he departs with a staff to return in two companies, a type of Christ the Lord, saying: [Jacob utilized his staff to acquire his 5 wife; while the Lord Christ carried his cross to save the Church1.] Finally, having related God to himself and to his family; and after reminding Him of His divine promises, declaring his right in those promises, not because of righteousness, but because of the abundant and exceeding riches of God’s love, and after considering faith in the power of the cross (his staff), he finally asked Him to deliver him! May we present our problems, troubles and needs, but only after offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God, and after enjoying an amiable talk with Him, and bringing to light His amazing deeds with us! 4- JACOB SENDS A PRESENT TO HIS BROTHER Wisely, Jacob sent to his brother a present of love, to extinguish the flame of wrath that kindled 20 years ago, seeking his love through 580 heads of sheep, camels, cows, and colts etc. He sent his present in successively, in order to appease the heart of his brother. With the present, he offered humility, commanding the servants who delivered his presents to say to his brother, if he asks them, ‘Whose are these in front of you?’ “‘They are your servant Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us. For he said, ‘I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me” (Gen. 32:18-20) May we make peace with all people to gain everyone as a friend through the matters of this finite world, and with the spirit of humility, that lifts us up in the eyes of God, of His angels, and also of people! Finally, Jacob took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the stream of Jabbock, namely the river of Jabbock, one of the tributaries of the Jordan River, 23 miles north of the Dead Sea, now called ‘El-Zarka.’ 5- JACOB WRESTLES WITH GOD “Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of day” (Gen. 32: 24). Having crossed, together with his family, the stream of Jabbock, Jacob was left alone to meditate; as though he was getting ready for his encounter with his brother Esau, through an encounter with God. A man appeared to him, who some scholars believe to be an angel in the form of man. He was not the Word of God, but represented the divine presence. Jacob says: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Gen. 32:30). And, it was said to him: “For you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Gen. 32:28). “When He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint, as He wrestled with him” (Gen. 32:25). Namely, the angel saw that Jacob, in his struggle, did not surrender but resisted all night; a situation, in which, as the angel appears, as though defeated by man, He lightly touched the socket of Jacob’s hip. Jacob insisted, not to let the angel go “until He blesses him” (Gen. 32:26); realizing that he was dealing with a heavenly Being. St. Augustine comments on this episode, saying: [Why did Jacob wrestle with Him and caught Him? Because “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12), Why did he wrestle? In order to take Him 1 Ser. 87:2. 6 by labor; as whatever we get after strife, we hold to it more strongly1.] And he also says: [The man defeated the angel; yet the conqueror persists on holding the angel until He blesses him. What a great mystery! The defeated blesses the conqueror! He was defeated, because He chose that, to appear weak in His flesh form, although in His greatness, He was strong; “For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God” (2 Corinthians 13:4)2.] What happened with Jacob, before his encounter with Esau, to overcome him with love, refers to what the Lord Christ did, coming as weak, carrying our nature, to occupy the last row, to be counted as a trespasser, and to bear the disgrace of the cross; but, risen from the dead, He blesses our nature, and renews it in Him! St. Ambrose believes that what happened with Jacob concerning the socket of his hip getting out of joint, refers to the fellowship of his passion with the Lord Christ, who will incarnate through his seed, saying: [In his passion he acknowledges the heir of his body, and by Him he would pre-identify the passion of his heir, through what happened to the socket of his hip3.] The struggle ended with the angel asking Jacob about his name, not that He does not know it, but in order to change it to a new name fit for him as a struggler, saying to him: “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have struggled with God, and with men, and have prevailed” (Gen. 32:28). And as said by St. Clement of Alexandria: [The new name was presented to him for the new people4], as though this gift was not granted to Jacob personally, but to the whole people of God, as a sign of their spiritual strife. Jacob called the name of the place ‘Paniel,’ namely, ‘God’s face,’ considering himself fortunate to have seen God face to face, and his life is preserved with sunrise, Jacob set forth to join his family, encouraged by these visions and that struggle. 1 On Ps. 148. 2 On Ps. 80. 3 On Belief of Resur 2:100. 4 Paedagogus 1:7.
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