Jacob's Steps Toward Reconciliation — and the Wrestling at the Jabbok

Jacob's Strategy — Intelligence, Prayer, and Preparation

Jacob left the land of Canaan alone and with nothing. Now, 21 years later, he is returning with two wives, 12 sons, great wealth — but the greatest weight on Jacob's shoulders was not his wealth, or the number of sheep, goats and camels that he was bringing back to the land of Canaan. The greatest weight was his fear of his brother Esau.

While living in the diaspora, Jacob's family had not been exactly clean from idolatry. In last week's reading of the Torah we learned that his family had taken the household idols from Laban's house with them. However, Jacob's biggest challenge was his inevitable encounter with his brother Esau.

The first step that Jacob takes before his meeting with Esau is to send a group of messengers ahead — to spy out Esau's feelings toward Jacob and his family. Jacob wanted to know if after all these years Esau was still full of anger and still filled with murderous intent. The main reason for this first mission from Jacob to Esau was to gather intelligence and to give Esau a good reason to be interested in meeting with his brother Jacob. In other words, Jacob's messengers tell Esau the following: "I am honoring you my older brother and informing you that if we don't meet and make peace you have much to regret. I am a wealthy man, and it would pay for you to receive me and my family graciously." It is a message of appeasement and a presentation of good reasoning for Esau to receive Jacob in peace.

Esau's response is, "I am coming to meet you, but I don't trust you. I am coming with an army of 400 to see you." Jacob's response shows that he understood exactly what Esau was communicating to him.

Jacob's Prayer — A Model of Humility

Here is what happened when Jacob crossed the Jordan River with his family. He prepared for the worst. He took precaution, considering every possible scenario. He divided his camp into two halves to minimize his risk. It is not out of mistrust in God and His promises that Jacob did this, but out of wisdom and strategy. He sends messengers of peace and gifts to his brother Esau offering the hand of peace and reconciliation. By doing this there was a tacit confession that there was some irregularity in their previous relationship. Jacob sends gifts to his brother, rich and expensive gifts, to show how much he respects and appreciates his brother Esau. This, in the Middle East, is a very important part of both peaceful business relationships and of the "Sulcha" — the reconciliation and peace-making experience.

Jacob prayed to God and remembered and reminded himself in the prayer of God's wonderful promises and prophecies that He had promised him. This was a great encouragement to Jacob and gave him strength. This is something that we always ought to remember — God's promises to us as His children. They are a source of strength and courage and hope on which we can rely and trust.

Let us look at Jacob's prayer and learn from it some important things about ourselves and about our Lord. The identity of God is clear and it is mentioned in the history of Jacob's family in its relationship with the almighty God of Abraham and Isaac. Jacob's return to the land is a result of God's instruction and prophetic request that he ought to return to his family and to his country. He is not coming to God with pride and with an attitude.

He is petitioning: deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother — You O Lord have given my father and grandfather Abraham the promises that my descendants will be as the sand of the sea, beyond numbering. Jacob's prayer is an example of humility and submission to the Lord, and it also includes a strong argument that says: "Lord you have made my forefathers and me promises that we will become a great nation." How can your promises be fulfilled if Esau takes my life and destroys my family?

Wrestling at the Jabbok — From Jacob to Israel

Before the meeting with Esau, God sends His angel to fight with Jacob by the Jabbok River. The reason for this encounter at the Jabbok is a genius touch of God's grace. Jacob had to become Israel — he had to stop trusting in his own wisdom, in his cunning, and in his abilities, and to learn that the ultimate outcome of his life, and I would add, of all our lives, is in the hands of the Lord Himself.

This is a meeting of major importance for Jacob, because this angel is the one who renames Jacob "Israel" because he wrestled with "God's messenger" and stood his ground. What was the purpose of this struggle and the change of name from Jacob — which implies "second, a follower" — to Israel, someone who struggled with God and survived or succeeded? Jacob the man who is described earlier as sitting in his tent and contemplating, is now a man who has struggled with God and was not defeated. A man whose seed will carry the Abrahamic promises all the way unto the end of this Earth, and the ushering in of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

The greatest challenge in our lives as disciples of Yeshua, is to stop trusting in ourselves and in our abilities, and our own hearts, and to put our hands in the hands of the One who parted the Red Sea and who allowed His children to cross over on dry ground. Our challenge is to not let go of the hand of Yeshua when we are walking through the storm, and crossing through the dark cold eternal night, and to keep looking to God for His blessings and to not let go of His hand!

The event at the Jabbok River is a monumental event that has shaped Jacob and the entire nation of Israel and that continues to shape us as Jews and as disciples of the Messiah, up until this day. What we have to learn from these two brothers is that the one who is really the strong one in faith and in character ought to show honor and respect to his brother. Jacob regained his footing before God and men at the Jabbok River, and in life, we all, as disciples of the Messiah and as children of God must wrestle with our own angel as we cross the river of our lives.

As we pray several times each day: