Friday 17 November 2023

Psalm 23

Background

Following on from yesterday’s account of Jacob's dream at Bethel and receiving God’s blessing, we find him making his way home. It's a tense moment of potential conflict. In order to return home, Jacob must pass near where his twin brother Esau lives. Twenty years have passed since Jacob cheated Esau out of his birthright, but he is not sure whether he will be permitted to pass in peace and safety. Jacob does not know if Esau has forgiven him. He sends a messenger to Esau to let him know he is back in the land, that he is wealthy, and that he hopes to be received in peace. Jacob's messenger returns, announcing that Esau is coming with 400 men. Jacob does not know whether this is an escort to see him to safety, or if Esau is coming to attack him. Hoping for the best, he plans for the worst and divides his camp into two. If Esau attacks one group, perhaps the other half of the company can survive. Believing himself to be following God’s will in making the journey, Jacob seeks God’s deliverance, reminding God once more of the promise to make of Jacob a great nation. Hedging his bets, Jacob sends a generous gift to his brother Esau, hoping to appease his presumed anger and secure a safe passage.

Having sent his gift, Jacob packs up his family and all he owns, and crosses over the Jabbok River to a place of safety, returning alone back to the other side to await his brother. We then have the unexpected and mysterious wrestling match of which today’s passage tells. Jacob and the unknown assailant continue in combat until nearly to dawn. Finally, the mysterious man attains a major advantage over Jacob, dislocating his hip. Jacob, somehow realising he has been wrestling with God, or perhaps an angel, refuses to release his combatant without a blessing. The man (God) blesses Jacob and gives him the new name of 'Israel'. Jacob/Israel renames the place Peniel, meaning 'face of God'. Jacob declares he has seen God's face and been allowed to live. As the sun rises, he limps away to rejoin his family and meet his brother. Contrary to Jacob’s fears, Esau welcomes him in peace and escorts him through the land to a place of safety.

In this passage we see Jacob wrestling with God, wrestling with his own sense of guilt, wrestling with the enormity of what he has done to his brother. So often we too wrestle with these things and, like Jacob, we damage ourselves in the process. We encounter the truth and, in wrestling with it, we come away with a limp.

To Ponder:

• If you were Jacob, how would you feel in this situation?
• If you were Esau, how might you feel?
• How can the Church help you to wrestle with the situations of everyday life in order to find a Christian way forward?