Women of the Word, Feb. 17

Genesis 31:43-55; 32:1-32


As we have learned, Laban implored Jacob to let bygones be bygones and make a covenant. To seal this covenant, he had Jacob set up a stone as a pilllar, and had everyone else bring stones which they placed in a heap. Laban called this place Jegar-sahadutha which seems to be untranslateable, and Jacob called it Galeed, which translates "The Heap of Witness" and he called the pillar Mizpah which translates "Watchpost." They ate and "tarried" all night and you can translate that any way you want.
Laban rose early, kissed his grandchildren and daughters and that's the last we see of him.

Jacob and his group travelled on and the angels of God met him. When he saw them, he named the spot Mahanaim, meaning "Two Camps." He then sent a message to his brother Esau saying he is coming home, and he has been staying with Laban all this time as an "alien," which term seems a little strange, despite their occasional differences. Anway, he tells Esau of his herds of animals and many slaves he is bringing with him, and that he hopes to gain favor with his brother whom, you remember, he had long ago left under not the best of circumstances.

Well.

The messengers return to tell Jacob that Esau is coming to meet him with 400 men. This does not bode well. Jacob is nervous, to say the least. He divides his people and flocks in two, figuring if one group is slaughtered the other might survive. Only he and his staff cross the Jordan River, and he stays there for the night, leaving the rest of the group on the other side. He prays fervently to God during the night, reminding God of all the promises He has made to Jacob, and the steadfast love God has shown him.

We are reminded here of the importance of "steadfast" love, the quality of which was most important to the people of this time. Jacob asks God for deliverance from the hand of Esau. And just to assure it, he takes along 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 30 milch camels and their colts, 40 cows and 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys and sends them forward with his servants as a gift to Esau. The servants are to inform Esau that Jacob is coming right along behind this parade.

At verse 22 we are at the hand of a different non-priestly writer. He recounts this as only one, not two groups, still moving along together. Jacob sent the entire retinue across the river, and he alone stayed behind, as this writer would have it.

Here occurred an epoch and much debated struggle, that of Jacob and "a man." The man could not prevail against Jacob in the all nighter and asks Jacob to let him go as dawn approaches. But Jacob would not let him go until the man blessed him. Can it be God? An angel of God? Maybe even the devil? The man did not know Jacob's name, and God would know his name. And God could out-wrestle anyone. So how can this have been God? The man told Jacob his name would hereafter be "Israel," but he continued to be called Jacob.
Nevertheless, Jacob believes he has struggled with God, for he names the place "Peniel," or "The face of God."
Yet scripture tells us that no one shall see God face to face.
In parting, the man struck Jacob on the hip socket, putting his hip out of joint and giving him a limp. Is this to signify Israel's continual struggles in the world? Mankind's struggles? Again, there are many layers to this story.
As a post script, to this day, the Israelites do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the hip joint because that is where Jacob was struck.

Submitted by Betty Jean Miller (Deenie)