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Awesome Hands – Part 21

“ Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother”

In part 20 of the awesome hands study, we ended with chapter 31 and Jacob finally leaving his father in laws house.

Before we got to this point, we so several significant events unfold which show us how the Lord works with us also in our walks with Him.

Gen 31:30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
Gen 31:31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

When we finally arrive at the point in our walk with God that we know that whatever we do in the flesh and with a carnal minded focus is going to negatively impact us, we typically get fearful that our carnal mind and the things we do in it are going to come back to haunt us.

In Jacob’s case He is fearful that Laban, a type of our carnally minded man, is going to take what Jacob loves. So, he flees so that Laban doesn’t know about it.

Gen 31:32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
Gen 31:33 And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the two maidservants’ tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.
Gen 31:34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
Gen 31:35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.

It appears that Jacob is so naïve and favors Rachel so much that he doesn’t so much as suspect that his wife could have taken these images and idols.

He wouldn’t have made the statement to kill the person found with the images if he thought there was a chance that his favorite wife would have been the one guilty.

This situation is so similar to how we naturally act it is almost like Jacob should say Steven.

In our early walk of coming to the Lord’s house, where we truly want to return to the “land of our kindred,” we have a lot of confidence in our flesh.

Jacob is so confident that no one in his party took Laban’s gods that Jacob says that the person that has them should die. Lo and behold, it is his most favored wife who has taken them.

However, Jacob doesn’t know that Rachel has taken them so it now time for Jacob’s beast to get a turn to get upset with Laban that Laban would accuse Jacob of such a thing as stealing his gods.

Gen 31:36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
Gen 31:37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
Gen 31:38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
Gen 31:39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
Gen 31:40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
Gen 31:41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
Gen 31:42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

Here, we finally see Jacob confront the “old man” with what the God of the “new man” has laid upon his mind and heart.

The flesh and the carnally minded old man require everything to be in submission to their will. This must be confronted in us all as we start the journey to head home to our Fathers house.

Notice, we do have proverbial baggage which we DO NOT even know about which will be making the journey with us in our most valued and cherished thoughts and feelings.

In Jacob’s case, his love for Rachel has deceived him into proclaiming harshly and loudly what was on his heart and mind to and towards Laban.

The Lord has written in Jacob’s book that Laban would not find out about Rachel at this time, but indeed this scenario is known of God since it is the Lord Himself who caused it all to happen.

At the conclusion of Genesis chapter 31 we see that it is revealed just what we do when we make deals with the flesh, Laban in type and shadow.

Gen 31:43 And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?
Gen 31:44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

Laban just a little before this tells Jacob pointedly, “it is in my hand to do they harm” and then turns around and lets Jacob know that everything that now belongs to Jacob is really Laban’s in Laban’s mind.

Then Laban goes on to say, “what did you expect that I would to THEM my daughters and their children?”

As was mentioned before, Laban came out thinking full well that Jacob had stolen his gods from him and he was undoubtedly coming to take back what he considered to be his, ALL of his.

Jacob uses this scenario to make a covenant with the very person he was fleeing from.

Jacob has been coming to Laban so many times letting him know that he wanted to go back to Isaac’s house and now when he finally has gotten to this point, He still makes one last covenant with Laban “for peace” and “not harm.”

“The angels of God met him”

Continuing from the last study and the end of Gen 31, we are going to start part 21 with immediately meeting the angels of God.

As we just covered, we have just confronted the “old man” Laban and afterwards we make a covenant with Laban which had just come out against us to do us hurt or harm.

If the Lord has not intervened that is exactly what Laban would have done, yet here we again making a deal with the very thing we know is harmful to us.

Starting in Gen 32 we see:

Gen 32:1 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
Gen 32:2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

I am not sure about you all, but when I see something that is mentioned very briefly it perks up my “spiritual ears”.

We see that Jacob is “on his way” and when Jacob is on “his way” it is NOW that angels of God met Jacob. Jacob has literally come up to see the armies of God and he called the place Mahanaim which means two camps, Jacobs camp and the camp of God.

This name also tells us WHERE this happens. It happens “east of the Jordan”, in other words it happens at the start of our journey to our Fathers house.

This is directly after we see Laban departing.

Gen 31:54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
Gen 31:55 And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.

It is now in the morning when Jacob starts off that he is met with the angels of God. We know who the angels are but just to state it clearly for those that may not know, angels are messengers of God and those who are with the testimony of Jesus have the spirit of prophesy.

1Sa 10:6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
1Sa 10:7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

Rev 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

It is when we are presented with the testimony of Jesus that we will soon have our walk changed completely, Lord willing.

This is exactly what is about to happen with Jacob but it is very telling for us just how this happens. All these things are written as ensamples for us for who the end of the ages are come.

Jacob is now in the position to come up against another battle for which he again will not be able to win.

As we saw in the last study, Jacob’s favored wife was responsible for taking Laban’s gods and therefore Jacob was unaware that he was still carrying something with him that he had no idea of, but the Lord knows.

It is in verse 32:3 that we see Jacob’s next move.

Gen 32:3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
Gen 32:4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:
Gen 32:5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

In a very real sense, Jacob is trying to appease his flesh. Not only is this a type and shadow that Jacob has been delivered of one “trial” of his flesh with Laban, now here he is trying to appease his elder brother who is his twin.

Jacob knew that Esau would come up against him as soon as Esau knew where Jacob was. Esau chased him out and now Jacob is going to be confronted with what he has sowed.

However, it is just like as happened with Laban, the Lord is going to “step in” and prepare a way of escape for Jacob but the Lord is going to make sure Jacob’s mind, in type and shadow, is also changed.

Gen 32:6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

At this point, Jacob is scared. Jacob is going to try and do something to preserve himself and his house but against 400 men who aren’t coming to shake hands, Jacob is going to be slaughtered. So, Jacob takes action.

“Jacob was greatly afraid”

Gen 32:7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;
Gen 32:8 And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

When Jacob was first made a shepherd of the flocks, he was simply taking care of Laban’s flocks but he eventually found himself being groomed to be a “separator” of the flocks.

He was tending to his and Laban’s flock but all the flock first came from the flock of Laban’s. Now, we see that Jacob again is going to divide “all that he has” and again it is for his own benefit that he is doing this.

Jacob figures that if Esau slaughters one group the other will be left, but he is going to go to the backup plan of the backup plan just in case.

Gen 32:9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:
Gen 32:10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

Jacob admits to God in his distresses that he is not worthy of God’s mercies and truths and has come to a point that he knows that when we first started off on this journey he started with NOTHING save a walking stick but now after coming back to this Father’s house he has been greatly blessed.

Notice, even Jacob knows that it is even more apparent that the Lord only is the savior because it would be a lot easier for one man to try to elude Esau and his men than these large groups of flocks and people.

In the same fashion, it is when we have made deals with the flesh, seen that our flesh has no answer for us but the death of itself, that we call out in our distresses and the LORD answers us so that He will be glorified.

It is the work of the sovereign hands of the Lord that our deliverance is going to happen.

Psa 4:1 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David. Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
Psa 4:2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
Psa 4:3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
Psa 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Psa 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

Psa 50:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:
Psa 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Gen 32:11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.
Gen 32:12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

With this type and shadow of Jacob, it really is important for us realize that Jacob is calling upon the covenant that God had made with His grand- father and father.

When we are in our distresses, our trials and sufferings and our tribulations, we have the SAME power to call out to the Lord for deliverance. He will deliver us according to His will and as we call out in pray to Him, He will be glorified.

It is in the night that we almost always see that we are in trouble and rely on the Lord for deliverance.

Gen 32:13 And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;
Gen 32:14 Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,
Gen 32:15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
Gen 32:16 And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.
Gen 32:17 And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?
Gen 32:18 Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.
Gen 32:19 And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.

Jacob makes a procession of his gifts to Esau and puts space between the droves but all the droves have the same message for Esau.

This is the same process we go through when we are dealing with the trials we have. We progress through different stages of our trials continually saying and doing the same thing thinking there will be a different result.

In truth, the result has already been determined of the Lord, but we don’t tend to catch on quickly. We are being informed that we are in a process which continues to progress and intensify.

Jacob has already started this process in the night, and we are going to see a second witness that the Lord has worked it out so that we will have NO WAY of depending on our own selves or our own deliverances.

“Passed over the ford Jabbok”

Jacob had to be truly tormented because this next time he rises again in the night to “pass over the ford Jabbok.”

Gen 32:20 And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.
Gen 32:21 So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.
Gen 32:22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.
Gen 32:23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

As with most of scripture, it is easy to read right past what we are being told but there is really a great significance and segue, literal ford or crossing, for what is happening to Jacob at this part of his life.

Therefore, we know with confidence that we can learn what it is the Lord does with and to us at this same point in our lives.

Jacob takes all that he has and he directs all that he has over the ford Jabbok. So, what exactly does Jabbok mean?

H2999

yabbo q

yab- boke’

Probably from H1238; pouring forth; Jabbok, a river East of the Jordan: – Jabbok.

===================

H2999

yabbo q

BDB Definition:

Jabbok = “emptying”

1) a stream which intersects the mountain range of Gilead, and falls into the Jordan on the east about midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea

Part of Speech: noun proper locative

A Related Word by BDB/ Strong’s Number: probably from H1238

Jabbok is a stream that separates the mountains of Gilead with Gilead meaning “heap of witness”. It is east of the Jordan and it is MIDWAY between the sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.

There is a literal separation that is midway between Galilee and Dead Sed. Just as a reminder for everyone, here are some significant events that happen at Galilee.

Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Mat 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Mat 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Mat 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Mat 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Mat 17:22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:

Mat 21:11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Mat 26:31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Mat 26:32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.

Mat 28:10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

Just as Jacob is about to do, we all too will and must “pass over the ford of Jabbok” to start our true walk with the Lord.

It is in this type and shadow of BAPTISM that we will “wrestle with an angel of the Lord” and be given a new name, a new life in Christ and a NEW WALK along the Way, Truth and Life.

First, we must realize that we are alone and none but the Lord can deliver and bless us so we must “contend” with the Lord unto the “breaking of the day.”

Gen 32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
Gen 32:25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

We continue to wrestle with a man, and we know this “man” to be the new man, Christ in us. Isn’t it interesting that Jacob wrestled even WHILE His walk was wounded to the point that Jacob will FIGHT to the bitter end with a wound.

We, too, early in our walk with Christ receive a deadly wound that is healed but this must be the case so that we can start the process of “dying daily” and also having Christ live in us daily as the resurrection.

Gen 32:26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
Gen 32:27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
Gen 32:28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
Gen 32:29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

It is when we are willing to “sell all that we have and purchase the pearl of great price” that we are given a new name which no man knowing except Him that receives it.

Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Mat 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Mat 13:46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

We must be overcomers and in order to be overcomers there can be nothing between us and God. We must be willing to do whatever it takes to gain the first resurrection.

We must be just as Jacob who was in the night and “sent over all that he had…and was left alone” and was unwilling to let go of the blessing he wanted from God.

Gen 32:23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
Gen 32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

“Conclusion of part 21”

Jacob has arrived at the point that he has wrestled with a “man” until the breaking of the day. Now that he has been blessed in this place, Jacob names it Peniel. As with all naming that the Lord uses, we know that there is significance to all names the Lord uses.

Gen 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Gen 32:31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
Gen 32:32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.

Jacob calls this place Peniel and then we are told it is because he believes he has seen God face to face, but there is also an additional piece of information in this naming that shows us where we are all at when we are at this point in our walk.

H6439

/

penu’e l / pen y’e l

BDB Definition:

Penuel or Peniel = “facing God”

1) a Benjamite, son of Shashak, brother of Iphedeiah of the family of Saul (noun proper masculine)

2) son of Hur, father of Gedor, and a descendant of Judah (noun proper masculine)

3) the place named by Jacob when he wrestled with God and located on the north bank of the Jabbok close to the Jordan (noun proper locative)

Part of Speech: see above in Definition

We are at the north bank close to the Jordan, we are now seeing what judgment while in this tabernacle of flesh is all about.

1Pe 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Next study, we will continue to pick up at the judgment seat of Christ as we see more types and shadows working in the life of Jacob and how we still, as Jacob does, want to serve the flesh that we bow down to “seven times.”