A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

a curse. It might be paraphrased today similar to the expression, “God help the one who crosses
this line first.”
The meeting at Mahanaim (32:1-32)
Having dealt with the danger of Laban’s chasing him from behind, Jacob soon heard
about the coming of Esau, whom he thought might be chasing him from ahead. When Jacob
came to a place he named Mahanaim, he saw a host of angels. The name Mahanaim means
“double camp” and suggests he viewed himself as sharing the camp with angels. When he sent
messengers ahead to greet Esau on his behalf, they returned with news that Esau was coming to
meet him and was accompanied by some 400 men. It was enough to cause Jacob to forget about
the angels. Once again he was distressed and afraid.
If there was one thing Jacob was good at, it was developing a scheme. On hearing of
Esau’s imminent arrival, he organized his entire camp in groups that would be offered to Esau,
beginning with that which was least important to Jacob. If Esau had a destructive purpose in
mind when the brothers were at last reunited, it was hoped he would begin destroying the first
part of the camp, giving Jacob and his family time to escape. But Jacob was taking no chances.
Before the night settled on the camp, he had made certain a river separated him from the rest of
the camp, and he found himself alone.
But Jacob was not alone. God appeared to him. He found himself wrestling with a Man
until daybreak. And it was no ordinary man with which Jacob was wrestling. It was another in a
continuing series of Christophanies or preincarnate appearances of Christ in the Old Testament.
When Jacob realized who he had met, he named the place Peniel meaning “the face of God.”
Jacob was never the same after that meeting with God. The change was recognized when
God changed his name to Israel meaning “Prince with God.” And the change was evidenced in
the walk of Jacob. During the conflict, the Angel of the Lord had touched the thigh of Jacob
shrinking some sinew in the hollow of his thigh. Thereafter he walked with a limp. The physical
injury became Jacob’s unique expression of faith (Heb. 11:21).
The meeting with Esau (33:1-16)
As Jacob left Mahanaim, he was ready to meet his brother because he had met God.
Jacob saw his approaching brother. Twenty years had changed both of them, and Esau was not
coming for revenge, but reunion. He was happy to see his long departed brother and insisted he
wanted no gift. But on the persistent urging of Jacob, Esau accepted what was offered. Further he
insisted that Jacob and he travel together to Seir. Jacob convinced Esau to return and promised
the family would make their way to his brother’s home at a more leisurely pace.
Sidetracked to Shechem (33:17-34:31)
Despite the friendly greeting offered by Esau, Jacob was not convinced. Perhaps he
remembered how angry Esau had been twenty years earlier and could not accept what must have
seemed like a sudden change in attitude. Whatever the reason, Jacob changed direction on his
journey and traveled to Succoth and then Shalem. In the course of his travels he built an altar and
named it El Elohe Israel, meaning “God, the God of Israel.” This was an act of faith on his part
in that he worshiped God and claimed the promises associated with his changed name. But it was
an act of faith which fell short of what it should have been. The altar should have been built in
another place and called El Bethel, “the God of the house of God.” Jacob did not go back to
Bethel as he promised God.