Chapter 14—Jacob and the Angel
Jacob’s wrong, in receiving his brother’s blessing by fraud, is again
brought forcibly before him, and he is afraid that God will permit Esau
to take his life. In his distress he prayed to God all night. An angel
was represented to me as standing before Jacob, presenting his wrong
before him in its true character. As the angel turns to leave him, Jacob
lays hold of him, and will not let him go. He makes supplications
with tears. He pleads that he has deeply repented of his sins, and the
wrongs against his brother, which have been the means of separating
him from his father’s house for twenty years. He ventures to plead the
promises of God, and the tokens of his favor to him from time to time,
in his absence from his father’s house. All night Jacob wrestled with
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the angel, making supplication for a blessing. The angel seemed to be
resisting his prayer, by continually calling his sins to his remembrance,
at the same time endeavoring to break away from him. Jacob was
determined to hold the angel, not only by physical strength, but by the
power of living faith. In his distress Jacob referred to the repentance
of his soul, the deep humility he had felt for his wrongs. The angel
regarded his prayer with seeming indifference, continually making
efforts to release himself from the grasp of Jacob. He might have
exercised his supernatural power and forced himself from Jacob’s
grasp, but he did not choose to do this. But when he saw that he
prevailed not against Jacob, to convince him of his supernatural power,
he touched his thigh, which was immediately out of joint. But Jacob
would not give up his earnest efforts for bodily pain. His object was to
obtain a blessing, and pain of body was not sufficient to divert his mind
from his object. His determination was stronger in the last moments
of the conflict than at the beginning. His faith grew more earnest and
persevering, until the very last, even till the breaking of the day. He
would not let go his hold of the angel until he blessed him. “And he
said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee
go, except thou bless me.” The angel then inquired, What is thy
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