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Chapter 13—Jacob and the Angel
This chapter is based on
Genesis 32:24-33:11
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Jacob’s wrong in receiving his brother’s blessing by fraud was
again brought forcibly before him, and he was afraid that God would
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 had
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 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 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
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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
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