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The Story of Redemption
them that they must not injure Jacob, for the God of his father was
with him. And when they should meet Jacob, not one of them should
do him harm.
“And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau
came, and with him four hundred men.... And he passed over before
them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came
near to his brother. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him,
and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept.” Jacob entreated
Esau to accept a peace offering, which Esau declined, but Jacob
urged him: “Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee;
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because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have
enough. And he urged him, and he took it.”
An Object Lesson
Jacob and Esau represent two classes: Jacob, the righteous, and
Esau, the wicked. Jacob’s distress when he learned that Esau was
marching against him with four hundred men, represents the trouble
of the righteous as the decree goes forth to put them to death, just
before the coming of the Lord. As the wicked gather about them,
they will be filled with anguish, for, like Jacob, they can see no
escape for their lives. The angel placed himself before Jacob, and
he took hold of the angel and held him and wrestled with him all
night. So also will the righteous, in their time of trouble and anguish,
wrestle in prayer with God, as Jacob wrestled with the angel. Jacob
in his distress prayed all night for deliverance from the hand of Esau.
The righteous in their mental anguish will cry to God day and night
for deliverance from the hand of the wicked who surround them.
Jacob confessed his unworthiness: “I am not worthy of the least
of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shewed unto
Thy servant.” The righteous in their distress will have a deep sense
of their unworthiness and with many tears will acknowledge their
utter unworthiness and, like Jacob, will plead the promises of God
through Christ, made to just such dependent, helpless, repenting
sinners.
Jacob took firm hold of the angel in his distress and would not
let Him go. As he made supplication with tears, the angel reminded
him of his past wrongs and endeavored to escape from Jacob, to test