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Spiritual Gifts, Volume 3
pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt
graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him,
and he took it.”
Jacob and Esau represent two classes; Jacob the righteous, and
Esau the wicked. Jacob’s distress when he learned that Esau was
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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 thy mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast showed 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
him and prove him. So will the righteous, in the day of their anguish,
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be tested, proved, and tried, to manifest their strength of faith, their
perseverance and unshaken confidence in the power of God to deliver
them.
Jacob would not be turned away. He knew that God was merciful,
and he appealed to his mercy. He pointed back to his past sorrow and
repentance of his wrongs, and urged his petition for deliverance from
the hand of Esau. Thus his importuning continued all night. As he
reviewed his past wrongs, he was driven almost to despair. But he
knew that he must have help from God or perish. He held fast the
angel, and urged his petition with agonizing, earnest cries, until he
prevailed. Thus will it be with the righteous. As they review the events
of their past life, their hopes will almost sink. But as they realize that it