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Time of Trouble
335
Suddenly a hand was laid upon his shoulder. He thought an enemy
was seeking his life. With all the energy of despair he wrestled with
his assailant. As the day began to break, the stranger put forth his
superhuman power. Jacob seemed paralyzed and fell, a helpless,
weeping suppliant, upon the neck of his mysterious antagonist. He
knew then that it was the Angel of the covenant with whom he had
been in conflict. Long had he endured remorse for his sin; now he
must have the assurance that it was pardoned. The Angel urged, “Let
me go, for the day breaketh,” but the patriarch exclaimed, “I will not
let thee go, except thou bless me.” Jacob confessed his weakness
and unworthiness, yet trusted the mercy of a covenant-keeping God.
Through repentance and self-surrender, this sinful mortal prevailed
with the Majesty of heaven.
Satan had accused Jacob before God because of his sin; he had
moved Esau to march against him. During the patriarch’s night of
wrestling, Satan endeavored to discourage him and break his hold on
God. He was driven almost to despair; but he had sincerely repented
of his sin and held fast the Angel and urged his petition with earnest
cries until he prevailed.
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As Satan accused Jacob, he will urge his accusations against the
people of God, but the company who keep the commandments of
God resist his supremacy. He sees that holy angels are guarding
them, and he infers that their sins have been pardoned. He has an
accurate knowledge of the sins he has tempted them to commit and
declares that the Lord cannot in justice forgive their sins and yet
destroy him and his angels. He demands that they be given into his
hands to destroy.
The Lord permits him to try them to the uttermost. Their confi-
dence in God, their faith, will be severely tested. Satan endeavors to
terrify them. He hopes so to destroy their faith that they will yield to
temptation and turn from their allegiance to God.
Anguish That God Will Be Reproached
Yet the anguish which God’s people suffer is not a dread of
persecution. They fear that through some fault in themselves they
will fail to realize the fulfillment of the Saviour’s promise: I “will
keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all