In the Old Testament, we see that God appeared to different people in different ways. To Abraham, the traveler, God came as a traveler. To Joshua, the military commander, God came as the Commander of the Lord's armies. And to the fighting, conniving, and resisting Jacob, God came as a wrestler.
In the latter example, there was an unresolved issue in Jacob's life. He had just left Laban, the megadeceiver, and now he had to go back home and deal with Esau, the brother he had cheated out of a birthright some 20 years earlier.
Jacob had nowhere to go but forward. But forward was where Esau was.
It was time for Jacob to deal with his past and the wrongs he had committed. He was about to discover the hard way the truth of Proverbs 18:19: "A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city" (NKJV).
That is not to say that we shouldn't try, for we indeed should. But sometimes we just can't reconcile with certain people. The Bible even gives us this allowance: "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18 NKJV, emphasis mine).
Some people just don't want to be reconciled. They don't want to be forgiven, and they don't want to forgive.
The Lord knew Jacob was afraid, so He appeared to him in a special way. Genesis 32:1–2 tells us, "So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, 'This is God's camp.' And he called the name of that place Mahanaim" (NKJV).
What was Jacob's need at this moment? Protection. He was afraid. He didn't have an army. He didn't have any way to defend himself.
So God sent him a host of angels to reassure him. "Mahanaim" means "two camps." There was Jacob's camp, and there was God's camp. God was saying, "You are not alone. I am here with you."
So what did Jacob do? Genesis 32:7 tells us, "So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies" (NKJV).
In the latter example, there was an unresolved issue in Jacob's life. He had just left Laban, the megadeceiver, and now he had to go back home and deal with Esau, the brother he had cheated out of a birthright some 20 years earlier.
Jacob had nowhere to go but forward. But forward was where Esau was.
It was time for Jacob to deal with his past and the wrongs he had committed. He was about to discover the hard way the truth of Proverbs 18:19: "A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city" (NKJV).
That is not to say that we shouldn't try, for we indeed should. But sometimes we just can't reconcile with certain people. The Bible even gives us this allowance: "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18 NKJV, emphasis mine).
Some people just don't want to be reconciled. They don't want to be forgiven, and they don't want to forgive.
The Lord knew Jacob was afraid, so He appeared to him in a special way. Genesis 32:1–2 tells us, "So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, 'This is God's camp.' And he called the name of that place Mahanaim" (NKJV).
What was Jacob's need at this moment? Protection. He was afraid. He didn't have an army. He didn't have any way to defend himself.
So God sent him a host of angels to reassure him. "Mahanaim" means "two camps." There was Jacob's camp, and there was God's camp. God was saying, "You are not alone. I am here with you."
So what did Jacob do? Genesis 32:7 tells us, "So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies" (NKJV).
