1. How long was Jacob with his uncle Laban? "This twenty years have I been with you; your ewes and your she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of your flock have I not eaten." (Genesis 31:38)
2. Was his service an easy one? "That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto you; I bore the loss of it; of my hand did you require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from my eyes. Thus have I been twenty years in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your cattle: and you have changed my wages ten times." (Genesis 31:39-41)
3. How did God prosper him? "And your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. If he said thus, The speckled shall be your wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be your hire; then bore all the cattle ringstraked. Thus God has taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. ... Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely you had sent me away now empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you yesternight." (Genesis 31:7-9,42)
4. When Jacob fled from Laban, how did the Lord interpose to protect him from Laban's wrath? "It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke unto me yesternight, saying, Take heed that you speak not to Jacob either good or bad." (Genesis 31:29)
5. As Jacob went on his way, who met him? "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him." (Genesis 32:1)
6. What did Jacob say, and what did he call the place? "And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host; and he called the name of that place Mahanaim." (Genesis 32:2)
7. For what purpose are angels sent to earth? "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14)
8. What message did Jacob send to Esau? "And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall you speak unto my lord Esau; Your servant Jacob says thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in your sight." (Genesis 32:3-5)
9. What news did the messengers bring back? "And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your brother Esau, and also he comes to meet you, and four hundred men with him." (Genesis 32:6)
10. How was Jacob affected by this news? "Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands." (Genesis 32:7)
11. What good reason had Jacob for fearing Esau?
12. What prayer for deliverance did he make? "And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which said unto me, Return unto your country, and to your kindred, and I will deal well with you: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which You have showed unto your servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray You, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. And You said: 'I will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'" (Genesis 32:9-12)
13. What precautions did he take for safety? "Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; and said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape. ... And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals. And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space between drove and drove. And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meets you, and asks you, saying, Whose are you? and whither go you? and whose are these before you? Then you shall say, They be your servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us. And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall you speak unto Esau, when you find him. And say moreover, Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company." (Genesis 32:7-8,13-21)
14. When Jacob was left alone who encountered him? "And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him." (Genesis 32:24)
15. How long did he wrestle with the stranger? "Until the breaking of the day." (Genesis 32:24)
16. Who was it that was wrestling with him? "Yea, he had power over the Angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto Him: he found Him in Bethel, and there He spoke with us; even the Lord God of hosts; the Lord is his memorial." (Hosea 12:4-5)
17. What act opened Jacob's eyes as to the real nature of his antagonist? "And when He saw that He prevailed not against him, He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with Him." (Genesis 32:25)
18. What did the Lord then say? "And he said, Let me go, for the day breaks." (Genesis 32:26)
19. What may we conclude from this? That as soon as Jacob found out who it was that he was wrestling with, he ceased wrestling, and threw his arms about the Lord.
20. What reply did Jacob make to the Lord's request? "I will not let You go, except You bless me." (Genesis 32:26)
21. How urgent was Jacob's plea? "Yea, he had power over the Angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto Him: he found Him in Bethel, and there He spoke with us." (Hosea 12:4)
22. Why was Jacob so urgent at this time?
23. What evidence did he finally receive that his prayer was successful? "And He said unto him, What is your name? And he said, Jacob. And He said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince you have power with God and with men, and have prevailed." (Genesis 32:27-28)
24. What was involved in this blessing? The pardon of all the sins of his past life.
25. Into what condition do sinners usually come before obtaining pardon? "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:24-25)
26. What further evidence did he have that he had prevailed with God and with man? (See Genesis 33:1-16)
27. What exhortation is given us from this case? "Therefore turn to your God; keep mercy and judgment, and wait on your God continually." (Hosea 12:6)
28. Of what time in the history of the people of God was this experience of Jacob a figure? "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." (Daniel 12:1)
"Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." (Jeremiah 30:7)
29. What will be granted to all those who finally prevail? "To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." (Revelation 3:21)
Notes:
The reason why Jacob was so urgent when he found out with whom he had been wrestling, was that he felt that he had come to a crisis in his life; he had no earthly friends who could help him, his own brother was his sworn enemy; and he knew that if God did not interpose to help him he was lost.
He knew also that this calamity had come upon him because of his own wicked course. And since sin separates from God, he knew that if Esau met him before he made his peace with God, he would be eternally lost. For this reason he had sought that retired place to pray.
We can imagine the agony of mind which he suffered while he was wrestling with one whom he doubtless supposed was a robber; he had retired to seek the Lord in this emergency, and precious time was rapidly passing while he was being kept from his purpose by this stranger.
And it requires no stretch of imagination to believe that as soon as he found that his antagonist was the Lord, whom he had come to seek, he ceased wrestling, and threw his arms about the Lord, while he declared: "I will not let You go, except You bless me." (Genesis 32:26)
This holding onto the Lord was indicative of his importunity and the strength of his faith, and is an example for all who seek special blessings from the Lord.--Signs of the Times, April 13, 1888--Lesson 17 - Sabbath, April 28--Genesis 31:38 to 32:28.
E.J. Waggoner