Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/205

Rh from this hurt; it is probable that he did not, for he did not so much as halt till the struggle was over, (v. 31.) and if so, that was an evidence of a divine touch indeed, which wounded and healed at the same time. Jacob prevailed, and yet had his thigh put out. Note, Wrestling believers may obtain glorious victories, and yet come off with broken bones; for when they are weak, then are they strong, weak in themselves, but strong in Christ, 2 Cor. 12. 10. Our honours and comforts in this world have their allays.

3. The angel, by an admirable condescension, gently requests Jacob to let him go, (v. 26. ) as God said to Moses, (Exod. 32. 10.) Let me alone. Could not a mighty angel get clear of Jacob's grapples? He could, but thus he would put an honour upon Jacob's faith and prayer, and further try his constancy. The king is held in the galleries; (Cant. 7. 5.) I held him, (says the spouse,) and would not let him go, Cant. 3. 4. The reason the angel gives why he would be gone, is, because the day breaks, and therefore he would not any longer detain Jacob, who had business to do, a journey to go, a family to look after, which especially in this critical juncture, called for his attendance. Note, Every thing is beautiful in its season; even the business of religion, and the comforts of communion with God, must sometimes give way to the necessary affairs of this life: God will have mercy, and not sacrifice.

4. Jacob persists in his holy importunity; I will not let thee go, except thou bless me; whatever becomes of his family and journey, he resolves to make the best he can of this opportunity, and not to lose the advantage of his victory: he does not mean to wrestle all night for nothing, but humbly resolves he will have a blessing, and rather shall all his bones be put out of joint, than he will go away without one. The credit of a conquest will do him no good without the comfort of a blessing. In begging this blessing, he owns his inferiority, though he seemed to have the upper hand in the struggle; for the less is blessed of the better. Note, Those that would have the blessing of Christ, must be in good earnest, and be importunate for it, as those that resolve to have no denial. It is the fervent prayer, that is the effectual prayer.

5. The angel puts a perpetual mark of honour upon him, by changing his name; (v. 27, 28.) "Thou art a brave combatant," (says the angel,) "a man of heroic resolution; What is thy name?" "Jacob," says he, a supplanter; so Jacob signifies; "Well," says the angel, "be thou never so called any more; henceforth thou shalt be celebrated, not for craft and artful management, but for true valour; thou shalt be called Israel, a prince with God, a name greater than those of the great men of the earth." He is a prince indeed, that is a prince with God, and those are truly honourable, that are mighty in prayer, Israels, Israelites indeed. Jacob is here knighted in the field, as it were, and has a title of honour given him by him that is the Fountain of honour, which will remain, to his praise, to the end of time. Yet this was not all ; having power with God, he shall have power with men too. Having prevailed for a blessing from Heaven, he shall, no doubt, prevail for Esau's favour. Note, Whatever enemies we have, if we can but make God our Friend, we are well off; they that by faith have power in Heaven, have thereby as much power on earth as they have occasion for.

6. He dismisses him with a blessing, v. 29. Jacob desired to know the angel's name, that he might according to his capacity, do him honour, Judg. 13. 17. But that request was denied, that he might not be too proud of his conquest, nor think he had the angel at such an advantage as to oblige him to what he pleased; No, "Wherefore dost thou ask after my name? What good will it do thee to know that?" The discovery of that was reserved for his death-bed, upon which he was taught to call him Shiloh. But, instead of telling him his name, he gave him his blessing, which was the thing he wrestled for; he blessed him there, repeated and ratified the blessing formerly given him. Note, Spiritual blessings which secure our felicity, are better and much more desirable than fine notions which satisfy our curiosity. An interest in the angel's blessing is better than acquaintance with his name. The tree of life is better than the tree of knowledge. Thus Jacob carried his point; a blessing he wrestled for, and a blessing he had; nor did ever any of his praying seed seek in vain. See how wonderfully God condescends to countenance and crown importunate prayer: those that resolve, though God slay them, yet to trust in him, will, at length, be more than conquerors.

7. Jacob gives a new name to the place; he calls it Peniel, the face of God, (v. 30.) because there he had seen the appearance of God, and obtained the favour of God. Observe, The name he gives to the place, preserves and perpetuates, not the honour of his valour or victory, but only the honour of God's free grace. He does not say, "In this place, I wrestled with God, and prevailed;" but, "In this place, I saw God face to face, and my life was preserved;" not, "It was my praise that I came off a conqueror, but it was God's mercy that I escaped with my life." Note, It becomes those whom God honours, to take shame to themselves, and to admire the condescensions of his grace to them. Thus David did, after God had sent him a gracious message, (2 Sam. 7. 18.) Who am I, O Lord God?

Lastly, The memorandum Jacob carried of this in his bones, He halted on his thigh; (v. 31.) some think he continued to do so to his dying-day; and if he did, he had no reason to complain; for the honour and comfort he obtained by this struggle, were abundantly sufficient to countervail the damage, though he went limping to his grave. He had no reason to look upon it as his reproach, thus to bear in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus; (Gal. 6. 17.) yet it might serve, like St. Paul's thorn in the flesh, to keep him from being lifted up with the abundance of the revelations. Notice is taken of the sun's rising upon him when he passed over Penuel; for it is sun-rise with that soul that has communion with God. The inspired penman mentions a traditional custom which the seed of Jacob had, in remembrance of this, never to eat of that sinew, or muscle in any beast by which the hip-bone is fixed in its cup: by this observance they preserved the memorial of this story, and gave occasion to their children to inquire concerning it; they also did honour to the memory of Jacob. And this use we may still make of it, to acknowledge the mercy of God, and our obligations to Jesus Christ, that we may now keep up our communion with God, in faith, hope, and love, without peril, either of life or limb.

CHAP. XXXIII. We read in the former chapter, how Jacob had power with God, and prevailed; here we find what power he had with men too, and how his brother Esau was mollified, and, on a sudden, reconciled to him; for so it is written, Prov. 16. 7, When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Here is, I. A very friendly meeting between Jacob and Esau, v. 1..4. II. Their conference at their meeting, in which they vie with each other in civil and kind expressions. Their discourse is, 1. About Jacob's family, v. 5..7. 2. About the present he had sent, v. 8..11. 3. About the progress of their journey, v. 12..15. III. Jacob's settlement in Canaan, his house, ground, and altar, v. 16..20.