The somewhat chequered life of Jacob included that period during which, having separated from Laban his father-in-law, he made his way from Haran to his native land of Canaan, three hundred miles distant, with his family and possessions, to rejoin his father and settle down. He had gone to Haran alone and penniless; he was returning with four wives and a large number of children, servants and employees, vast flocks and herds. He was a wealthy and prosperous man. He returned, as he went, in the conviction that the Divine promise of ultimate blessing for all families of the earth was to be fulfilled through his seed; before he died he was to see the beginning of the nation of Israel.

During this journey there occurred the rather obscure incident which is recorded in Gen. 32.24-32. Jacob wrestled with an angel, and prevailed, receiving as token of his victory the name Israel — "a prince of God."

Prior to the occurrence, Jacob had made his peace with his pursuing and somewhat irate father-in-law. He had sent messengers to his brother Esau in the hill country of Edom, and received intimation that a strong force of Esau's men was on its way to meet him. In some panic, and remembering the manner in which he had tricked Esau many years previously and the latter's vow of revenge, he thought the worst and made hurried preparations for defence. He divided his flocks and possessions into two sections, hoping that if Esau's men captured one half then he might escape with the other. He followed that with an impassioned prayer to God in which he rather tardily acknowledged his shortcomings and pleaded for deliverance from his brother's wrath. Perhaps he was not fully persuaded that his prayers would be effective and as an additional precaution he sent rich gifts of flocks and herds in advance to his brother. He followed these by his wives and family, sending them on in front while he himself stayed in the rear. It does not seem a very gallant or manly course of conduct, but then the character of Jacob as revealed in the O.T. is not that of a straightforward or courageous man. At any rate, when this incident occurred, Jacob was alone in the darkness of the night, with all his companions and possessions miles ahead.

"And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob's thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, 'Let me go, for the day is breaking' But Jacob said 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.' And he saidto him, 'What is your name?' And he said 'Jacob'. Then he said 'Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.'" That was when Jacob realised that his antagonist was not mere man, but a celestial visitor. He asked the angel's name and his request was refused but he received a blessing. As he loosed his hold and the angel departed he said reverently "I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved". So he called the spot Penuel, meaning "the face of God" and that name continued throughout the later history of Israel. But Jacob retained a physical defect, he was thereafter, at least for a time, lame on the thigh the angel had touched.

The narrative must have originated from Jacob himself, for there were no witnesses. Whatever the nature of the physical factors, it was obvious that this whole thing was, to Jacob, a profound spiritual experience. It meant something of deep significance and it changed his outlook completely. Before it happened, he had gone in mortal fear of his brother Esau and was doing all he could to put off the moment of meeting him, even to the extent of letting not only his possessions but his wives and children go first to meet the avenger and suffer whatever was in store. After this encounter his attitude completely changed. Overtaking his wives and family (ch.33.1-3) he placed himself in front of them and so faced his brother. He need not have been afraid, for Esau had long since forgotten the old animosity and received him warm heartedly. Jacob was able to take up residence in Canaan unmolested.

Was this incident, in which Jacob found himself wrestling with, and prevailing over, the powers of heaven, a means of restoring his self confidence and conviction that if God was with him, who could be against him? According to his own statement while still in Haran, the angel of God had appeared to him in a dream commanding him to return to his native land and assured him of protection (Gen.31.11-13). God had defended him from the quite justifiable wrath of Laban who admittedly had some cause of complaint. He survived a three hundred mile journey across a difficult desert terrain without loss either at the hands of Nature or of marauding Bedouin. After all this the mere intimation that Esau's men were on their way to meet him threw him into an unreasoning panic. He went to God in prayer, confessing his own unworthiness, reminding God of his promises and asking for deliverance from the wrath of Esau. He evidently had little faith in either the power or intention of God to deliver him, for he then made the frantic and somewhat pitiful attempt at mitigating the impact of Esau's wrath at the risk of losing his possessions and exposing his family to danger whilst keeping in the background himself.

Then came the struggle. There, in the quietness of the night, torn, perhaps, between the desire to go forward after his family and the fear of meeting Esau, he found his way barred by a stranger who attacked him aggressively. We cannot know if he took the stranger to be one of Esau's men who had found him, so that now he must in fact fight for his life. Or perhaps he realised by means of that strange insight which the ancients appear to have had in greater measure than we do today, that his assailant was more than human and had come from God. For some reason Jacob knew that now he must fight as he had never fought before. With such good effect did he wrestle that, whilst he could not overcome his opponent, he could at least hold him in a powerful grasp from which the other could not escape. But the angel was equal to the occasion. He appears to have touched the tendons which held the femur ball in the pelvis cup but it is not clear. Physically, perhaps in the intensity of the struggle Jacob over-strained the muscle. But he held on still. Something of the meaning of this midnight encounter was beginning to enter his mind. "Let me go, for the day breaks" commanded the angel. This was no myth. Perhaps the angel meant that with the onset of dawn Esau's arrival was imminent and it was high time for Jacob to get on the road to rejoin his company. But Jacob was growing exultant. He had struggled with a celestial messenger of God and had prevailed; why should he now be afraid of a mere man like Esau? He would go out, not in his own strength, but in the strength of God, and God would be with him. He only now needed the blessing of God. "1 will not let you go" he cried exultantly "except you bless me". And the angel, knowing that Jacob had now come to a right understanding of his position, gave him the blessing. "Your name shall no more be called Jacob but be Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." From that day forward the nation which sprang from Jacob has been known as Israel. Although its political existence came to an end in AD70 the name was but dormant; in our own time the nation has become politically re-established and the name chosen by the hardy pioneers who established the modern State on the ruins of the British Mandate was the one awarded to their forefather so long ago — Israel.

Jacob wanted to know the angel's name; the angel refused to give it. The affairs of heaven are not the concern of mortal men. He had given Jacob the Divine blessing and his mission was accomplished: he left the patriarch in a different frame of mind from that in which he had encountered him. "I have seen God face to face" said Jacob reverently "and my life is preserved". He knew, of course, that he had not looked on the Most High with his natural eyes but he accepted the one with whom he had wrestled as the manifestation of God. In that way he could see God, and yet still live. And now he knew that within himself there resided a strength which, because it was of God and because he had complete trust in God, would carry him victor through whatever opposition was raised against him. Without further ado he quickened his pace and overtook his wives and children, pressing on in front of them without qualms to meet his brother Esau.

To Jacob the experience was a demonstration that he could and would triumph by determination, but only when God was with him. His persistence overcame the angel, but the angel showed he could have the last word by touching his thigh-joint. The determination of Jacob, added to the power of the angel, made him irresistible, with the Divine blessing he went forward in full assurance of faith that the promise of God would certainly be fulfilled.

AOH