Title Mahanaim!/Genesis 32
Content Title: Mahanaim!
Bible: Genesis 32
Date: 1998. 1. 25 (Sunday) Sunday afternoon at Mission Church
<Looking back...>
Laban's Oath (50,52) / Although he sold his daughters because he was greedy for money, he was still a father. When material problems were involved, the daughters left their father without any regrets, but it is not a bad sight to see the father still worrying about the future of his daughters.
The precious aspect of Jacob (Verse 54) / In terms of humanity, they are similar to each other, but the aspect that Jacob is loved and precious is that he always feared God and never forgot to worship Him. He didn't just swear, he built an altar to God and offered sacrifices. And he didn't forget to treat his cousins.
Now, my maternal uncle's problem has been resolved in this way, but will Jacob's life ever be easier? Now, even though they are twins, their terrifying older brother, Esau, is waiting. Jacob squeezes his head and tries his best to avoid this. He tries to solve his brother's problem by using the wit and wisdom he has survived so far. However, knowing that it can never be solved by human methods, it becomes an opportunity to finally give up everything and hold on to God's grace. In the name of the Lord, I pray in the name of the Lord that you believe that the problem we are facing will be great and it will do decisive harm to me, but in fact, it will always be an opportunity for God's people to experience God.
Meeting God's messengers (verse 1)
Now Jacob proceeds his way. After leaving Galeed (31:47), Jacob set out toward the south, the north tributary of the Jordan River, the Jabbok. Then, in Jacob's eyes, he sees angels (angels) of God passing by. Let's read verses 1 and 2.
32:1 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
32:2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is the army of God; and he called the name of the land Mahanaim.
The Bible records that messengers of God met him. - It is unclear how they met, but (1) they met through a dream as before (28:12; 31:11) (2) met through spiritual eyes like Elisha (2 Kings 6:17) (3) ) or he must have seen an angel who appeared in a visible form like Abraham or Lot (18:2; 19:1). It was probably the third way. So Jacob named the land God.
Why did God send His messengers to meet Jacob at the place where he was entering the border of his homeland? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In fact, these angels were the angels of God who appeared in Bethel when Jacob left his hometown (28:12). Their appearance to Jacob again on his journey home has the following meaning.
(1) reminds him that God was with him in the past (28:15; 31:13)
(2) To give assurance that he will keep you safe from the hand of Esau in the future (Hebrews 1:14), just as he protected him from all the counsels of Laban (31:42).
(3) It was to reaffirm the promise of 'I will bring you back to the land' (28:15).
God's army (verse 2)
By the way, these were not just one or two angels, but God's army. The word "Ma God" means two large armies are encamped.
God's army (Mahane elohim) - meaning 'mahane' and 'God', which is derived from the verb 'hana', which means 'to bend' or 'to encamp'. It is a compound word of 'Elohim', which means 'the camp of God' (KJV; the camp of God). /
(1) It was to welcome the return of the true successor of Canaan based on the Bethel covenant (28:13) to the mainland. This foreshadows the welcome of the angels of heaven when the saints enter the kingdom of heaven in the future (Matthew 24:31; Luke 16:22).
(2) To convince Jacob, who is afraid of retaliation from his brother Esau, that this army will become his own bodyguard and protect him.
I hope that you will always believe in the angels escorting and guiding God's chosen people. This is God's protection and guidance to fulfill God's promises. Although Jacob did not know it, the truth is that God's angels were with him all his life.
Esau dwelling on Mount Seir (verse 3)
The appearance of his brother Esau in the fields of Edom in the land of Seir is as Isaac had already predicted (27:39). But, why did Esau have to make his home in Seir, a rugged mountainous region where the Horites lived? The Bible does not record the reason, but it can be inferred.
(1) as a hunter (25:27) because this was a more suitable place to lead a hunting life, or
(2) As the years passed, Rebekah, a mother who missed Jacob, who had left her, and her parents, who were usually displeased with their wives, were inflamed by family strife and wanted to stay away from their parents.
In Esau, he has power and wealth, but is seen as a lonely life of a wild beast in the field. In this way, a life without God's promises seems to be abundant, but the fundamental loneliness is not resolved.
Don't leave God's arms. Although it is difficult, it is a life that is incomparable to the life of Jacob's comfort and promise. Esau unfortunately loses the promised birthright, takes a foreign woman as his wife, fails to please his parents, and lives alone in Edom, the land of Seir, as a wild beast, and there are no positive references to God in the Bible. there will be no It is more important to live a meaningful life before God than to do well in the world.
Sending someone to Esau (3-5)
32:3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, in the fields of Edom.
32:4 And he entrusted them to them, saying, Thus ye shall tell my lord Esau, said thy servant Jacob, 'I have been assigned to Laban until now.
32:5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and slaves, so send and tell my lord, and I want my lord to find favor."
Jacob puts the utmost humility, hospitality, and excuses in his mouth so that he can meet his brother before Esau comes. Sending the messenger first is also to relieve his brother, but he is like a spy to decide what to do by looking at his brother's attitude.
1. In My Lord, Your Servant Jacob / This is an idiomatic expression that expresses the greatest possible humility, and contains the earnest desire for mercy that all sovereignty belongs to the older brother.
2. I have attached it to Laban, and it has been until now /
The word ?쐅uru??means ?쐔o stay??and means to stay for a while as a stranger among people who are not blood relatives. This indicates that Jacob was always looking forward to returning to Canaan.
It has been (ahar) is a phrase that has the meaning of being delayed in the original text. It means 'stay' (KJV; stay), 'to be delayed' (NIV; delay), and it is the name of Jacob who wanted to take refuge at his uncle's house for a while. It suggests that the sojourn was delayed for a long time, contrary to his original plan. In other words, the delay in this way, despite the fact that I should have visited my brother earlier, contains the excuse that it was not because I wanted it.
3. Since I have oxen and donkeys... / Jacob said these words apparently to imply that he already had property and had no interest in claiming the right to inherit Isaac's property.
Esau with 400 men (verse 6)
Anyway, he tries to persuade his older brother and release the wrath by doing his best to be like Jacob. However, the return of the older brother brings the fear that the soy sauce will melt. Let's read verse 6!
32:6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, "We have come to your brother Esau, and he has come with four hundred men to meet you.
Look at Esau coming out facing him with 400 men. As a person who believed in the sword (27:40), Esau, who grew up as a chieftain of a tribe with strong fighting power, was obviously a kind of self-show that meant hostility rather than reconciliation (Ainsworth). On the other hand, the number 400 was a great force in the ancient society, far exceeding the number of 318 men mobilized by their grandfather Abraham to rescue Lot in the past (14:14).
Contrary to Jacob's hope, Esau's appearance leading the army is not at all friendly, but the anger of his older brother Esau who is trying to arrest Jacob is contained. Whenever Esau saw his older brother Jacob, the relative hatred of his deprived of his parents' love must have always been ingrained in his anger. Just like Cain... How can I relieve this anger? Jacob is just cramped. That is why the Bible says that it is harder to be reconciled to a brother who has offended you than to take a city.
Proverbs 18:19 It is more difficult to be reconciled to a brother to anger than to take a fortified city; such quarrels are like the bars of a stronghold.
Therefore, if possible, we should be at peace with all men and avoid angering our brothers. This is the touchstone of being recognized as the Son of God. Perhaps, if this issue with Esau was not resolved, Jacob would have to bear the burden of this strife for the rest of his life. Now that this issue has been raised before, let's take a look at the message about peace mentioned in the Bible!
Heb 12:14 Seek peace with all men and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, tolerant, docile, full of mercy and good fruit, without partiality and without deceit.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.
Matthew 5:23 Therefore, if you are offering your gift on the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Mat 5:24 Leave your gift before the altar and go first and be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift.
I bless you in the name of the Lord that what has been formed so far will be released, and that no one will make enemies for the rest of their lives. Amen!