Jacob at the Ford Jabbok
Long ago a great scenario of the plan of God was enacted through the lifetimes of four generations. In Abraham’s life we glimpse the age of faith leading up to the coming of the seed of promise. The first stage was from Eden to the flood, suggested by the death of Terah, when Abraham passed over the river from the old order and began his pilgrim walk until the seed appeared. Then there is the offering on Moriah of that special child of promise, Abraham receiving Isaac, as it were, from the dead. Then we have Isaac’s experiences, and the call of the church in the mission of Eliezer. Finally there is Joseph, the special and dear son of his father, after his release from the prison-house [of death], bringing, in picture, blessings of life for mankind.
Yet something would be missing, except that Jacob fills the gap. Jacob highlights the restoration of Israel, and her preparation to fulfill the Lord’s purposes in and through them. We suggest that his experience at the ford Jabbok represents Israel today. Shortly after Joseph was born, “the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee”. (Genesis 31:3) Jacob moved forward. “He rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two women servants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok”. (Genesis 32:22) In the Hebrew, as in English, the name Jabbok is a phonetic wordplay on the name Jacob. It denotes “wrestling,” an appropriate meaning for the struggle to follow. It is here that the Lord’s work on human trust and faith is to reach its peak. Jacob is to leave that place a changed man.
For the moment Jacob sits there at sundown, after laboring to get his family and flocks across those troublous waters. He sits alone with his thoughts, his conflicts, and his fears of what awaits him and his seed. Perhaps he remembers the night years ago when he laid down in lonely foreboding after fleeing for his life from the wrath of Esau.
Jacob was not defiant of the divine promises, nor did he undervalue them. The promise was his. The blessing would be his. But he lacked faith the Lord could fulfill them without human scheming and cunning. Jacob trusted his own wiles, and for lack of faith in God to accomplish the blessing, Jacob found himself running for his life, cast out of the land of promise.
LADDER TO HEAVEN
Yet even this was overruled. The first night of his exile the Lord granted Jacob the first of seven visions of heavenly involvement in Jacob’s life. There in weariness he fell asleep, a pile of small stones for a pillow in that rugged place. Then, in his dream, he had seen stone laid against stone, ascending and ascending upward till the topmost stone reached, it seemed, into heaven itself. As he watched with awe, angels appeared. First he noticed their ascent up that stairway, then that others came down to replace them below, next to where he lay. He heard the voice of God, and received a message from His own lips, personal and reassuring.
“I am the LORD God of Abraham… and Isaac: the land whereon thou Best, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. Thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth… in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed… I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of”. (Genesis 28:13-15)
Certainly the Lord had fulfilled His word thus far. Jacob had spent years in servitude, exiled from the land. He had known no place of his own, serving Laban, and that was the story behind the dark tanned face of Jacob. There was an awful moment too, so recently behind him, when Laban’s animosity threatened to wipe out the chosen race. Only the Lord’s providence allowed Jacob’s escape. “It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad”. (Genesis 31:1,2) We cannot miss the parallel here to a similar attempt by Hitler in our day, after the Lord prompted Jacob to return to the land of promise.
Seven years he had known servitude (2520 days), and at its close the expected bliss had not come. The deceiver had been deceived. His works were in vain. Israel did not obtain that which he sought. Then seven years more, but the fruition of his hopes were still not realized.
Now one great crisis was past; Laban and his host had retreated. As Jacob went on his way “The angels of God met him”. (Genesis 32:1) Everything now seemed to be working for Jacob. Yet in the eyes of Esau, Jacob was still the usurper, still pushing him out. Jacob poured out his plea to God. “Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau”. (Genesis 32:11) Jacob’s mind divided between two possible tactics: one aggressive like a hawk, another conciliatory like a dove. He could not go on forever fighting his brother.
Today Israel faces a crisis even deeper than that realized by the Knesset. The flow of Jews from eastern Europe flooding into that little land brings in its wake a crisis for Israel. The Great Powers pressure Israel to compromise for peace. The Palestinians fear the influx, and tensions increase. Jacob was ready to share much of his own possessions with his brother, but the Lord has a more enduring solution. The struggle will go on until the Lord’s purpose is achieved. Jacob will become a changed man. Israel, at last, will be worthy the name: “God prevails:”
WRESTLING WITH THE ANGEL
Jacob begins his struggle believing he is wrestling with a human foe, and schemes accordingly. But sooner or later he recognizes in himself the chief opponent, for he realizes he is fighting God. This moment of truth brings a great loss of confidence, for at the Lord’s touch he becomes weak as a little child. Now all he can do is cling to his opponent. He no longer resists. Now he is wrestling in prayer, and will not let go until he has the blessing of God he longs for… and we are watching it now!
Jacob Wrestling with the Angel
The Lord then speaks, and asks “What is your name?” How well the Lord knew Jacob’s name and his character: usurper, schemer. Jacob confesses it. His life has been one long career of crafty cunning, greed and reliance on self. “And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and bast prevailed”. (Genesis 32:28)
A profound Hebrew scholar tells us that in names compounded with “el” it is the “ell” or God, that is the doer, if the rest of the name is a verb. (eg. Daniel = God judges, Gabriel = God is my strength, etc.) Thus Israel means God rules, prevails, or commands.
“And he blessed him there”. (Genesis 32:29) It was “there” in Jacob’s tears. “Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him”. (#Ho 12:4) He blessed him in the attitude of deep contrition. Even as the Lord blessed him, the sun rose. As his eyes adjusted to its warming rays and glory, he realized he had looked upon the face of God and survived. Now he could see God’s face everywhere, even in the face of his brother, Esau, when they met. “Receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me”. (Genesis 33:10)
This was not the end of the story. At Shechem he paid the price of disobedience. The Lord reminded him of his vow at Bethel. He had to dispose of his strange gods and idols, build an altar to the Lord at Bethel, weep over the “Savior of the world” as his own son, the greater Joseph.
Today our hearts go out to the chosen race in the land of promise, so near yet so far from realizing the Lord’s purpose for them. Morning indeed comes for Israel, but also night. The struggle with the enemy without will turn to dark wrestling with the enemy within, and the Lord will yet touch Jacob’s prided human glory so that it fails him. Then Jacob will cling to God. Today he sits at Jabbok’s ford, contemplating those torrents that threaten to engulf him.
– Donald Holliday