The obvious question to ask is who is
the person the sun rose on? The other question is what is the significance of
the sun rising on him? The answers to both questions can be found in Genesis
32:24-31. It is a very significant event in the life of the patriarch,
Jacob.
Genesis chapter 32
gives us the details of Jacob’s journey to visit his brother Esau in the land
of Seir. However, when Jacob learns that Esau is coming to meet him with 400
men he is fearful that Esau is planning to do him and his family great harm.
Jacob has good reason to be afraid. As a
young man he had forced Esau to sell his birthright as the eldest son, to
Jacob. Later with the aid of their mother Rebekah, Jacob tricked their father
Isaac into giving Esau’s blessing as the firstborn son to Jacob. So now the
ever crafty Jacob divided his family into two companies. Genesis 32:8, “And he said, ‘If Esau comes to the one
company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape.”
It is interesting what effect a guilty
conscience has on a man. In verses 9-12 he prays to God to deliver him
from Esau. However, Jacob is not content with that; he still carries on with
his own arrangements to escape from Esau’s supposed attack, and organises to
provide Esau with valuable gifts to appease him. So he sent ahead gifts via his
servants. Then he sent over the ford Jabbok, his two wives, his two concubines
and his eleven sons. It is now night-time.
Genesis 32:24-31,
“(24)
Then Jacob was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of
day.
(25)
Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of
his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.
(26)
And He said, ‘Let Me go, for the day breaks.’
But he said, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me!’
(27)
So He said to him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Jacob’.
(28)
And He said your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have
struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.’
(29)
Then Jacob asked, saying, ‘Tell me Your name, I pray.’ And He said, ‘Why is it
that you ask about My name?’ And He blessed him there.
(30)
So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel; ‘For I have seen God face to
face, and my life is preserved,’
(31)
Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.”
You often hear the saying, “What a
difference a day makes!” In this instance what a difference a night makes! Jacob
the usurper, Jacob the schemer, met God face to face. God appeared to him in
the form of a man and wrestled with him. Jacob realised he was wrestling with
God and hung on grimly during the night.
God could see that Jacob was not going
to give up, so He put Jacob’s hip out of joint. But, still Jacob wrestled on,
until just before dawn. God breaks off the struggle. “Let Me go for the day breaks.” Jacob replied, “I will not let You go
unless You bless me.”
Now Jacob receives a name change from
God. “Your name shall no longer be called
Jacob, but Israel…” God blesses Jacob and departs. Note the significance of
this name which literally means “Prince with God”; the Old Testament Scriptures
are full of references to the children of Israel and the land of Israel.
Jacob, now called Israel, was a changed
man. The man who limped over the ford, as the rising sun shone on him, was now
a Prince with God! Israel now goes in front of his family to meet his brother
Esau. Esau is happy to see him and runs up to him and embraces him. The outcome
the man Jacob was dreading became for the man Israel a time of joy and
blessing.
A guilty conscience causes dread! God’s
intervention through the Lord Jesus Christ clears a guilty conscience. The shed
blood of Christ on the cross is the answer for a guilty conscience. Hebrews
9:14, “How much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God,
cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Jon Peasey
[All Scriptures quoted are from the New
King James version; unless otherwise noted. Word enclosed in [ ] are inserted
for clarity. Words in bold type emphasise a point]
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