Genesis 32.1-2-Angels of God Meet Jacob at Mahanaim
Tuesday August 1, 2006
Genesis: Genesis 32:1-2-Angels of God Meet Jacob at Mahanaim
Lesson # 188
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 32:1.
This evening we will begin a study of Genesis 32 by noting verses one and two, which present to us the record of Jacob encountering the angels of God as he was returning to the land of Canaan and naming the place, “Mahanaim,” which means, “This is God’s camp.”
In this chapter, we see Jacob leaving behind forever his problems with Laban but now he has to confront his past and Esau who he cheated out of the blessing of the birthright.
We saw in Genesis 31 Jacob escaping one conflict with Laban but now in Genesis 32, we see him returning to another conflict, namely his unresolved feud with his twin brother Esau.
So we see that Jacob had two great enemies, one that resided outside the Promised Land in Laban and the other in the Promised Land, that being Esau.
Esau typifies the believer’s enemy within, that being the old Adamic sin nature and Laban typifies the believer’s enemy from without, that being the cosmic system of Satan.
As soon as Jacob made his way through the mountains of Gilead, after triumphing over Laban and separating from him by the Mizpah monument, his thoughts would soon turn to his old adversary, Esau.
If you recall, his mother Rebekah said that she would send for Jacob after Esau had cooled down (Genesis 27:45).
However, Jacob never heard from her during the twenty years in Paddan Aram.
Either she was ill or died and was therefore not able to call him back or Esau was still threatening to kill Jacob.
Also, at this time, Jacob probably thought that his father Isaac had died since prior to leaving his family, the entire family was anticipating that his death would be soon.
So Jacob was facing an uncertain future just as he was when he left Canaan.
The reader in Genesis 32 finds a potentially dangerous conflict taking place between the two brothers but the anticipation of this encounter creates an opportunity to drive Jacob to prayer to solve the potential problem.
But before Jacob meets Esau, he has two unexpected meetings, one with the elect angels of God who have been protecting him while in exile, which is recorded in Genesis 31:1-2 and the other with the preincarnate Christ, which is recorded in Genesis 32:22-32.
These two meetings, one with the angels and the other with the preincarnate Christ were designed to reassure Jacob of God’s protection and presence when he encounters Esau.
These two encounters with the angels and the Lord mark the second and third turning points in the life of Jacob, with the first being of course, his encounter with the Lord at Bethel.
Each time that Jacob encounters the angels of God and the preincarnate Christ, he memorializes it by constructing a pillar, the first at Bethel (28:19), the second at Mahanaim (32:2) and the third at Peniel (32:30).
The first encounter with the angels of God and the preincarnate Christ as recorded in Genesis 28:10-15 prepared him to meet Laban and the second encounter prepares him to meet Esau.
The outline of Genesis 32 is as follows: (1) Angels of God meet Jacob at Mahanaim (32:1-2) (2) Jacob sends messengers to Esau (32:3-6) (3) Jacob divides his family out of fear of Esau (32:7-8) (4) Jacob prays for protection from Esau and claims covenant promises of God (32:9-12) (5) Jacob sends gifts to Esau (32:13-21) (6) Jacob sends family across Jabbok (32:22-23) (7) Jacob prays as he wrestles the God-Man, Jesus Christ at Peniel (32:24-32).
In Genesis 33:1-17 we see Jacob finally encountering Esau and the two men reconciling with each other.
Therefore, Genesis 32 can be described as “God Prepares Jacob to Meet Esau.”
Now, in Genesis 32:1-2, Moses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit opens the story of Jacob meeting Esau by presenting the vertical dimension (God, the angels and Jacob) of the story before the horizontal (Jacob and Esau).
In these two verses, we see the same elect angels of God that met Jacob as he left the land of Canaan (Genesis 28:10-15), now meet him upon his return.
Genesis 32:1-2 and Genesis 28:10-15 are correlated since what took place at Bethel on Jacob’s way out of the land of Canaan now took place on his way back to that land.
Jacob’s vision of these angels in Genesis 32:1-2 would reassure him once again of the divine presence and protection.
What the Holy Spirit through Moses wants us to see and understand is this entire situation between Jacob and Esau is to be viewed from two perspectives, the divine and human and that before Jacob can reconcile with Esau, he must persevere in prayer with God so that God can resolve Jacob’s problem with Esau.
Genesis 32:1, “Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him.”
“Angels” is the noun mal’akh (Ea*l+m^) (mal-awk), which means, “messenger” is used in the Old Testament with reference to “elect” angels (Gen. 19:1; Ps. 91:11) and men (Deut. 2:26; Josh. 6:17) and of the “preincarnate” Christ (Gen. 22:11; Zech. 3:1).
The phrase “angels of God” refers to the elect angels of God since: (1) If the preincarnate Christ were in view, the singular form of the noun mal’akh would be used and not the plural form as it is here. (2) Jacob names the place “the camp (army) of God” ruling out a reference to human beings. (3) The noun Elohim, “God” stands in apposition to the noun mal’akh, “angels.”
We have seen in our past studies in the book of Genesis that the elect angels are employed by God to guard (Genesis 3:24), to communicate with God’s people (Genesis 18:1) and to protect God’s people (Genesis 19:1-22; 28:10-15).
Hebrews 1:14, “Are not all angels servant-spirits who are divinely commissioned and repeatedly dispatched for service on behalf of those who are destined to inherit salvation.”
Angels are created spirit beings (Ps. 148:2, 5) in eternity past, (Job 38:4, 7) since the Lord Jesus Christ created the angels in eternity past (Col. 1:16).
They are in eternity (present) a higher category of beings than humans are (Heb. 2:6-7), however, in eternity (future), redeemed humans will be a higher category of beings than the angels (Ps. 8:4-5).
The doctrine of positional sanctification states that the church age believer is positionally higher than the angels by virtue of their union with Christ through the Baptism of the Spirit, which takes place at the moment of salvation (Ephesians 2:6).
There are innumerable angels (He. 12:22) and they do not die and neither does their number increase or decrease (Lu. 20:36).
There are now 2 categories of angels in the cosmos: (1) Elect (2) Non-elect or fallen.
The elect angels of God are arranged in ranks as well as the fallen or non-elect angels (Ephesians 6:12).
The elect angels: (1) Protect (2) Provide (3) Proclaim the Word of God (4) Execute God’s Judgments.
In Relation to the Church: Hebrews 1:14 describes ministry of the elect-angels “servant-spirits who are divinely commissioned and repeatedly dispatched for service on behalf of those who are destined to inherit salvation.”
In this, however, Scripture points to a number of specific ministries: (1) The elect-angels bring answers to prayer (Acts 12:5-10). (2) They help in bringing people to the Savior (Acts 8:26; 10:3). (3) They may encourage in times of danger (Acts 27:23-24). (4) They care for God’s people at the time of death (Luke 16:22).
Therefore, the presence of these elect angels would be a sign to Jacob of God’s presence and protection from Esau and would therefore be a great encouragement to Jacob as he made his way back home.
This vision of angels would reassure Jacob that God cares for him and was also still accessible to him as he encountered his brother Esau.
“Met” is the verb pagha (ug^P*) (paw-gah), which conveys that Jacob’s encounter with these elect angels of God would result in a reconciliation with Esau.
Just as the angels appeared to Jacob in order to reassure him as he was leaving Canaan facing an unknown future (from the human perspective) and preparing to meet his deceitful uncle Laban who cheated him so the angels appear to Jacob again in order to reassure him as he faces the unknown (from the human perspective) and prepares to meet his old adversary, his twin brother Esau.
Notice that the angels initiated the encounter in that they met Jacob and not vice versa and that is because God whose authority the angels are under, is a God of love, who always initiates so as to motivate a worshipful response (See 1 John 4:19).
Genesis 32:2, “Jacob said when he saw them, ‘This is God's camp.’ So he named that place Mahanaim.”
“Camp” is the noun machaneh (hn#j&m^) (makh-an-eh), which refers to a “military encampment” for the elect angels of God as indicated by the statement that the angels of God met Jacob in his journey home to Canaan.
“Mahanaim” is the proper noun machanayim (<y!n^j&m^) (makh-ah-na-yim), which means, “two camps,” referring to Jacob’s human encampment and the angels encampment and was located on the Jabbok River, along which the major east-west trade route connecting the Trans-jordan King’s Highway and the coastal Via Maris run.
Man cannot see angels for they are invisible but can be seen by man when God takes one of two actions: (1) He lifts the veil of the spiritual dimension (2 Kin. 6:17). (2) He allows them to change their form to human (Heb. 13:2).
In Genesis 28:10-15 and 32:1-2, we see God lifting the veil of the invisible spiritual dimension, which He has done several times throughout history.
The prophet Elisha and his servant had the veil of the spiritual dimension lifted for them.
The name “Elisha” (uv*yl!a$) means, “God is salvation,” or “God saves.”
He was the son of Shaphat from the town of Abel Meholoah (1 K. 19:16) and was originally a farmer (1 K. 19:19) and had a home in Samaria (2 K. 2:25; 5:3, 9; 6:32) and was evidently bald (1 K. 2:23) and employed a staff to walk (2 K. 4:29).
In the 9th century B.C. Elisha succeeded Elijah the prophet and ministered primarily to the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
Elijah upon God’s command, anointed Elisha to succeed him (1 K. 19:16f).
Elisha was willing to serve Elijah and learn from him so that he might be prepared for this work that God commissioned him to do (1 K. 19:20-21) and remained with Elijah until the latter was taken up to heaven by the Lord (2 K. 2:1-18).
Elisha then took up Elijah’s mantle and work and during his prophetic ministry, he exposed and confronted idolatry, injustice, immorality and impiety among God’s people (1 K. 19:17; 2 K. 2:24; 5:20-27; 7:17-20).
Elisha also spent much of his time reaching out to those in need and demonstrated to these needy individuals the power and compassion of God (2 K. 4:1-5:14; 8:1-6; Lk. 4:27).
The miracles Elisha performed helped his fellow countrymen come to know the Lord better, trust Him more and obey His Law (2 K. 2:14, 19-22; 3:15-20; 5:15, 17-19; 6:1-7:3; 13:21).
Elisha functioned as a prophet in Israel for over 50 years which encompassed the reigns of Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz and Jehoash, from 850 B.C. to 800 B.C.
In 2 Kings 6 we have Elisha and his servant encountering danger in Dothan.
The king of Syria had been engaged in war against Israel and was extremely disturbed because every plan he had made and every place he went was discovered by the king of Israel.
Elisha was bugging the king of Syria’s quarters but not by the means employed by the FBI and CIA but rather the Lord was telling Elisha everything the king of Syria was planning to do militarily.
Finally one of the servants of the king of Syria is told by a servant that Elisha was the culprit so the king dispatches some troops to capture Elisha.
This is where we pick up the story.
2 King 6:8, “Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he counseled with his servants saying, ‘In such and such a place shall be my camp.’”
2 King 6:9, “The man of God sent {word} to the king of Israel saying, ‘Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Arameans are coming down there.’”
2 King 6:10, “The king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God had told him; thus he warned him, so that he guarded himself there, more than once or twice.”
2 Kings 6:11, “Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, ‘Will you tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?’”
2 Kings 6:12, “One of his servants said, ‘No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.’”
2 Kings 6:13, “So he said, ‘Go and see where he is, that I may send and take him.’ And it was told him, saying, ‘Behold, he is in Dothan.’”
2 Kings 6:14, “He sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.”
2 Kings 6:15, “Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’”
2 Kings 6:16, “So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’”
2 Kings 6:17, “Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ And the LORD opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
2 Kings 6:18, “When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, ‘Strike this people with blindness, I pray.’ So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.”
Psalm 68:17, “The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands.”
Psalm 104:4, “He makes the winds His messengers, flaming fire His ministers.”
Psalm 78:49, “He sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble, a band of destroying angels.”
Psalm 91:11, “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.”
Psalm 103:20, “Bless the LORD, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word!”