Facing the Trouble of Esau’s Dealing with Him

After dealing with the trouble from his uncle, Jacob had to face the trouble of his brother Esau’s dealing with him (Gen. 32:1-23; 33:1-16).

Wrestling with God

The night before Jacob confronted Esau, he wrestled with God until the break of day, and God changed his name from Jacob to Israel, indicating that God would transform him from a supplanter (Jacob) to a wrestler with God, or a prince of God (Israel). Jacob was such a strong wrestler that he even overcame God. Eventually, however, while Jacob was wrestling with God, God touched his thigh and made him limp (32:24-32). From that time Jacob became a lame person (v. 31).

We need to realize that although Jacob was touched by God, he was not yet a transformed person. After his being touched by God in chapter 32, we see in chapter 37 that Jacob still loved his son Joseph, the son of his beloved wife Rachel, more than his other sons. Because of Jacob’s preferential love, his other sons hated Joseph (vv. 3-4). This proves that Jacob was not transformed but still living in the natural life. When God changed his name to Israel, this indicated that God would eventually transform him.

Facing the Trouble of His Daughter Dinah

In Genesis 34 Jacob had to face the trouble of the case of his daughter Dinah. The Lord used the circumstance with her to deal with Jacob in a further way. Jacob had twelve sons and one daughter. He experienced trouble with each of his children. This was because God had destined him to live a struggling life.

Being Purified and Returning to Bethel

After the trouble related to the situation with his daughter Dinah, the Lord charged Jacob to go back to Bethel. Jacob and his family were then purified from the foreign gods and their ornaments that they loved, according to God’s commandment, so that they might serve God with an altar built at Bethel (35:1-3). When God appeared to Jacob at Bethel in Genesis 28, Jacob made a deal with God (vv. 20-22). Now God was reminding Jacob to fulfill his terms to God’s promise.

After Jacob and his family purified themselves from their foreign gods and ornaments, they returned to Bethel to serve God with an altar. Bethel was the place where God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. At Bethel God promised Jacob that He as the All-sufficient God would make him fruitful and multiplied, that a nation and a company of nations would come from him, and that kings would come forth from his loins. God also promised that He would give to him and his seed the land He gave to Abraham and Isaac (35:1-15). This was the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham and to Isaac. Eventually, that unique promise became a threefold promise to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.