Search
Scripture Reading: Gen. 31—35
There are a few meanings of the name Jacob in the original language. One meaning is "to grasp," and another is "to supplant." We have said previously that Jacob was constantly under God's discipline because of his craftiness. God would not allow him to be free. He made him leave his home. For twenty years, God allowed him to be cheated by his uncle in Padan-aram; his wages were changed ten times. This was a very difficult period for him. Jacob's experience was totally different from that of Isaac. Isaac's characteristic was one of receiving. It is quick and easy for us to receive riches from God. It takes only a short time for a Christian to enter into the riches of Christ and to realize that the facts in Christ and the life of Christ are his. The moment he sees this, he enters into it, and all problems are solved. But Jacob's experience was different; his experience lasted a lifetime. The natural life is something that lasts a lifetime. The activity of our flesh lasts for as long as we live on this earth. This means that we need God's continuous, long-term dealings; He has to deal with us step by step. We thank the Lord that this work will not be left unfinished; it will not be left undone. God will finish this work. God put His hand on Jacob's natural strength, and he became weak. Let us consider the third section of Jacob's history, which covers the way his natural life was broken through God's dealings.
God used Jacob's years in the house of Laban to deal with him, to discipline him, and to subdue him. But Jacob was still Jacob. No matter how shrewd Laban was, Jacob still came out on top. Although he was oppressed in many ways, he was still very resourceful; even his flock fell for his schemes. After twenty years, the time had come for God to speak to him. He had already had eleven sons, but this was the first time that God spoke to him since the time He spoke to him in the dream at Bethel.
Genesis 31:3 says, "And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee." Verse 13 says, "I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred." God was calling Jacob to return to his own land. Subsequently, Jacob prepared to return to his kindred's land. Laban, however, did not want to let Jacob go. Although Jacob had somewhat taken advantage of Laban, God still blessed Laban for Jacob's sake. It was still better for Jacob to serve him than for him to shepherd the flock himself. Hence, Laban would not let Jacob go. After Jacob told Rachel and Leah of his intention and had their consent, he took his wives, children, and all the cattle and possessions he had acquired in Padan-aram and secretly left without telling Laban.
On the third day, Laban learned of this and went after Jacob. The night before he caught up with Jacob, God spoke to Laban in a dream: "Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad" (v. 24). God would not allow Laban to say anything, because He was leading Jacob out of the place of trial and was taking him home. The time had come, and God wanted to release him. Every trial will last for only a limited period of time. When the goal of Jacob's trial was reached, God released him and Laban could do nothing to stop him. Laban heard God's word, and dared not say much when he caught up with Jacob. Eventually, they made a covenant. This covenant was very meaningful. "And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee; this heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm. The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor..." (vv. 51-53a). Laban was the grandson of Nahor, who was Abraham's brother. Consequently, Laban said, "The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor..." But God would not recognize this, so "Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac" (v. 53b). Laban could say politely, "The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor," but Jacob could not say this. He could only swear by the God of his father Isaac. This means that the line of God's promise began from His choosing. God had chosen Jacob's father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham. God alone had done this, and no one else could interfere. Even Nahor could not interfere.
The incident following this was even more precious. "Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount" (v. 54). Laban did not offer up any sacrifice; only Jacob offered up sacrifice. Jacob heard God's voice and began to draw near to God. He had made some progress. He went to Padan-aram because his mother had persuaded him to go; he did not go because of God's word. When he met God at Bethel, he did not do anything except make a vow to God. For his return God told him to go back, and he obeyed God's word to return. His relationship with God had improved. This was the first time he obeyed God's word. This was the first time he submitted to God and the first time he offered sacrifice to God. Although the twenty years of discipline did not make Jacob a different man, he now showed some desire for God. There was some progress. When Jacob took hold of his brother's heel and coveted the birthright and blessing, he was not after God, but after the goodness from God. In other words, he wanted God's gift and not the Giver. He wanted God's things and not God Himself. But after twenty years of discipline under God, there was some inclination toward God and some turn. Therefore, at the time of their covenanting, only Jacob offered sacrifice to God; Laban did not offer any sacrifice. After Jacob offered his sacrifice, he parted with Laban the next day and set out on his journey to Canaan.
Genesis 32:1-2 says, "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim." The name Mahanaim means "two camps." This is a precious word. God was opening Jacob's eyes to see that as a result of his obedience to God to leave Padan-aram, God had delivered him from the hand of Laban and would deliver him from the hands of others. God opened his eyes to see that his company of people on earth was one camp, while God's army was another camp; hence, there were the "two camps." God opened his eyes to see that the messenger of God was with them. First, God came to him alone and said to him, "Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee." While he was on his way, Laban came with a company of men, but God protected him. This proved to Jacob that God was with him. After Laban left, God gave him a vision and showed him that there was not only a camp on earth, but another camp of heavenly hosts following him. All of these incidents taught him to trust in God.
Under such circumstances, however, Jacob was still Jacob. The flesh is still the flesh; it will never be reformed by God's grace. Although Jacob had seen the vision, it was a pity that he still exercised his maneuvering. Let us read verses 3 through 5: "And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: and I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight." This passage shows us that Jacob was a person who could resort to any amount of maneuvering and say any kind of despicable word. He would do anything to save himself from any disadvantage. He thought his words could change his brother's heart, but he had forgotten God's calling and protection. He had forgotten God's angels!
Verse 6 says, "And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him." Jacob was confused once again. He wondered if this word was out of good intention or evil intention. Esau was coming with four hundred men. What was his purpose? Verse 7 says, "Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed." This shows that those who plan the most also worry the most. The more anxiety a person has, the more fear he has. Jacob could only think; he could not trust. He could only scheme; he could not believe. He lived his days in fear and distress. This was Jacob. Those whose flesh is not dealt with can only trust in their own planning and scheming; they cannot trust in God or believe in Him. Therefore, they can only fear and worry.
Jacob's considerations were endless and his schemes unlimited. He was still making his own plans. He knew that God wanted him to return and that he could not stay in Mesopotamia any longer. He had to find a way to return. He could obey God, but he could not trust in God. He could not let God be responsible for the consequences of his obedience. He wondered what would happen if he encountered troubles as a result of obeying God. This is the experience of many Christians. They often obey God "at the front door," but at the same time prepare a way of escape "through the back door." Jacob was truly resourceful. He came up with an idea. "He divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands" (v. 7). The "two bands" in this verse are the same as the name Mahanaim in the previous verse. Jacob divided his people and cattle into Mahanaim. He used this Mahanaim to replace that other Mahanaim. Originally, Jacob had one band on earth and God had one band in heaven, but now Jacob divided his band into two. He said, "If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape" (v. 8). The goal of Jacob's scheme was to provide a way for escape.
Of course, he still knew something of God. Formerly, God had sought after him, now he sought after God. "And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude" (vv. 9-12). This was Jacob's prayer. This prayer was not a high prayer, but we must admit that it was much better than before. In the past he only planned; there was no prayer. Now he both planned and prayed. Jacob was planning on the one hand and praying on the other hand. On the one hand, he was having his own activity, and on the other hand, he was looking to God. Is Jacob the only person who has done this kind of thing? Is this not the condition of many Christians? Yet, in spite of this, Jacob's condition had improved. His prayer and the position he took were quite proper. He called God the "God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac." He knew that God wanted him to return to his own land and to his kindred, and that He would bless him. He told God plainly that he was afraid his brother would come and kill him. He was honest, and said to the Lord, "Thou saidst, I will surely...make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude." He remembered God's promise and reminded God of the promise.
At the same time, however, he could not trust in God. He was afraid of what would happen if God's word failed. He could not cast away his trust in God, because God had spoken to him, but he considered it very risky to trust in God completely. He wanted to trust in God, yet without risk. Therefore, he came up with his own ways. "He lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; two hundred she goats and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine and ten bulls, twenty she asses and ten foals. And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove. And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee? Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us. And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him. And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. So went the present over before him; and himself lodged that night in the company" (vv. 13-21). This was Jacob's master plan! He was facing the peril of his lifetime; it was a moment of life and death. Jacob had passed through many things, but he had never encountered a situation as desperate as this one. He knew his brother's temperament, and he knew that his brother was a hunter who did not pity the animals. He was afraid that he would not have pity on men as well. This was Jacob's most perilous hour. He had never prayed as he then prayed, and he was never as fearful and as anxious as he was on that day. In Bethel God sought him out. Now he called on God. If you say that he did not fear God, you must remember that he prayed. But if you say that he trusted in God, you must remember that he came up with all these schemes and ways! He seemed to have forgotten God's promises, and at the same time, it appeared that he had not forgotten them completely. God delivered him out of the hand of Laban and showed him that a host of God's angels were going with him. However, he was still afraid and worried, and he was still planning and scheming. For twenty years God had subdued and disciplined Jacob, but twenty years later, Jacob was still Jacob. He was still very capable in himself. His eloquence was still with him, and he still had all kinds of schemes. Here he came up with his best plan. That night Jacob took his wives, children, and womenservants over the river first. Then he sent everything else over the river. He alone was left on this side.
God met him that night. "Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him" (vv. 24-25). This place was called Peniel. It was the place where Jacob's fleshly life was exhausted and dealt with.
In this place Jacob was not doing something; he was not praying or wrestling with God. Rather, God came and wrestled with Jacob; God came and subdued him.
What does it mean to wrestle? Wrestling means to press someone down. God wrestled with Jacob in order to subdue him, strip him of his strength, and pin him down so that he could not struggle any longer. The meaning of wrestling is to deplete someone of his strength, bring him down, and pin him down. It means to subdue someone and then to keep him down with power. The Bible shows us that God wrestled with Jacob and did not prevail over him. Jacob was indeed strong!
What is the significance of God being unable to prevail over Jacob? When we do not trust in God and when we contrive by ourselves and are satisfied with ourselves, we have to admit that God cannot prevail over us. When we try to do God's will by our own strength and try to deliver ourselves by all kinds of natural means, we have to say that God has not prevailed over us. Many brothers and sisters have believed in the Lord for many years, but they have to admit that God has never prevailed over them. They are still very clever, strong, capable, and resourceful. God is not able to prevail over them. They have never been subdued by God and have never been defeated by Him. If they had been defeated by God, they would have said, "I cannot make it! God, I surrender!" It is unfortunate that many brothers and sisters have been under God's discipline repeatedly and still are not defeated. They think that they did not plan well enough the first time, and that they have to design a better plan the second or third time. Such ones have never been defeated by God.
Jacob was a person who would never suffer a defeat. He knew that this was a critical moment for him, but he still had his own ways. He might have thought, "I know Esau very well. If I do this, there is a ninety-nine percent chance that I will succeed." Although he was afraid in his heart, he was still very resourceful.
Many people have repeatedly experienced God's discipline, but their natural life has never been dealt with in a thorough way. As a result, they make God's discipline their boast in a natural way. They think that by experiencing God's discipline frequently, they are accumulating a rich spiritual history for themselves. If they had never been dealt with by the Lord, they would have nothing to say. They would not be able to take pride in any spiritual thing. The only thing they could take pride in would be the worldly things. But when they have had a little experience of fellowshipping with God and received some dealings, they adorn themselves with these fragmented dealings and use them as the basis for their spiritual boast and claim that they know God.
Brothers and sisters, perhaps God has been wrestling with you for five or ten years but has not yet prevailed over you. You have not yet been brought to the point where you say, "I am finished. I cannot stand up any longer. I cannot make it." This means that God has not yet prevailed over you.
Thank God that He has a way! It is true that Jacob was very capable and that his fleshly life and natural energy were stronger than anyone else's. But in the end God prevailed over him. If God had wrestled with him according to the usual way, the wrestling might have lasted for twenty years. But God knew that the time had come. When He saw that Jacob could not be put down, He touched the hollow of his thigh. Once God touched the hollow of his thigh, it came out of joint.
The sinew of the hollow of the thigh is the strongest sinew in the body. It represents the strongest part of a person, the seat of man's natural strength. God touched the seat of Jacob's natural strength.
God touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh because on that day, the sinew of it was revealed and exposed. On that day, he was afraid that Esau would come and kill him. He was afraid that his wives and children would be killed by his brother, and therefore, he put on the best performance of his life. He prepared his gifts, put some of each kind in each company, and asked the servants to walk in front and separate the companies by a distance. He also told them to speak good words when they met Esau. He came up with this smart way of mitigating Esau's animosity so that Esau would feel obliged to forgive. Jacob was putting his best ability forward; the sinew of the hollow of his thigh was exposed. But that day God touched the hollow of his thigh.
Man's natural strength always exhibits certain characteristics. There are always certain areas from which the natural strength manifests itself. There are always certain spots which are particularly strong. God intends to expose these strong spots. Unfortunately, many Christians do not know the vehicles upon which their natural energy is lodged. The most pitiful people are not those who are weak, but those who do not know that they are weak. The poorest people are not those who are wrong, but those who do not know that they are wrong. They are not only in error but in darkness. They do not live in the light. As a result they are not aware of their wrong. Some Christians can say that they are wrong in this and that, but the wrongs they mention are actually not the crux of the problem. There may be deeper problems which are not yet manifested, and God has not yet been provided the opportunity to expose them. God permitted Jacob to encounter Esau with the four hundred men so that all of Jacob's strength would be exposed and his characteristics revealed.
In order for a Christian to take God's way, he must receive everything from Christ. However, it is not enough for us to just be Isaacs. We are Isaacs, but at the same time we are also Jacobs. We need God to touch the hollow of our thigh, to weaken us, and to put us out of joint. The day will come when God will touch the hollow of our thigh. Our advance cannot always be slow. If we advance as slowly as we are now, it is questionable that we will reach Bethel in twenty years. God has been disciplining us for twenty years, but now we need to have the hollow of our thigh put out of joint so that we can no longer stand tall before the Lord. This is a specific experience, one that is as specific as our salvation. Just as we needed to be saved in a definite way, and just as our eyes needed to be opened to see the riches of Christ in a definite way, the seat of our strength also needs to be touched in a definite way so that our natural life will be dislodged.
Every Christian has his own thigh hollow. With some, their natural strength is lodged within their conniving. With others, their natural strength is lodged within their talent. Some Christians have their natural strength lodged in their emotions, while others have their natural strength lodged within their self-love. Every Christian has his own particular strong spot. His natural strength is lodged in that spot. Once that spot is touched, his natural strength is touched by God. I cannot tell you where your natural strength is lodged, but I can say that every Christian has his own particular spot. Every aspect of his life is under the influence of this spot, and this spot can be considered as the hollow of his thigh.
The natural life of some Christians is manifested in their love for exhibition. They love to exhibit what little spirituality they have. Their so-called "testimonies" are actually not testimonies for the Lord, but a kind of self-boasting and self-manifestation. All of their actions, life, and work issue from their desire to exhibit themselves. Eventually, God will touch their love for exhibition.
Some Christians have their natural strength lodged in their self-love. Everything that they do originates from their self-love. Those who are experienced can tell immediately that they are doing this and that and are saying this and that only because they love themselves. From all of their behavior, one can find a thigh hollow, which is their self-love. There is always a nerve center for our natural life within which strong power is hidden. Eventually, the Lord will have to destroy this before we can bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, everything will still come from our self.
Some Christians have their natural life hidden behind their strong mentality. They always think and reason when others speak to them; they always judge whether or not something is rational or justifiable. They analyze everything that comes their way. Their minds are too active, and their heads are too big. They live in their mentality. If they do not think and analyze, they cannot live. Their mind becomes their life. They may be capable in doing many things, but they are useless in God's hand. Eventually, God will have to touch their mind before His purpose in them can be fulfilled.
Other things can also be the lodging place of our natural life. When God touches this spot, it means that He is working in us. This does not mean that we have become perfect, but it does signify a turning point in our life.
Many Christians seem to have committed unrelated mistakes. They make small mistakes here and there. The outward expressions of these mistakes may be different, but the root is the same. This root is the hollow of the thigh we mentioned earlier; it is the lodging ground of their natural life. God will not let this go; He will always come back to deal with it. God's attention is not on the many outward, minor expressions. His intention is to touch the nerve center of the natural life and to bring about a basic change in them.
Thank the Lord that He touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh. After this touch, Jacob became crippled. He became weak, was defeated, and could no longer wrestle.
Some may ask, "What is the meaning of Peniel? How can Jacob's Peniel be applied to us?" We can answer this way: You may have a stubborn disposition which has been dominating your life. This disposition has become the principle of your life and the lodging ground of your natural life. At ordinary times, you do not notice it. But God provides many opportunities in which this natural strength is exposed once, twice, ten times, or even a hundred times. Yet you are still unaware of it. One day, at the crossing at Jabbok, you will have exhausted your ability and the very seat of your natural life will be exposed. At that time, God's hand will touch you and show you where your natural strength lies. You will realize your most ugly, evil, and filthy disposition. What you have been boasting about, what you have gloried in and taken satisfaction in, and what you have considered excellent and superior are now under the shining of God's light and found to be nothing but the fleshly life, which is filthy, corrupted, and despicable. The light has killed you. This is the meaning of Peniel. God shows you that the very things that you once boasted in, considered admirable, were proud of, and that distinguished you from others are the very expressions of the fleshly life. When God touches your life in this way, you become weakened. This is the meaning of Peniel.
Your natural strength needs to be dealt with by the Lord. But before you see the light, you consider this strength as something precious and worthy of boasting. Brothers and sisters, you have to be careful with your boasting. The strength of the natural life is hidden within the boasts of many Christians. It is hard to find one Christian who does not have his natural life lurking behind his boasts. Therefore, you have to be particularly careful about your boasts. The things that you boast in are often the very things that God will deal with. Perhaps these very things are the hollow of your thigh. God will shine on you and touch the hollow of your thigh. When He touches this spot, you will become very ashamed and say, "How could I have made my greatest shame my glory?" All those who know a little about the experience of Peniel can testify that when God touches the hollow of their thigh, they are not only weakened but ashamed. They exclaim, "How could I have been so foolish? I thought that this and that were good. Actually they were all shameful things!" They feel that they are the most ugly person before the Lord. Brothers and sisters, once God touches you, you will see that everything you did before was ugly. You will wonder how you could have considered them your glory and your virtues, and how you could have considered others inferior to yourself! When this happens, God has touched you.
The name Peniel means "the face of God" in the original language. God's face is God's light. In the past, God touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh with His hand. Today He is touching our natural life with His light. Once we are enlightened by God's light, we will realize that the things we once considered to be good, glorious, and outstanding are but shameful and foolish things. This light will give us a mortal blow and deplete us of all strength.
Brothers and sisters, one day we will have to pass through Peniel. God must touch our natural life before we can become useful persons in His hand. The day will come when we will pass through such an experience. Of course, we cannot hasten its coming by being anxious. However, we can commit ourselves to the faithful Creator and pray that He will work things out in the environment and lead us to the realization that our boasts are just our shame and foolishness. May the Lord be merciful to us, and may He give us light so that His work may be fulfilled in us through the enlightening of Peniel — the face of God.
The natural life must be dealt with. Yet we cannot pretend. Pretension is not Christianity. Christianity does not make us persons we are not. If we are adults, we will spontaneously have the appearance of adults. If we are children, we will spontaneously have the appearance of children. The same is true with God's work. It is He who touches our natural life and removes its strength. As a result we cannot do anything by ourselves any longer. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to manifest Christ within us. We do not want to be natural, yet we do not want to be pretentious either. It is an uncomely sight for a child of God to pretend to be spiritual; it frustrates his natural life from being dealt with. Many Christians pretend to be humble. The more humble they appear, the more uncomfortable they make others feel. With many Christians, it would be better for them to speak of worldly things because they would at least be somewhat genuine. But the minute they talk about spiritual things, others cannot help but pray, "Lord, be merciful to him. He is talking about things that bear no reality at all." Many Christians appear very meek, but one cannot help but pray, "Lord, forgive this man's meekness; we do not know where this meekness comes from." Indeed, nothing frustrates the Christian life more than pretension. We have to be unpretentious and genuine. If we want to smile, we should smile. If we want to laugh, we should laugh. We must never perform and never pretend. The Lord deals with the natural life, and the Holy Spirit accomplishes this work. We must never exhort others to be what they are not. If a man is humble, he is humble. If he pretends to be humble, his pretension is worthless. If a Christian pretends to be spiritual, his natural life will become even harder to deal with. God does not need this kind of person, because his pretension is a frustration to God's work.
In the last century, there was a brother who was greatly used by the Lord. One day he was a guest at another person's house. A young sister was also invited as a guest. The sister was surprised to find that this brother was also a guest. She wondered if this brother would put butter on his bread. She thought that a spiritual person would surely be different from others. But to her disappointment, he did not fit her expectation of what a spiritual person should be. He appeared to be just a normal man! She was disappointed that he was merely a man! She observed that he buttered his bread just like everyone else and chatted while he ate. She did not see much difference in him. She wondered why such a spiritual man would be the same as others. She did not realize that his difference did not lie in eating unbuttered bread or in restraining himself from conversation at mealtime, but in his special knowledge of God. What was special about this man was his experience in the life of God.
We should never think that dealing with the natural life is pretending to be a special kind of person, one who is found neither in heaven nor on earth. We do not need to pretend or imitate. It is God who touches our natural life and God who deals with us. God touches the seat of our natural energy. He strips us of our own ways so that we can struggle no longer. Peniel is God's work; it is not something that we conjure up. The Lord wants us to be genuine. We should neither strive to become genuine nor "act" genuine. One sister appeared very genuine before others. But while she appeared to be "genuine," her heart was saying, "See! How genuine am I!" This kind of "genuineness" has no value before the Lord. She was faking her genuineness; it was a kind of self-boasting genuineness. We have to remember that the natural life is not touched when we pretend to be what we are not. God alone can deal with our natural life; we cannot do it. We need to be unpretentious. We should be what we are. God will deal with our natural life. Brothers and sisters, we have to be thoroughly clear that there is a big difference between anything that comes from ourselves and anything that comes from God. Anything that comes from God counts, while anything that comes from us is worthless. Anything that comes from ourselves only makes us someone we are not. Only that which comes from God will make us Israel.
Jacob was touched by God in the hollow of his thigh at Peniel, and his leg was crippled. Many Christians have this experience. But when they experience it, they do not know what it is. After a few months or a few years God may show them that He was dealing with their natural life. Then they will realize that they have passed through such an experience. Do not think that just because you are exuberant when you pray, your natural life has been dealt with by the Lord. It is wrong to think this way. Our experience tells us that we do not know when God deals with our natural life. But one thing we do know: Whenever we are touched by the Lord, we are no longer free in our walk; we are no longer as convenient as before. There is a big mark in us — lameness. Lameness is a sign that our natural life has been touched by God. It is not a matter of testifying in a certain meeting that God dealt with our natural life on a certain date. It is a matter of our legs becoming crippled through some spiritual experience. Originally, the more we contrived, the more we enjoyed our contriving. But once we have been touched, something will vacillate within us when we contrive again. We can no longer contrive. The minute we try, we lose our peace. Originally, we were so capable of speaking about this and that kind of thing; we had lofty words and high sounding phrases. But even before the words come out of our mouth now, we feel sick about them. We can no longer be as glib as before. Originally we were shrewd and resourceful; we knew what to do about this person and what to do about that person. There was no need for us to trust in God. But after God has touched our natural life, we will feel that something within is gone when we try to supplant others; something within us wilts. We are not saying that we should not act wisely. God often will lead us to do wise things. But if we try to exercise our own maneuvering, we will feel that something has collapsed within us. We will feel this way before we even try to do anything. This means that the hollow of our thigh has been touched.
Those who have passed through God's dealings know the difference between natural strength and spiritual power. After a person's natural strength is fully stripped, he will be afraid of the resurgence of his natural strength whenever he works for the Lord. We know that we will obtain a certain kind of result if we say a certain word, but we are afraid of reaping that result. If we go on according to our natural strength, we will feel cold inside, and something within us will refuse to go along. This is the meaning of lameness.
There is also a difference in degree as to how much a person is touched by God. Some are touched by God just to the extent that their conscience is bothered. Some are touched by God in a thorough way; they are touched in the sinew of their thigh hollow. These people are the truly crippled ones. God has to do a thorough work in us until a life-long mark is left on us, a mark of lameness. After we become crippled, something will hurt us and frustrate us whenever we try to move or do something. This is the mark of being touched by God.
Jacob's thigh hollow was put out of joint when he wrestled with God. But we see one amazing thing in verse 26: "And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." According to our thought, Jacob's thigh hollow was already out of joint, and he was depleted of all strength. How could he not let God go? Yet the man said, "Let me go, for the day breaketh." This shows that when the hollow of our thigh is touched, we hold on to God the strongest. When we cannot make it, we turn and grasp hold of God. When we are weak, we become strong, and when we are crippled, we turn back to God and say, "I will not let You go." To us, it seems impossible that we can do this, but this is a fact. When our strength is gone, we find ourselves grasping hold of God. The grasping that happens when our strength is gone is the real grasping. Those who grasp hold of God have no need of their own strength. The faith that accomplishes things is the faith that is as small as a mustard seed. A faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains (Matt. 17:20). Many times, fervent prayers and fervent faith are merely fervor; they do not bring about any result. But often, when we do not have the strength in ourselves to seek God, when we cannot even pray to Him or ask of Him, and when we cannot even believe, we find ourselves believing! The amazing thing is that this feeble faith, this little faith, brings in results. When Jacob was so strong, he was useless in the hand of the Lord. But when the hollow of his thigh was touched, God took hold of him.
He blessed Jacob saying, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel" (Gen. 32:28). The name Israel means "ruling with God" or "reigning with God." This was the turning point in Jacob's life. The experience at Peniel shows us that Jacob was defeated by God's hand; the sinew of his thigh's hollow was touched, and he became crippled for the rest of his life. Following this, however, God said, "As a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." This is true victory. When we are defeated by God, we have truly prevailed and truly lost confidence in ourselves. Whenever we find that we can no longer make it, that is the time when we have overcome.
Let us read verse 29: "And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there." Jacob wanted to know who the man was and what His name was. But the man would not give Jacob His name; He would only tell Jacob after he reached Bethel (35:10-11). Jacob did not know the man. He did not know when He came and when He left. Jacob only knew that his own name was to be changed to Israel; he did not know who that person was. All those whose thigh hollow has been touched by God are not too clear about what they have experienced. This is something that we must all realize.
After one brother heard the story of Jacob at Peniel, he said, "Last Friday night, God touched the hollow of my thigh, and He dealt with my natural strength." Another brother asked, "What happened?" The first one answered, "When God opened my eyes that day, I became finished. I was very happy and thanked the Lord greatly because He had touched the hollow of my thigh." It is questionable whether one can be so clear about his own experience. The story of Jacob shows us that when his natural life was touched, he was still not very clear about what had happened. If God has touched our natural life, we probably did not know about it at the time. We may only know about it after a few weeks or a few months. Some brothers do not know what happened to them when their natural life was touched. They only know that they dared not do something and were not as capable, strong, and clever as before. Formerly they had much confidence, but now their confidence is gone. Only when they turn to God's Word one day, do they realize that God has touched their natural life.
Therefore, we should not wait for such an experience to come. If our eyes are set on the experience, we may wait for a few years and still not get it. God does not allow our eyes to be set on our experience; He only allows us to set our eyes on Him. Those who seek for experience will not find it, but those who look to God will find the experience. Many people are saved without being conscious of it. In the same way, many Christians have their natural life touched without realizing it. This was the experience of Jacob. He was not very clear at the beginning. He only knew that he met God that day. On that day, he came face to face with God.
Those who have passed through the experience of Peniel will not be able to tell others very clearly about the doctrine of it. All they know is that they have met God and that they have become crippled. They can only say that they are not as strong as they once were, and that they are not as confident as they once were. Every time they try to maneuver or contrive, they find themselves unable to do it any longer. Every time they try to prove their ability, they are stopped. Lameness is the proof of the thigh hollow being touched. One does not become crippled by shouting, "I am lame!" If a man still acts confidently, speaks persuasively, moves independently, insists on his proposals, and does not wait on God and look to Him when things happen, he is not crippled, and God has not touched him yet. Jacob did not know God's name; all he knew was that a mark was left on him, the mark of lameness. What does it mean to become lame? It means to no longer live by oneself, trust in oneself, or believe in oneself. One dares not consider himself clever or capable, and he dares not exercise his schemes. All he can do is look to God and trust in Him. He is in fear and trembling and remains in weakness. This is being crippled, and this is having the sinew of the thigh hollow touched. There is no need to spend time to consider when this will happen or how it will happen. All we have to do is look to the Lord and believe that one day, subconsciously the sinew of our thigh hollow will be touched.
However, the experience of Peniel alone is not complete. Peniel signifies God's beginning. It was there that God first told Jacob that he would be called Israel. After Peniel it is hard for us to detect Israel in Jacob. We still see Jacob. In Peniel Jacob only knew that his own name would be called Israel; he did not know God's name. Jacob did not know who God was until Genesis 35. Hence, Peniel was only a turning point. The completion is not found until we come to Bethel. More time was needed before God's work could be completed in Jacob.
Jacob became crippled after Peniel, but he still did not know what he had experienced. When the day broke, he still acted according to his original plan.
Many people condemn Jacob and pass judgment on him. They think that Jacob should have stopped his activities because he had been touched by God. Since he was touched by God already, every problem should have been solved. This is the mentality of those who do not know themselves. They think that everything is clear-cut and that all of their problems can be solved in one breath. Actually, things are never that simple. We have to realize that experience is not a whim of an idea. Jacob could not become Israel in an instant. Since he had made all the arrangements the day before, he carried out his scheme as planned. But we have to realize one thing: After God touched the hollow of his thigh, he was different when he met Esau. We can see that Jacob was beginning to change.
Let us read Genesis 33:1-3: "And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother." He was still as cunning as before. He even bowed down seven times to the ground before his brother. Verse 4 says, "And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept." Jacob did not expect that his schemes would not be needed and that all his plans were in vain. God's protection was real. All he needed was a little faith and he could have avoided much vexation and fear! Esau did not try to kill him; rather, he was coming to welcome him. He embraced Jacob, fell on his neck, and kissed him. All of Jacob's cleverness and plans came to nothing! When he left his brother and met Rachel, he wept. Now when he came back and met Esau, he wept again. Some people weep because they like to weep by nature. But Jacob was a resourceful person; he did not weep easily. However, when he saw his brother, he wept. This was a rare occasion. This means that the experience of Peniel had made Jacob a soft person.
Verses 6 through 8 say, "Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord." He was still delivering the speech he had prepared the day before. The day before he had prepared to call Esau "my lord." He went according to the original plan and called him "my lord." A man can be dealt with in his natural life, and his power can be stripped by God, but his outward conduct may take a few weeks or even a few months to change.
Verses 9 and 10 say, "And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then 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." We should not consider this word as Jacob's pretense. He said, "I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God." Jacob was not trying to be humble in saying this. Of course Jacob was very good at pretending, but this word was not his pretense. There was deep significance to his word. This word means that for him to see Esau's face was for him to face Peniel. What does this mean? It means that when one sees the face of those he has offended and sinned against, he sees the face of God. Whenever we meet those whom we have sinned against, we meet God. Whenever we come across those whom we have offended, we come across judgment. If we owe anyone anything, if we have ill-treated anyone, or if we have done anyone harm, we will see God every time we see them if the matter is not settled. They will become as fearful as God. Every time we see their face we will be reminded of God, and every time we come across their way we will come across judgment. Jacob was stating the real fact. For Jacob, seeing Esau's face was indeed "as though I had seen the face of God."
Esau returned to Seir, and Jacob set off to Succoth. "And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-aram; and pitched his tent before the city" (v. 18).
God wanted Jacob to go back to his father's land, but he remained in Shechem. Shechem was only the first stop on the way to Canaan, yet Jacob dwelt in Shechem. First, he built a house in Succoth (v. 17). Then he bought a parcel of a field, spread his tent, and erected an altar in Shechem, and called it "El-Elohe-Israel," which means "God, the God of Israel" (vv. 19-20). He had not reached Bethel nor Hebron yet; he was only in Shechem, and he dwelt there. He not only dwelt there, but he bought a piece of land there. This shows that Jacob was not strong enough and had not learned the lesson properly. He had not reached the state of perfection. God's dealing with Jacob was gradual. The discipline of God and the constitution of the Holy Spirit were carried out step by step.
Although it was a failure for Jacob to remain in Shechem, he nevertheless built an altar there, called on the name of God, and proclaimed God to be the God of Israel. This was a progression. God was now not only the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac, but "El-Elohe-Israel." "El" is God, and "Elohe" is also God. The meaning of the whole word is "The God of Israel is indeed God," or "God is indeed the God of Israel." He could now say such a word. He had indeed made some progress before the Lord.
In chapter thirty-four, Jacob's daughter was defiled in that land, and two of his sons plotted and killed Shechem and all the males of the city. This put Jacob in a very difficult situation. It was then that God called him to Bethel (35:1). God disciplined him and guided him. He wanted to live in Shechem, but God would not let him live there for too long.
We have mentioned before that Abraham lived in three places in Canaan: Shechem, Bethel, and Hebron. He built altars in all three places. These three places carry the characteristics of Canaan; they are in fact a representation of the land of Canaan. After Peniel, God intended to take Jacob on the path of Abraham, first to Shechem, then to Bethel, and finally to Hebron. Abraham passed through these three places, and God led Jacob through these three places as well. After Peniel, God led him on to Shechem and then to Bethel. Peniel and Bethel match one another. At Peniel God said, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel" (32:28), and at Bethel He also said, "Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob" (35:10). In other words, Peniel was the beginning, while Bethel was the completion.
Genesis 35:1 says, "And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother." God told him to go up to Bethel. Bethel was a place that particularly touched Jacob's heart because he dreamed and God appeared to him there. We have mentioned earlier that Bethel means the house of God; it signifies the authority of Christ, that Christ is ruling over His house. It also signifies the corporate life, which is the Body of Christ. In this house there should not be any defilement, sin, or anything that is contrary to God's will. This is why Jacob told his household and those who were with him to "put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments" when they went up to Bethel (v. 2). In other words, they had to leave behind everything that was related to the idols before they could go up to Bethel. In Shechem Jacob buried the strange gods and all their earrings under the oak (v. 4). The meaning of Shechem is "strength of the shoulder." In other words, Christ deals with our idols and our sins, and Christ deals with all the things which we cannot deal with. The oak of Shechem speaks of the riches of Isaac; it shows us that everything contrary to us is dealt with there. In Shechem Christ has enough power to deal with all these things. His shoulder is broad enough to bear all these responsibilities. Bethel is the house of God. There should only be clean conduct and clean living in the house of God, and all the unclean things should be dealt with before one can go up to Bethel. God demands not only that we have a clean living individually, but that we also have a clean living corporately. Bethel cannot tolerate any unclean things. The Body of Christ is Christ, and only Christ can remain in His Body; everything else must be left behind in Shechem.
Verse 5 says, "And they journeyed." After Jacob trusted in the power of the Lord and removed all the things that did not glorify Him, he set out on his journey.
Verses 6 and 7 say, "So Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. And he built there an altar, and called the place El-bethel; because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother." At that time, Jacob took another step forward. In Shechem he called the place "El-Elohe-Israel." Here he called it "El-bethel." In Shechem he called God the God of Israel, while here he called God the God of Bethel. He advanced from the individual experience to the corporate experience. In Shechem he knew God as the God of Israel. When he reached Bethel, he knew God as the God of His house. When he reached Bethel, he realized that the vessel God is after is a house, a corporate vessel. God was not only his God, but the God of His house. He was brought to a broadened place.
Thank and praise the Lord that God is not heaping up piles of isolated stones; He is building a house that expresses Him. There must be the corporate testimony before God's goal can be reached. Individuals cannot satisfy God's heart. Even many individuals working for the Lord will not satisfy God's heart. There is the need of a corporate vessel to fulfill God's purpose and satisfy His heart. Our God is the God of Bethel, the God of the church.
Here God appeared to Jacob once more. This appearance of God in Bethel was different from His previous appearance in Bethel. The previous time God had appeared in a dream. This time He appeared directly. Let us read verses 9 and 10: "And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name; and he called his name Israel." At Peniel God began to change his name from Jacob to Israel. At Bethel the changing of his name was actually carried out. What began at Peniel was completed in the house of God. At Peniel God dealt with Jacob's natural life. God worked in him and gave him a mortal blow. After Peniel only a mere vestige of his natural life remained; it was no longer as strong as it once was. When he reached Bethel, that which began with his enlightening at Peniel was perfected in the house of God. Having our natural life touched individually is the starting point of Israel, while knowing the Body of Christ in the house of God is the perfection of Israel. The beginning of the experience of Peniel is the enlightening and the stripping of the natural life, while the completion of the experience of Peniel is Bethel, the house of God.
God said to Jacob, "I am God Almighty" (v. 11). Jacob heard what he did not hear at Peniel. At Peniel Jacob asked God for His name, and God would not tell him. God told him His name here. "I am God Almighty!" This was one of the names God revealed to Abraham when He appeared to him (17:1). God said this to Jacob to show him not only his own impotence, but God's omnipotence. Not only do we have to know our poverty, but we have to know His riches. "Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; and the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land" (35:11-12). This shows that God had secured a new vessel in Jacob. Now there was a people who could fulfill God's purpose on earth. After God spoke this, He went up from him (v. 13). When Jacob met God previously, he erected a stone to be a pillar, poured oil on it, and called the name of the place the house of God. At that time, he was afraid and felt that the place was very dreadful. After Jacob met God this time, he set up a pillar of stone and poured oil as well as a drink offering on it (v. 14). A drink offering is an offering of wine; in the Bible it signifies joy. Now Jacob was no longer fearful but joyful. Previously, he felt dreadful when he met God. Now he was joyful when he met God. This shows us that when we are saved, there is a certain taste in our praise of the Lord, and when our flesh is dealt with, there is another taste in our praise of the Lord. The taste of praise which comes after the flesh is dealt with is something which one can never experience prior to being dealt with.
Verse 16 says, "And they journeyed from Bethel." Verse 27 says, "And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arba, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned." Jacob had arrived in Hebron. Once he reached this place, God's work in him was completed. From this point on, he dwelt in Hebron, the place where Abraham and Isaac once dwelt. The meaning of Hebron is to remain in the fellowship. It was not only fellowship with God but fellowship with the other members of the Body of Christ.
Bethel was not the permanent dwelling place for Jacob. Only Hebron was the permanent dwelling place of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This means that we need to know Bethel as the house of God just as we need to know Shechem as the power of God. However, we do not live in the knowledge of the house of God; we live daily in the fellowship of it.
From that time on, Jacob realized that he could do nothing on his own. Everything had to be done in fellowship, and nothing could be done outside of fellowship. If the flesh is not dealt with, it will never see the importance of fellowship. Many Christians do not seem to need fellowship. They do not need to fellowship with God, and they do not need to fellowship with other children of God. They are this way mainly because their flesh has never been dealt with. The flesh must be dealt with, and one must know the life of Bethel before he realizes that he cannot live outside Hebron, and that he cannot survive without fellowship. The fellowship we are speaking of refers to the life supply of Christ which comes from the other members. When other brothers and sisters supply us with the indwelling Christ and we go forward through the supply of these other members, we have Hebron and fellowship. God's children are very much in need of this.
If God's children have not been dealt with in their flesh, they cannot know the life of the Body of Christ. They may understand the doctrine about the Body of Christ, and they may even be able to expound it clearly. But if their flesh is not dealt with, they will not know the life of the Body. Once the flesh is dealt with, they will know the life of the Body of Christ. They will see the importance of fellowship, and they will not be able to live apart from the fellowship. They will not be able to be a Christian at all without the other children of God, and they will not be able to receive any supply of life apart from the help of God's children. Brothers and sisters, the Body of Christ is a fact; it is not a doctrine. We cannot live without Christ, and we cannot live without the other Christians.
We have to ask God to show us that we cannot be Christians by ourselves. We have to live in fellowship with God, and we have to live in fellowship with the Body of Christ. May God lead us on so that we can truly glorify His name. May God gain not only a vessel in Jacob, but a vessel in us as well.
