Purification

    Against the backdrop of Laban repeatedly changing his agreement with Jacob- management of his flocks in return for a flock of his own- Jacob is told to leave Laban and return to Canaan, by the Lord.
   Jacob has been shown the folly  of deceitfullness and idolitary, but the Lord still has another lesson for him- that of total trust in Him. In the making of Israel*,  Jacob must come to rely on God entirely and his field trip for this lesson involved both the leaving of Laban and the returning to his murderous brother, Esau.
    When Jacob tells both Rachel and Leah of his plans to leave, both support him fully. In this, we see some of the Lords work in them both. However Rachel decides to steal some of her father's idols, therefore giving him a reason to pursue them all. Why she did this, I dont know. Maybe she truly believed they were 'Gods' or maybe she just wanted some comfort from memories of her past. Whatever the reason, she acted against her husband, and the one true God. Perhaps it was due to these spiritual differences between Leah and Rachel, both in humility and love of God, that meant that the Messiah came  from Leah's line, and not that of Rachel.
    So, with Laban in hot pursuit, they flee South. However the God who had promised never to leave Jacob kept him secure. He visited Laban and warned him not to touch Jacob or Jacob's family.

'"God saw my affliction and the labour of my hands and rebuked  you last night."'

'Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his daugheters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned  home.'

    Having trusted in the Lords protection and promises to  overcome Laban, Jacob then approaches a much bigger issue-  that of Esau. Jacob's messengers, sent to promote peace between them, returned and told of a four hundred man army heading right toward them! Jacob, who had obviously grown in spiritual maturity since his days with Esau and his parents, immediately turns to his God and prays a prayer of confession and supplication. We are starting to see a man transformed and shaped by God.

'"O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,' I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. But you said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'"'

     You know  what.....the Lord answers that prayer most magnificently! But first, we have one of the most amazing and curious stories  in the whole Bible. I dont think I can begin to explain it  or tell it to you, so Im just gunna show you:

     'And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and  with men, and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered." The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.'

     I dont doubt for a single moment that this incident happened exactly as the Bible tells  us  it did. But it is also symbolic of Jacob's, and our own, stuggle in prayer, Jacob is commended for "striving". It may appear to us that the Lord is not answering our prayers, but our  God is not constrained by time. For him one day is like a year, and a year is like a day. He is patient and shall answer our prayers, not neccasarily for our sake, but for His own Glory. Jacob is named  'Israel' (meaning, 'He strives with God'). Obviously Jacob is now trusting in His Lord and God and seeking His blessing. The Lord now can answer His prayer about Esau, and He does so with a touch of humour and a dash of Wonder. Jacob is seen approaching with four hundred men:

'But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.'

      What follows is one of those horrible akward moments: Jacob has given Esau gifts, Esau tries to give them back, Jacob tells him to keep them, Esau insists  but Jacob insists more. How amazing that God made what should, by rights, have been a war turn into a gift-giving match!!
      Jacob erects an alter to his God and he names it El-Elohe-Israel (meaning "God-the God of Israel"), this is Jacob's  own God! His God! This is a great testimony to the Lord's help and guidance throughtout his life!
     This is a tale of Jacob's 'purification' and 'sanctification' (long words), gradually Jacob was being made to  be more and more like his saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. It certainly wasnt easy, he experienced marital disharmony, the threat of war and murder, financial misdealings and rebellion amongst his own children, but the Lord  led and moulded him. If we truly wish to be "like Jesus" we must trust God to lead us through these trials and journeys. There is a danger of viewing our "cross" as being simply a spiritual matter, or as being easy. However, like Jacob,  we will experience material problems, lonliness and fear. Lets pray that, like Jacob, we will seek our God's help and support.


     We now reach Jacob's elder days, and there is  still much to be learnt about trusting in the Lord God. What a story this is turning out to be!!

* By 'Israel' I mean both the nation and also Jacob himself- the name 'Israel' eventually  came  to replace 'Jacob'