The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-03-28


| 3. 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 l will deal we'll with thee .
Jacob is now twenty years older than
when God appeared to him in the vision
at Bethel xxi. All, and having been in
structed to return to his own home
| XXI. 3, 49,, he is now on his way
thither. The angels OF God have met
| him, and he has sent messengers TO
Esau to seek his favor. The messengers
have returned, saying that Esau is COM
ing with 400 men. Jacob is afraid,
divides the people and fiocks and herds
into two bands, and then gives himself
| to prayer.
10. Il am not worthy Of the least of
all the mercies and Of all the truth which
| Thou hast sho we'd unto Thy servant. for
with my staff passed over this Jordan.
and now l am become two bands" He
| calls upon God as the God OF his fathers.
thinking doubtless of His covenant with
them Then he pleads Gods command
to return and His promise Of protection,
| and now he takes the place Of utter I'M
| Worthiness and thinks Of the contrast
between now and twenty years before
| and OF Gods marvellous kindness TO him,
notwithstanding his great sinfulness.
| II. Deliver me, ] pray thee, from the
| hand of my brother, from the hand Of
| Esau, for fear him lest he will come and
| smite me and the mother with the chill
/ dren." Sin is not easily forgotten, and
! Jacob would think Of his wrong done to
] Esau so long ago. A guilty conscience
| is always afraid, whether it be in Adam
or Abraham Gen. iii, 10; Xxx, ID or any
! other saint or sinner. The perfect love
| of God to us casts out all fear Il John
| iv. 49,, and if we will only walk in the
| light with Him we may sing. Behold.
! God is my salvation Tor deliverer) L will
| trust and not be afraid sure that He
will deliver us from every evil work and
| preserve us unto His heavenly kingdom
| lisa. xii. 2; III Tim. iv. 49,.
r. And thou saidst, 1 will surely do
thee good and make thy seed as the
| sand of the sea, which cannot be num-
| bered for multitude" This is always
safe pleading "and thou saidst" for by
the spirit through Balaam we hear these
words, Hath He said and shall He not
| do it, or hath He spoken and shall He not
| make it good?" Mum. xiii, 49,. In
! lisa. xii, 6, 7. the people of God are
| called ills remembrances. See margin
| and r. V. and note carefully what we
| upon His promises and plead them for
His glory, what would He not do?
a. And Jacob was left alone; and
| there wrestled a man with him until the
| breaking of the day" BY comparing
verse 80 and Hos. xii. 4. ). we learn that
| it was the Lord himself who wrested
with Jacob. even the same who appeared
or spoke to Hagar and Abraham Gen.
/ xvi 10; xviii, y; not the Father, but the
| Son John /. 49,, who afterward became
man for us. The breaking of the day
| is in the margin 'ths ascending Of the
morning or the day spring" q Sam
tx. 20; JOB XxXviii. 12), and IS suggestive
of the morning when Gcd shall humble
and then help Israel ops. xlvi. margin).
%. And when He saw that He pre-
vailed not against him. He touched tire
hollow of his thigh, and the hollow Of
Jacobs thigh was out of joint as He
wrestlcd with him. God can do little
or nothing for rs or with us till we are
thoroughly humbled and broken down.
Our wisdom and strength are always
hindrancss. He giveth power to the
faint, and to them that have no might
He inCreaseth strength" Qsa. xl, 2O.
| When We are at our wits end (2ll our
wisdom being swallowed upl, then He
delivers and shows His strength on our
behalf ops. evil q maTgin) The difficulty
is to break us down.
20. And He said. Let me go. for the
let Thee go, except Thou bless me-"
Jacob could now resist no longer, but ne
could cling in his weakness, and cling he
did. 1t is now helplessneSs clinging TO
almightness. and the blessing will surely
come Consider Israel in Egyptian
bondage at the Red sea, at the Jordan,
at the walls Of Jericho, and in all their
history see how in all their helplessness,
relying upon God, He wrought for them.
Consider the miracles Of the New Tesla
ment and see how in every case 1t was
the power of God on behalf of impotence
q. And He said unto him, What is
thy name? and he said. Jacob" Jacob
signifies supplanter. and his brother Esau
thought that he was well named, for he
said, HE hath supplanted me these two
times, he took away my birthright, and,
behold, now he hath taken away nv
blessing Gen xvii, 36). Jacob
virtually confesses himself a sinful,
crooked man, and. as in verse 10. I'M
worthy of any mercies. There is hope
for the sinner. when he sees and con-
fesses his sins prov. xviii. 49,.
2S. And He said, Thy name shall be
called no more Jacob, but Israel for as
prince hast thou power with God and
with man, and hast preVaS ID. The
name Israel" is found about $500 times
en- the bible. but this Is the first time.
1t invariably means either the man so
called or his descendants (the twelve Of
the ten tribes and is misapplied when
applied to the church. In the margin
it is said TO mean "a prince Of God"
but in this verse how suggestive are
the words, Power with God and with
man. And is not the secret Of this
power made plain by the incident OF
the lesson-the confession of character
and helpless holding on to God?
20. And Jacob asked Him and said.
Tell me. / pray thee. Thy name. and He
said Wherefore is IL that thou dost ask
after my name? And He blessed him
there" When Manoah asked Him His
name, He said il was secfet or wonder
full (Judg. xiii, IS margin), reminding us
Of His name in lisa. TX, 6. The blessing
of the Lord upon the land of Israel
made it bring forth in one year fruit
for three years 0ev XIV. 2D. The
blessing of the Lord maketh rich, and
toll addeth nothing thereto prov. Y,
22). Consider the name of the Lord in
Elk. xxxiv, ST., and hear our Lord Jesus
in His prayer: II have manifested Thy
name. ! have declared unto them Thy
name" John xvii, 6. 26).
30. And Jacob called the name of the
place Pencil tor have seen God face 10
face, and my life is preserved" In Elk.
xiv, 10, IL, we read that the elders saw
the God Of Israel: they saw God and did
eat and drink In FIX. xxxiii, IL, it is
written that the Lord spake unto Moses
face to face, as man speaketh unto his
friend, and yet in verse 20 the Lord says,
Thou canst not see My face. for there
shall no man see Me and live" It is
probable that the explanation Of these
seeming contradictions is in John 1. IS,