And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
26. the day breaketh ] A survival of the old belief that unearthly visitants of the night must be gone before daybreak. In Plautus, Amphitr. 532f., Jupiter says, “Cur me tenes? Tempus est: exire ex urbe, priusquam lucescat, volo.” Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act i. Scene i.:
“ Ber. It was about to speak, when the cock crew.
Hor. And then it started like a guilty thing.”
See note on Gen 19:15; Gen 19:23.
except thou bless me ] Jacob had suddenly realized, through the touch of physical suffering, that he was in the grasp of more than mortal power. He neither shrinks, nor desists, but maintains his hold and asks for a blessing.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gen 32:26
I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me
Jacobs struggle for a blessing
I.
He was thoroughly in earnest; he wrestled till he got the blessing.
II. If we wish to gain a blessing like Jacobs, we must be alone with God. It is possible to be alone with God, even in the midst of a multitude.
III. Jacobs heart was hardened with a load of sin. It crushed his spirit, and was breaking his heart. He could bear it no more, and so he made supplication. He wanted to be lifted out of his weakness, and made a new man.
IV. in the moment of his weakness, Jacob made a great discovery. He found that when we cannot wrestle we can cling.
V. He received the blessing wrestled for as soon as he became content to accept it as Gods free gift. (W. Hay Aitken, M. A.)
Jacobs prevailing prayer
I. THE SOULS AGONY.
1. The soul is absorbed in the awful loneliness of its own thought. Jacob was left alone. So is every one in similar experiences. In times of agony, friendly sympathy seems distant and ineffectual. We are even impatient with well-meant words of kindness. Then comes a sense of powerlessness. The afflicted one has done all he can, and now can only wait. At this juncture he begins to ask himself as to the cause of his misery. Why is he thus situated? Perhaps, like Jacob, he recognizes his sorrows as the lineal descendants of some former sin; or more likely, he now perceives, as never before, the general fact of his sinfulness, his imperfections as a Christian, and his failure to enjoy religious privileges.
2. Just here the soul is arrested by Gods presence. Abstracted from the world, because grief has made him indifferent to worldly thoughts, the Christian can now see God and feel His power. We can imagine Jacob, in his conflict of emotion, standing in the darkness by the brook Jabbok, lost in thought, when suddenly a heavy hand is laid upon his shoulder. He turns to find a mysterious Presence of terrible reality and power. That Presence he speedily recognizes as God. So now every storm-racked heart is introduced by conscience to its God.
3. In such times of trial, the soul at first finds God a seeming foe. Jacob at first was obliged to defend himself against his mysterious adversary. Who can tell what fearful surmises came over him as he wrestled in the dark with his terrible opponent? Can this be Esau? No; this is a superhuman strength. Can this be God? It surely is none else; but why does He meet me thus? God hedges men in to bring them to His feet, to show them themselves, to prevent prosperity from injuring them, very likely to prepare them for it, to purify them from remaining sin, frequently to fit them for some great work. We must pass through the furnace before we are what we should be.
II. THE RELIEF OF THE SOUL.
1. The narrative discloses the human means of securing this relief, namely, prayer.
2. The narrative sets before us the Divine methods of giving relief to the soul.
(1) Development of character.
(2) Knowledge of God.
(3) Confidence in God.
3. The narrative indicates the safeguard of the soul in this secured relief. Jacob, though his troubles were now passed, yet halted on his thigh, and doubtless limped through life. He carried from that place of conflict and triumph a reminder of his dependence. He had then, ever after, a sense of his weakness, and could say with Paul, When I am weak, then am I strong. There is danger, after meeting God face to face and securing His favour, of undue elation. Even Paul, with all his saintliness, needed a thorn in the flesh, lest he be exalted above measure. We may forget that every successful struggle with sin or attainment in piety is due solely to the Divine help. For this reason, doubtless, God has established a universal law in life. We cannot pass through a terrible experience like Jacobs without bearing the scars of battle. (A. P. Foster.)
Jacobs powerful prayer
1. It was a prayer that by living faith took firm hold upon God. He came to God, not as one far off, but close at hand; not merely on the throne, but present in all the affairs of daily life. He comes to Him as the God of his fathers, the God of the covenant. He at once lays hold of the Divine faithfulness. As much as any one thing, we need to-day this sense of God as ever present to be a restraining power in business life. Like the patriarch, every believing soul must draw nigh to God, reverently, it is true, but not timidly or distrustfully. The command is to come boldly to a throne of grace. We must come not as though we more than half questioned whether there is any God, or, if there be, whether He cares anything about us, and will hear our prayer; but with all the heart believing that He is, and is the Rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.
2. Jacob did not offer a hasty prayer for safety merely in general terms, and then go about his worldly business with all the intensity of his nature. His need was urgent, was deeply felt; and he found time enough to press it before God. The whole night was none too long for his business with God.
3. Wrestling, Jacob came to a point where he was powerless. All he could do was to hold fast to God. God never takes from any of His children their power to do this. Every other refuge may be swept away, but they can cling still.
4. Jacobs prayer was direct and simple. He asked for just what he wanted, then stopped. (The Study.)
Importunate prayer
I. THE OBJECTS OF JACOBS PRAYER; or, the blessings implored. It need not be disguised that one of these was the preservation of his own life, and the safety of his family and substance. It would be doing Jacob injustice, however, to deny that higher objects than the preservation of himself, and of his family and substance, occupied his thoughts and prayers on this critical occasion. The very circumstances in which he was placed were calculated to call his sins to remembrance; just as his sons were reminded of their unnatural and criminal conduct towards Joseph, by being thereby involved in difficulties in Egypt many long years after their sin had been committed. Jacob being reminded of the falsehood and deceit by which he had provoked the anger and vengeance of his brother, would humbly confess his sin and earnestly pray for the salvation of his soul, whatever might be the fate of his body at this time. Knowing that the souls of his family were as precious as his own, and remembering the relation in which he stood to them, and the duty that he owed them, he would be very importunate in prayer for their salvation also, though they should fall by the sword of Esau. But he would not despair of their preservation. He would remember the covenant of God with his father Abraham, and the promise that He would make of him a great nation, and that in his seed, which is Christ, all the families of the earth would be blessed. He would pray that he and his family might live to be witnesses for God in a world lying in wickedness, and might introduce the spiritual seed, in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed.
II. THE MANNER IN WHICH THE DUTY SHOULD BE PERFORMED.
1. Jacob sought retirement for devotion.
2. Jacob spent a long time in prayer.
3. We must implore lawful things, and employ proper arguments to attain them.
4. We ought to be earnest and persevering in prayer.
5. We should pray in faith and hope.
III. THE ANSWER WHICH JACOB OBTAINED TO HIS PRAYERS. God blessed him there. He obtained a gracious answer. (R. Smith, D. D.)
Importunity in prayer
I. EXPLAIN THIS HOLY WRESTLING IN PRAYER. Wrestling implies some resistance to be overcome. Some of the chief obstructions which must be overcome are–
1. A sense of guilt whelming the soul.
2. A frowning Providence discouraging the mind.
3. Unbelieving thoughts and inward temptations.
4. Coldness and slothfulness of the heart.
5. Discouragement through Divine delays.
II. THE REASONABLENESS OF IMPORTUNITY IN PRAYING.
1. It strengthens in our minds a sense of Gods glory.
2. Our unworthiness vindicates it.
3. The inestimable value of the blessings to be obtained requires it.
III. ITS ADVANTAGES.
1. It prepares for blessings in many cases: it is itself the actual possession of them.
2. It has the promises of success.
3. Memorable examples confirm its worth.
IV. IMPROVEMENT.
1. How many have cause to mourn their lack of this spirit!
2. Its absence is one cause of the low state of religion.
3. As you would persevere in prayer, be watchful and circumspect, observe the course of Providence, be much in intercession for others. (Dr. J. Wotherspoon.)
Now
Canon Wilberforce tells a pathetic story illustrating the force of this little word now. It was of a miner who, hearing the gospel preached, determined that, if the promised blessing of immediate salvation were indeed true, he would not leave the presence of the minister who was declaring it until assured of its possession by himself. He waited, consequently, after the meeting to speak with the minister, and, in his untutored way, said, Didnt ye say I could have the blessin now? Yes, my friend. Then pray with me, for Im not goin awa wiout it. And they did pray, these two men, wrestling in prayer until midnight, like Jacob at Penuel, until the wrestling miner heard silent words of comfort and cheer, even as Jacob heard the angels announcement, As a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. Ive got it now! cried the miner, his face reflecting the joy within; Ive got it now! The next day a terrible accident occurred at the mines–one of those accidents which so frequently shock us with their horror merely in the reading of them. The same minister was called to the scene, and among the men, dead and dying, was the quivering, almost breathless body of this man, who only the night before, big and brawny, came to him to know if salvation could really be had now for the asking. There was but a fleeting moment of recognition between the two, ere the miners soul took flight, but in that moment he had time to say, in response to the ministers sympathy, Oh, I dont mind, for Ive got it–Ive got it–its mine! Then the name of this poor man went into the bald list of killed. There was no note made of the royal inherit-ante to which he had but a few hours before come into possession, and all by his believing grip of the word now.
Grip
This is what every Christian ought to have, and what many a one lacks. There is a certain inspiration in the very thought of the clenched hand, with its tense muscle and unyielding grasp. It signifies not only strength, but purpose; not only earnestness, but endurance. It is the symbol of a necessary and important element of a Christians success. It typifies consecrated self-control, that mastery which every true child of Christ has in some degree over his own sinful nature, and which, having secured by the Holy Spirits help, he maintains by the aid of the same blessed agency. It typifies, too, that hold which he has upon Christ Himself, that tenacious, yet reverent, clinging of spirit which imparts to his prayers the temper of Jacobs words, I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me. It typifies also that benevolent, yet authoritative influence which he seeks to gain, and usually succeeds in gaining, over his more sorely tempted fellows; the drunkard, for instance, who is rapidly losing confidence in himself without yet finding it in God, and who needs the protection of some sturdy, masterful soul who has no personal fear of his temptation, and has the power and the will to stand by him through everything to cheer and uphold, and by Gods grace to save. Grip is the holding fast and not letting go, in spiritual as in material life. It is tenacity of holy purpose, renewal of effort after moral failure, cheerfulness in the teeth of discouragement, hopefulness for others, no matter how low they may have sunk, and unfaltering faith in the truth that God reigns, can save to the uttermost, and somehow will bring out all things aright for His own. What wonder that he who has it is a healthy, useful Christian! He may be timid by nature, weak in body, and humble in place, but if he illustrate what a true Christian grip is upon himself and his little world, men learn to marvel at him. Something of Gods own Almighty power is visible in him. What he does succeeds, and in blessing others he is doubly blessed himself.
The Prayer-meeting at Jabbok
Events drive Jacobs mind back on the past, which has been a series of wrestlings with his nearest neighbour, the gain of which has been wealth, but the loss that, in most important senses, he is left alone. Jacob is one of those men who, wild among their fellows, are tame and best when alone. The world contemns the man who is crafty as one of its own children when among men, but afterwards goes to the prayer-meeting. The world, however, would not be better pleased with him if he did not go, and the man, in that case, very likely would be a wilder man. There are three way-side prayer-meetings in Jacobs journeyings so far. Where God tells him that the world has been too much with him of late–Bethel, Mahanaim, Jabbok. Jacob is redeemed from the world by the prayer–meeting. How do we use the opportunities which God gives when He throws open to us the hallowed gates of the lonely hour? Do we enter with thanksgiving and betake ourselves to prayer, the flight of the lonely man to the only God? There wrestled, &c. Again and again the heavenly world enters into controversy with Jacob, and breaks the spell of this world. At Bethel he saw angels, at Mahanaim he met angels, but at Jabbok one of them stayed to minister to the man who wrestled with the old self and needed help. I can do all things through Christ, that strengtheneth me. When we make a vow, we lay hold on the angel of the covenant. If we forget our vow, we let the angel go. A little shell-fish can cling to the rock, despite the Atlantic, because of a tiny vacuum in the shell. Our emptiness is our strength with God. Jacob in the world is somebody, but at the prayer-meeting nobody but broken, sinewless Jacob. Our wrestling must be with pleading, not with contradiction. He blessed him there. The blessing, in brief, was the power to look at the world and himself from a cleaner heart through a cleaner eye. The place was Penuel, the face of God, and he was Israel, a prince, from that time. No religious meeting or exercise will have done us good unless it exalt us, and make the world- wife, children, home, friends, business–look lovelier and more sacred. (T. M. Rees.)
Boldness in prayer exemplified
There is a wide difference between striving against God and striving with God. Some men strive against God by their sins, and they must be conquered by His power; but Jacob strove with God. Jehovah Himself gave strength and determination to his servant, for the express purpose that he might, as a prince, have power and prevail. It is one of the most delightful evidences of Divine condescension, that He is willing to be conquered by human prayer and importunities.
1. Who was that personage that appeared to Jacob, and wrestled with him? The narrative calls him a man; but all interpreters are agreed, that by this is meant some one in the form of a man. Was it, then, a created angel? or, was it God Himself? We think the latter; because, though He is called an angel, Jacob paid Him Divine homage. Again, because the inspired prophet, referring to this event, says that Jacob had power with God. And again, because Jacob himself said, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. Once more, because the patriarch appeals to Him in our text for a blessing, which he could hardly look for from any being but God. There is another point to which I would direct your attention, viz., that this angel was not merely God, but God the Son, who in this, and in many other instances, anticipated His Incarnation, by appearing in the form and fashion of a man. With whom should Jacob wrestle to obtain pardon for his sin, and deliverance from its just consequences, but with the appointed Mediator, who should make atonement, and then enter into the heaven of heavens, there to appear in the presence of God for us?
2. What was this wrestling? Was it spiritual, or corporeal, or both? There are a few interpreters, and but a few, who think it was purely spiritual; and that there was no bodily conflict at all, but that it was illusive and imaginary. It is said distinctly, There wrestled a Man with him; and that Man, when the conflict had lasted long, says, Let me go, for the day breaketh. Finally, he touched Jacobs thigh upon the sinew that shrank, so that he went halting to the end of his days. All these are strong marks of reality, which go far to prove that the outward form of this conflict was corporeal. Yet, beyond all question, it was connected with a mental and spiritual wrestling with God in prayer. The outward was a sign and picture of the inward strife; and Jacob to this day is an image of every saint who prevails with God by the holy boldness, earnest opportunity, and untiring perseverance of His supplications.
3. Why did this wrestling take place? what was its great end? With respect to Jacob himself, it signified that he should overcome the hatred of his brother Esau; for what has he to fear from man, who, as a prince, hath power with God? With respect to ourselves, and to the Church generally, we may consider this scene as descriptive pictorially, not of Jacobs condition only, but of all the saints with him. They are all wrestlers, by their very calling; wrestlers with affliction, with temptation, with outward and with inward, with carnal and with spiritual enemies: yet, in the strength of God, they shall all overcome. Wrestlers with God; that is, men of prayer. Now, we take our text as exemplifying to us this one subject, boldness in prayer: I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me. Now, there are two reflections that, in a manner, force themselves upon our notice. One is, that God never violently withdraws Himself from a praying man. His trial of our faith and importunity never stretch beyond this, Let me go, if Thou canst consent; and, even when the trial proceeds so far, it is only done to provoke a refusal. It was obviously not the Divine intention to send Jacob away unblessed, but to elicit this proof of his determination. The other reflection is consequent upon it; namely, that when God withdraws from any man, it is always with his own consent. He must be willing to give up the point before he loses his advantage. No man can fail to obtain everything that he really needs, and everything that God has promised, unless he himself voluntarily draws back and yields; otherwise, God consents to be overcome by prayer. This is the great comfort of every sinner, and of every saint.
I. Consider WHAT KIND OF BOLDNESS IT IS THAT GOD APPROVES, NEGATIVELY AND POSITIVELY.
1. God does not approve the boldness which is grounded on self-righteous principles: it must, therefore, be connected with a deep sense of guilt and unworthiness (Gen 32:10).
2. God does not approve that boldness which loses sight of His own awful majesty and holiness. Boldness must be associated with reverence and godly fear, to be acceptable. What! can Gods condescension and love give an unworthy creature the smallest ground to forget his own unworthiness, and the infinitude of Him with whom he has to do? On the contrary, it should deepen his sense of his own meanness, and increase his adoration.
But let us come more particularly to the question.
1. God approves that boldness which surmounts all the doubts and fears adapted to obstruct our freedom of access to Him. There are improper fears, and a sinful diffidence opposed to the exercise of prayer. When, for instance, a sense of guilt and unworthiness leads us to suspect that God will not hear us, will not forgive; this is a sign of faint-heartedness, not of humility. It is a sentiment directly contrary to His revealed will. Now, Jacob might have been restrained by similar considerations. He might have thought of all his sins.
2. God approves that boldness in prayer which is evinced by the largeness of its desires. He is not honoured by feeble desires and limited supplications. His promises are most ample, and various in the benefits which they convey.
3. God approves that boldness which is importunate, and will take no denial. It is often necessary that a blessing be withheld for a season, in order that its full value may be realized. Moreover, this is an important test of sincerity. Coldness and languor are repulsed and betrayed. Genuine devotion believes the word, and will not consent to go empty away. Formality is satisfied without the blessing, when conscience is appeased by the performance of the duty. The true worshipper cannot rest in outward services if the blessing be not given.
II. Let us take notice of one or TWO CONSIDERATIONS WHICH NOT MERELY JUSTIFY THIS BOLDNESS, BUT GO FAR TO PROVE IT INDISPENSABLE.
1. The urgency of our wants. The fervency of prayer should be regulated by our condition. It is evident that the secret of Jacobs importunity was the pressing circumstances in which he felt himself to be placed. His was a kind of desperation, inspired by the extremity of his danger.
2. The importance of the blessing. We plead not merely for well-being, we plead for life; life, not of the body, hut of the soul. If we do not prevail we are lost.
3. The absolute certainty of its prevalence. There will be timidity in asking, wherever there exists a doubt of obtaining. Thine own word is my warrant, when I answer, I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.
IN CONCLUSION, the subject is adapted to impress upon our minds these two points of instruction: the quality of prayer, and the power of prayer.
1. Boldness is an essential characteristic of prayer. This may be made clear by barely mentioning the defects and infirmities to which it is opposed. Can there be sincerity and acceptableness where there is a want of sensibility and zeal, where low views are entertained of the kindness and grace of God, and where the suppliant is ready to withdraw from the mercy-seat without the blessing, at the least discouragement or delay?
2. Observe exemplified the power of prayer. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, seek ye Me in vain! (D. Katterns.)
The characteristic of true prayer
Now that Jacob found himself once more in Esaus power, he trembled to think of the consequences. There were two considerations which must have intensified his agony of mind.
1. That he had brought these difficulties upon himself. Conscience now accused him of his crime with the same vehemence as if it had been committed only yesterday. Ah! this is a solemn fact in connection with certain sins which we rashly perpetrate! Painful indeed was Jacobs reflection now upon the past. Had he conducted himself as a straightforward man in his youth, he might have avoided his present trouble. How he wished he could have commenced life again! Even in old age men are doomed to possess the sins of their youth, to reap the inevitable consequences of early aberrations.
2. That others beside himself shared in the impending danger. He is now the head of a family; he has wives and children whom he passionately loves; they are in danger of being put to death on the morrow by his furious brother; and his conscience reproaches him with being the cause of their misery. Surely this was the keenest pang of all–the bitterest ingredient in his cup of bitterness. Such is human life. Say not that children are never punished for the transgressions of their parents; reason not concerning the injustice of such an arrangement; the hard fact continually stares us in the face, and warns us at every step to beware, to take heed to ourselves, to be prudent in our conduct, not only for our own sake, but also for the sake of others, whom we may unwittingly injure. And Jacob was left alone. It is when you are alone with the powers of nature-powers whose existence speaks of a higher Power, which sustains them all–that the light of Heaven is most likely to flash upon your soul. It was when banished to the isle of Patmos that John saw the glorious visions recorded in the Book of Revelation; it was when imprisoned in Bedford goal that Bunyan dreamed his Pilgrims Progress; it was when shut up in total darkness that Milton sang his Paradise Lost. We are taught here that–
I. WHEN WE TRULY PRAY, WE BECOME CONSCIOUS OF THE PRESENCE OF A PERSONAL GOD. It is stated that there wrestled a man with Jacob until the breaking of the day. God is not an abstract idea of the mind; is not the natural powers by which we are surrounded; for He has a personal existence. God is a person, and as such, men in all ages have desired to know Him; to commune with Him, to call upon Him in distress. It is when we pray, however, that this fact forces itself most vividly upon our minds. It may be said, therefore, that true prayer can never be uttered where the presence of a personal God does not inspire the soul. You must feel, like Jacob, that there is a Parson with you, standing at your side, listening to your cry; for otherwise it will not be prayer, but a form–it will not be an outpouring of the heart, but a meaningless performance.
II. WHEN WE TRULY PRAY, WE BECOME CONSCIOUS OF A STRUGGLE TO OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES. The experience of formidable opposition in drawing near to God is by no means uncommon. The repelling power with which Jacob struggled on this occasion, has been encountered by almost every suppliant at the throne of grace. Indeed, our Lord seemed anxious to prepare the minds of His disciples to expect it. And He spake a parable unto them for this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint. But our Lord prepared His disciples to expect difficulties in prayer by other means than parables–by His dealings with some who sought temporal favours at His hands. While He sojourned in the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, a woman of Canaan came to Him, crying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. Passing on with perfect unconcern, He feigned not to hear her; for He answered her not a word. She then cried all the more, Have mercy on me, so that His disciples felt annoyed, and besought Him to send her away. Thus when we encounter difficulties in prayer, when we feel as if God did not hear us, it is because God wishes to test our faith, and by testing to strengthen it. Consequently, not only do we enjoy Gods blessing with greater relish when it comes, but we are also made stronger for His service.
III. WHEN WE TRULY PRAY, WE BECOME CONSCIOUS OF A CHANGE IN OURSELVES, AS A TOKEN OF SUCCESS. It may be that when we are apparently most unsuccessful, we are really most successful. We do not obtain the very thing we seek at the time, but the spiritual strength we acquire in the effort may be infinitely more important than the thing itself. It always happens thus when true, fervent, earnest prayer is sent up from the heart to God; when there is a mighty struggle to obtain a blessing from above, there comes over the soul a change for the better, a visible improvement, a closer resemblance to Gods image. Jacob carried in his body ever after a memorial of the wrestling of that night; for he halted on his thigh. We are reminded here of a beautiful story, told of the celebrated John Elias, the prince of Welsh orators. He addressed on one occasion a meeting presided over by the late Marquis of Anglesey. The marquis, as you know, was lame, having lost a limb in the famous battle of Waterloo. Referring, therefore, to that circumstance, the speaker thrilled his audience by this striking remark, We have a president here this evening, whose very step as he walks reminds you of his bravery! So Jacob halted on his thigh. His limping gait kept in remembrance his wonderful victory with God. A man of prayer is well known as such; there are certain marks which reveal his character; his public performances bear the impress of his private wrestlings. In this transforming, elevating, and invigorating influence of prayer lies the secret of a godly mans strength. (D. Rowlands, B. A.)
Earnest prayer
When a person told a story in a heartless way, Demosthenes said, I dont believe you. But when the person then repeated the assertion with great fervour, Demosthenes replied, Now I do believe you. Sincerity and earnestness are ever urgent. The prophetess at Delphos would not go into the temple once when Alexander wished to consult the oracle. He then forced her to go, when she said, My son, thou art invincible; a remark which led him to believe he should always conquer in war. Luther was so earnest in his prayers that it used to be said, He will not be denied. When Scotland was in danger of becoming Popish, John Knox prayed most mightily for its preservation in the true faith. Give me Scotland, he pleaded, or I die; and his prayers have been answered. Epaphras laboured fervently in prayer. Christ, being in an agony, prayed the more fervently.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 26. Let me go, for the day breaketh] Probably meaning, that as it was now morning, Jacob must rejoin his wives and children, and proceed on their journey. Though phantoms are supposed to disappear when the sun rises, that could be no reason in this case. Most of the angelic appearances mentioned in the Old and New Testaments took place in open day, which put their reality out of question.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And he said, Let me go: he saith this, partly to show the prevailing power of his prayer with God, and partly to quicken and encourage Jacob to persist in his conflict. Compare Exo 32:10; Deu 9:14.
The day breaketh, and I am not willing that there should be any spectators or witnesses of these things.
Except thou bless me with the blessings which thou hast promised to Abraham and to me, among which one is protection in this hour of my danger. For Jacob now began to think that it was no man, nor ordinary angel, that was with him, but God himself, as he saith, Gen 32:30.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
26. I will not let thee go, exceptthou bless meIt is evident that Jacob was aware of thecharacter of Him with whom he wrestled; and, believing that Hispower, though by far superior to human, was yet limited by Hispromise to do him good, he determined not to lose the goldenopportunity of securing a blessing. And nothing gives God greaterpleasure than to see the hearts of His people firmly adhering to Him.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he said, let me go, for the day breaketh,…. This was said that he might seem to be a man that was desirous of going about his business, as men do early in the morning; though the true reason perhaps was, that his form might not be more distinctly seen by Jacob, and much less by any other person:
and he said, I will not let thee go except thou bless me; for by his touching his thigh, and the effect of that, he perceived he was more than a man, even a divine Person, and therefore insisted upon being blessed by him: thus faith in prayer lays hold on God, and will not let him go without leaving the blessing it is pleading for; which shows the great strength of faith, and the efficacy of the prayer of faith with God; see Ex 32:10.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“ And when He (the unknown) saw that He did not overcome him, He touched his hip-socket; and his hip-socket was put out of joint ( from ) as He wrestled with him.” Still Jacob would not let Him go until He blessed him. He then said to Jacob, “ They name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel ( , God’s fighter, from to fight, and God); for thou hast fought with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” When Jacob asked Him His name, He declined giving any definite answer, and “ blessed him there.” He did not tell him His name; not merely, as the angel stated to Manoah in reply to a similar question (Jdg 13:18), because it was wonder, i.e., incomprehensible to mortal man, but still more to fill Jacob’s soul with awe at the mysterious character of the whole event, and to lead him to take it to heart. What Jacob wanted to know, with regard to the person of the wonderful Wrestler, and the meaning and intention of the struggle, he must already have suspected, when he would not let Him go until He blessed him; and it was put before him still more plainly in the new name that was given to him with this explanation, “ Thou hast fought with Elohim and with men, and hast conquered.” God had met him in the form of a man: God in the angel, according to Hos 12:4-5, i.e., not in a created angel, but in the Angel of Jehovah, the visible manifestation of the invisible God. Our history does not speak of Jehovah, or the Angel of Jehovah, but of Elohim, for the purpose of bringing out the contrast between God and the creature.
This remarkable occurrence is not to be regarded as a dream or an internal vision, but fell within the sphere of sensuous perception. At the same time, it was not a natural or corporeal wrestling, but a “real conflict of both mind and body, a work of the spirit with intense effort of the body” ( Delitzsch), in which Jacob was lifted up into a highly elevated condition of body and mind resembling that of ecstasy, through the medium of the manifestation of God. In a merely outward conflict, it is impossible to conquer through prayers and tears. As the idea of a dream or vision has no point of contact in the history; so the notion, that the outward conflict of bodily wrestling, and the spiritual conflict with prayer and tears, are two features opposed to one another and spiritually distinct, is evidently at variance with the meaning of the narrative and the interpretation of the prophet Hosea. Since Jacob still continued his resistance, even after his hip had been put out of joint, and would not let Him go till He had blessed him, it cannot be said that it was not till all hope of maintaining the conflict by bodily strength was taken from him, that he had recourse to the weapon of prayer. And when Hosea (Hos 12:4-5) points his contemporaries to their wrestling forefather as an example for their imitation, in these words, “He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and in his human strength he fought with God; and he fought with the Angel and prevailed; he wept and made supplication unto Him,” the turn by which the explanatory periphrasis of Jacob’s words, “I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me,” is linked on to the previous clause by without a copula or vav consec., is a proof that the prophet did not regard the weeping and supplication as occurring after the wrestling, or as only a second element, which was subsequently added to the corporeal struggle. Hosea evidently looked upon the weeping and supplication as the distinguishing feature in the conflict, without thereby excluding the corporeal wrestling. At the same time, by connecting this event with what took place at the birth of the twins (Gen 25:26), the prophet teaches that Jacob merely completed, by his wrestling with God, what he had already been engaged in even from his mother’s womb, viz., his striving for the birthright; in other words, for the possession of the covenant promise and the covenant blessing. This meaning is also indicated by the circumstances under which the event took place. Jacob had wrested the blessing of the birthright from his brother Esau; but it was by cunning and deceit, and he had been obliged to flee from his wrath in consequence. And now that he desired to return to the land of promise and his father’s house, and to enter upon the inheritance promised him in his father’s blessing; Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men, which filled him with great alarm. As he felt too weak to enter upon a conflict with him, he prayed to the covenant God for deliverance from the hand of his brother, and the fulfilment of the covenant promises. The answer of God to this prayer was the present wrestling with God, in which he was victorious indeed, but not without carrying the marks of it all his life long in the dislocation of his thigh. Jacob’s great fear of Esau’s wrath and vengeance, which he could not suppress notwithstanding the divine revelations at Bethel and Mahanaim, had its foundation in his evil conscience, in the consciousness of the sin connected with his wilful and treacherous appropriation of the blessing of the first-born. To save him from the hand of his brother, it was necessary that God should first meet him as an enemy, and show him that his real opponent was God Himself, and that he must first of all overcome Him before he could hope to overcome his brother. And Jacob overcame God; not with the power of the flesh however, with which he had hitherto wrestled for God against man (God convinced him of that by touching his hip, so that it was put out of joint), but by the power of faith and prayer, reaching by firm hold of God even to the point of being blessed, by which he proved himself to be a true wrestler of God, who fought with God and with men, i.e., who by his wrestling with God overcame men as well. And whilst by the dislocation of his hip the carnal nature of his previous wrestling was declared to be powerless and wrong, he received in the new name of Israel the prize of victory, and at the same time directions from God how he was henceforth to strive for the cause of the Lord. – By his wrestling with God, Jacob entered upon a new stage in his life. As a sign of this, he received a new name, which indicated, as the result of this conflict, the nature of his new relation to God. But whilst Abram and Sarai, from the time when God changed their names (Gen 17:5 and Gen 17:15), are always called by their new names; in the history of Jacob we find the old name used interchangeably with the new. “For the first two names denoted a change into a new and permanent position, effected and intended by the will and promise of God; consequently the old names were entirely abolished. But the name Israel denoted a spiritual state determined by faith; and in Jacob’s life the natural state, determined by flesh and blood, still continued to stand side by side with this. Jacob’s new name was transmitted to his descendants, however, who were called Israel as the covenant nation. For as the blessing of their forefather’s conflict came down to them as a spiritual inheritance, so did they also enter upon the duty of preserving this inheritance by continuing in a similar conflict.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
26. Let me go. God concedes the praise of victory to his servant, and is ready to depart, as if unequal to him in strength: not because a truce was needed by him, to whom it belongs to grant a truce or peace whenever he pleases; but that Jacob might rejoice over the grace afforded to him. A wonderful method of triumphing; where the Lord, to whose power all praise is entirely due, yet chooses that feeble man shall excel as a conqueror, and thus raises him on high with special eulogy. At the same time he commends the invincible perseverance of Jacob, who, having endured a long and severe conflict, still strenuously maintains his ground. And certainly we adopt a proper mode of contending, when we never grow weary, till the Lord recedes of his own accord. We are, indeed, permitted to ask him to consider our infirmity, and, according to his paternal indulgence, to spare the tender and the weak: we may even groan under our burden, and desire the termination of our contests; nevertheless, in the meantime, we must beware lest our minds should become relaxed or faint; and rather endeavor, with collected mind and strength, to persist unwearied in the conflict. The reason which the angel assigns, namely, that the day breaketh, is to this effect, that Jacob may now that he has been divinely taught by the nocturnal vision. (108)
I will not let thee go, except. Hence it appears, that at length the holy man knew his antagonist; for this prayer, in which he asks to be blessed, is no common prayer. The inferior is blessed by the greater; and therefore it is the property of God alone to bless us. Truly the father of Jacob did not otherwise bless him, than by divine command, as one who represented the person of God. A similar office also was imposed on the priests under the law, that, as ministers and expositors of divine grace, they might bless the people. Jacob knew, then, that the combatant with whom he had wrestled was God; because he desires a blessing from him, which it was not lawful simply to ask from mortal man. So, in my judgment, ought the place in Hosea (Hos 12:3) to be understood, Jacob prevailed over the angel, and was strengthened; he wept, and made supplication to him. For the Prophet means, that after Jacob had come off conqueror, he was yet a suppliant before God, and prayed with tears. Moreover, this passage teaches us always to expect the blessing of God, although we may have experienced his presence to be harsh and grievous, even to the disjointing of our members. For it is far better for the sons of God to be blessed, though mutilated and half destroyed, than to desire that peace in which they shall fall asleep, or than they should withdraw themselves from the presence of God, so as to turn away from his command, that they may riot with the wicked.
(108) There might be other reasons why the angel should say, “Let me go, for the day breaketh.” The vision was intended for Jacob alone; had the struggle been continued till daylight, others would have witnessed it, and a vain curiosity would have been excited, which God did not design to gratify. The break of day, also, would be the time when Jacob himself must set about the work of conducting his family; and, therefore, on his account, it was important that no farther delay should take place. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(26) Let me go . . . Heb., send me away, for the gleam of morning has gone up. The asking of permission to depart was the acknowledgment of defeat. The struggle must end at daybreak, because Jacob must now go to do his duty; and the wrestling had been for the purpose of giving him courage, and enabling him to meet danger and difficulty in the power of faith. A curious Jewish idea is that the angel was that one whose duty it was to defend and protect Esau. By the aid of his own protecting angel Jacob, they say, had overpowered him, and had won the birthright and the precedence as Israel, a prince with God and man.
Except thou bless me.The vanquished must yield the spoil to the victor; and Jacob, who had gradually become aware that the being who was wrestling with him was something more than man, asks of him, as his ransom, a blessing.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26. Let me go He had power to free himself from Jacob’s grasp as easily as he touched his thigh . But still he accommodates himself to Jacob’s condition and needs, that he may teach a lesson for all ages .
For the day breaketh Hebrews, the morning ariseth . This is not to be explained as a part of the superstitious notion that spirits perform their earthly ministries in the dark hours of the night, and cannot abide the morning air . The three angels appeared at midday to Abraham .
Gen 18:1-2. But the rising dawn required that Jacob should be now moving on to look after his family and to meet Esau.
I will not let thee go, except thou bless me Thus “he wept and made supplication unto him.” Hos 12:4. It is the language of earnest, persistent prayer .
“Yield to me now, for I am weak,
But confident in self-despair,
Speak to my heart, in blessing speak,
Be conquered by my instant prayer
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he said, “Let me go for the day is breaking.” And he said, “I will not let you go except you bless me.”
“The day is breaking.” The exertions that are possible at night become unbearable during the day. God is not thinking of Himself but of Jacob. But Jacob continues to hold on even though crippled and exhausted so that God finally says, ‘Let me go.’ But He says it, not because He wants to be released, but because He knows what Jacob will reply. His purpose in being here is finally to strengthen and bless Jacob.
“I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Jacob is clinging on because he wants with all his being the blessing of God, not just as a ‘blessing’ but as a life-changing experience. He is deeply aware that he has been face to face with God in the closest of encounters, and now he wants it to impact fully on his future life. He will not rest until he is sure that his future is secure in God’s hands, until God guarantees that future. God has come to him in a deeply personal way and he does not want to rest until he has obtained the full benefit of what God has brought.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
DISCOURSE: 47
JACOB PLEADING WITH GOD
Gen 32:26. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
SOME have thought that the circumstances here recorded were a mere vision; and others a reality: but they seem to have been neither the one nor the other; but a real transaction under a figurative representation. The wrestling was not a corporeal trial of strength between two men, but a spiritual exercise of Jacob with his God under the form of an angel or a man. That it was not a mere man who withstood Jacob, is clear, from his being expressly called God, and from his taking upon him offices which none but God could perform [Note: 9, 30.]. And that it was a spiritual, and not a corporeal, exercise on the part of Jacob, is evident, from what the prophet Hosea says respecting it; By his strength Jacob had power with God; yea, he had power over the Angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him [Note: Hos 12:3-4.]. Such manifestations of God under the angelic or human form were not uncommon in the earlier parts of the Jewish history: and it is generally thought, that the Lord Jesus Christ was the person who assumed these appearances; and that he did so in order to prepare his people for his actual assumption of our nature at the time appointed of the Father. His appearance to Jacob at this time was for the purpose of comforting him under the distressing apprehensions which he felt on account of his brother Esau, who was coming with four hundred men to destroy him [Note:, 7.]. Jacob used the best means he could devise to pacify his brother, and to preserve as many as he could of his family, in case a part of them should be slain. But he was not satisfied with any expedients which he could use. He well knew, that none but God could afford him any effectual succour: he therefore remained alone all the night, that he might spread his wants and fears before God, and implore help from him. On this occasion God appeared to him in the shape and form of a man, and apparently withstood him till the break of day. Then the person would have departed from him: but Jacob would not suffer him; but held him fast, as it were, saying, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
From these words I shall take occasion to shew,
I.
The constituents of acceptable prayer
These are beautifully displayed in the prayer of Jacob:
1.
A renunciation of all dependence on ourselves
[With this acknowledgment Jacob began his prayer: O God of my father Abraham, I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant [Note: 0.]. And such is the feeling that must influence our hearts whensoever we attempt to draw nigh to God. If we think ourselves deserving of the divine favour, not one word can we utter with becoming humility; nor have we the smallest prospect of acceptance with God: The hungry he will fill with good things; but the rich he will send empty away [Note: Luk 1:53.]. It is he who humbleth himself, and he alone, that shall ever be exalted. In this respect the returning prodigal is a pattern for us all. He takes nothing but shame to himself, and casts himself wholly on the mercy of his father. O that there were in us also such a heart! for not the Pharisee who commends himself, but the Publican who smites on his breast and cries for mercy, shall obtain the blessings of grace and glory.]
2.
A simple reliance on the promises of God
[Jacob puts God in remembrance of the promise which had been made to him twenty years before; Thou saidst, I will surely do thee good [Note: 2.]. And this is the true ground on which alone we can venture to ask any thing of God. He has given us exceeding great and precious promises [Note: 2Pe 1:4.], which he has also confirmed with an oath, on purpose that we may have consolation in our souls [Note: Heb 6:17-18.], and be encouraged to spread before him all our wants. Behold how David laid hold of the promises, and pleaded them before God in prayer: O Lord God, thou hast promised this goodness to thy servant: do as thou hast spoken; do as thou hast said [Note: 2Sa 7:25-29.] Again, and again, and again does he in this passage remind God of the promises he had made; and declares, that on them all his prayers, and all his hopes, were founded. In this manner then are we also to come before him; Put me in remembrance, says God: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified [Note: Isa 43:26.]. Are we anxious to obtain the forgiveness of our sins? we should take with us such promises as these; Whosoever cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out: Though your sins be as crimson, they shall be as white as snow. Do we want deliverance from some grievous temptation? we should remind the Lord, Hast thou not said, There shall be no temptation without a way to escape, that thou mayest be able to bear it? So, whatever our want be, we should take a promise suited to it, (for what trial is there that is not provided for amongst the promises of God?) and plead it, and rest upon it, and expect the accomplishment of it to our souls.]
3.
A determination to persevere till we have obtained the desired blessing
[This is the particular point mentioned in our text. And it is that without which we never can prevail. Jacob, though lamed by his antagonist, still held him fast. And thus must we do also: we must pray, and not faint. A parable was delivered by our blessed Lord for the express purpose of teaching us this invaluable lesson [Note: Luk 18:1-8.]. It should be a settled point in our minds, that God cannot lie, and will not deny himself. He has said, Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. He has not determined any thing indeed with respect to the time or manner of answering our petitions: but answer them he will, in the best manner and the fittest time. He may not grant the particular thing which we ask for, because he may see that the continuance of the trial will answer a more valuable end than the removal of it: but in that case he will give us, as he did to Paul, what is far better [Note: 2Co 12:8-9.] . In the confidence of this we should wait for him. If the vision tarry, still we must wait for it, assured that it will come at last [Note: Hab 2:3.]. And if at any time our soul feel discouraged by the delay, we must chide it, as David did: Why art thou cast down, O my soul; and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God [Note: Psa 42:11.]. In a word, we must hold fast our blessed Lord, though under the greatest discouragements [Note: Son 3:4.], and must say, I will never let thee go, except thou bless me.]
Where such prayer is offered up before God, no tongue can tell,
II.
The blessings it will bring down into the soul
It will ensure to us,
1.
The effectual care of Gods providence
[The danger to which Jacob was exposed was imminent: but his prayer averted it, so that the brother whom he feared as an enemy, was turned into a friend. And what interpositions will not persevering prayer, when offered with humility and faith, obtain? It matters not what situation we are in, if God be our God. We may have seas of difficulty in our way; but they shall open before us: we may be destitute of food; but the clouds shall send us bread, and the rocks gush out with water for our use. Even though we were at the bottom of the sea, from thence should our prayers ascend, and thither should they bring to us effectual help. We read of such things in the days of old: but we are ready to think that no such things are to be expected now. But has God ceased to govern the earth? or is he changed in any respect, having his hand shortened, that he cannot save, or his ear heavy, that he cannot hear? What if God do not repeat his former miracles now, has he no other way of accomplishing his will, and of fulfilling his gracious promises? If our hairs are all numbered, and not so much as a sparrow falls to the ground without him, shall it be in vain for us to call upon him? No: he is still a God that heareth prayer: and whatsoever we shall ask of him, believing, he will do: yea, we may ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us.]
2.
The yet richer blessings of his grace
[The new name which God gave to Jacob was a standing memorial of Gods love [Note: 8 with Hos 12:5.], and a pledge of all that should be necessary for his spiritual welfare. And what will he withhold from us, if we seek him with our whole hearts? Recount all the necessities of your soul: express in words all your wants: and when you have exhausted all the powers of language, stretch out your thoughts to grasp in all the ineffable blessings of his grace; all that the promises of God have engaged; all that the covenant itself contains; and all that an almighty and all-gracious God is able to bestow: and, when you have done this, we will not only assure it all to you, but declare that he will do for you, not this only, but exceeding abundantly above all that ye can ask or think [Note: Eph 3:20.]. However wide you open your mouth, he will fill it. Make what attainments ye will, ye shall still find, that he giveth more grace. And, whatever difficulties ye may have to encounter, you shall find that grace sufficient for you. Only continue instant in prayer, and God will give you, not a new name only (for that also will he give, even a name better than of sons and of daughters [Note: Isa 62:2; Isa 62:12; Isa 56:5.],) but a new nature also, like unto his own [Note: 2Pe 1:4.], that shall progressively transform you into his perfect image in righteousness and true holiness. [Note: Eph 4:24; 2Co 3:18.] ]
3.
The full possession of his glory
[The answer which God gave to Jacobs prayer is more fully recorded in a subsequent chapter. There, after declaring plainly who he was, I am God Almighty, he promises, The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed after thee [Note: Gen 35:11-12.]. This was typical of that better inheritance, to which all the Lords Israel are begotten, and for which they are reserved [Note: Heb 11:16; 1Pe 1:3-5.]. And thither shall the prayer of faith carry us: for God will never leave us, till he has done all for us that he has spoken to us of [Note: Gen 28:15.], and brought us to his presence, where there is fulness of joy, and to his right hand, where there are pleasures for evermore [Note: Psa 16:11.]. Hear the dying thief preferring his petitions; Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom! And now hear the Saviours answer; To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise [Note: Luk 23:42-43.]. Thus he speaks also to all who seek him in humility and faith. It is curious to observe how often, without any apparent necessity, he repeats this promise to us. After saying, He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst, he repeats no less than four times, I will raise him up at the last day; and repeatedly also adds, He shall have everlasting life; he shall not die; he shall live for ever [Note: Joh 6:35-58.]. And whence is all this but to assure us, that, Whatsoever we ask in prayer, believing, we shall receive [Note: Mat 21:22.] ; yea, that he will give us, not to the half, but to the whole, of his kingdom [Note: Mar 6:23.] ?]
Let me add in conclusion,
1.
A word of inquiry
[What resemblance do we bear to Jacob in this particular? I ask not whether we have ever spent a whole night in prayer, but whether we have ever wrestled with God at all; and whether, on the contrary, our prayers have not for the most part been cold, formal, hypocritical; and whether we have not by the very mode of offering our prayers rather mocked and insulted God, than presented to him any acceptable sacrifice? Say whether there be not too much reason for that complaint, There is none that calleth upon Thy name, that stirreth up himself to lay hold of Thee [Note: Isa 64:7.] ? Dear Brethren, I know nothing which so strongly marks our departure from God as this. To an earthly friend we can go, and tell our complaints, till we have even wearied him with them; and in the prosecution of earthly things we can put forth all the energy of our minds: but when we go to God in prayer, we are straitened, and have scarcely a word to say; and our thoughts rove to the very ends of the earth. The prophet Hosea well describes this: They have not cried unto me with their heart. They return, but not to the Most High: they are like a deceitful bow [Note: Hos 7:14; Hos 7:16.], which, when it promises to send the arrow to the mark, causes it to fall at our very feet. O let us not fancy that we are of the true Israel, whilst we so little resemble Him whose name we bear, and bear as a memorial of importunity in prayer. The character of the true Israel ever has been, and ever will continue to be, that they are a people near unto their God [Note: Psa 148:14.].]
2.
A word of caution
[On two points we are very liable to err; first, in relation to the fervour that we exercise in prayer; and next, in relation to the confidence that we maintain. Many, because they are ardent in mind, and fluent in expression, imagine that they are offering to God a spiritual service; when, in fact, their devotion is little else than a bodily exercise. Whoever has made his observations on the way in which both social and public worship is often performed, will have seen abundant cause for this caution. In like manner, the confidence of many savours far more of bold presumption, than of humble affiance. But let it never be forgotten, that tenderness of spirit is absolutely inseparable from a spiritual frame. When our blessed Lord prayed, it was with strong crying and tears [Note: Heb 5:7.]: and when Jacob wrestled, he wept, and made supplication. This then is the state of mind which we must aspire after. Our fervour must be a humble fervour; and our confidence, a humble confidence. And whilst we look to God to accomplish all things for us, we must at the same time use all proper means for the attainment of them. Jacob, though he relied on God to deliver him from his brother s wrath, did not omit to use all prudent precautions, and the most sagacious efforts for the attainment of that end [Note: 8.]. So likewise must we labour for the meat which the Son of man will give us [Note: Joh 6:27.], and keep ourselves in the love of God [Note: Judges , 1.], in order to our being kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation [Note: 1Pe 1:5.].]
3.
A word of encouragement
[It is said of Jacob, that God blessed him there [Note: 9.], even in the very place where he lamed him. Thus shall you also find that your greatest discouragements are only a prelude to your most complete deliverance. To his people of old he said, Thou shalt go even to Babylon: there shalt thou be delivered: there shall the Lord redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies [Note: Mic 4:10; Jer 30:7.]. Go on, therefore, fully expecting that God will interpose in due season, and that your darkest hours shall be only a prelude to the brighter day [Note: Isa 54:7-8; Psa 30:5.].]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
See! how the Lord is even detained by the fervent cries of his children. Son 7:5Son 7:5 . See also how vigorous are the actings of faith, when God’s grace supports that faith. Son 3:4 ; Isa 27:5 . And is not this a beautiful example of what Job prayed for? Job 23:3-6 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 32:26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
Ver. 26. Let me go, &c. ] Pugna suum finem, cum rogat hostis, habet. Jacob, though lamed, and hard laid at, will not let Christ go without a blessing: to teach us, as our Saviour did, by the parable of the importunate widow, Luk 18:1-8 to persevere in prayer, and to devour all discouragements. Jacob holds with his hands, when his joints were out of joint. The woman of Canaan will not be put off, either with silence or sad answers. The importunate widow teacheth us to press God so far, till we put him to the blush, yea, leave a blot in his face (as the word there used signifies, , Luk 18:5 ), unless we be masters of our request. Latimer so plied the throne of grace with his, Once again, once again, restore the gospel to England, that he would have no nay at God’s hands. a He many times continued kneeling and knocking so long together, that he was not able to rise without help. His knees were grown hard like camels’ knees, as Eusebius reports of James, the Lord’s brother. Paul “prayed thrice,” 2Co 12:8 that is, often, till he had his desire. Nay, Paulus Aemelius, the Roman general, began to fight against Perses, king of Macedonia, when, as he had sacrificed to his god Hercules and it proved not to his mind, he slew twenty various sacrifices one after another; and would not stop till in the one and twentieth he had descried certain arguments of victory. b Surely his superstition shames our indevotion, his importunity our faint heartedness and shortness of spirit. Surely, as painfulness of speaking shows a sick body, so doth irksomeness of praying a sick soul.
a Act. and Mon.
b Sabellicus.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
day breaketh. Hebrew dawn hath ascended.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Let me go: Exo 32:10, Deu 9:14, Son 7:5, Isa 45:11, Isa 64:7, Luk 24:28, Luk 24:29
I will not: Son 3:4, Hos 12:4, Luk 18:1-7, Rom 8:37, 1Co 15:58, 2Co 12:8, 2Co 12:9, Heb 5:7
thou bless: 1Ch 4:10, Psa 67:1, Psa 67:6, Psa 67:7, Psa 115:12, Psa 115:13
Reciprocal: Gen 18:33 – And the Gen 19:18 – General Gen 32:29 – blessed Num 6:27 – and I will 1Ki 18:37 – Hear me 1Ki 18:43 – Go again Psa 63:8 – followeth Psa 115:15 – blessed Psa 123:2 – so our eyes Pro 4:13 – let Son 6:5 – away Isa 62:6 – keep Mat 15:25 – came Mar 6:48 – would Luk 11:8 – because of Luk 13:24 – Strive Luk 18:39 – but Joh 4:40 – they
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN AM I STRONG
He said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except Thou bless me.
Gen 32:26
Esau, with all his amiable qualities, was a man whose horizon was bounded by the limitations of the material world. He never rose above earth; he was a man after this world; he lived an eminently natural life. Jacob, on the other hand, was a man of many faults, yet there was a continuous testimony in his life to the value of things unseen. He had had wonderful dealings of God with him, and these had only the effect of whetting his spiritual appetite. When the opportunity came he availed himself of it to the full, and received from the hands of God Himself that blessing for which his soul had been longing. Notice:
I. He was thoroughly in earnest; he wrestled till he got the blessing.
II. If we wish to gain a blessing like Jacobs we must be alone with God.It is possible to be alone with God, even in the midst of a multitude.
III. Jacobs heart was burdened with a load of sin.It crushed his spirit, it was breaking his heart; he could bear it no more, and so he made supplication. He wanted to be lifted out of his weakness and made a new man.
IV. In the moment of his weakness Jacob made a great discovery.He found that when we cannot wrestle we can cling; so he wound his arms round the great Angel like a helpless child. He clings around those mighty arms and looks up into his face and says, I will not let thee go except Thou bless me.
V. He received the blessing he had wrestled for.As soon as Jacob was brought to his proper place, and in utter weakness was content to accept the blessing of Gods free gift, that moment the blessing came. He received his royalty on the field of battle, was suddenly lifted up into a heavenly kingdom and made a member of a royal family.
Canon Hay Aitken.
Illustration
(1) The victory came after Jacob was crippled. It was when the disabling touch came, when he felt his utter helplessness, when he could simply cling, that he prevailed. Second, it was a triumph of persistence. Helpless to struggle, he could still cling, and he clung till the blessing was given. The prophet Hosea (Gen 12:4) says: He strove with the angel and prevailed, he wept and made supplication to him. His words have become the proverbial expression of importunate desire. I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me. So the secret of success in prayer is twofold; on the one hand, to realise our own helpless; and, on the other hand, to hold fast until blessing comes. God lets himself be conquered by the prayer of humble and persevering faith. Very beautifully does Charles Wesleys famous hymn, Come, O Thou Traveller unknown, sum up the teaching of the story:
Yield to me now, for I am weak,
But confident in self-despair;
Speak to my heart, in blessings speak,
Be conquered by my instant prayer.
(2) What was this Divine blessing? Deliverance from Esau? Not at all. That was a secondary thing now. Jacob had learnt that there was a mightier adversary than his brother to dread: that sin incurs more fearful consequences than earthly retribution. Reconciliation with Godthat was a far more urgent need with him, and it is a far more urgent need with us, than even reconciliation with a revengeful brother. And he blessed him thereon the spot, that night. The face of God, which his sin had hidden, was now revealed to him: i.e. he had the blessed assurance of forgiveness and acceptance. And without any definite promise of safety he could now go forward, calmly and trustingly, to meet Esau.
(3) The question has been raised as to whether the story should be treated as an account of a purely spiritual struggle. The answer is twofold. The original narrator did not understand it in that way: he believed in a real, physical wrestling, speaking and laming. But we, for our own learning, may apply the whole in the most spiritual fashion possible, following the lines of F. W. Robertsons Sermon (First Series, Third Sermon), or drinking in what Dean Stanley properly called Charles Wesleys noble hymn:
Come, O Thou Traveller unknown,
Whom still I hold, but cannot see!
My company before is gone,
And I am left alone with Thee:
With Thee all night I mean to stay,
And wrestle till the break of day.
(4) There was each morning during his first sojourn in the Soudan one half-hour during which there lay outside General Gordons tent a handkerchief; and the whole camp knew the full significance of that small token, and it was most religiously respected by all, whatever was their colour, creed, or business. No foot dared to enter the tent so guarded. No message, however pressing, was carried in. Whatever it was, of life or death, it had to wait until the guardian signal was removed. Every one knew that God and Gordon were alone in there together.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Gen 32:26. Let me go Thus the angel, by an admirable condescension, speaks to Jacob as God did to Moses, Exo 32:10, Let me alone, and that to show the prevalency of his prayer with God, and also to encourage him to persist in the conflict. For the day breaketh Therefore he would not any longer detain Jacob, who had business to do, a family to look after, a journey to take. I will not let thee go except thou bless me He resolves he will have a blessing, and rather shall all his bones be put out of joint than he will suffer the angel to leave him without a blessing. Those who would be blessed by Christ, and have his salvation, must be in good earnest and importunate for it. Reader, art thou so? Dost thou pray and not faint?