v.1 (NET) The phrase angels of God occurs only here and in Gen 28:12 in the OT. Jacob saw a vision of angels just before he left the promised land. Now he encounters angels as he prepares to return to it.
When he got the message that Esau was coming with 400 men Jacob did 3 things:
1. Divide into 2 teams-to avoid total wipe out v.8
2. Pray to God and claim His promise
32:9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, you said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’
In the prayer, Jacob knew that God gave him this promise which he did not deserve.
32:10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love you have shown your servant. With only my walking stick I crossed the Jordan, but now I have become two camps.
God promised to him only because of His love. Jacob can also knew that God loved him by giving him all the possession and children.
What did he mean that he did not deserve that?
First, think about how Jacob left his home. He deceive his brother and escape from his retribution. God met him on the road and gave him the promise the first time. He did not deserve God's love.
Second, Jacob got all the possession because God had protected him from Laban's scheme.
3. Sending gifts
Reflection: Thinking back in our own lives do you have the same feeling as Jacob? I came here to study with 2 pieces of luggage. After 30+ years God gave me a lot, including my family, our church and our opportunities to ministry. It is all because of His love and protection which I did not deserve.
Audrey
When he got the message that Esau was coming with 400 men Jacob did 3 things:
1. Divide into 2 teams-to avoid total wipe out v.8
2. Pray to God and claim His promise
32:9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, you said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’
In the prayer, Jacob knew that God gave him this promise which he did not deserve.
32:10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love you have shown your servant. With only my walking stick I crossed the Jordan, but now I have become two camps.
God promised to him only because of His love. Jacob can also knew that God loved him by giving him all the possession and children.
What did he mean that he did not deserve that?
First, think about how Jacob left his home. He deceive his brother and escape from his retribution. God met him on the road and gave him the promise the first time. He did not deserve God's love.
Second, Jacob got all the possession because God had protected him from Laban's scheme.
3. Sending gifts
Reflection: Thinking back in our own lives do you have the same feeling as Jacob? I came here to study with 2 pieces of luggage. After 30+ years God gave me a lot, including my family, our church and our opportunities to ministry. It is all because of His love and protection which I did not deserve.
Audrey
2026
1. repeated word: 2 camps
v.1-2 So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.
(NET) The name Mahanaim apparently means “two camps.” Perhaps the two camps were those of God and of Jacob.
7 Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels.
(BKC) He had recognized the angels as “the camp (maḥănēh) of God,” he had named the place maḥănāyim (v. 2), and then (out of fear of Esau who was coming toward him with 400 men) he divided his family into two groups or camps (maḥănôṯ).
v.10 10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love you have shown your servant. With only my walking stick I crossed the Jordan, but now I have become two camps.
The 2 camps of families and possessions were a sign of God's faithful love to Jacob. He knew he did not deserved that.
Summary: The 2 camps of possessions were a scheme that Jacob planned when he was afraid of Esau. On the other hand, he also recognized that they were the sign of God's faithful love.
2. Similarity to the event in chapter 31
Laban could have destroy Jacob (and his families and possession) if God had not revealed to him and stopped him from harming Jacob. The difference was Jacob not being aware of that when God protected him. Now, he knew the danger was coming and very afraid. He should have learned that the determining factor that he was being saved from his "enemies" were not his planning (33:4-9) to dividing his families into 2 camps v.7, or his gifts v. 20, or his sending them off at night v.22.
3. Jacob quoted the promise of God in 2 parts v.9-12.
God made 2 promises to Jacob in 28:13-15. He would gave him the AB's promise (the land, the descendants, and the seed) and He would blessed him and brought him back to the land. Jacob quoted the 2nd promise in 32:9 and then part of the 1st promise in v.12. However, in between these 2 promises he added (1) his confession of his unworthiness pf the faithful love God had shown him; (2) His plead of rescue from Esau
10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love you have shown your servant. With only my walking stick I crossed the Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Rescue me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children.
(1) Perhaps, he felt like he had reflected his own sin and concluded that he did not deserve such blessings/possessions from God.
(2) When he thought about his possession, he was afraid and therefore he claim the promise of God.
Summary: If those 2 camps of possession were given by God as He had promise, why Jacob was so afraid when he heard that Esau was coming? Plus, he should have learned from his experience with Laban.
Reflection: Am I like Jacob not really believing my possession was a blessings from God and did not learn from the past experience of God's protection? Am I believing in my own planning?
4. Questions
1) v.10b
2) 1. Divide into 2 teams-to avoid total wipe out v.8; 2. Pray to God and claim His promise; 3. Sending gifts; 4. Sending his family away at night to avoid danger v.22
He is a man to make plans to alleviate his anxiety
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