strength for fear | Jacob

“Strong faith” is a biblical fallacy.

Christians are not those who have strong faith; rather, Christians are those whose faith is grounded in a strong God. When we trust in God’s strength, we express faith that withstands the high’s and low’s of life because we trust in the One who rose from the grave and conquered death. We live according to a holy reverence for a Greater Presence… the Person of Christ whose Spirit indwells the hearts of believers and gives the ability to overcome circumstances wherein fear resides.

Fear of mankind buckles under the weight of reverence for God.

On the eve before Jacob’s confrontation with Esau, he is overwhelmed by fear. Genesis 32:7 captures the emotive moment, “Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed.” He is not a man in control of his destiny any longer and the fear of retribution, punishment, judgment, even death… (whatever it might be!) has overtaken any interest in more deceit or further energy for any cunning. He is alone with his dread as he prepares to face the music in the morning, and here he prays, pleading for his life:

“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…” (Genesis 32:11).

Not many chapters before this dark night, the brothers are introduced to the biblical landscape as twins “struggling” together in the womb, “two nations …divided,” (Genesis 25:22-23). The struggle blooms upon a birthright as Jacob leverages the hunger of Esau for the thirst of his own advantage. Esau fills his stomach while Jacob empties his soul.

This strains their relationship and just two chapters later, the brothers’ conflict spills over taking the form of an epic deception spurred on by an unlikely catalyst: the unexpected favoritism of their parents, Isaac and Rebekah. What Jacob accomplishes through his maternal accomplice (MOM!) will cause a rift in the family that will send Jacob fleeing for his life. Deception is the theme in Genesis 27, and the name by which Jacob is named defines the reputation by which he is known: he’s a cheat, a supplanter, a heel grabber.

Like a football player running for a touchdown in the open field, only to be tackled at the last second by a diving opponent who’s outstretched hand swipes the back of his heel and knocks him to the ground, short of the goal line!

Esau justly bemoans, “Is he not rightly named ‘Jacob’ (heel-grabber, cheat)? For he has jacobed me (cheated me) these two times” (Genesis 27:36).

• First, his Birthright, and now his Blessing!

Jacob flees to Uncle Laban’s and after four chapters (and several years) of calculated maneuverability, his greatness materializes with an entourage of wives, concubines, children and herds of flocks. At long last, the LORD calls Jacob to return home, for now is the time that he must face his foe and the reality of retribution.

In his despair, he divides his family into two companies should the day prove dangerous, “thinking, ‘If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape'” (Genesis 32:8). But in the night, Jacob is met with a formidable Foe, a warrior who forever changes him into a worshiper. The text describes Him simply as “a man,” but He is clearly greater than any mere mortal. All night long they wrestle until sunrise, when resolution is realized at the culmination of the conflict. A dislocated hip leads to a lifelong limp and the fords of a quiet river will become the place of hallowed ground. Jacob will be known by his hip, no longer his heel. In fact, he won’t even be called “Jacob” anymore; “Israel” instead: one who contends with God. And with his first act as newly named Israel, he hallows the place where God revealed His face: “Peniel” (face of God). Israel worships!

Only the paragraph before, Jacob is afraid to see Esau’s face (verse 20), but now he has seen God’s face …and lived, and any fear of Esau melts away. Holy reverence outweighs worldly fears, and a worldly man transforms into a worshiping man before our very eyes.

Israel (aka, Jacob) experiences the glimmers of hope promised in the advent of Messiah, “…oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit, that they might be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD,” — strength for fear — “that He might be glorified” (Isaiah 61:3).