Jacob Wrestles and Comes Home

On the road home, messengers came back to Jacob with frightening news: his brother Esau was coming to meet him — with four hundred men! Jacob was very afraid. Long ago he had tricked Esau, and Esau had wanted to hurt him. So Jacob divided his people and flocks into two camps, so that if one was attacked, the other could escape. And Jacob prayed, “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac — you told me, ‘Return to the land of your birth, and I will do you good.’ When I crossed this river long ago, I had nothing but my walking stick — and now I have become two whole camps. Save me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid of him. You said you would do me good, and make my seed like the sand of the sea, too many to count.” Then Jacob picked out a huge gift for Esau from his flocks — hundreds of goats and sheep, camels and cows and donkeys — and sent them ahead, drove after drove, hoping his brother would receive him kindly.

That night, Jacob brought his family safely across the stream. And when he was left all alone in the dark — a man came and wrestled with him until the morning light. The man saw that he could not win against Jacob, and he touched the broad part of Jacob’s thigh, so that it went numb as they wrestled. He said, “Let me go, for the day is dawning.” But Jacob answered, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he said. And the man said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel — for you have prevailed with God, and you will be mighty with men.” And he blessed Jacob there. Jacob named that place the Face of God, saying, “I have seen God face to face, and my life was kept safe.” The sun rose as he went on his way, limping on his leg — with a new name and a blessing.

Then Jacob looked up — and there was Esau coming, with his four hundred men. Jacob went ahead of his family and bowed to the ground seven times as he came near his brother. And Esau RAN to meet him — and threw his arms around him, and hugged him, and kissed him. And they both cried. Esau looked at the wives and children and asked about them, and about all the droves of animals he had met on the road. Jacob said they were his gift. Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother. Keep what is yours.” But Jacob pressed him until he accepted the gift, saying that seeing Esau’s face was like seeing the face of God, so kindly had his brother received him. Then Esau went home to his own country, and Jacob traveled on gently, at the pace of the children and the young animals.

Jacob came back at last to Bethel — the place of the ladder-dream — and built an altar there to God, who had been with him the whole long way, just as he had promised. One more son was born to Jacob on the road: little Benjamin, Rachel’s second boy. But there was sadness too, for Rachel died when Benjamin was born, and Jacob buried her beside the road to Bethlehem and set up a stone pillar on her grave. So Jacob — Israel — came home to the land of Canaan, to his father Isaac, with twelve sons. Twelve sons who would become twelve tribes. And one of those sons was Joseph.