Boyd's Commentary: 2022-23 Edition

By R.H. Boyd Publishing Corp.

2022-2023 Boyd's Commentary is a resource for planning and preparation for pastors, directors, teachers, students, or anyone searching for a deeper relationship with Christ. It follows the International Uniform Sunday School Lesson Outline from the National Council of Churches, and it is filled with scholarly, yet practical descriptions and exposition for modern Christians. Readers will find Boyd's Commentary useful in their search for increased wisdom and theological insight (Proverbs 4:7) for walking in the way of Christ. This commentary starts September 1, 2022 and ends on August 31, 2023.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
• Release date: Aug 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781681679303

Book preview

LESSON I

SEPTEMBER 4, 2022

THE CALL OF ABRAM

ADULT TOPIC:

UNBROKEN PROMISES

BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE:

GENESIS 12:1–7; 15:1–7

GENESIS 12:1–5, 7; 15:1–7

MAIN THOUGHT: And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him. (Genesis 12:7, KJV)

LESSON SETTING

Time: Unknown

Place: Haran/Canaan

LESSON OUTLINE

I. God’s Call & Promise (Genesis 12:1–5; 7)

II. God’s Confirmation (Genesis 15:1)

III. Abram’s Objection & God’s Response

(Genesis 15:2–17)

UNIFYING PRINCIPLE

The reality of our circumstances does not always match our expectations. How do we respond when circumstances and expectations conflict? Abram put his confidence in God, and God reassured him.

INTRODUCTION

Broken promises can sometimes cause years of resentment, hurt, and anguish. Some must deal with the disappointment of a significant other breaking their oath and promise always to love them. Broken promises can leave lasting scars that have far-reaching consequences and ramifications. The closer a person is to you, the more his or her broken promise hurts. Unfortunately, sometimes we have also been guilty of breaking promises. We may have had great intentions or even a great reason to break the promise, but it hurts none the less and trust has been lost. Thankfully God never breaks promises! No matter how outlandish the promise may seem, God is faithful to keep His promise.

In the first eleven chapters of Genesis, God struggled with humanity’s repeated rebellious and violent insubordination, such as Adam, Eve, Cain, and the people during Noah’s time. The struggle was so real that even God pressed the reset button by flooding the entire earth and destroying the bulk of humanity. God has now resolved to begin a new approach by using an unlikely couple Abram and Sarai. The promise to Abram and Sarai marks one of the most dramatic transitions in the entire Hebrew Bible. God initiated a promise to Abram. God took the first step and proved there is none like God. God’s power and kindness in initiating this promise are only matched by His faithfulness in fulfilling it.

EXPOSITION

I. G OD ’ S C ALL & P ROMISE

(GENESIS 12:1–5; 7)

In the opening verses of chapter 12, the writer describes God’s call and promise to Abram. The divine call of Abram is central to the patriarchal narratives and the Pentateuch. This call of Abram is similar to the call later given to Jacob in Genesis chapter 31 to return to the land of his ancestors and birthplace. The calls have similar elements: land, family, name, and blessing In a real sense, Jacob’s call is a continuation of his grandfather’s call. Abram had been commissioned to leave his country, family, all the familiarity of his father’s home and go to a land not yet revealed (vv.1–3). Abram is called to leave his father’s house. God requested Abram to leave all that he had come to know and hold familiar. God never asks for a sacrifice He is unwilling to repay tenfold. Abram would receive more than he would have, had he remained in Haran. The land He promised is Canaan. It is this promise that is being referred to as Canaan is called the Promised Land. Those things that God promises at times take on their own kind of mystique. This is partly because God’s promises will at times outlast those who receive the promise originally. This is certainly true in this case. As God makes the promise for land at this juncture, He does not fulfill that until hundreds of years later when the Israelites entered the land after having been slaves in Egypt for 440 years.

God calls Abram to loyalty and commitment that comes with a series of powerful promises. God’s promises supersede Abram’s all critically important family ties. God makes several promises to him that have both present and future implications. God promises to make Abram’s offspring a great nation. Abram will have children, grandchildren, and enough descendants to populate a great nation. This is the most outrageous element of the promise. God called Abram, a man without children, to become the progenitor of a great nation. Not only would God bless Abram with offspring of his own, but God would make him the father of a nation. God’s promise was beyond what Abram could even conceive in his mind because it is in direct tension with his wife Sara’s infertility in Genesis 11:30. Yet, he trusts God!

God then promises to bless Abram. This blessing includes success, well-being, power, and riches. The word bless (bārak) is used here to indicate material wealth. In antiquity, wealth was not measured by currency but by livestock, servants, land, gold, and silver.

The third portion of the blessing is that God promises Abram to make his name great. Abram’s influence would increase throughout nations, religions, and generations. Since God is the One who calls, then it is His business to fulfill the blessing as He determines. God certainly fulfilled the promise. There is probably no person’s name more honored in history than the name of Abram, whose name is reverenced in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This promise to give Abram a great name was not solely for Abram but also for blessing others (v. 3). Interestingly, his name already means exalted father. Imagine having a name like that with no children. However, his name in a very real sense portends what his future would entail in God. Abram’s name would eventually be changed to Abraham by God Almighty. Abraham means, father of a multitude. Thus his name becomes great as he is understood to be the ancestor of Israel and several of the neighboring nations.

The following promise, I will bless those who bless you and curse them that curse you, shifts from being centered solely on Abram to Abram being a blessing to others. The blessing is so bountiful that God promises to bless Abram’s family and friends, and his enemies would be cursed because they would also become God’s enemies. Blessing is the highlight of the promise, while the curse is the protection of the promise. God promises to protect Abram. Those who treat Abram with no regard or disrespect would offend God, and their consequence would be a curse. God promised that all the families of the earth would be blessed in Abram. The fulfillment of this promise would come through Jesus Christ, who was a part of Abram’s lineage. Abram’s blessing was not just for him but all the families on earth. God’s blessings are never intended to be solely for the person being blessed, but they are to be shared with the world.

Abram leaves as the Lord commanded as a sign of obedience and allegiance to God. Though God had given him a set of outlandish promises, Abram stepped out on faith. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew, Lot, and their possessions and went to Canaan. There were several obstacles that Abram would have to overcome to fulfill the promise. First, Abram was 75 years old, well beyond conventional childbearing age. Secondly, the land that he was promised was currently inhabited. Once Abram arrived in Canaan, the Lord reinforced his promise to him. He appears to Abram (v. 7) to reassure him of God’s presence and the promise of children and land. Abram’s response was to build an altar as a place to meet with God, offer sacrifices, and worship.

II. G OD ’ S C ONFIRMATION (G ENESIS 15:1)

God confirms His intentions toward Abram through a vision (v. 1). Abram is told not to be afraid. Abram has a right to be afraid; he had just fought a large army to rescue Lot (Genesis 14:14–16). He expected retribution. God then tells Abram that He is Abram’s shield and reward. God’s closeness to Abram is the reason for Abram to take courage. God was the answer to Abram’s need. He anticipated a battle, and God would become his protection. God knows how to become precisely what is needed. God assures Abram that God would grant him victory and security in the face of hostilities. God would be his covering and defend him. God would block the enemy’s attacks.

As Abram’s shield, God promises to protect and defend Abram. Conceptually, this means that Abram would have battles in the future but no harm would come to him or his household. As a shield, God would go wherever Abram went. Even as Abram would wander with no place of permanence, God would travel with him and him from danger. As a shield, God would that which encountered danger first and also be that which Abram could hide behind.

God says He would be Abram’s reward. While it may seem to the reader that God is indebted to Abram, that is not the meaning. To fully understand what God means, we must journey back to chapter 14. In chapter 14, Abram refused his rightful share of the victor’s booty. Once a nation was defeated in ancient times, the victorious nation would raid their land for riches. Abram denounced his reward for being victorious in battle (Genesis 14:23), but the Lord confirmed that Abram would be compensated. The reward God promises is not the materials secured from the raid; instead, it looks ahead to fulfill His promises. God has a way of paying back believers who are obedient in ways that far outweigh worldly paydays. God can reward you with things money cannot buy. God can give you peace during a storm. God will reward you with grace to cover your mistakes. God will reward you with a song in sorrow. God knows how to reward those who trust Him.

III. A BRAM ’ S O BJECTION & G OD ’ S R ESPONSE

(GENESIS 15:2–7)

Abram had already seen elements of God’s fulfillment come to pass. God had increased Abram’s assets, showed him Canaan, and helped him battle. Abram complains because he does not have an heir (v. 2). Abram’s real desire was a son, and while God was a shield and reward, God was not any assistance for the couple’s infertility. Abram wants his promised son. God had promised to give Abram an heir and then increase his descendants. Abram recognized that God had increased his assets, but he saw little to no value in it because his servant would be the recipient of his estate if he died without an heir. Abram’s servant Eliezer would be Abram’s designated heir (v. 3). Eliezer of Damascus was Abram’s chief assistant and domestic servant. Eliezer was a close companion and confidant to Abram, but he was no replacement for a son. Abram was boldly honest with God in this passage about his disappointment. This is an example of an intimate relationship between God and Abram. Abram felt comfortable and secure in his relationship enough to discuss his frustrations. Abram was honest with God sharing what troubled him and why his heart was heavy. Sometimes believers do not feel comfortable sharing their honest feelings with God. God desires to hear believers’ genuine feelings, and God can handle disappointment. Believers should share their honest feelings with God in prayer instead of denying or attempting to withhold their feelings. Abram certainly had doubts about God’s promise.

God responds to Abram’s doubt by ensuring that Eliezer would not be his heir. God tells Abram that he would have a natural heir. God had not forgotten His promise. God repeats the promise to Abram with clarity. God explained to Abram what He meant. There would be a natural blood relative that would fulfill God’s promise to Abram. This time the confirmation would be more clairvoyant because God used an illustration (v. 5). He tells Abram that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky. Not only would he father a child, but he would also be the patriarch of multitudes.

Verse 6 describes Abram’s response of faith to God’s promise. Abram believed/ trusted in God with confidence. Genesis 12 informs that Abram has previously trusted God. Remember Abram left his home and went to Canaan in obedience to God. Verse 6 literally reads that Abram continued his trust in God. When Abram chose to trust God again, God rewarded his belief and counted him righteous. The term credited means to assign value. The assigned value for Abram’s faith is righteousness. Righteousness can only be achieved in two ways: by works or a gift from God. Since no one is good enough to accomplish righteousness on their own, God must account for us. God grants believers righteousness when like Abram, they are obedient and believe in God. Faith alone caused God to count Abram as righteous. God speaks in verse 7. God reminds Abram that just as he brought him to Canaan, He would also keep His word, regarding His promise for a son. God reminds Abram as He had been faithful, He would continue to be faithful to His covenant.

THE LESSON APPLIED

God chose Abram and decided to initiate his plan for salvation by blessing him and his descendants so they would be a blessing to the world. This parallels believers’ experiences. Believers are chosen to be children of God. Like Abram, believers must have faith and trust God to be credited as righteous. God wants His children to be like Abram and place their trust in His promises. Like Abram, we are also called at various times to any number of adventures. God will call us to trust Him as He seeks to move us from places of comfort to promise, destiny, and purpose. One of the lessons that we should take from this passage is that in order to access our potential in God, we must trust Him and move beyond home places to uncertainty and struggle. It is beyond the uncertainty and struggle that lies our ultimate destiny and blessing. Walk in faith and not by sight to reach God’s promises!

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

1. Can you imagine what Abram felt when he heard these promises? When the promises were made, nothing in his life had changed. He had to decide if he would trust the promises.

2. Should he pick up his family and go to an unfamiliar land that he did not know anything about? Abram had to make a decision on whether or not to trust God.

3. How do Christians respond when God’s promises seem afar?

God calls Abram and promises him blessing beyond his imagination. God promised to make a great nation from Abram, give him a land, and use his life and his lineage to bless the families of the earth. These are such amazing promises.

LESSON II

SEPTEMBER 11, 2022

GOD CHOOSES THE YOUNGER TWIN

ADULT TOPIC:

AN UNEXPECTED CHOICE

BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE:

GENESIS 25:19–34

GENESIS 25:19–34

MAIN THOUGHT: And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. (Genesis 25:23, KJV)

LESSON SETTING

Time: Unknown

Place: Beer-lahai-roi

LESSON OUTLINE

I. Pedigree (Genesis 25:19–21)

II. God’s Ultrasound (Genesis 25:22–28)

III. Esau’s Rash Decision (Genesis 25:29–34)

UNIFYING PRINCIPLE

We sometimes make rash decisions that are not in our best long-term interest. How do we respond when life doesn’t go the way we think it should? God’s plans supersede ours.

INTRODUCTION

In football, in a broken play the quarterback scrambles and sometimes makes a touchdown out of what could have been a loss of yards. There are times when quarterbacks and their teams can make amazing highlight plays. There are other times when a broken play does not fare as well. The quarterback must make quick decisions to give his team the best chance to score. The lesson below is full of metaphorical broken plays. Thankfully, God intervenes and makes touchdowns out of broken plays. God knows how to make miracles out of the messes of our rash decisions.

Both Christianity and Judaism recognize the story in our lesson as God’s unmerited grace and love. Jacob deliberately wrongs and takes advantage of his brother’s indifference to his birthright. God still chooses to bless Jacob’s lineage to be an essential part of God’s salvific plan. God did not renege on His appointment of Jacob even after his selfish, disastrous, and scandalous attempts to claim the birthright for himself. This passage describes a dysfunctional family dealing with extreme favoritism and competition. Badly misaligned priorities, and deliberate manipulation for selfish gain replaced cooperation and ideal family values and interactions. The ethical lessons to be learned from Jacob’s family are really in the negative. However, when we remember that this is the family God chose to carry out his plan of salvation, God’s unconditional love, patience, and grace emerge as the true ethical highlights of this passage.

EXPOSITION

I. P EDIGREE

(GENESIS 25:19–21)

The narrative is introduced as the account of Abraham’s son, Isaac, and then quickly shifts to the sons of Isaac probably because of the similarities in Genesis’ patriarchal narratives. Isaac was like Abram, Isaac married a barren woman, Rebekah, and prayed to God for the blessing of a male heir, and the Lord answered his prayer. The Lord blessed him with two sons. The similarity in the narratives enables the writer to reinforce that the blessing through Abram’s seed could not be accomplished without God’s power and intervention. Neither Sarah nor Rebekah could have conceived without the assistance of God. The text reinforces the notion that when God makes a promise, the fulfilling of the promise is God’s responsibility. The fulfillment of God’s promises can only be achieved solely with the partnership of God. Isaac and his descendants are part of the promise God had given to Abram earlier in Genesis. God promised Abraham to make his lineage a great nation and that He would bless all the families of the earth through him (Genesis 12:1–3). Isaac and Rebecka pray, knowing that life is a gift given by God and that they are heirs to God’s promise. This is a reminder to us, who are also children of God’s promise, that God’s promises cannot be achieved with human capabilities. God has the power to make promises and keep them despite any human expectation or obstacle. Sometimes God’s fulfillment of promises is less about us as much as it is about the promise God has made to our ancestors. Many Christians today are reaping the blessings from promises God made to their ancestors many years ago.

II. G OD ’ S U LTRASOUND

(GENESIS 25:22–28)

The story of the twins, Jacob and Esau, is filled with conflict like other brothers and relatives throughout Genesis. Genesis has already highlighted the conflict between Cain and Abel, Abram and Lot (13:7–12), and Isaac and Ishmael (21:9). The struggle between Jacob and Esau was already forecast while in the womb of their mother (25:22). The twins are gifts of God and the fulfillment of God’s pact made with Abraham. However, conflict will follow Jacob throughout his life. This is evident to Rebekah even before their birth (v. 22). The text says that the twins, while in the womb, caused their mother discomfort and pain. Sometimes our blessings, those miracles we prayed for, can cause discomfort. Take note that Rebekah sought counsel from the Lord about her discomfort. It was only in speaking with God that she was able to understand the predicament of her unborn children. The writer wants the reader to know immediately that Jacob’s life is filled with unrest and inquietude. As a result he struggles to attempt to take, and exploit others’ weaknesses. He grapples with himself and those around him. Verse 23 is a foreshadowing of a life filled with struggles for Jacob and his heirs. The writer again makes the emphasis that struggles are not always malevolent, and they are necessary for the accomplishment of the will of God.

Many Biblical figures had to struggle like David, Esther, Jesus, Job, Peter, John, Tamar, and Paul. There are many ancestors that have struggled as well. Struggling is a part of the Christian journey. It is through struggle that Christians are able to see God in ways that otherwise they would not have known.

Another significant part of the text is the proclamation in verse 23, the older will serve the younger. In the Bible, the younger one means to be the lesser one. Obviously, one would not choose to be the younger one. God chooses to defy human and cultural norms by blessing the younger one. God has a way of blessing and choosing what others ignore and dismiss. Throughout Genesis, there are examples of God choosing and esteeming the younger sibling to accomplish His plan and keep His promise. The blessing of God is not a right given solely to the firstborn son, but God’s blessing can be given to those who would normally have no claim to it. We should all be glad because we are not the firstborn children of God, yet we still are eligible to receive the promise of God. We can receive what we did not earn (Romans 9:10–13).

Although Jacob had wrestled his brother in the womb (v. 22), been promised to be stronger and preeminent brother (v. 23), he was born second (v. 24–26). Jacob and Esau’s names explanation were then given with clever wordplay. Esau is named so because his complexion was red and hairy. Jacob, though his name’s origin is unclear, is ascribed to heel, meaning the one who kicks his way out, or supplanter, the one who would displace this twin. Both meanings are fitting for his narrative. From his birth Jacob, according to Genesis’ writer, will dishonor God and his family. Scripture tells us that Esau was a skilled hunter and loved the outdoors and that he was the favorite of Isaac. Jacob, to the contrast, was a homebody; he liked to stay around the tents, and he was the favorite of their mother Rebekah, probably because of the Lord’s promise that the older would serve the younger (v. 27–28).

III. E SAU ’ S R ASH D ECISION

(GENESIS 25:29–34)

The next verses share the negotiation of the brothers over Esau’s birthright. Traditionally in ancient Jewish culture, birthrights are general and the right of children to inherit from the father. The birthright was an official signifier of the son’s rightful place in the lineage, legacy, and inheritance of his father’s ancestors. Typically, the oldest son would receive double the inheritance of other siblings. Although in modern times, we ascribe this inheritance to monetary and material wealth, in ancient times, the father’s name and reputation were also a part of the inheritance and equally as valuable. At the father’s death, the oldest son would become the patriarch of the family, holding both the name and responsibility of continuing the family legacy and increasing the family’s reputation.

The text begins with Esau coming in from the country on a hunting trip, stating he is famished and requesting that Jacob give him some of the pottage he had been cooking (v. 29–30). Being a homebody, Jacob learned to cook, and the passage tells that he made a stew, or pottage, that is red in color. Pottage transliterates to ‘nāzîd in Hebrew. It is modified by the adjective red, ‘ādôm. The latter is the same word used to describe the redness of Esau at birth (v. 27). Derivatives of both words, pottage and red, consist in the Hebrew letters ‘dm, the same letters in Edom, the people embodied in Esau (cf. Gen. 36:16–43). Thus, the wordplay of Edom/red/pottage cleverly asserts that Esau is a man (and the Edomites a people) peculiarly destined for pottage and not more. The implicit contrast is the claim that Jacob/Israel, though younger, is destined for birthright. The remainder of the Jacob narrative is the suspenseful account of the way in which this claim becomes a reality.

Esau came from the fields apparently hunting but had not caught anything. He is hungry and famished. In Hebrew, famished is translated to mean, tired, and faint from a lack of food and or drink. When Esau comes in from the field, he smells Jacob’s pottage and asks for some because he is too famished to make his own food.

In return for the pottage, Jacob senses an opportunity and requests that Esau sell him his birthright (v. 31). Esau trades his future, security, prosperity, and wealth for an immediate fulfillment for pottage (v. 32–33). Esau is hungry and could not deny himself instant satisfaction; he could not wait. Sometimes immediate gratification can hinder our judgment in making wise decisions concerning the future. Esau trades his future to subdue his hunger pains. What’s worse is that Esau is willing to trade in his birthright for a meatless stew, and he, by nature, is a hunter. He was capable of being his own solution to his dilemma if only he could look beyond the immediate. At that moment, his birthright looked far off, and his immediate desire was food.

Jacob sees this as an opportunity to get something that he believes would assure his rule over his brother. For Jacob, a bowl of pottage is a small price to pay to receive a birthright, the leadership of the family, and a double portion of the inheritance. Jacob requested that Esau swear by an oath that he was indeed selling his birthright to him.

Did Jacob believe in God’s prophecy and power over life? Certainly, at this point, Jacob had been taught about God from his father, learned his heritage and family history about how God called his grandfather Abraham out of Ur, and promised to make his family great and bless them (Genesis 12:1–3). No doubt he had heard from his father how God commanded Abraham to take Isaac up on Mount Moriah and offered him as a sacrificial lamb and how God provided a ram as a substitute to die in his place (Genesis 22:1–19). It is quite possible that Jacob believed in God but was not willing to wait on God to fulfill the promise of the older serving, the younger. His faith reminds me of his grandparents when they also became impatient in waiting on God to fulfill His promise (Genesis 16). Patience is a requirement for God’s blessings. The prophecy in Genesis 25:23 demonstrates that Jacob’s manipulation of Esau was unnecessary. God had already prophesied that Jacob would receive the birthright. Unfortunately, Jacob decided to force God’s hand; Jacob ended up creating a tragedy that had ripple effects that had him later escape to distant relatives.

Jacob gave Esau the lentil stew and some bread. Esau ate and drank and then got up and left with little thought about what he had done and despised his birthright (v. 34). In a very few cases in Genesis, do we find such a blunt statement of the understanding. The writer emphasizes that Esau, though he had the right of the firstborn, did not value it more than a bowl of lentil soup. Although Jacob’s manipulation of Esau is clearly wrong, it is equally clear that Esau is judged harshly for his actions as well. Imagine trading away your future for such meager momentary fulfillment. Esau threw away God’s blessing for passing satisfaction. By treating his birthright so carelessly, he did not appreciate his heritage.

THE LESSON APPLIED

There are multiple lessons to be gathered from this passage. Parents must be careful in the kind of favoritism that they put forth with their children. Much of the conflict between Esau and Jacob was fueled by their parents who chose which son each one preferred. Healthy sibling relationships develop in part through healthy parental relationships.

It is of the utmost importance to consider the value of family blessings, inheritances, and gifts. Esau is not the only one in history who sold that which was to be his blessing for little to nothing because he got a little too anxious and hungry. There are many stories of people selling their ancestral property because a developer flashed a little money. We should consider the true value of anything before allowing it to be sold.

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

1. Have you ever made a hasty decision based on immediate gratification? If so, what consequences, good or bad, did you face? If given another chance, would you make a different choice?

2. What influenced you to make that hasty choice? Was it time, money, pressure from family or friends, a deadline, etc.?

The passage describes a dysfunctional family: extreme favoritism, competition, the lack of self-control, inability to see beyond the immediate future and misguided priorities, and manipulation for selfish gain. Instead of making hasty decisions, we should make decisions based upon our faith in our almighty and all-powerful God.

LESSON III

SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

JACOB CALLED ISRAEL

ADULT TOPIC:

PERSEVERE IN TIMES OF DIFFICULTY

BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE:

GENESIS 32:22–32

GENESIS 32:22–32

MAIN THOUGHT: And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. (Genesis 32:28, KJV)

LESSON SETTING

Time: Unknown

Place: Peniel

LESSON OUTLINE

I. Jacob Prepared to Meet Esau (Genesis 32:22–23)

II. Jacob’s Wrestling Match (Genesis 32:24–26)

III. A New Name & A New Day (Genesis 32:27–32)

UNIFYING PRINCIPLE

We often feel alone in our struggles. How do we persist in time of struggle? Jacob persevered in his struggle and experienced blessing.

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever been in a situation where you did not know where to turn? You’ve analyzed and struggled, thought about all the options, sought advice from wise counsel, and still, you had no idea what to do. Perhaps you’ve struggled with your faith or a mystifying theological issue. You may have read your Bible, searched the Internet, reached out to Sunday school teachers, and pastors seeking answers. You have sought the Lord, and are exhausted from praying. You may have even wondered if anybody even up there is still listening to you. Maybe you’ve even felt God gently tugging at you, wanting you to do something. Perhaps you felt like you were being beaten over the head with a bat as God insists that you go somewhere, take some action, do something, and you’re just not interested in doing so. If any of this sounds familiar, you’re in good company; you’ve been wrestling with God.

Today’s lesson is another story about Jacob. Jacob is the younger son and his mother’s favorite, while his dad favored his twin brother Esau. Jacob has been in trouble since birth. In our last lesson, he tricks his brother into giving him his birthright and then runs away. He struggles with his father-in-law Laban because he is in love with Rachel, and later marries her sister Leah. When Jacob is older, he decides to return to his homeland, full of anxiety and apprehension. He is fearful because his brother Esau lives there, and he is unsure what to expect upon their first meeting. On his way to meet his brother, he has a theophanic moment and must wrestle with God.

EXPOSITION

I. J ACOB P REPARED TO M EET E SAU

(GENESIS 32:22–23)

The lesson begins with Jacob preparing and anticipating a meeting with his older brother Esau. Jacob envisioned that this meeting could be unfavorable for him. He approaches the meeting with extreme deference, undoubtedly resulting from his fear of Esau’s revenge. There is a lot of suspense and anxiety surrounding this meeting of brothers. Jacob is unsure of how Esau will receive him or Esau’s intentions. After all the last we read of Esau, he intends to murder Jacob as revenge for stealing his birthright (Genesis 27:41). Jacob’s fear results in him praying that God would save him from his brother, and he reminds God of the promise God had made You have said. I will surely make you prosper and make your descendants like the sand of the sea (Genesis 32:9– 12). Jacob presents himself to God as heir to God’s promise and is insistent that his actions are representative of that.

The lesson’s printed text picks up with Jacob putting his cunning plan into action. Jacob is faithful to his prior scheming He plans to save himself and his family by pacifying Esau with extravagant gifts. Jacob again conspires when all he had to do was follow God’s plan because God had prepared his way. Jacob has prepared for his reunion. Jacob carefully planned to appeal to his brother’s sympathy and he has prayed to God for protection.

II. J ACOB ’ S W RESTLING M ATCH

(GENESIS 32:24–26)

Jacob anticipates his meeting with Esau, but to his surprise, God ordains another meeting first. Jacob encounters a stranger in the night. Scholars have debated the interpretation of this text extensively mainly because it lacks clarity, and like great pieces of art, it leaves room for many interpretations. For example, Jacob has an encounter with an unnamed entity with supernatural abilities. Some argue that the man was a demon, Esau, or a Canaanite deity. In any case, the Scripture is not clear. The writer is not explicit in the portrayal of the man. It is conceivable that the unknown person is God. It is ironic that Jacob must also face his God on his way to make peace with his brother. This epitomizes Jacob’s life story. Jacob’s life has been filled with the struggle to gain blessing, and now he must wrestle the Giver of gifts. Jacob struggled with Esau (Genesis 25 & 27), his father (Genesis 27), his father-in-law (Genesis 29–31), and now in Genesis 32, he is wrestling with God.

Verse 23 states that Jacob has sent his possessions and family across the stream and is now alone. It is in his isolation that God initiated this wrestling match with Jacob (v. 24). Jacob was alone without distractions, without facades, and unable to evade his controversies. This indicates that God is both accepting of our struggles, encourages us to face them, and is able to handle our wrestling. God waited until Jacob was alone and away from his distractions to wrestle with him. Maybe God is waiting on us to remove our distractions before God faces us head-on. What keeps us distracted from our one-on-one with God, perhaps our social media, friends, wealth? None of these are immoral pursuits, but we must adequately prioritize them. Traditionally, Christian teaching has encouraged followers not to question God. Still, the text reminds us that God is more than capable of handling our questions, wrestling, and confusion about God, faith, or theological understanding without being offended. The text does not describe much about the wrestling match other than it lasted all night. Wrestling all night would be an intense struggle regardless of the opponent by any measure.

Jacob must have been a worthy opponent or at least evenly matched with the man because of the lengthiness of the match. Jacob is more potent than he knew; he was able to wrestle with both his brother Esau and with The Divine and hold his own. This serves as a reminder that Jacob possessed everything he desired within himself already and that God was faithful to the prophecy that he revealed to Rebecca while Esau and Jacob were still in her womb (Genesis 25:22–23). Jacob gives the match his everything and holds his own against his opponent until the man realizes he could not overpower Jacob, so he injures him by pulling Jacob’s hip out of the joint. We must also note Jacob’s perseverance and stamina to wrestle until daybreak. We, too, should pursue God with the same vigor. Sometimes we are frustrated when God does not immediately answer our prayers and request, or our blessings seem delayed, and we quit, but we should continue to seek God through prayer, study, and worship no matter how long the answer takes.

III. A N EW N AME & A N EW D AY

(GENESIS 32:27–32)

Versus 26 through 29 gives a glimpse of the first and only dialogue between Jacob and The Divine. At daybreak, the man wants to leave, but Jacob Would not allow the man to leave. The man pleads to be discharged from Jacob’s grip. Jacob senses that he now has the upper hand. He tells the man that he won’t let him go until he blesses him (v. 26). Jacob is once again exploiting a situation and opponent for his gain. Scripture records that since chapter 27 of Genesis, Jacob will do anything to receive a blessing no matter who he must swindle scheme, undercut, or trick. But something is different this time with Jacob’s request. Jacob’s grandfather Abraham received God’s first covenantal blessing, and Jacob tricked his brother Esau out of their family blessing and heritage. Jacob’s demand for blessing indicates that he still does not understands that God’s blessing cannot be demanded but only given freely and comes only through a personal relationship with God.

The man asked Jacob what his name is seemingly ignoring Jacob’s request and changing the subject. We are unsure of what type of blessing Jacob was requesting from the man. Perhaps he was looking for protection, security, wealth, more land, more sons but what he got was a new name, a new identity, a new beginning through a wrestling match with