Hu – Jacob Went on His Way, and the Angels of God Met Him 32: 1-2

Jacob Went on His Way,
and the Angels of God Met Him
32: 1-2

Jacob went on his way, and the angles of God met him DIG: Who saw the angels of God? What significance did they have to Jacob? Where did Jacob encounter ADONAI the first time? For Jacob, what was the meaning of naming different places God’s House, God’s Camp and God’s Face?

REFLECT: When have you felt threatened like Jacob did? If you are a believer, what reason do you have not to be afraid? Unrestrained fear can make God’s children do unhealthy things. How can believers overcome fear with faith? Knowing pride hurts and humility helps in building good relationships, what steps of preparation should a person take before seeking reconciliation? 

The parashah concludes the same way it stated. When Jacob left Canaan to go to Haran he received a dream involving angels (to see link click Hd – Jacob Saw a Stairway with the Angels of God Ascending and Descending). Now, when Jacob was leaving Laban, once again he was not alone because the angels of God met him (32:1). It seems as though there was a changing of the guard pictured here. The angels who protected Jacob while he lived in the Promised Land were exchanged for angles who had protected him while he was outside Canaan. Humanly speaking, Jacob (Hebrew: Ya’akov) was very vulnerable. He had a small band of servants, his wives and his children. Joesph, the youngest, was six years old when Jacob returned to the Promised Land. If God had not intervened, Laban could have easily destroyed him; and there was every reason to believe that Esau had the same idea in mind.

But when Ya’akov saw the angels he knew he was under divine escort. What a great way to be welcomed home! It was as if ADONAI Himself, through His heavenly hosts, was saying to Jacob and his new family, “This is where all of you belong. This is where you should pitch your tent.” Previously, when he saw the angels he had named the place Bethel. But now, when Jacob saw them, he said: This is the camp of God! So he named that place Mahanaim, which literally means two camps (32:2). This was Jacob’s way of saying he was not only guarded by his small band of servants, but more importantly, he was guarded by God’s powerful angels. There was Jacob’s camp, and God’s camp with the angels.

In the Song of Songs 6:13, Solomon says: Come back, come back, O Shulammite; come back, come back, that we may gaze on you! The young man said, “Why do you gaze at the Shulammite as on the the dance of Mahamaim (or dance between to two companies)? The Hebrew word machanayim means a dual encampment of troops, or soldiers. In the Song of Solomon, the young man gazed at the Shulammite – a picture of the Bride. In her they see and prophesy of the awesome glory of two armies of God united for one purpose. The Dance of Mahamaim is the coming together of the armies of God in Heaven and the armies of God on earth, moving in unison, with one purpose, to establish the Kingdom of God on earth by ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot, the LORD God of heaven’s angelic armies.

Scripture seems to imply that it was only Ya’akov, not his company, who saw the angels. Because of his faith and obedience to God’s call to return to the Land, He opened his eyes, just as he did on another occasion when Elisha and his servant seemed all alone against overwhelming odds (Second Kings 6:16). Although invisible under normal circumstances, the angels of God are real nonetheless. It was important that Jacob could see them at that time. ADONAI had protected him in Haran and He would protect him in Canaan. When Ya’akov first encountered ADONAI, God at Bethel, he called the place God’s House (20:10), and here, on this second great occasion, he is conscious of God’s Camp. But there is a deeper experience to pass through before he can raise his third and crowning memorial to God’s Face when he will wrestle with Him at Peniel (32:30).⁵⁰¹

The angels of God have comforted many a believer without seeing them. And He has said to Jacob and He has said to us: I will never leave you or forsake you; we can say with confidence, “ADONAI is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me (Hebrews 13:5b-6).

Haftarah vaYetze: Hoshea (Hosea) 12:12-14:9 (A); 11:7-12:12 (S)
(see my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

ADONAI’s judgment mingled with love and mercy is summarized in Hosea concluding this Haftarah. Ephraim had rebelled against the LORD (Hosea 13:16) and would die. The people wanted kings; in His anger, God gave and took them away (Hosea 13:11). The northern Kingdom’s first king, Jeroboam, set up two golden calves, one at Bethel (of all places) and another at Dan to keep the people from traveling south to God’s holy Temple in Jerusalem. The northern Kingdom would eventually have nineteen kings, but not one of them served ADONAI (Second Kings 17:21-23). However, Ephraim was held accountable when they were conquered by the Assyrians. It is interesting to note that the idolater Terah, the nineteenth generation son of Adam, dies cut off from his son Abraham, the patriarch of nation (Genesis 11:32). Even so, ADONAI promises to restore Isra’el (Hosea 14:1, 5-9).

B’rit Chadashah suggested reading for Parashah vaYetze: Yochanan (John) 1:43-51

Yeshua met an Israelite in whom there is no deceit (John1:47), referring to Jacob’s experience at Bethel (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bp – John’s Disciples Follow Jesus). There, Messiah tells Nathanael that he will receive revelation even greater than Jacob’s. Then Yeshua reveals Himself as the ladder, the contact point between heaven and earth! Yeshua says the angels ascend and descend on the Son of Man (John 1:51). The Midrash interprets Genesis 28:13, “ADONAI nitsav alav (ADONAI was standing upon him/it),” to mean on Jacob, not on the ladder (Mid. R. 69:3). Nathanael agrees with Yeshua’s interpretation, and thus, becomes His disciple. Jacob watched, as the heavens were opened. Now Yeshua, the Son of Man, in heaven and on the earth (John 3:13), descends to give  eternal life to the world (John 6:27). When His work on earth was accomplished, He ascended to glory (John 6:62) and took His seat at the right hand of the Mighty One (Matthew 26:64).