II. He receives a very formidable account of Esau's warlike preparations against him, (v. 6.) not a word, but a blow; a very coarse return to his kind message, and a sorry welcome home to a poor brother; He comes to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. He is now weary of waiting for the days of mourning for his good father, and even before they come, he resolves to slay his brother. 1. He remembers the old quarrel, and will now be avenged on him for the birth-right and blessing, and if possible, defeat Jacob's expectations from both. Note, Malice harboured, will last long, and find an occasion to break out with violence a great while after the provocations given. Angry men have good memories. 2. He envies Jacob what little estate he had, and though he himself was now possessed of a much better, yet nothing will serve him but to feed his eyes upon Jacob's ruin, and fill his fields with Jacob's spoils. Perhaps the account Jacob sent him of his wealth, did but provoke him the more. 3. He concludes it easy to destroy him, now that he was upon the road, a poor weary traveller, unfixed, and (as he thinks) unguarded. They that have the serpent's poison, have commonly the serpent's policy, to take the first and fairest opportunity that offers itself for revenge. 4. He resolves to do it suddenly, and before Jacob was come to his father, lest he should interpose and mediate between them. Esau was one of those that hated peace; when Jacob speaks, speaks peaceably, he is for war, Ps. 120. 6, 7. Out he marches, spurred on with rage, and intent on blood and murders; four hundred men he had with him, probably, such as used to hunt with him, armed, no doubt, rough and cruel like their leader, ready to execute the word of command though ever so barbarous, and now breathing nothing but threatenings and slaughter. The tenth part of these were enough to cut off poor Jacob, and his guiltless helpless family, root and branch. No marvel therefore that it follows, (v. 7.) Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed, perhaps the more so, having scarcely recovered the fright Laban had put him in. Note, Many are the troubles of the righteous in this world, and sometimes the end of one is the beginning of another. The clouds return after the rain. Jacob, though a man of great faith, yet was now greatly afraid. Note, A lively apprehension of danger, and a quickening fear arising from it, may very well consist with a humble confidence in God's power, and promise. Christ himself, in his agony, was sore amazed.
III. He puts himself into the best posture of defence that his present circumstances will admit of. It was absurd to think of making resistance, all his contrivance is to make an escape, v. 7, 8. He thinks it prudent not to venture all in one bottom, and therefore divides what he had into two companies, that if one were smitten, the other might escape. Like a tender and careful master of a family, he is more solicitous for their safety than for his own. He divided his company, not as Abraham, (ch. 14. 15.) for fight, but for flight.
9. And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: 10. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. 11. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. 12. And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
Our rule is to call upon God in the time of trouble; we have here an example to that rule, and the success encourages us to follow that example. It was now a time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it; and here we have him praying for that salvation, Jer. 30. 7. In his distress he sought the Lord, and he heard him. Note, Times of fear should be times of prayer; whatever frightens us should drive us to our knees, to our God. Jacob had lately seen his guard of angels, but in this distress he applied himself to God, not to them; he knew they were his fellow-servants, (Rev. 22. 9.) nor did he consult Laban's Teraphim; it was enough for him that he had a God to go to. To him he addresses himself with all possible solemnity, so, running for safety into the name of the Lord, as a strong tower, Prov. 18. 10. This prayer is the more remarkable, because it won him the honour of being an Israel, a prince with God, and the father of the praying remnant, who are hence called the seed of Jacob, to whom he never said, Seek ye me in vain. Now it is worth while to inquire what there was extraordinary in this prayer, that it should gain the petitioner all this honour.
I. The request itself is one, and very express, (v. 11.) Deliver me from the hand of my brother. Though there was no human probability on his side, yet he believed the power of God could rescue him as a lamb out of the bloody jaws of the lion. Note, 1. We have leave to be particular in our addresses to God, to mention the particular straits and difficulties we are in; for the God with whom we have to do, is one we may be free with; we have liberty of speech (παρρησια) at the throne of grace. 2. When our brethren aim to be our destroyers, it is our comfort that we have a Father to whom we may apply ourselves as our Deliverer.
II. The pleas are many, and very powerful; never was cause better ordered, Job 23. 4. He offers up his request with great faith, fervency, and humility. How earnestly does he beg! (v. 11.) Deliver me, I pray thee. His fear made him importunate. With what holy logic does he argue! With what divine eloquence does he plead! Here is a noble copy to write after.
1. He addresses himself to God as the God of his fathers, v. 9. Such was the humble self-denying sense he had of his own unworthiness, that he did not call God his own God, but a God in covenant with his ancestors, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac; and this he could the better plead, because the covenant, by divine designation, was entailed upon him. Note, God's covenant with our fathers may be a comfort to us when we are in distress. It has often been so to the Lord's people, Ps. 22. 4, 5. Being born in God's house, we are taken under his special protection.
2. He produces his warrant, Thou saidst unto me, Return unto thy country. He did not rashly leave his place with Laban, nor undertake this journey, out of a fickle humour, or a foolish fondness for his native country, but, in obedience to God's commmand. Note, (1.) We may be in the way of our dutv, and yet we may meet with trouble and distress in that way. As prosperity will not prove us in the right, so cross events will not prove us in the wrong; we may be going whither God calls us, and yet may think our way hedged up with thorns. (2.)
