创世记三十二、三十三章，包含雅各这个蒙拣选者一生中非常奇特的经历。我们已经指出，雅各并不信靠主。从他出生的时候，他就运用天然的能力为自己作事。在创世记三十一章他逃离拉班，神把他从拉班抓夺的手中救出来。因为拉班告诉雅各，神曾警告他不可伤害雅各，雅各就抓住机会，大胆斥责他（创三一24，36）。虽然如此，主把他从那个难处带过来了。然而，在雅各前面的是另一个严重的难题－他的哥哥以扫。雅各在进退两难之中，后面有拉班，前面有以扫。我相信当雅各逃离拉班，返回他先祖之地的时候，这两个人使他大受困扰。
被神的使者遇见
创世记三十二章一、二节说，“雅各仍旧行路，神的使者遇见他。雅各看见他们就说，这是神的军兵；于是给那地方起名叫玛哈念。”玛哈念的意思是两队军兵。当雅各仍旧行路的时候，他可能在思想要如何面对他的哥哥。也许他对自己说，“我已经从我舅父那里被拯救出来了，但现在我要怎样应付我的哥哥以扫？”令他吃惊的是，神的使者遇见了他，指明他们要保护他。神的使者总是无形的与祂所拣选的人同在。在这种情形里，天使向雅各显现，雅各也看见了他们。他不是看见少数天使，乃是看见两队天使。两队天使的同在，对于这个受为难的雅各该是很大的鼓舞，但他仍旧害怕他哥哥会击杀他。
仍然信靠自己的奋斗
雅各看见两队天使之后，应该得着安慰，但他没有信靠这两队天使。神给雅各看见这天使的异象，目的无疑是要安慰他，加强他，使他信靠神的天军。但雅各没有信靠他所看见的，反而仍旧信靠自己的奋斗（创三二3-8），模仿神的两队天使，把他的人口分作两队。他不信靠他所看见的，反模仿那个技术。虽然我们只能猜测雅各这样作时，心里在想甚么，但有一件事是清楚的－雅各既没有信靠神，也没有信靠天使的异象；反之，他把时间和精力消耗在运用他天然的能力上。创世记三十二章七、八节说，“雅各就甚惧怕，而且愁烦，便把那与他同在的人口，和羊群、牛群、骆驼，分作两队；说，以扫若来击杀这一队，剩下的那一队还可以逃避。”这是雅各的聪明；但事实上他一点也不聪明，因为以扫若能击杀第一队的妇人和孩子，为甚么不能也击杀第二队呢？但这样把他的人口分开，是雅各所能作的最好的了。
信息重点: 当雅各惧怕以扫时，神先让他看见两队天使，显明神的军兵一直与他同在。然而，雅各虽然看见了神的保护，却仍然依靠自己的聪明和办法。
应用祷告: 主耶稣，感谢你在我还没有看见危险以前，就已经为我预备了保护。求你开启我的眼睛，使我学习相信你的同在，不再单单依靠自己的办法。
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Jacob’s Discipline — Fear of Esau (1) — Gen. 32:7-8
Genesis chapters 32 and 33 contain a most peculiar experience in the life of Jacob, this chosen and elect one. We have already pointed out that Jacob did not trust in the Lord. From the time of his birth, he exercised his natural ability to work things out for himself. In Genesis chapter 31 he fled from Laban, and God delivered him out of Laban’s grasping hand. Because Laban told Jacob that God had warned him not to harm Jacob, Jacob seized the opportunity and boldly rebuked him (Gen. 31:24, 36). Even so, the Lord brought him through that difficulty. Yet before Jacob lay another serious problem — his brother Esau. Jacob was caught between two dangers: Laban behind him, and Esau ahead. I believe that when Jacob fled from Laban and returned to the land of his fathers, these two men caused him great distress.
Met by the Angels of God
Genesis 32:1-2 says, “Now Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob said when he saw them, This is God’s camp; so he called the name of that place Mahanaim.” Mahanaim means two camps. As Jacob continued on his way, he was probably thinking about how to face his brother. Perhaps he said to himself, “I have been delivered from my uncle, but now how shall I deal with my brother Esau?” To his surprise, the angels of God met him, indicating that they would protect him. The angels of God are always invisibly present with those whom He has chosen. On this occasion, the angels appeared to Jacob, and Jacob saw them. He did not see just a few angels, but two camps of angels. The presence of two camps of angels should have been a great encouragement to this troubled Jacob, but he still feared that his brother would strike him down.
Still Trusting in His Own Struggling
After seeing the two camps of angels, Jacob should have been comforted, but he did not trust in these two camps. God’s purpose in showing Jacob the vision of the angels was no doubt to comfort him and strengthen him, that he might trust in God’s heavenly army. But Jacob did not trust in what he had seen; instead, he still trusted in his own struggling (Gen. 32:3-8), imitating God’s two camps by dividing his own people into two camps. He did not trust in what he saw but imitated the technique. Although we can only guess what was in Jacob’s mind as he did this, one thing is clear — Jacob trusted neither in God nor in the vision of the angels; instead, he spent his time and energy exercising his natural ability. Genesis 32:7-8 says, “Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and the camels, into two companies, for he said, If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape.” This was Jacob’s cleverness; but in fact it was not clever at all, for if Esau could strike down the women and children of the first camp, why could he not also strike down the second? Yet dividing his people in this way was the best that Jacob could do.
Message’s Main Points: When Jacob feared Esau, God first let him see two camps of angels, showing that God’s army was always with him. Yet although Jacob saw God’s protection, he still relied on his own cleverness and methods.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You that before I ever saw the danger, You had already prepared protection for me. Open my eyes to learn to trust in Your presence, and no longer rely solely on my own methods.