进一步凭自己奋斗
在这样美妙的祷告之后，雅各当然应该安心了。但他仍然活跃，他没有睡觉，反而“从他所有的物中拿礼物，要送给他哥哥以扫”（创三二13）。他把这礼物分作九群，“每样各分一群，交在仆人手下，就对仆人说，你们要在我前头过去，使群群相离有空闲的地方”（创三二16）。这样作的目的是要看以扫对他的态度如何。雅各很聪明，他把九群牲囗送给以扫为礼物，每群之间都有空闲的地方。这就增加他和以扫之间的距离，让他有时间知道以扫要作甚么，使他有机会豫备争战。
想想整幅图画。首先，雅各把他的人口分作两队。然后，在绝佳的祷告后，他应该平安的去睡觉。但他没有这样作，反而把牲口编成九群，作为礼物送给以扫，为要增加他自己和以扫之间的距离，因而给他时间豫备应付局面。这是描绘一个非常奇特的经历。一面雅各恳切祷告，但另一面他运用他的智慧。这是我们自己的照片。雅各也许只作过这一次，我却作过许多次。一面我尽力豫备应付麻烦的局面，另一面我向主恳切的祷告。无论我的祷告多么好，我还是不信靠。雅各祷告得很好，但他不信靠他的祷告。他若信靠，祷告后也许不会这样活跃。
雅各称他的九群牲口为礼物，但实际上那是贿赂。我不信雅各对他的哥哥以扫有这样的好心，爱心。这礼物不是出于爱的心，乃是出于恐惧的心，目的是要解以扫的恨。雅各甚至说，“我藉着在我前头去的礼物解他的恨”（创三二20）。
与神摔跤
雅各的人口和仆人也许安然睡觉，但他自己却无法安息。他在神面前拚上一切。这是生死攸关的事。雅各豫期一场屠杀要来临，相当确定以扫要来杀他和他全家，因此他没有平安。当剩下雅各一人的时候，突然“有一个人和他摔跤，直到黎明”（创三二24，直译）。这个对手不是天使，而是在人形状里的耶和华自己。只有圣经能有这样的故事。
信息重点: 虽然雅各祷告得很好，但祷告之后仍然安排礼物、分队、设计路线，希望靠自己的智慧化解危机。这正是天然生命的写照——口里信靠神，心里却仍依靠自己。
应用祷告: 主耶稣，赦免我常常一面祷告，一面仍然靠自己。求你帮助我在祷告之后，把重担真正交托给你，学习安息在你的应许里。
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Jacob’s Discipline — Fear of Esau (3) — Gen. 32:19-20
Further Struggling in Himself
After such a wonderful prayer, Jacob should certainly have been at rest. But he remained active; he did not go to sleep. Instead, he “took from what he had with him a present for his brother Esau” (Gen. 32:13). He divided this present into nine droves, “every drove by itself, and said to his servants. ‘Pass on before me, and put a space between droves.’” (Gen. 32:16). His purpose in doing this was to see how Esau would respond to him. Jacob was very clever — he sent nine droves of livestock to Esau as a gift, with a space between each drove. This increased the distance between himself and Esau, giving him time to learn what Esau intended to do and an opportunity to prepare for battle.
Consider the whole picture. First, Jacob divided his people into two camps. Then, after such an excellent prayer, he should have gone to sleep in peace. But instead he arranged the livestock into nine droves as a gift for Esau, in order to increase the distance between himself and Esau, and thereby gain time to prepare to face the situation. This depicts a most peculiar experience. On the one hand Jacob prayed earnestly; on the other hand he exercised his own cleverness. This is a picture of ourselves. Jacob perhaps did this only once, but I have done it many times. On the one hand I do my best to prepare for a troublesome situation; on the other hand I pray earnestly to the Lord. No matter how good my prayer is, I still do not trust. Jacob prayed very well, but he did not trust his own prayer. Had he trusted it, he might not have been so active after praying.
Jacob called his nine droves of livestock a present, but in reality it was a bribe. I do not believe Jacob had such kindness or love toward his brother Esau. This gift did not come from a heart of love but from a heart of fear, with the purpose of appeasing Esau’s anger. Jacob even said, “I will appease him with the present that goes before me.” (Gen. 32:20)
Wrestling with God
Jacob’s people and servants may have slept peacefully, but he himself could find no rest. He wagered everything before God. This was a matter of life and death. Jacob anticipated a coming slaughter, quite certain that Esau would come to kill him and his whole family, and therefore he had no peace. When Jacob alone was left, suddenly “a man wrestled with him until daybreak (Gen. 32:24, lit.). This opponent was not an angel, but Jehovah Himself in human form. Only the Bible could contain such a story.
Message’s Main Points: Although Jacob prayed very well, after praying he still arranged gifts, divided his people, and planned his route, hoping to resolve the crisis by his own wisdom. This is exactly a picture of the natural life — trusting in God with the mouth while still relying on oneself in the heart.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for so often praying on the one hand while still relying on myself on the other. Help me, after praying, to truly commit my burden to You and learn to rest in Your promises.