SUNSHINE DISPLACING CLOUDS
[p. 297] SUNSHINE DISPLACING CLOUDS
Genesis 32:1 - 13; Genesis 32:24 - 31
I refer to this scripture to show how a believer in cloudy circumstances and with cloudy vision passes into clear daylight. Jacob’s history is of immense practical value in this sense, as he was, though a true believer, marked by mixed motives; indeed his life generally was cloudy, as with most of us. It was not until he went out of Canaan to Joseph that he definitely reached the clear light of day. It was contrary to his early hopes and expectations, contrary, too, to the promises of God, that he should go out of Canaan, but once in Egypt all is clear for the patriarch. He blessed Pharaoh, as we know, in a dignified way, no cloudiness at all on his spirit as in Pharaoh’s presence; he is greater than the monarch. It is as we are in the clear shining of Christ as He is now, that we are greater than the greatest of the world’s great ones. All the light of God shines there, all our light is there, not yet Israel’s; her light is coming. Isaiah says to Zion, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come”. The passage is rendered in Ephesians to fit our case: “Wake up, thou that sleepest, and arise up from among the dead, and the Christ shall shine upon thee”. The meaning of it as applied to us shows that it refers to Christ as He is now. All is clear as we are on that side; there are no dark clouds at all. David speaks of the clear shining after rain. Jacob came into it and advanced from glory to glory as in Egypt, coming under the shining of Joseph, rising above him, indeed, Joseph had the temerity to say to his great father, “Not so, my father”, when Jacob was about to express divine sovereign counsel, but Jacob held to the light that he had, saying, “I know it, my son”. He knew better than Joseph, and Ephraim was to be blessed before Manasseh. There [p. 298] was wonderful shining in the patriarch when he was about to die. It is an encouragement to us to see the light that shone in him as he reached his closing days; the energy, too, that marked him, and the words he spoke.
So I am encouraged to address the saints in view of the cloudiness that exists. We are all particularly exposed to it just now. God has caused a cloud to come over the earth. It is no accident. We have prayed against it, but He has seen fit to bring in the cloud, and He would fortify us so that we should not become cloudy. The bow is in the cloud, His bow; it is a sign that all is well. What is above the cloud is for us; the bow betokens that. It is well to accept that we have to do with God, and that we fear God and not man. Joseph said, “I fear God”, a reverential fear, not slavish. Man, in the circumstances we are experiencing, is apt to loom large in our vision circumstantially, and it is for us to live in the circumstances of God, and not those of man. Violent, unprincipled men in power, and the devil, too, make the adverse circumstances, and would draw us into them, and darken us. God never leaves His own circumstances, and the Holy Spirit works to keep us there. Even in the days of the first beast of Revelation 13, now very imminent, great as he will be, the whole world wondering after him and saying, Who is like him, who can make war with him?, even in those days faith will live in the circumstances of God; there will be men loving not their lives to death; maintained in God’s circumstances and hence dying victoriously in each case.
Now Jacob in Genesis 32 is cloudy, and the chapter shows how we may emerge from cloudiness and uncertainty into the clear shining of a rising dawn, the light of a rising sun. It says here, “The sun rose upon him”. It rose for others, of course, but on Jacob. It is always a beautiful figure of Christ.
[p. 299] David in his inimitable way speaks of Christ “as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race”. What a suggestion, what a joyous suggestion that is, that such a One should shine upon us! “Wake up, thou that sleepest, and arise up from among the dead, and the Christ shall shine upon thee”. There was the clear shining of the sun, but it was on Jacob. He had just left Laban, a darkening sort of man whose very presence would becloud one, for he apparently usurped the place of his father. Oftentimes a brother does this in the assembly, taking an undue place in the local company and darkening the whole position. Laban, the brother of Rebecca, had more to say about her than her father, as if he was chief in the house, whereas her father was there. When a crisis arose, and Rebecca was challenged as to whether she would go with the man, Laban says, Wait ten days. He represents one who would becloud the position and interfere with the movements of the assembly with the Spirit. Here in Genesis 31: 55 Jacob left with good feelings. Early in the morning Laban departs. He did not kiss Jacob, though he kissed his sons and daughters. Jacob was more worthy of the kiss than any. Laban had made bold to claim the grandchildren as over the head of the father. He left a poor testimony, a sort of sign that they were on good terms, but on such terms as prevented their going to each other. They put up a heap of stones; these two men are not to meet any more. No wonder with a man like Laban!
At this juncture God intervenes to assure His child, for Jacob was that, of His faithfulness. The angels of God met him. How different an influence from that of Laban and his company! The angels met him; no more is said. What an assurance of God’s faithfulness! It is one of the outstanding features of truth that develops in Jacob’s history. When he was going out to Joseph and had anxiety,
[p. 300] he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God appeared to him there, meaning that every promise was Yea and Amen in Christ. It was not the God of his father Abraham, but of Isaac, as if to say: All is well, Jacob; no one promise that I have made shall ever fail. So, in Corinthians, “God is faithful”; every promise in Christ is Yea and Amen, and there is no possible failure in any promise of God. Here the angels met him. What a suggestion this is of God’s interest in His servant, for Jacob was that. It was a cloudy time, not only because of Laban, but because of Jacob himself, for double motives were there. I would urge the importance of searching ourselves as to motives. We have to do with the God that searches hearts, not only what we say, but what is in our hearts, the secrets of hearts. The angels met Jacob, as if God would say, My promises are sure. God had promised to be with him without conditions, and is still with him, but on His own terms. He can never deny Himself, not even to express His love. So whilst He is with His child, yet if things are there that should be looked into and dealt with, this must take place.
The angels of God met him, but see the cloudy state of his soul. Jacob sends a message to his brother, flattering him, “Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom” (verse 3). There was no doubt about it who this man is; he is the same Edom that we read of later. He had not developed the unbrotherliness that subsequently marked him, for later God hated this same man. Now Jacob is having to do with a man in whom there was a root of such a character that eventually provoked divine hatred (see Hebrews 12: 15, 16). He is a difficult man to deal with. Jacob is not aware of the depth of the root; it was there, as the sequel shows, but Jacob is not dealing with it at all. He knew a [p. 301] murderous attitude had been with his brother, and so he sent a messenger, as much as to say, Have some pity on me. “I have sojourned with Laban ...”, he says, “and I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and men-servants, and women-servants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight”. Now examine this man’s speech, and put yourself in Esau’s position with his feelings and history. Will it attract you to Jacob? No. He expects Esau to be affected by his importance. Esau, a man who will never allow a rival, in whose being are the roots of hatred to his brother and who, when developed, becomes an object of hatred to God.
Jacob had serious concern about Esau; his wrestling began here. His wife, too, knew how to wrestle with her sister (Genesis 30: 8). Often there are secret wrestlings of rivalry with others. Jacob is in this attitude. The wrestling was ultimately to be, not with Esau, but with God. God is intervening, thrusting Himself in between the two brothers and causing Jacob to wrestle with Him; that is much happier. But meantime he sends this message, and the messengers return, saying, “Esau ... cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him”. Nothing about the message at all, or what he said in relation to that: there is not much hope now. It is a warning as to our putting on anything that we think might distinguish us, bringing forward what we possess to make us appear great, qualities that we think will give us a place among brethren. No such speech would be accepted by spiritual persons, much less by a rival. These four hundred men are coming with a purpose, but Jacob knew God, and what follows is encouraging as to the way out of a dilemma; first to throw to the winds the substance of such a speech as Jacob made. Let us throw away any such sentiments; they will only provoke hatred, and the damage we dread. Jacob knew God, however. The [p. 302] work of God in us is the secret of the outlet from such a dilemma. Jacob turns to prayer, and in prayer Esau would become less and less, and the dread less and less too. In the night hours you get to God in pressure, whether on account of current events, or other things. Every true child of God has something of God, he knows enough to form a basis for prayer, not platitudes but real prayer, with a real basis in spiritual history. Jacob introduces what he knew as having to do with God. There is nothing like it before. He renounces all pride, anything we have that we think may give us a place in the eyes of others. He alludes to God having blessed him; he attributes what he has to God, and bases his prayer on his relation to Abraham, and that God had said to him, “Return into thy country ... and I will do thee good”, “I am too small”, he says, “for all the loving-kindness and all the faithfulness that thou hast shewn unto thy servant ... . Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother”. As in the night seasons in pressure you utter such a prayer, based on what God has said and engaged Himself to, instead of fear of your rival, the fear of God will become enlarged in your soul, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding will come with it. There will be a complete revolution inwardly. Living in times of pressure may become the occasion of unbelief and cloudiness in the soul. The outlet is in turning to God. “Look unto me ...”. He says, “I am God”. Speak to Him, He loves to hear us adduce our reasons for prayer. If valid, He will never deny them, and these are valid in this verse.
Then Jacob thinks of a gift. Instead of being worthy of attention because of what he had, now he is going to part with what he had. He “took of what came to his hand a gift for Esau his brother — two hundred she-goats, and twenty he-goats; two hundred ewes, and twenty rams; thirty milch camels [p. 303] with their colts; forty kine, and ten bulls; twenty she-asses, and ten young asses”. He is on the line of giving, for he has been with God. As I am with God, I become like God, for He is a giving God. The Lord says, “If thou knewest the gift of God”, to a needy soul. If I am on the principle of giving, I am on the line of deliverance. It is a very important matter for practical enjoyment of God. There must be practical adjustment among the brethren. Instead of the idea that I have a right to be recognised as being a man with so much, I reduce my belongings by gift. God never reduces His. It is very wholesome to reduce my belongings by giving — I am not speaking literally, but in the principle — a complete transformation takes place in the soul of the christian, and cloudiness disappears.
Jacob sends his wives over the brook and is left alone, and there wrestled a Man with him until the rising of the dawn. Now he is such a person as is worthy of divine blessing, as if God would say, Jacob, you are a worthy foe. He is not a foe really, but I am using the word as it is often used. He is worthy of God entering into the lists with him. God is taking a personal interest in him, to give him a real understanding of Himself. Think of God struggling with us and giving way, so that we might realise that we have power, as every christian has power with God. Jacob hoped to have power with Esau, but it is power with God we need, and then with men. It is as if God said: Jacob, I am going to give you an opportunity of cementing your position on the principle of giving; I wish to consolidate you and bring you into the lists as a wrestler. It was God in Christ to type, nevertheless God; He is called “a man”. In verse 26 it says, “Let me go, for the dawn ariseth”. He wished to have it brought to an end. He would say: Jacob, you are gaining. It is a good experience to feel I am gaining with God. I begin on a right [p. 304] basis, but I find myself gradually enlarging, so that I can cover the interests of God. He loves that with us, He loves us to prevail. The Man said, “Let me go, for the dawn ariseth”. It is a question of bringing Jacob into the clear daylight; he was cloudy like many of us, in cloudy circumstances. As to the inner state of our souls things are not clear, but God knows our genuineness and makes everything clear, so that there is the clear shining after rain. The Christ shines into your soul and there is not a shadow or doubt; nothing baffles you. One knows something of it in the service of God’s people, the importance of being clear in our souls as to everything; He will turn aside specifically to anyone who takes up the attitude of turning to Him, and give an opportunity to wrestle and prevail. He is stronger than we, but would encourage us on the line of prayer and solicitation, and will allow us to prevail so that the intercourse we have with God culminates always in enlargement, and in the sense that we have power in our souls with God. He loves that, and would fortify us in it.
The passage goes on, “And when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the joint of his thigh; and the joint of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the dawn ariseth. And he said, I will not let thee go except thou bless me”. Wonderful word! No one really could appreciate it more than God. It is the saint saying: I am gaining with God, and I must have the blessing. God would say: I am with you. It will not add to your pride. Jacob had lost his status as a man after the flesh; he had been relying on it, but he never could any more. He is a lame man, he went over the brook lame, he halted, but he is now knighted, he is a prince ennobled, “Thy name shall not henceforth be called Jacob, but Israel”, or prince of God. He is changed from a man in fleshly energy to a spiritual man, and he will [p. 305] remain that for ever. Paul said that, on a great occasion, he was caught up to paradise and heard unspeakable words, so great that it was not given to him to utter, but to have in his soul. Such a man as that had no peer on earth. He had this in his soul, and as he comes down to human condition he has the thorn in the flesh lest he be exalted above measure. God did that. So here, He touched Jacob’s thigh, put it out of joint, depriving him of what he might boast in after the flesh; he lost that for ever. “When I am weak”, Paul said, “then am I strong”. The thorn deprived him of what he might have relied on, and possibly did rely on. It seemed very severe, but it brought him to nothing; so he said, when weak and buffeted by Satan, “then am I strong”. His speech was said to be contemptible; nevertheless people were converted by it. “Most gladly ... will I ... glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me”, 2 Corinthians 12: 9.
So here, after having his name changed, Jacob is blessed at this particular time and place. He called the name of that place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life has been preserved”. In keeping with other passages, as seeing God, one continues, endures as seeing Him who is invisible. As to what is natural it is losing one’s life, but “whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it”, Matthew 16: 25. A complete transformation is implied, and, as Jacob passed over Peniel, “The sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh”. That is the position; there is clear shining now, the sun rising upon him, but he halts upon his thigh. He is a broken man after the flesh, “We which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake”. We emerge from cloudiness into shining. Jacob had much to go through later, but here he reaches a remarkable experience, made lame, weakened as a man in this world, but having the sun rising upon him.