Article May 6, 1996 Issue

Peace—through knowing the presence of God

Lizabeth H. Furst

In an ancient land located in the Middle East, a man comes in from the field famished and worn. He sees the lentil stew his twin brother is cooking and asks for some. Does the twin respond with warm compassion? No—he strikes a cold bargain. Jacob, the twin, says essentially, "If you want some stew, you must sell me your birthright." Exhausted, the brother, Esau, sells.

Jacob's trickery continues, encouraged by his mother, depriving Esau of yet another of his rights. This goes too far. Under a death-threat from his brother, Jacob flees into exile. Years later, inspired by God to return to his homeland, he learns that Esau is coming with four hundred men to meet him.

Thoroughly frightened for himself and his family, Jacob divides the people and the flocks and herds with him into two groups. Then he reaches out to God for deliverance from Esau. Next he dispatches some of his wealth as a gift for Esau. Finally, he sends his wives and family ahead of him, remaining alone in the wilderness. At this point, Jacob confronts his own troubled conscience, which appears to him as a man with whom he wrestles. In the dark struggle that follows, his opponent asks, "What is your name?" The Amplified Bible account then brings out Jacob's moment of self-knowledge in its expansion of his reply: "And [in shock of realization, whispering] he said, Jacob—supplanter, schemer, trickster, swindler!" (Gen. 32:27).^{ The King James Version reads: "And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob."}