And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. (Two Camps) – Genesis 32:1-2

Up to this point Jacob has lived his life as he now expresses in by naming this place where he meets with God’s angels, two camps. In his mind and as seen in his life, he sees two camps, one where God is and the other where he, Jacob is.

God’s camp was over there, real but separate and distant from Jacob’s camp. God was in visions and dreams. He dwelt atop the stairs that the angels transversed at Bethel. God  was real, He was absolutely and fully God, but He was not in Jabob’s camp because Jacob kept it that way.

Jacob throughout his life has kept God over there while he did things his own way in his life. With his mother, Rebekah, he schemed and stole his older brother, Esau’s, blessing. To accomplish that he deceived his aged, blind father by telling a lie to his father’s direct question and then giving the lie assurance with a kiss.

Jacob couldn’t wait for God to fulfill His promise giving to Rebekah and instead He lives up to his name and nature, Jacob, the supplanter. He steals from Esau. After all he could justify the action because God was in His camp and Jacob, in his, had to get things moving.

The Bible doesn’t give us a lot of detail on why Jacob such a sneak and schemer or why Esau was such so uncaring, and irresponsible when it came to his birthright. The Bible doesn’t tell us if Isaac tried to take Jacob hunting, to install a bit more manliness into him, to temper his mother’s influence. Or if Rebekah tried to not show so much favoritism to Jacob but also tried to care and love Esau. We can only guess at those things. I think the Bible makes clear that the reason for the dysfunction and hate in the family of Isaac was the favortism of the parents for the boys. Genesis 25:27-28 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

After the deception and theft, Jacob flees from Esau’s rage and his broken-hearted father.  Then as he sleeps God speaks to him as part in the vision of the Angels climbing a ladder into heaven. After the vision he asks God to bless him as he travels to Laban, but it is a very quid pro quo kind of prayer.  

Genesis 28:20-21 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

If God will do what I want him to do then I will let Him be by God. Really, Jacob, Really? Talk about keeping God in His camp and Jacob staying in in his.

Once he gets to his uncle Laban’s land, once again everything he has does is for himself, God’s plans don’t enter into Jacobs plans. He supplants his Uncles wealth and flees again now away from Padanaram back to Canaan. From his birth to his marriages everything Jacob did had one goal, to supplant someone else. To take birthrights and blessings, camels and cattle from someone else and make it his own. But now, in chapter 32, things have change. He has fled the camp of Laban but now he must confront both the coming of Esau and the  camp of God.

I wonder if we are also sometimes guilty of the same attitude as Jacob? Do we want to keep God in his own camp, while we take care of things in ours?

Do we like the idea of having the blessings of God but not the burden of God, His care but not His commandments. His salvation but no submission. There is an old Blue Grass song that says, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.” It’s kind of the same thing.

Of course, the Bible plainly tells us it didn’t work that way for Jacob, and it won’t work that way for us.

Jesus said you must count the cost.

Luke 14:26-33 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? ... 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

The Rich Young Ruler - When the rich young man came and asked Christ how to earn eternal life. Do you remember how Jesus answered him?

It’s in Mark 10:17-22 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.  And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

Jesus wasn’t telling the man you will be saved if you sell your possessions, He was proving to the man, that he hadn’t kept the law. He loved his possession more than his neighbors and he didn’t love the Lord his God because he wouldn’t follow Jesus who was his God standing before Him. The man wanted eternal life in one camp but his life and his wealth in another camp. Instead of repenting and trusting in the Lord, he walked away broken-hearted.

How often have I walked away from the Lord, His will or His word? We are like Jacob or the rich young rule when we compartmentalize the Lord in our life instead of giving Him all of our life.