Two Camps

Pat Jones / Lead Pastor

I’ve been reading about the patriarchs lately. And I’ve seen some things in the Bible I have never seen before. As Jacob leaves his encounter with Laban, his uncle/father-in-law, where they mutually ask God to keep them on their own turf, and he also is preparing for a tense encounter with his estranged brother Esau, he has another unexpected encounter. Here is what it says in Genesis 32:1-2, “Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.”

This is his second encounter with angels. The first was his vision of angels ascending and descending on a ladder. Now they are camped right beside his camp. It reminded me of two other passages:

“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭7‬‬

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭2‬‬

I’m not sure exactly what Jacob saw or more explicitly who he saw. He was awake, and alert, and knew they were angels. And their “camp” was right beside the camp of Jacob and his family. It appears it was a way for God to reassure Jacob as he returned to the Promised Land that He was fulfilling His promises to him, protecting him and blessing him. He need not fear anything. It is interesting that Jacob calls the place “Mahanaim” which means two camps. Later, he splits his family into two camps for protection.

So, if you are in a concerning circumstance, having just left a tense encounter or preparing for one, and you are unsure of yourself, remember that there is a second camp beside you or around you. And those angels are there as ministering spirits to help deliver you in all your troubles.