Jacob had now done all that he could do. Then he went by himself to spend the night in prayer. He knew that God could touch the heart of his brother, and this was his only hope. While praying he suddenly felt a hand laid upon him. He thought it was an enemy seeking his life. He put forth all his strength to escape, but could not. Jacob struggled and wrestled until near morning. Then the stranger touched him on the hollow of his thigh, and his thigh was put out of joint. Then Jacob knew that he had been struggling with an angel, and not with a man. It was the Lord, his Saviour. [Illustration: The Meeting of Jacob and Esau.] Jacob ceased to struggle, and clung to the Angel. He knew he must have divine help or perish. Unless God should work for him, his brother Esau would overcome and destroy him. But Jacob's faith must be fully tested. The Angel said, "Let me go, for the day breaketh." With the realizing sense of his sins and of his deep need, he clung to his Lord the closer, and cried, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me." And "he had power over the Angel, and prevailed; he wept and made supplication unto Him; he found Him in Bethel." And the Angel said unto him, "What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel [A prince of God]; for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." If we come to God as Jacob did, with confession, with tears, and a perseverance that will not be denied, we can prevail with Him also. The Lord sent an angel to soften the heart of Esau. At sight of Jacob "Esau ran to meet him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept." Jacob journeyed to the Jordan, which he crossed, and "came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan." Here he erected an altar which he named "El-elohe-Israel," which means, "God, the God of Israel." [Illustration: Jacob and the Angel.] [Illustration: The Two Dreams of Joseph.] [Illustration] Joseph in Bondage. JACOB had twelve sons. The ten elder sons were shepherds. They often went far from home to find grass and water for their father's flocks. Joseph and Benjamin, the two younger sons, remained at home with their father. The elder sons were quarrelsome, and gave their father much trouble. But Joseph was gentle, kind, and truthful. And Jacob "loved Joseph more than all his children." To show his love, Jacob made him a beautiful coat of many colors. These things made his brothers jealous, and they hated him. But the Lord was pleased with Joseph because he loved to do right and obey his father. God had a great work for Joseph to do. So He gave him two dreams which came true many years afterward. In his first dream Joseph saw himself and his eleven brothers in the field binding grain into bundles, or sheaves. And his bundle arose and stood upright, and his brothers' bundles bowed down to his bundle.