Wrestling and Limping

In the Bible Jacob came to a crisis point in his life. He had stolen his brother’s birthright and had run for his life many years before and now was returning home. How would his brother now respond? Would Esau want to kill him as he had threatened years ago? (Genesis 27:41)

As Jacob and his family and huge entourage came closer to where Esau lived, Jacob was grew increasingly concerned and sent gifts ahead to abate the wrath of his brother.

Jacob set his immediate family in a safe place and went to a quiet place to be alone and there it says, “A men wrestled with him until the breaking of the day” (Genesis 32:24) Who was this man. In the context we know that it was God in the form of a man--like Jesus. The word of God also says that “when the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob” (Gensis 32:25) How can someone wrestle with God and prevail? God is all powerful and mighty beyond even our conceptions. The way he prevailed is the way a father might wrestle with his very young child. The Father holds back his strength as not to hurt the child.

Jacob wrestle through the night and the day was about to break and God said to Jacob, “Let me go, for the day has broken” (v. 26) Why was it important that Jacob not see God in the day? As the Bible says, no one can see God and live. Why can no one see the face of God and live? It is because God’s glory and holiness are so overwhelming in His absolute fullness and we are so stained by sin that we would become a vapor before God in His absolute fullness like it will be in heaven.

Jacob was persistent. This was one of his strengths. He said to God, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (v.26) Jacob was to receive the blessing of God, but Esau his Father followed tradition and wanted to bless the older brother Esau. (Genesis 25:23) Jacob tricked Esau into giving Jacob the blessing. He had stolen the blessing but now he wanted the real blessing. We all look for the real blessing but the real blessing is found only in God Himself. If we are looking for the blessings in things, accomplishments or people we will be disappointed the real blessing is found only in God. God then changed Jacob’s name which meant “deceiver” and gave him the name Israel which means “Prince with God.” God also changed Jacob’s character in that encounter. Jacob was now well on the road to primarily trusting God instead of self.

Jacob did not see the full glory of God, even though he thought he did. He would have died if Jacob saw God’s full glory. God ended the wrestling match by very lightly toughing his hip. The idea is that God just touched his hip very lightly with the tip of his little finger. Sometimes we are so stubborn that God has to touch us in this way so that we will not foolishly hold on to what we need to let go of to enter God’s fullness and in Jacob’s case to live. This limping would also be a great reminder to Jacob to trust God and to remember this encounter with God. God has many strong-willed children.

Did Israel learn to trust God after this encounter. No, not fully, it is easier in theory to trust God than in practise. Too much of our relationship to God is in theory, but not enough in practise or a living faith.

Only God can give you the foundation affirmation and significance that we are all wanting. Go to God for your primary and foundational blessing, go no where else. Of course, other people add to our life and this is right, and healthy, but when the foundation of the building is off, the building is unstable. Build on the solid rock who is Jesus Christ the Lord.