Jacob Wrestles with God (Gen.32).

God promised Abraham multiple descendants and a homeland to bless the world. The fulfilment would come through Abraham’s son, Isaac. Later Isaac’s wife, Rebekah gave birth to twins, Jacob and Esau. Now Isaac wanted to bless Esau but Rebekah disguised Jacob as Esau so that Isaac unknowingly blessed Jacob with the Abrahamic blessing (Gen.12:1-3). Isaac made it clear that Jacob would indeed be blessed so Esau planned to kill Jacob. So Jacob went to Paddan Aram to the home of his Uncle Laban. On his way to Haran, Jacob fell asleep and dreamed of a stairway reaching from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. Above the stairway was the Lord who promised Jacob multiple descendants and a homeland to bless the world. The Lord also promised to watch over Jacob and to bring him back to the land. Jacob called the place Bethel, God’s house.

In Paddan Aram Jacob met his Uncle Laban and eventually married Laban’s two daughters, Rachael and Leah. Leah bore Jacob six sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. Rachael gave her maidservant, Bilhah, to be Jacob’s wife and Bilhah had two sons, Dan and Naphtali. Leah gave her maidservant, Zillah to be Jacob’s wife and she bore two sons, Gad and Asher. Then the Lord gave Rachael a son for Jacob who she named Joseph. The Lord prospered Jacob and Jacob sought to return to his homeland. Laban pursued Jacob but the Lord warned Laban not to the harm Jacob. The two men made a covenant not to interfere with each other so Jacob went on to his homeland.  This takes us to the story of Jacob wrestling with God. Listen to or watch the story and read the comments below.  https://www.dropbox.com/s/pn1g6lff6wh7vf6/12.%20Jacob%20Wrestles%20with%20God..MP3?dl=0

Sometime after Rachael gave birth to Joseph, God told Jacob to return to the ‘promised land’ (Genesis 31:3, 13). God protected Jacob from his Uncle Laban’s wrath but now would he protect Jacob from his brother, Esau (31:24, 29, 52). 20 years earlier Esau had consoled himself with the thought of killing Jacob (27:41). Now as Jacob was on his way home, God gave Jacob a vision of angels (32:1-2). Jacob’s years away from the land are bracketed by two visions of angels (28:12, 32:1). Then Jacob sent messengers to Esau who returned saying that Esau was coming with 400 men (32:6). Jacob humbles himself before Esau with the hope of restoring their relationship (Gen. 32:5). Now that Jacob would have to face Esau, he divided his family into two groups so that if one was attacked, the other might escape (Gen. 32:8). So Jacob prays acknowledging that he is unworthy of God’s love (Gen. 32:9-10). Jacob left home with nothing, but now he had a large household! Then he prays for the Lord to rescue his household from Esau. Afterwards Jacob sends tribute to appease Esau then he planned to spend the night alone in preparation (Gen. 32:13-23).  

Jacob sends his family and his possessions across the river and stays behind alone. Before Jacob faced Esau he would have to wrestle with this unusual man all night long. This would be the fight of Jacob’s life and a fight which Jacob was determined not to lose (Gen. 32:24). When the man saw that he couldn’t overpower Jacob, he simply touched Jacob’s hip and dislocated it (Gen. 32:26). As daybreak approached the man told Jacob to let him go. But Jacob wouldn’t let him go until the man blessed him. When asked, Jacob told the man his name and the man changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Esau had said how Jacob was rightly named for he had twice deceived Esau, but now Jacob would be called ‘Israel’ for he had wrestled with God and man and had overcome. When Jacob wanted to know the man’s name the man blessed Jacob. Then Jacob called the place Peniel because there he saw God face to face and lived (32:30). As the sun rose it was a new day for Jacob and as he left Peniel he walked with a limp. God hindered Jacob’s ability to walk, gave him a new name and worked a permanent change in Jacob’s life. He was now Israel but for the rest of his earthly life he would still be part Jacob.

Following the Lord is like a wrestling match in which we are called to relentlessly cling to God. Jacob’s encounter with God didn’t lead to life of ease but to a painful crippling. After striving with God the clever and able Jacob would now walk with a limp. In the same way God calls us to cling to Him even when it seems like God is against us. In this life we are promised troubles—but we are to ‘take heart’ for Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). Our Lord Jesus wrestled with God and with men even to the point of death on a cross. As ‘true Israel’ Jesus clung to God and prevailed over sin and death on our behalf. Jesus struggled with God so that we might share in his victory. Jesus endured the cross for us and now through our struggles we can become more like him (Phil. 3:10–11). This story encourages us to relentlessly cling to Jesus with all our strength, for he promises to never let us go.