Wrestling With God
Genesis 32:23-32 Jacob wrestles with God and prevails. He leaves limping; a reminder of his encounter and total dependence on God. God changes his name from Jacob (deceiver, supplanter, one who seizes), to Israel (one who prevails with God).
Backstory of Jacob
- Grandson of Abraham (“God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”)
- Inherited the promise of blessing through Abraham
- A life riddled with difficulty, deception, and despair
- Conflict with twin brother from the womb
- Tricks his brother out of his birthright
- Deceives his father before he dies
- Runs away from home in fear for his life
- Marries someone he didn’t intend to marry
- Constantly on the run
- Has no place to call “home”
How should we respond when we’re facing adversity? (Hosea 12:3-6)
Come back to God
- Jacob moves to Bethel (Genesis 35)
- Bethel is the place where he met God for the first time when he ran for his life away because his brother was going to kill him
- Jacob repented, purified himself, and came full circle back to God
Act with love and justice
- Jacob’s demeanor towards his brother reflected a change of heart
- As Jacob, he was a supplanter, one who seizes; he was literally born clasping at his brother’s heel and fighting for his blessing
- Now as Israel, he has prevailed with God
- After Jacob wrestles with God he meets his brother and makes amends
- He humbled himself, acted with love and justice towards his brother
- When we’re struggling there’s a temptation to think of ourselves rather than to serve others but God’s way is through love and servanthood
Always depend on God
- Jacob had always fought for his own blessing
- In wrestling with God he learned to depend on God; no longer could he be steady on his feet without that reminder
- Another version says “Wait on God continually”
- We don’t like to wait, especially when we’re struggling
- Jacob waited for God before he made a move, he waited on God for a wife, he waited for God to send him back to Bethel, he waited on God’s provision during a worldwide famine, he waited for God to send him to the land of Egypt, he waited for God to reunite him with his son, Joseph
- Jacob depended on God to fulfill his promise rather than trying to seize it himself; we need to depend on God as well