Dust rose like vapor into the air, hanging in the pale moonlight around two wrestlers fiercely grappling for the upper hand. Their feet danced back and forth among the rocks and brush as they circled one another. A kick. A lunge. Then, with a flash of movement each man locked his strong arms around the torso of his opponent, striving to bring him to the ground.
Beads of sweat glistened on the wrestlers' foreheads as their struggle went on, deep into the night. Muscles screamed and exhaustion threatened, but neither could overcome the other. The combatants, it seemed, were evenly matched. And as the brawl continued, punctuated only by the sounds of scuffling feet and strained breaths, dawn began to break on the horizon.
The question that begs asking is, Why did God wrestle with with Jacob? Why this manifestation for the purpose of a midnight wrestling match? And, if we believe it to be true that "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," then what can you and I learn from this bizarre encounter "that [we] may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16)?
If we want to know the 'why' we must first look at the 'what.' What were the circumstances leading up to Jacob's mystifying struggle with the Lord on the banks of the Jabbok? Why was he there, and what was he doing? Genesis 31:3 tells us Jacob, under the instruction of the Lord, left his uncle Laban's house in Paddan-aram and was returning to Canaan, the land of his father Isaac—the very same land promised to him by God in a dream (Genesis 28:13–15).
Genesis 32 picks up the story of Jacob's journey. He is continuing on his way when he is met by the angels of God (Genesis 32:1). Comforted by this heavenly presence, Jacob sends a message to his estranged brother Esau, seeking his favor (vv.3–5). Many years earlier Jacob had cheated Esau out of the family birthright by pretending to be him. Perhaps he hoped time and distance had smothered the flames of his brother's anger. But the reply he receives fills him with dread: Esau was coming to meet him...with a small army (v.6)! In fear, Jacob prepares for the worst, dividing his camp so that in the event of an attack, some might be able to escape with their lives (vv.7–8).
Next, we find Jacob crying out to God, pleading His mercy and reminding Him of His promises: "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude'" (vv.9–12).
After his prayer of desperation, Jacob attempts to appease Esau by sending him an extravagant present of nearly 500 animals from his own flocks and herds (vv.13–15). Having seen his family safely across the stream, Jacob is left alone for the night—alone with his fears, his doubts, his anxiety and his tremulous hope that God would indeed "do him good" and make his offspring like "the sand of the sea." It is at this very point, at the height of his uncertainty and distress, that Jacob's extraordinary encounter with God takes place.
The context of Jacob's wrestling match with God is, essentially, every promise God had made both to Jacob and to his fathers, Abraham and Isaac. The man who swindled his brother out of his birthright now found himself in a place where literally everything hung in the balance. On the cusp of the Promised Land, would Jacob see God's pledges to him fulfilled? Would God come through and make good on His promises to prosper him and increase his descendants? Or would Jacob's previous cheating and scheming undo him? Would his past, now angrily descending on him, be his end?
Like Jacob, we are on a journey. God has called us to the land of promise in His Son, Jesus Christ, "for all the promises of God find their Yes in him" (2 Corinthians 1:20). But, like Jacob, sometimes God will lead us to places where those promises seem precarious and uncertain. And then, beloved, we may just find ourselves in a wrestling match with the Lord.
So what can we learn from Jacob's encounter that will teach us, rebuke our sin, correct our faulty thinking, and train us to wrestle righteously so that afterward we may proceed better equipped for the work God has for us to do? The first thing we may observe is that, before the darkness of fear and doubt descends, God will often grant us comforting reminders of His presence. No doubt the vision of angels was fresh in Jacob's mind as he sought God's deliverance. We too may draw from our past experiences with the Lord as an assurance of present graces. We can be strong and courageous, not giving into fear and dismay, for He has promised to be with us wherever we go (Joshua 1:9).
The second profitable point we find is that Jacob prayed to God not according to his merit, but according to God's mercy and His word. "I am not worthy of even the least of Your mercies and faithfulness!" Jacob declares. "But You said, 'I will do you good...'" The humble heart that pleads God's mercy and God's promises will never be turned away, for "a broken and contrite heart" He will not despise (Psalm 51:17), and no word prevails with Him like His own! Fervent prayer stirs us up to take hold on God and approach the throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). Without prayer, we cannot hope to grasp Him or His promises.
Thirdly, Jacob made use of his means. He sent Esau a gift and he did what he could to protect his family. He coupled his faith with action because he understood that most often God works providentially—through everyday, ordinary means. When doubts and fears, trials and temptations assail us, it is wise to make use of the means God has given us. We must continue in prayer, even when it feels like our petitions are going unheard. We must continue in the Scriptures, even when the words feel flat, lifeless and devoid of divine illumination. We must continue in fellowship, even when isolation feels more comfortable. We must not let our faith decay for lack of deeds, but quicken it by completing it with our works (James 2:22).
The fourth encouragement we see is that Jacob held his ground; the man did not prevail against him (Genesis 32:25). Even with God seemingly coming against him as his enemy, Jacob held fast to his belief that the Lord would fulfill His promises. Discouragement neither shook him in his faith nor silenced him in his prayers. The strength Jacob wrestled in was not his own, for who can prevail against God? It is not by might that men prevail with the Almighty (1 Samuel 2:9), but by His Spirit, who "helps us in our weakness" and "intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words" (Romans 8:26).
When, by the eyes of faith we see that God should rightly be our enemy, do we attempt to prevail with Him in our own strength? When the circumstances of life make us wonder if God is indeed for us, we cannot turn to human logic. We must cling to faith and fight for God's promises with the power He Himself gives us! We must stand firm in Christ our Savior, trusting in His sacrifice, His forgiveness, His grace and His righteousness. Nothing less will do.
Fifth: Our sorest tests of faith may come in the midst of our struggle to maintain a firm hold on God and His promises. "When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, 'Let me go, for the day has broken'" (Genesis 32:25–26). God wounded Jacob and bid him to let Him go, yet Jacob resolved to persist until he had received the Lord's blessing.
Do you carry in your body the wounds of faith, o tried and tested believer? Though you grapple with God, does He seem to withdraw? Hold to Him in faith; do not let Him go! It is better to be left broken and blessed after an encounter with the Lord than whole and hopeless. Those who would have Christ's blessing, who would share in His glorious victory must accept the weaknesses God sees fit to bestow, understanding that when they are weak, then they are strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Finally, Jacob receives the Lord's blessing and is given a new name. "And he said to him, 'What is your name?' And he said, 'Jacob.' Then he said, 'Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed'" (Genesis 32:27–28). Jacob's name meant 'supplanter,' and he had lived up to it. But his new name meant 'God prevails.' No longer would his past of deception and trickery define him! Not even the mistakes of his youth could prevent the realization of God's plan to bless all the nations through him (Genesis 28:14). "Jacob" may have began the fight, but it was Israel who prevailed!
Beloved, when we are in Christ and He is in us, no sins past or present, no mistakes, no failures, nothing we could ever do can prevent God's purposes for us from being realized! We have been given a new name, that is, a new self (Ephesians 4:24)—fashioned after the likeness of God, bought for us by Jesus' blood and secured at the cross. So when your past rises up against you, when your sins march forth threatening to bar your way into the Promised Land, remember that it is not you who prevails, but God in you! The old man, the person we used to be is now dead, but we have been raised to new life in Christ (Galatians 2:20)! Only by His righteousness are we made fit to enter into glory. Only in Christ do we prevail with God.
This wrestling match for the ages ends with two memorials: "So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, 'For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.' The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh" (Genesis 32:30–32).
Jacob didn't see his encounter with God as an occasion to make much of himself, but rather as an opportunity to make much of God and His grace. Though he left limping, he knew his wound was not a mark of reproach, but of God's generous mercy. The comforts of the Almighty were abundantly sufficient to allay Jacob's pains. He learned the truth that it is better to limp in humble faith than to sprint in prideful self-reliance.
Our faith is a wrestling faith, believer. We cannot expect to enter into the blood-bought land of God's promises without pains and tears. Shall we expect less than our Master who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2)? No! Let us then stir ourselves up in remembrance of God's presence and His promises! If we are to wrestle with the Lord, then let us wrestle in His strength, not our own. God does not want us living as if our salvation hangs upon a thread—He wants us to take hold of Him in faith, to plead His mercy and His word and to refuse to let Him go without receiving His blessing!
So strengthen the arm of your faith: pray; nourish yourself with the word; sharpen yourself with fellow believers. Make use of the means of grace God has so generously given you! Fight the good fight (2 Timothy 4:7). Contend with Him, even when God Himself seems to oppose you. And above all, walk in humble dependence (limp if you have to!)—believing that nothing, not your past nor the remnants of corruption still dwelling within you, can keep you from receiving by grace through faith what God has promised you!
Father, thank You for Your promises and thank You that they are all ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ for those who put their faith in Christ! Help me to take hold of them by faith, not only when life seems optimistic, but when all the world and my own flesh rages against me. Strengthen me with Your strength, O God! See me through to the land of promise—not by my merit, but by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Reflection Questions
- What effect does praying according to God’s mercy and God’s word have on your faith?
- In times of doubt and uncertainty, how can you make the best of the means of God’s grace?
- What do you think it looks like to wrestle with God in His own strength and not your own?
- Do you have any wounds or weaknesses? How have they served rather than stunted your faith?
- What do you think about the sentence: “God does not want us living as if our salvation hangs upon a thread”?