“And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 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.’ But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (Genesis 32:24-26)
On his journey back to Canaan, Jacob was afraid to proceed to meet his estranged brother, Esau, for he feared the worst. Jacob thought Esau bore a grudge for his past action and was going to kill him. He called upon the Lord for help and reminded Him of His promise of great blessings. He divided up his family and servants with the rest of his goods and sent them ahead. He was willing to sacrifice all the things he held dear but he did not completely trust that God would protect his life.
It was then that Jacob had a theophany: the Lord appeared as a man or angel who wrestled with him all night long. In this struggle, Jacob hesitated to surrender himself totally to God, but the Lord forced him to submit to His will. He left Jacob lame but with a new name. He was no longer Jacob, the deceiver, but Israel, he who has prevailed in his struggle with God. Strengthened, he confronted his worst fear. When He did, the Lord blessed not only him, his family, and Esau as well.
Like Jacob, many people wrestle with God. These days many wrestle with Him in disobedience often to get their own way, to be able to walk in their own ethical standards and ignore what God has said about sin, the purpose for living, or the direction their life has or is taking. Others wrestle in prayer to obtain a blessing or to fulfill a need. and though wE believers have all prayed “Thy will be done”, we find it hard to submit our wills to His.
Jacob’s experience reveals that it is not easy to surrender ourselves and to put God first before all our possessions, resources, and relationships. But when we wrestle with God we must be aware that He always wins, even though many these days think they have cast Him off and prevailed. Sadly, they have lost Him and His blessing. For in the process of struggling with God, He desires to humble us, to leave us broken and submissive. And then, like Jacob, in our defeat, the Lord awards us the victor’s crown of faith, forgiveness, and eternal life.