Wrestling With God (Genesis 32:22-31)

Many of us, if not all of us, have struggles in life that require prayer. We reach out to God, hoping he will help us in our agony. But how hard do we pray? It might be tempting to offer a prayer as a bit of insurance policy, thinking, "Just in case somebody is listening up there." Then, we get back to figuring out what we will do to save ourselves from calamity.

Facing Your Past (1-8)

Today, we will look at Jacob's story, where he seeks to reconcile his relationship with his brother. Jacob has been the deceiver or the cheater since he was born. His name means heel catcher. It gives the idea of one who overtakes someone else. Until Chapter 32, we have seen him live up to that name by refusing to give Esau soup until he gave up his birthright and stealing his father's blessing. Jacob dressed up like Esau and fed an excellent meal to his blind father so that he could get the blessing.

After that, Esau wanted to kill him, and he planned to do that after Isaac had died. But Jacob fled to the land of his relatives. When he got there, he got a little of his own medicine. Laban, his uncle, tricked him into marrying his daughter Leah. He wanted to marry Rachel, but on the wedding night, he lifted the vale and saw Leah. Can you imagine? Why would Laban do that? Well, he did it to get Jacob to stick around. Everything was going well as long as Jacob was there. God was blessing him. After working seven years for Leah and seven years for Rachel, Laban wants him to work with him for flocks of sheep and goats. So they strike a deal where Jacob only gets the striped animals. Then, Laban takes the striped animals on a three-day journey away from the rest of the flock so they can't produce more. So Jacob receives a dose of his own medicine. He is stuck working six more years for flocks of sheep and goats. That's 20 years that Laban has taken advantage of his blessing from God.

Relying on God (9-12)

In Chapter 32, we are 20 years down the line, and Jacob is on his way home to Canaan. He sends messengers to his brother Esau to see how he will be received, and the servants return, telling him that Esau is coming with 400 men! That's not good! That's like an army coming against Jacob and his family. What is he going to do now?

We all have regrets. Making mistakes and failing is a part of the growing-up process. But that doesn't make it any easier. How many of us have faced our past? If we wronged someone, have we tried to reconcile the relationship? That would be hard. Jacob is in a bad spot with his brother. Interestingly, the first thing he does is pray.

Genesis 32:9–12 (ESV) — 9 And Jacob said, “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,’ 10 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. 11 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. 12 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.’ ”

‌Listen to his words and the progression of his prayer. He starts by saying, "This was your idea, God. You told me to return. I'm doing this for you." Then, he shows humility. He says, "I am not worthy of all the love and faithfulness you've shown me." Jacob left with nothing twenty years earlier. His pillow was a rock. Now, he has this huge company of people around him. God has blessed him just like he said he would.

Then, he pleads with God. He asks God to deliver him from Esau. He is afraid of his brother coming to attack him and his family. Can you imagine the thoughts going through Jacob's mind? Have you ever had thoughts like this? Did you ever sense that you and your family were in danger? Were you praying for God's deliverance like he has? This is a great prayer.

He ends it by remembering God's promises to him. He was told twenty years earlier that he would receive the same blessings promised to Abraham. He's still holding on to that promise and believing in it. Even though he's afraid, he has this to hold onto.

Making Amends (13-21)

Well, Jacob has said his prayer. Now, he has a plan. He is going to divide his camp into three groups. The first group will be a gift for Esau. He hopes to make amends, so he sends 550 animals to him as a gift. He knows he has wronged his brother and taken away something priceless, so he gives a large portion of his wealth away, saying, "I may appease him," and "Perhaps he will accept me." The second group has half of what is left, and the third has the other half with his family. He's hoping that someone will get away without dying.

Alone (22-32)

So, he sends them off, and he waits. Eventually, he even sends his family across a river without him, and he stays alone. This is where it gets interesting. He's there alone. None of his four wives are with him, nor his eleven children. It's amazing how quiet everything gets when you constantly have that much noise around you, and it gets removed. Not only that, it was dark. Then what happened?

Genesis 32:24–25 (ESV) — 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 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.

There, he was alone in the dark when, out of nowhere, a man came and wrestled with him. We aren't told who the man is. He just appears, and they start wrestling. The text tells us that they wrestled throughout the night. I'm unsure how many of you have wrestled before, but it is hard work. You have to use every muscle in your body to try to get leverage against your opponent. In school, wrestling matches only lasts about three minutes. It would be intense and draining to wrestle all night. It was almost daylight, and the man told Jacob to let him go, but he refused. So, the man dislocates Jacob's hip, and Jacob still holds on to the man.

Pause for just a second. This is where we get a clue as to the nature of the man. To dislocate someone's hip, we would typically have to hit it pretty hard. Your hip is pretty much in the socket and not easily removed. But this man dislocated Jacob's hip by touching it. That's all he had to do. I don't know about you, but someone who can bring that level of pain with the touch of their finger is not someone I want to be in a wrestling match with. That indicates that the man has to be an angel or an angelic being. Right?

Notice what happens next.

Genesis 32:26–31 (ESV) — 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 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.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 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.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

‌This interaction with the angel shows that Jacob is unfazed by the dislocated hip. If someone did that to us, we might try to escape them. They haven't been fighting that hard against us. If they tried hard, we wouldn't stand a chance. I would hate to make that man mad. Jacob holds tight and says, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

This is interesting coming from a man who has heard his father bless him and God promise blessings for him. Why is he asking for a blessing now? I think he has realized who this is and wants God's blessing to be given to him again. He wants to hear the blessing and find assurance.

The man responds by changing Jacob's name to Israel, "for you have striven with God and men and have prevailed." Why does he change his name to Israel? A new name indicates a new identity. Jacob is no longer a heel catcher or deceiver. Jacob is a fighter. He pursues what he wants and strives for it. He has struggled with God and man, and he prevails. This name change indicates that God will give Jacob many victories in the future, with no deception necessary.

After giving him that name, Jacob asks for the name of the man he wrestled with, but he doesn't answer. Instead, he asks him why he wants to know his name. Then, he blesses him. That is also peculiar for us as we try to identify him. After that, Jacob calls the name of that place Peniel, saying, "I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered." The man Jacob was wrestling with was no angel. It was God in human form again.

Lessons Learned

Well, we have gone through the story. If you continue reading, you will see that Esau embraces Jacob, and everything turns out well for him. But let's evaluate what happens here. What do we learn?

Repentance Is Dangerous

First, we learn that repentance can be dangerous and scary. If we truly repent, we must make amends with those we have wronged. We cannot go on living like nothing has happened. Jacob wronged his brother, and he needed to make that right. So he does. He gives this hefty gift to his brother, who doesn't want to take it, but Jacob insists. He knows God will bless him, so he trusts God to replace all he is about to lose. We must understand that repenting doesn't mean you hold on to all you have attained. It means you let it go to make things right. That's dangerous. That takes faith.

In our lives, there will be regrets that we will have to address. Whatever we have taken, we must give. God calls Jacob to return and address the issue. He doesn't tell him to stay in Haran with Laban and avoid the confrontation. But when he comes back and addresses it, it's apparent that he's not who he used to be. He is not a taker. He's a giver.

God Welcomes The Struggle

There are a lot of people who haven't made that transition. They are still in Haran. They have been called to repent and address their shortcomings and regrets, but they refuse. It's too hard for them. If that's you, please pay close attention to what Jacob is doing here.

God came to Jacob to wrestle with him. Does this mean that prayer is like a wrestling match? Sometimes. In the New Testament, Jesus encourages us to strive with God in prayer. He gives us story after story of men and women being persistent in prayer and finding their answers. He calls for us to wrestle with God. My son likes to wrestle with me. It's a good time. Wrestling with God means that we are passionate. We believe he hears us and can provide what we need. He wants us to get close to him, to grab him, and never let go.

God came to wrestle with Jacob, but he didn't come to defeat him. He came to injure him, but he didn't destroy him. Spiritual renewal sometimes comes at a cost. Jacob won't suffer from seeing Esau face to face. He will suffer for the rest of his life because he saw God face to face. But he will live! He will leave that altercation stronger spiritually than he's ever been. When his hip was put out of joint, he held on and refused to let go.

Can We Pray This Way?

How many of us are willing to struggle with God? How many of us are willing to push the envelope? This is the second time men have pushed God beyond what seems comfortable. Abraham refused to take "Yes" for an answer, and Jacob refused to let God go until he blessed him. They were stubborn in their pursuits. Abraham had compassion for others, and Jacob was just seeking the promised blessing.

What about us? Are we seeking to obtain the promised blessing? Are we willing to fight for it, or will we give up at the first hint of danger or risk of suffering? God wants us to strive and struggle with righteousness and faithfulness. He wants us to address our regrets and show a heart that genuinely repents.

If I'm honest, I tend to give up too soon. I'm kind of a wuss when it comes to addressing my own mistakes and failures. I don't want to acknowledge what I've done wrong.