Last 5 Days
Grasping God
22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 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. 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. 32 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.
Up till this point, Jacob had been experiencing many challenges since he left his home in search of a wife. After working for his uncle, Laban, marrying Leah and Rachel, and having children born to him, he fled Laban’s house in the middle of the night with his family and possessions. Laban caught up with a small band of people, presumably planning to harm Jacob. However, God warned Laban in a dream to not speak anything good or bad to Jacob. Thereafter, having met, Jacob and Laban made a pact to not harm one another.
Jacob then decided to proceed to reconcile with Esau. However, seeing Esau approaching with four hundred men on horses, Jacob assumed that Esau was still angry with him and wanted to take his life. Yesterday, we saw how Jacob took things into his own hands by sending gifts ahead to please Esau and to put distance between himself and Esau.
Between preparing to meet Esau (Genesis 32:1-21) and actually meeting Esau (Genesis 33:1-17), lies today’s narrative of Jacob wrestling with God. In this “sandwich” format, we see that although Jacob was struggling with Esau, more than that, Jacob was struggling with God, who was seeking to transform his life.
The narrative tells us that a man wrestled with Jacob, and we were told that Jacob’s opponent cannot overcome him. However, it was not because Jacob was anywhere physically stronger than his opponent. Verse 25 showed the ease with which the man could inflict physical pain on Jacob, suggesting that Jacob’s opponent could easily overcome him physically. As we understand this man to be of God, we therefore know that this struggle of that of a spiritual struggle. The wrestler was unable to overcome Jacob spiritually, because Jacob was not willing to yield. It was only when the man threatened to go without offering assurances of God’s help that Jacob showed willingness to concede.
What does it mean to persist with God? The motif of wrestling with an angel was not unusual in the Ancient Near East. It was significant of asking for a blessing. Here, as God wrestled with Jacob spiritually, it referred to God’s actions to bring transformation. Jacob wrestled a whole night and could continue to resist, and therefore not be transformed and stubbornly prevail in his sinfulness. Or he could concede, being weakened by God and learning to submit, but not let go until God grants a blessing, an indication of His transforming power in Jacob.
Here, Jacob eventually conceded but persevered by asking for a blessing before he would let go. His blessing came in the form of a name change. A name change was significant in that it connotes a character change. Instead of “grasping the heel” (Genesis 25:26), using trickery to obtain blessings, he now finds success as he prevails through his struggle with God and man (verse 28). Previously, Jacob’s persistence has brought him success in his dealings with people, in his own ways; now, he has success in his struggle with God, not because God has surrendered to him, but because he has conceded.
In this night of wrestling, Jacob came to recognise his need for God, and put an end to his self-sufficiency. Instead of making his own plans in his attempt to grasp for blessings, he has now been transformed to grasp God instead. Dear brothers and sisters, have you been self-sufficient too, leaning on your own strength to grow your faith and to face life’s trials? Have we felt like we do not need anybody or anything, going through life with the attitude that we, on our own, can handle anything that comes along? This characteristic may sometimes be counterproductive to the development of faith when it prevents us from taking God’s perspective and allowing God to transform us through life’s trials. Furthermore, other than self-sufficiency, there may be other character flaws that we have, such as vanity, selfishness, greed, need for approval, etc, that prevents us from being transformed by God. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, let us reflect and ask ourselves: What is it that you are grasping today in your own attempt for success? Will you be willing to concede to God and be transformed? May we learn to hold on to God, the giver of gifts, rather than the gifts, the one who blesses, rather than the blessings.