LastCall: a man wrestling with God (Genesis 32:13-32) -Bob Caldwell

Prevailing With God   "And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.'" -Genesis 32:28 Jacob had been told that his estranged brother was coming out to meet him with 400 soldiers (v. 6). Gripped with fear, Jacob had cried out to God and God reassured him that He would protect him just as He had promised. Nonetheless, Jacob comes up with a plan to appease the anticipated anger of his brother Esau (Gen. 27:30-41). To do so, he sends out a series of large gifts that he hopes will soften Esau's heart. After doing this, however, Jacob is still not relieved of his fear in facing his brother. Wisely, Jacob goes off alone and seeks to meet with God. In this pursuit of God, he is said to have begun wrestling with God. Obviously that sounds pretty strange – a man wrestling with God. Yet God allowed this to happen by appearing as a man to bring Jacob to the end of himself. God sought to bring Jacob to a point where he could not approach Esau with any confidence in his own ability to control the outcome. Instead, he would trust solely in God to bring about the needed outcome. Jacob realized that there was no number of gifts that would change his brother's heart unless God blessed this meeting with Esau. To prevail with God is the only way for a man or woman of God to ultimately prevail with people, which is one of the most difficult lessons in life. How few learn this lesson is seen in all the manipulation and spiritual deception that goes on in the name of God. All too often, we say from one side of our mouth that God is the One we look to, but from the other side we put faith in our own techniques and efforts to bring about our desired end. May God give us grace to learn first and foremost to "wrestle with God," not to leave the closet of prayer until we have prevailed with God. It is only then that our natural efforts and plans will be prospered and blessed by God. It is only then that we will live as children of God, princes and princesses of the King of Kings.
Genesis 32:13-32  So he lodged there that same night, and took what came to his hand as a present for Esau his brother: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals. 16 Then he delivered them to the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass over before me, and put some distance between successive droves." 17 And he commanded the first one, saying, "When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going? Whose are these in front of you?' 18 then you shall say, ‘They are your servant Jacob's. It is a present sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us.'" 19 So he commanded the second, the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, "In this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; 20 and also say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.'" For he said, "I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me." 21 So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp. Wrestling with God 22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" 27 So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob."
v. 13 A Present – Jacob seeks to show that his intentions are rooted in good will toward Esau and their restored relationship. v. 16 Put Some Distance – By doing this, Esau would receive five different gifts, one after another, to emphasize the overwhelming desire Jacob had for reconciliation with his brother. Jacob Wrestles With God (Verses 22-32) v. 24 Left Alone – Jacob separated himself from his wealth, his servants, and his family. The context makes clear that he did this so he could be alone to pray. He realized that God was his only hope. He came to a place where he would not rely upon his natural cunning, but rather on God in prayer. Hosea tells us that at this time Jacob prayed with tears and weeping (Hos.12:4). v. 24 Wrestled a Man – Hosea tells us this Man was "the Angel" and also said that Jacob "Wrestled with God" (Hos. 12:3-5). Most likely this was the pre-incarnate Christ, who in other places is referred to as the "Angel of the Lord" who appeared as a man (Gen. 16:7). v. 25 He Did Not Prevail – Here we see God seeking to prevail over Jacob, but thus far to no avail. This seems to be God's effort to bring Jacob to the end of himself and therefore to a place of dependency on the Lord. He Touched the Socket – Jacob's hip is weakened to convey to him his weakness and need of dependency upon God. v. 26 Unless You Bless Me – Jacob expresses his total dependence upon God and need for God's help. No longer will he rely on his own craftiness.
28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." 29 Then Jacob asked, saying, "Tell me Your name, I pray." And He said, "Why is it that you ask about My name?" And He blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob's hip in the muscle that shrank.
v. 28 Israel – This name can be translated "ruled" or "prevailed with God." It came to mean "prince of God" in that the word prince means to rule. The idea conveyed is that Jacob became a man who was ruled by God and was therefore able, under God's rule, to rule as prince over man. v. 30 Peniel – "Pniyel" (Heb.) This means the face of God.

Devotions with Emotion

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