January 17
Genesis 32-33
Psalm 10:12-18
Proverbs 2:20-22
Matthew 11:20-30
Wrestling with God
“Then Jacob was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of dawn…Then He said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.’ But he said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless.’” Genesis 32:24, 26 LSB
Jacob, with his mother’s help, cheated his twin brother, Esau, out of his birthright. Esau threatened to kill Jacob so Rebekah sent him away to her brother, Laban, in Paddan Aram. While he was there he married Laban’s two daughters, Rachel and Leah, and had 12 children. After working for Laban for 20 years, Jacob decided it was time to go home to Canaan. He didn’t know how Esau was going to react to him coming back. The last time he saw Esau, he wanted to kill him. Jacob was understandably nervous. He packed up his wives, his children, his livestock and all of their possessions and traveled approximately 450 miles on foot (from modern day Turkey to Israel). After weeks of travelling, as they approached Canaan, Jacob sent messengers to tell Esau he was coming. He was hoping to get a feel for whether Esau was still mad. When the messengers came back they told Jacob that Esau was coming and bringing 400 men with him. Understandably, Jacob was scared assuming Esau was coming to kill him. That is the backdrop for this encounter between Jacob and the Man he wrestled with.
Most scholars agree that the Man was probably the preincarnate Jesus. Up until this point we do not have much information about Jacob’s relationship with the Lord. This was a turning point in Jacob’s life. This was the point when he embraced the God of his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham. They wrestled all night. The angel told Jacob to let Him go and Jacob responded by saying, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Jacob was scared and he knew that he needed God. Instead of trying to manipulate and deceive to get what he wanted, he finally sought God. God had been at work on his heart for a long time. Jacob had been wrestling with God not wanting to submit and finally he knew that He needed God’s blessing on his life and he wasn’t going to let go till he got it. Instead of clinging to his own wiles and abilities, He clung to God. The Man blessed him and left. God had already prepared Esau’s heart to forgive Jacob. When they met, they had a tearful reunion and their relationship was restored.
We all wrestle with God sometimes. Instead of submitting to His plans, we think our way is best. We go to Him with our plans and ask Him to bless them. Just like with Jacob, God is patient with us. He sees us where we are and works in our hearts to bring us to that place of submission, but it isn’t a quick or easy process. Like Jacob, in those times, we need to hang on to God and not let go. Its ok to wrestle with Him. Instead of running away from Him, we need to stay connected and engaged. He can help us work through our struggles and fears, but not if we turn away. Whatever you do, don’t let go! He will see you through and bring you to the other side. He is working out all the details.
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