God's Work with Planet Earth

There were a lot of events and actions in Bible times which are not in the Bible. The things which ARE in the Bible are there for a reason.

“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” Romans 15:4

The Scriptures teach us, help us to learn patience, and they also provide comfort and hope.

So what about Jacob wrestling with God? Was Jacob almost as strong as his Creator so that he nearly “prevailed” against Him? Why would God come down and physically wrestle with a human? What is the point, and what is the meaning?

The Context

Context is always important when looking at Bible passages because it shows us what a particular statement is applying to. Jacob had fled from his family after deceiving his father Isaac, who gave him the firstborn birthright blessing that by tradition belonged to his brother Esau. Then Esau vowed to kill him.

Once Jacob got to Haran, he fell in love with Rachel. Having nothing to his name, he worked for her father seven years, only to be tricked into marrying her sister Leah. Veils, darkness… somehow Jacob’s uncle Laban substituted his other daughter. Then he told Jacob he could work another seven years for Rachel. Jacob was deceived as he had deceived his own father.

So after many years, Jacob was returning home and he was uncertain if Esau still wanted to kill him. Geographically, Jacob was travelling from southern Turkey, just across the Syrian border, back to Bethel, about 20 miles north of Jebus (later Jerusalem). He was crossing the River Jabbok, which is just north of Amman, Jordan.

After learning that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 armed men, he split his family and livestock into two groups and sent them across the Jabbok. Then he was alone on the north side of the river.

The Struggle

“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 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.” Genesis 32:24-25

Christ appeared as a man to Abraham right before Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Now He appeared as a man to Jacob. Jacob may have initially thought this was a servant of Esau intent on harming him. But he became aware of who he was dealing with before the struggle ended.

“And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”

But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” Genesis 32:26

Paying close attention to capitalization of pronouns is important in this passage. Once Jacob was disabled by a simple touch, he knew who this was.

We also need to address the statement that when God saw that He did not prevail against Jacob, He touched his hip. God couldn’t beat Jacob in a wrestling match? No, but instead, Jacob was not discouraged and did not give up. He kept struggling. And of course, God’s purpose was not to harm Jacob, but to test him, and to give him a new courage, a new identity.

A New Identity

So He said to him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Jacob.”

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.”

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.

So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Genesis 32:27-30

Wow! Jacob began clinging to God, asking for a blessing, and without any hesitation, God granted his request in an amazing way. But before we look at that, what does it mean to struggle “with God and with men”?

• Friendship with the world is enmity against God (James 4:4)
• The carnal mind (mind of an animal, running on lust, impulses, desires) is enmity against God (Romans 8:7)
• No man can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), and you’re loyal to one or the other

When we embrace the world’s selfish, arrogant, scheming way of thinking, we’re at odds with Jesus’ humility, sincerity, and other-centered serving. We’re at enmity with God. But when we choose to follow Jesus, we’re up against the world, which calls us weak cowards and fools for believing in Him. We can bounce from one side to the other, and stumble many times during our lives, wrestling in our own conscience first against God, then against the world.

Of course, none of us want to admit this instability, but we must face it if we want to overcome and “prevail”. Once we accept God’s help through His Holy Spirit, we can unleash a power that is not our own which makes the battle against sin and evil much easier. Then we come to the place where God can do what He always longs to do.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,” 2 Corinthians 5:17-18

This is the whole point of God’s Work with Planet Earth! God created a perfect world for perfect people, who then rebelled and followed their own wisdom. What God wants is to “reconcile us to Himself”, and to bring us back to what He created us to be, in that state of harmony with Him. He is reaching out to lift us after we stumble.

What God did for Jacob, and his grandfather Abram/Abraham (Genesis 17:5), He wants to do for anyone who will listen.

“You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name.” Isaiah 62:2

(to the wicked) “You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen; For the Lord God will slay you, and call His servants by another name;” Isaiah 65:15

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” Revelation 2:17

The ancient Jewish judicial system had a panel of judges who heard the case of a defendant, each with a black and a white stone. After hearing the case, each judge put forth either the black or white stone to represent their vote for guilt or innocence. A white stone represents being declared innocent. It represents complete forgiveness after repentance.

And “a new name” is a new identity – a new beginning. Jacob had messed up badly, lying to his own father, stealing from his brother. But now he became a different person – Israel.

God Struggles WITH Us

There are several meanings attributed to the name Israel:

• One who wrestles or struggles with God
• One who prevails with God
• Prince of God

Don’t miss this! When you’re wrestling with hard things in your life, whatever that might be, and you allow God’s Spirit to join you in the struggle, are you struggling WITH God, or AGAINST God? See the difference?

“In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them all the days of old.” Isaiah 63:9

God comes to struggle with His people in whatever they go through, whether it’s murderous brothers or doubt in the heart. And if God joins your struggle…

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31

I can tell you, I would much rather struggle WITH God, than face all the deceptions in the world and my own sin-prone heart alone. I’d much rather let Him correct my flaws and weaknesses, and help me fight any pride or selfishness that shows itself, than to face those alone.

Amazingly, God WANTS to do this WITH us. He just needs our permission, because He decreed from the beginning that we must have freedom of will, and choose for ourselves. He calls and knocks (Revelation 3:20), we just need to answer.