How fitting that God gives us this account of wrestling with God in His first book of the Bible. We all wrestle with God in the beginning don't we? Until we learn and understand who God is, how much brighter, stronger, more knowledgeable He is than we are and we eventually learn to TRUST Him. How fitting to put this historical event only 20 pages into Gods Word where new believers and seekers can easily reach before giving up on Gods Word as they become preoccupied by the weight of the world and their own storm clouds.
But here we have a story about a dysfunctional person from a dysfunctional family which we can all relate to:
Jacob; he's cheated his brother Esau out of his inheritance by impersonating him, with the help of his mother, to his blind and old father. He's been living in Paddan-aran where his father directed him to go after he blessed him. He's lived there for a number of years taking on two wives who've spent the next few decades competing over how many children they could bear for him. He had twelve children by the sisters and the sisters handmaidens who were also used to bear children for the wives. He's now fleeing his father in law Laban and Labans sons after learning they do not regard him well. The Lord tells him to return to the Land of his father, Canaan, where his brother Esau still lives. Jacob pulls all his livestock, wives, children, and property together to begin his trek home in the direction of his brother Esau, who he royally screwed over years ago and hasn't seen since.
He is afraid, he is burdened...the weight of the world is on his shoulders. He has been living his own way for a long time, scheming to get his way, being schemed by others on the journey. He loads up the caravan and sends the women, his children and all that he has across the ford of the Jabbok river, and all of a sudden He is ALONE for the night. A man shows up, He's no ordinary man...this is God himself in the flesh. Jacob wrestles with Him. The text says "when the man saw that He did not prevail against Jacob, He touched his hip socket (Jacobs) and Jacobs hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Jacob clung to Him and would not let go "until he blessed him" the text says. Jacob left with a limp that day. God won.
Are you wrestling with God? Are you fighting to do things your way and God is fighting back? Are you winning the fight? Has God touched you to disarm you? Are you limping yet?? If you are, might I suggest you do what Jacob did and cling to Him (the man, God, a,k,a Jesus). In every biblical story from Genesis to Revelation, and this story here, in Genesis 32:22, the one that clings to God is eternally blessed, as Jacob was when he left the riverside that day.
Jacob continued on his journey towards Canaan to meet Esau fearing for his life. yet God went ahead of him and prepared Esaus heart. Esau warmly embraced his brother Jacob ,"he fell on his neck and kissed his brother."
Perhaps you fear the people of God, the people you have slandered for so long you fear they will reject you. Don't be surprised when God gives you a limp and prepares hearts ahead of you. When the people of God see you walk with a limp, they will show great mercy towards you and embrace you warmly....because we all also walk with a limp my friend.
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