GLEANINGS - GenesisSample

Did Jacob wrestle with God or did God wrestle with him? Is prayer a wrestle with God?

In Genesis 32, Jacob is on his way back home to Canaan after a twenty-year stay with his uncle Laban. But a strange man who shows up and wrestles Jacob till daybreak rudely interrupts his plans. At some point during this weird contest, Jacob realizes that he is wrestling God. Jacob names the place where the wrestling match happened “Peniel” which means “Face of God.”

It is interesting that God did not simply speak to Jacob in a dream or vision as he had at other times (Genesis 31:13) and reiterate his promise and speak comforting words. This time God addressed Jacob’s fear by requiring him to wrestle all night. Wrestling with God changed Jacob’s identity. He was no longer to be known as one who received his blessing by deception but by prevailing with God by faith.

Remember that it was God who pursued Jacob for this match. God was the initiator. God wanted a relationship with Jacob, but he could not do so until Jacob acknowledged his self-reliance, dishonesty, and cunning flaws. When Jacob refused to submit to God, a simple divine touch on his hip persuaded him to surrender and acknowledge his complete dependence on God (Genesis 25-26).

What does wrestling with God mean? The phrase — “wrestling in prayer” — is a biblical one, used by Paul in the book of Colossians 4:12, where he affirms Epaphras because he is always ‘wrestling’ or ‘struggling’ in prayer for the church of Colossae.

Wrestling in prayer is not twisting the arm of God and demanding that He does our bidding. God is himself the blessing that we seek. Jacob got a blessing that was greater than any earthly blessing: the restoration of relationship. Sometimes God withholds the blessing we are seeking in order to teach us this lesson that a relationship with God is better than any of his blessings.

The blessings of God are released into our lives through prayer. But if everything came easy for us, we would not learn to depend upon God. We would not learn humility. We would not learn patience. We would not need faith. This is why He wants us to wrestle so that we would be more attuned to our need for blessing.

We all experience times when we feel as if we are wrestling with God. And many of us are marked by the wounds we have sustained from our struggles. This text reminds us that God is wrestling with us, and we grow in that process.

Jacob’s wrestling match with God at the Jabbok that dark night serves as a reminder to us of this truth: as followers of Christ, we may struggle with Him through the solitude of the night, but His blessing will arrive by morning. Will you wrestle?

APPLICATION QUESTION:

Have you ever wrestled over decisions you've made?

QUOTE:

“There is nothing that tells the truth about us as Christian people so much as our prayer life. Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer.” Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank You for helping me to understand what wrestling in prayer is all about. Help me never to think that I can manipulate You through prayer. Amen