JACOB, THE WRESTLER

After living a life of deceit and comfort at his home, Jacob is taken through a prolonged period of suffering as he served under his uncle, Laban. Despite the prosperity that God bestowed upon him during this time, this was a difficult phase of his life where, away from the comfort and the fellowship of his home, he was deceived, unfairly treated, was lonely and never secure. Yet this was also the time he began to develop a greater understanding of God and the need to live a life of faith. But the turning point in his life was when he entered into a wrestling bout with God.

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel and he was limping because of his hip. (Genesis 32:24-31)

The figurative wrestling that Jacob underwent connotes underlying spiritual principles in Jacob’s life that are relevant to every pilgrim who wishes to have a deeper relationship with God. The man who wrestled with Jacob was probably an angel of God, but he is also referred to as God in the passage.

Wrestling with God is a lonely experience. There is no comfort of fellowship or of other believers who can carry your burden. While fellowship with other pilgrims is beneficial and recommended, there are times when God takes away that comfort and encouragement and the pilgrim still needs to find a way to remain true to God. The wrestling appears to be initiated by God in this episode and God in his sovereignty brings about such moments when man is forced meet with God in the crucible of pain. It is a desert experience far removed from the joyous giddiness that usually accompanies worship in the company of believers. God initiates such moments and accomplishes his purposes through them.

It is interesting that the man (God) in this episode could not overpower Jacob. The bout symbolically represents all that God allows to come into your life that tends to draw man away from God. These can be physical experiences or tormenting arguments in the soul and at times pure darkness in the spiritual realm. And it is in response to these that every ounce of strength would be required as the pilgrim wields the spiritual weapons of- righteousness in Christ, hope of salvation, faith, integrity, prayer, the word of God, readiness to do God’s will and perseverance (Ephesians 6). The only way God or his angel cannot overcome man in a wrestling bout would be when man uses the very weapons that God prescribes man to use.

The right motive for this wrestling bout is revealed when Jacob refuses to let go till God blesses him. Being blessed by God is a state where you say that everything you wish to have in this life and beyond needs to be a blessing from God. It is a state of close proximity to God, where you realize that material blessings can satisfy only when they are accompanied by spiritual blessings. In fact, when spiritual blessings and the presence of God are sought, the presence or absence of material blessings won’t make a difference! Having accumulated much, yet going through the throes of inadequacy on the eve of meeting with Esau, Jacob goes after that which cannot be extinguished- being truly blessed by God. He is making a statement that he would no longer live a life of deceit, but one of trusting and obeying God.

These are special phases in a pilgrim’s life initiated by God. Coming face to face with God is no laughing matter, for it is fraught with the very risk of death. So is the desire to live a life of proximity with God, wielding his power and experiencing his greater fullness. As Jacob walks limping into the sunrise of the day, leaving behind the dreadful night encounter with God, we realize that these encounters leave behind scars induced by God himself! Yet, God changed Jacob’s name to ‘Israel’ and he thereby became the true patriarch of the modern day nation of Israel.

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