https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+32
Key words / phrases:- Times of troubles, God wrestles with His disciple, Intimacy with God, To be set free by God, Becoming dependent on God, God brings suffering
BACKDROP - Jacob Anticipates Great Trouble
Jacob is anticipating great trouble here for himself, his family, and all his people with him (v6: Why is Esau is coming over with 400 men? To hurt Jacob? Jacob remembers the last time he was near Esau, he wanted to kill Jacob - Genesis 27:41). BTW, do also remember, latter Jesus said to those who follow him "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33).
BACKDROP II - Jacob Wobbles In His Faith
Also, it seems Jacob is having hard time holding on to his nerves and God's righteousness, as he anticipates great trouble - totally understandable! (Have you been in similar situations?) As Jacob is getting into "panic mode", I think he is tending to go his "old ways" by not being completely righteous and hence trusting God. For instance, here he divides his people into two camps and risks the lives in one camp by sending them ahead of him to encounter Esau. This is not God's way and hence amounts to not trusting God - reminiscent of early days of Jacob (Genesis 25, 27).
God's Response / In the time of trouble, how does God help His disciple?
First note, the kind of support Jacob already had from God. Angels just visited him (v 1). He had great assurances from God (Genesis 31:3: “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you", Genesis 31:29: "God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad' "). But still he is having hard time trusting God with this situation - again totally understandable. How many times have you struggled to trust God, despite all His great promises and past blessings? BTW, as a follower of Christ, do you believe you have similar kinds of support from your Father God?
Again, here, Jacob is in one of those very desperate situations, when also you do not have anyone else or anywhere else to go to, but GOD. And God does not disappoint. He comes right away, and gets very intimately involved in helping Jacob, and Jacob even did not realize it, until much later! Same for us, His disciples - in our times of trouble, we may not realize that God is near us, with us intimately, working in us to prepare us for future. How often have you experienced this?
God also "prepared" Jacob in this time, in unexpected ways.
How did God prepare Jacob for an anticipated time of great trouble? / How does God prepare His disciple for upcoming trials?
Jacob was anticipating a possible battle with Esau. He might have expected God to prepare him for that. Ironically, God made Jacob physically weaker by injuring him (v25) and I am sure he was also left very tired after a sleepless, night long wrestling with God. HAHA - what a way to prepare Jacob for a possible impending battle? Obviously, after this night-long encounter with God (v24 - 26), Jacob was left to be more dependent on God. Not something Jacob may have anticipated, after he prayed to God for help. This also reminds me of Paul's thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-9), which was also ironically intended for Paul's good (2 Corinthians 12:7) and God's glory (2 Corinthians 12:9). In similar ways, God can bring suffering in our lives (including "wrenching" us in different ways, as in v25), as well, for our good and His glory. In those circumstances, we must remember Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him."
Misc Encouragements
- Why did God come and wrestle with Jacob?
- Jacob may have been wrestling in his heart with great worries and anxieties about a potential impending battle with Esau (v 7). God may have come to relieve him of that wasteful / unholy / unhealthy wrestling duel by leading him to pour out his energies (/ heart, mind, & soul) into holy wrestling with God Himself. God used this wrestling match to transform Jacob in great ways (v 25-29).
- We often wrestle in our hearts about circumstances. In those times God often leads us to wrestle with Him & His will, instead, pouring ourselves onto Him. And, in those moments we will likely find ourselves transformed (like Jacob) for good! At the end we should surrender to God's will, as Jacob did in (v 26).
- Ideally Jacob should not have wrestled with God, but just surrendered and worshiped right in the beginning. Maybe, that is the reason God had to leave him with a "limp" (v 25). Recall, 2 Corinthians 12:7, suggests Paul got a thorn in his flesh from God, to keep him from being conceited. We should remember this in our spiritual lives.
- In general, I believe this wresting was just one kind of an intimate encounter between God and His disciple (It had great purposes). God can have a holy and intimate encounter with His disciple in variety of ways. Here it was through "wrestling".
- Why could God not overcome Jacob?
- Maybe God did not come overcome Jacob. Maybe God just intended that Jacob would surrender himself, which he eventually did in (v 26)! Also during the wrestling match, God intended to transform Jacob in great ways, which He did (v 25 - 29).
- Two distinct outcomes of the wresting match with God / How was Jacob transformed after the night-long wrestling with God?
- Jacob was set free! As also his name suggested, Jacob lived with the great stigma of being a great deceiver from his early days (Genesis 25, 27). God sets him free from that stigma (v 28) and now he is known as a tenacious overcomer (v 24 - 28) - endorsed by God Himself! Reminds me of John 8:36: "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. " Amen!!!
- Jacob now had to be more dependent on God. As, God injured him during the wrestling and God did not take away the resulting "limpness" as part of His blessing in v 28. He must also have been very tired from the night-long wrestling with God. Injury and tiredness - great ways to get ready for a feared battle with Esau! Indeed, God's will was that Jacob be more dependent on Him
- The above two applies to us - followers of Christ as well. God sets his followers free from past curses / guilts / stigmas. He also calls us to be fully dependent on Him.
- God blessed Jacob, but the blessing was NOT "healing" from limpness! As noted earlier, "God can bring suffering in our lives, for our good and His glory. "
- Jacob shows great tenacity. Even after being injured at hip (v 25), he continues to wrestle with God. He would not let God go, unless God blessed him. We should also be very tenacious in our faith and callings!
- Never forget to cash in on God's generosity as Jacob did (v 26-29). Always remember Matthew 7:11 "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! "
- Jacob's name change to Israel (v28), marks a great milestone of transformation in Jacob's life. Earlier in his life he was known as a great deceiver (as his name "Jacob" indicates). God finally sets Jacob free from this great stigma of his past. We saw earlier in Genesis 30:25 - Genesis 31:1-42 (https://sites.google.com/site/biblechaptercommentaries/book-of-genesis/genesis-3025-genesis-311-42-life-transformation-workplace-challenges), how Jacob's character has been refining. God especially used Laban to grow Jacob's spiritually. Jacob is now known as a tenacious overcomer (v 24 - 28), free from the great stigma of his past - all by God's help & grace. All believers must undergo character transformation and be set free from past stigmas / curses / guilts, in similar ways, by God's help & grace.
- Jacob did not had to battle with Esau (Genesis 33). Reminds me of Proverbs 16:7 - "When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."
QUESTIONS FOR BIBLE STUDY DISCUSSION
- Take a note of what Jacob is going through.
- How did God respond to Jacob's pleas for help
- Why did God wrestle with Jacob?
- In general, when does God wrestle with His disciple?
- Why could not God overcome Jacob in wrestling?
- Has God wrestled with you ever? Why? What was the outcome? Share.
- How was Jacob transformed after the night-long wrestling with God? (Two distinct outcomes)
- Why did blessing from God (v 29), not including healing from "limpness"?
- What is the significance of Jacob's name change to "Israel" (v 28)?
- Has God given you any infliction, similar in spiritual nature to Jacob's "limp" (v 25) and Paul's "thorn in flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7)? How long have you been waiting for healing?