Some of you probably first heard about Jacob wrestling with the Angel of the Lord when you six-years-old. And you re-examined it when you were nine and again when you were eleven. It’s a kid’s Sunday School story, but have you ever looked at this chapter with the eyes of an adult? With the eyes of an adult, but still with the heart of a child of God? There are several things here that might be a blessing to us all. And I personally think that there is at least one major misapplication taken here. There are some lessons that a six-year-old just might not grasp.
First, we must realize that Jacob was no youngster on that day when he wrestled with God. It is generally agreed that he was middle-aged when he filched his brother’s birthright. Esau was forty when he married in chapter 26. If Esau was forty when he married, then how old was Jacob at that time? Then Jacob labored for years in Padan Aram for his wife and his wealth. Some commentaries suggest that Jacob was a hundred years old by Genesis 32. But I think that he was probably closer to my age. So he was aging, but he wasn’t a crippled-up old man – he was in the prime of health. How had his life been going for the last couple of decades? He had been thrown into the company of a swindler worse than he was. Just as he done to others, he had been cheated, robbed and tricked again and again. “Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” He had been raised in the light of Jehovah, but like the prodigal he had “escaped.” Yet the Hound of Heaven would not let that scoundrel get away. Jacob’s life illustrates the perseverance of the Lord, in contrast to prodigality of the sinner. God knows no unfinished task. Now he is coming back home with a family and wealth, but very little spirituality.
At Mahanaim Jacob had the privilege of entertaining angels. “Mahanaim” means “Two hosts” so there may have been two bunches of angels. Or maybe it refers to the host of angels and his family who were the hosts to those angels. A.W. Pink thinks that one company of angels was behind him providing protection from Laban. And another other company was before him illustrating God’s protection from Esau. Actually God has not seen fit to tell us what the meaning of “Mahanaim” was.
In verses 9-12 Jacob prayed – why did he pray?
What do people do when they are gripped with fear? Some people scream; some whimper; some prepare for fight, and some pray. Jacob had sent word to his brother, the one whom he had cheated and robbed. He said, “I’m on my way home. Don’t be surprised to see me.” I think he was trying to gauge his brother’s heart by his reaction to the message. Remember that Jacob left the home of their father in fear for his life. Now God is sending him back, and the man doesn’t know what to expect. And then when he hears that Esau is coming with four hundred armed servants, he naturally thinks the worst.
Jacob turned to Jehovah out of terror; this was a panic prayer. Years before Jacob had met God at Bethel. It was like a revival meeting at theBaptist church building in the old part of town. At the time, he felt a real stirring, and he had made some promises and vows. But that was years ago, and a lot of water had passed under the bridge, and a lot of milk had been spilt. When Jacob was in living with his uncle in Padan Aram, he was a pure blooded materialist. There was no evidence of prayer or piety at all in his life. He was interested in wealth and women – sheep, goats and girls; kids and kids. He didn’t take to worshiping idols, nor did he appear to worship Jehovah. Material prosperity drowned out any spiritual growth. And to keep from neglecting his herds, he neglected his God. All during that time he was in a battle of wits with his in-laws. Through it all, he felt that he was the better man – and that he had things basically in control.
But now he is confronted with an enemy that was beyond his personal defenses. Four hundred armed soldiers were bearing down on him. What recourse was there but to turn to the One with the greatest army of them all. “O God of my Fathers, help me, save me, spare me, I’m not ready to die.”
There really are some good things this prayer; things for another message. But at the same time, Jacob appears to have God at arms length. He doesn’t really claim Jehovah as his own God, although He was. He seems to cryptically imply that he was not worthy of the Lord’s blessing, and actually – he wasn’t. Yet this was a prayer of faith, based upon the promise of the Lord.
As he prayed, he also sent some expensive gifts to this brother – why?
Like so many of us, Jacob prayed in faith – but acted in the flesh. He didn’t wait for God to work, but in typical fashion took matters into his own hands. He attempted to bribe his brother into a peaceable reception. He was still the same old schemer, plotting and bribing and sneaking out of trouble. He put himself into his brother’s shoes, and tried to predict what he might have done himself.
But were the gifts necessary? Not at all. Esau didn’t want anything from his brother. That probably made Jacob even more concerned – “He’s coming to take it all.” But when they finally met, Esau was the man with the better character. He had already and fully forgiven his cheating brother, Jacob. When will God’s people learn that Jehovah has things in firm control. He even has a hand on every heart. I can’t say if Esau was a child of God or not, but a potential lesson is this – it is a shame if the people of the world are more righteous in their actions than the saints of God.
Anyway, that leads us up to the incident that I wanted to examine.
Why did God wrestle with Jacob?
This passage is often used as an illustration of a saint’s prayer life. We are told that here we see the noble saint wrestling with a miserly old God. The Lord just doesn’t want to give in and answer Jacob’s requests and meet his needs. He doesn’t really care about His people, and He must be cajoled into assisting us. God is a skin-flint, an Indian-giver, a lazy spectator in the arena of life. Garbage! That is not the way it was, nor is that the way God is. Notice that God initiated the wrestling match, not Jacob.
Why did the great Jehovah, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, wrestle with Jacob? It was because that treacherous Jacob still thought that he was competent enough to manage his life alone. He had been born that way, and had that lived that kind life for well over half a century. Don’t let those pious prayers fool you; people often pray in order to manipulate God into assisting them.
Jehovah had wanted to bless Jacob and meet his needs, but that son of Isaac fought against the Lord all along the way. It is a serious thing to resist a God who is intent to bless. But Jacob had not ever lost a battle, and he wasn’t about to loose that night. His methods were not above reproach, and he had not always gotten a clear pin of his opponent. But the decision had always gone in his favor. But now things were different – this was a different opponent.
Have you ever had this kind of match with God? Oh, how the Lord wants your surrender, so that he might bless you. But you have your plans, and methods, and ideas on what success is supposed to be. He has let you go on and on, and so far you think that you’ve been prosperous. Yet one day, the Lord says that things have gone on long enough – and a wrestling match begins. Maybe it will be with an heart attack, or maybe through the death of your child. Perhaps it will come by way of poverty or the penitentiary. But if you are truly a child of God and have visited Bethel, if you live like Jacob you will have a Peniel, an Olympic wrestling match.
But why did the match last so long – all night?
Doesn’t God have the ability to decimate a life in the breadth of a moment? He could have had Jacob screaming “uncle” in matter of seconds. Why did the match cost Jacob a whole night’s sleep?
The answer is the same as answer to a great many Bible questions. Why did Noah have to enter the ark seven days before the rain began to fall. Why did it take so many centuries before Judah was dragged off into captivity? Why were there so many different Judges in Israel? The answer is – because “the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy.” The match went on and on and on, so that Jacob might realize that he cannot win. We can not beat the Lord on any battle field. If he takes the field against you, you will surely loose. Period. So the point is, surrender willingly, don’t make him knock the stuffing out of you.
But still Jacob wrestled on, when he couldn’t possibly win. And finally as the Lord’s patience came to an end – “And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.” The power of the rebel was gone, it had been sucked out of him. There was only one thing for Jacob to do, cling to the victor. He grabbed his divine adversary and wouldn’t let go. He couldn’t stand on his own, so used the Lord as crutch. “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. Please bless me.”
That leads us to our last question: Why did God ask Jacob his name?
Before God can bless us, we have to face up to who and what we are. The Lord wasn’t ignorant of Jacob and his name. The problem was that this man might have forgotten. “Jacob” means “supplanter,” “deceiver,” “cheat.” Jacob are you willing to admit to all exactly who you are?
Until we get to that point we will never become “Israel” – “a prince with God.” Many people pray about their needs, but they do it with pride and some sort of imitation authority. Jacob had to learn that he was nothing and totally dependent upon Jehovah. If we would remind ourselves of that truth, then we may forgo Peniel and live forever in Bethel – the home of God.