Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel
24 And Jacob was left alone;
and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 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. 26 And he said, Let me go, for the
day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What
is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be
called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and
with men, and hast prevailed. 29 And Jacob asked him, and said,
Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask
after my name? And he blessed him there. 30 And Jacob called the name of the
place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. 31 And as he passed over Penuel the
sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. 32 Therefore the children of Israel
eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto
this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that
shrank. (Gen
32:24-32)
When I was a three year old, I went with my older sister and her playmates into
a wooded area near my grandmother’s farmhouse. There was a delicate little
spring-fed stream that ran between two moss-covered banks of the stream. My
older sister was telling her friends some tale about fairies. I was excluded
from any direct participation in the conversation, but I could see all that my
sister said in my mind’s eye. I was concentrating on a little mound of moss
punctuated by tiny wild flowers near the stream. Suddenly, as sure as I am
writing this devotion, I saw tiny fairies come from a door in the mound and
begin to dance (ballet fashion) around the mound. They wore just the kind of
gossamer, pastelle dresses one would think a fairy would wear – some blues,
some yellows, and some greens. I can still starkly see those tiny figures in my
mind’s eye. (At this point, you may be wondering if you should ever read
another of my devotions). Of course, it was an over-active imagination that
gave birth to those visions, but to me, they were as real as a drink of cold
water. When I told my parents, my father threatened to spank me for lying, but
I would not relent.
I relate this story to remind the reader of Jacob’s predicament in relating his
experiences to friends and family of having met the angels of God at Mahanaim,
and then actually wrestling with the Angel of the Lord – and gained therefrom a
blessing. Such news was probably received with the same unbelieving disdain as
was my tale of imagination of fairies. But this story of Jacob is real, and
even more fantastic in reality than the dream I had. It is the recorded Word of
God. Why did these things occur to Jacob? With God, there is a purpose for
everything that He does, and so it is with Jacob and the unsponsored wrestling
match.
“And Jacob was left alone.” May I suggest to the reader that the
strongest company of God’s presence is most often experienced when one is ALONE
with God? There are no worldly suggestions or pursuits to distract one’s mind
from that Almighty Personage. It is even possible for a devout man or woman to
be alone with God in the presence of a crowd of people. There are six men
mentioned is Scripture who were alone with God:
1. Jacob – Gen 32:24
2. Moses – Ex. 24:2
3. Jeremiah – Jer. 15:17
4. Daniel – Dan. 10:7-8
5. Our Lord Jesus – Luke 9:18
6. Paul – 1 Thess. 3:1
When you are to meet a person who means more than life to
you, do you not want to get alone with them so that you can concentrate your
attention on their every word. Should it not be so with the Lord as well?
“. . . and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the
day.” The Hebrew word for ‘wrestle’ is ‘abaq’ which means to
physically grapple or struggle with. This was not a dream or vision; this was
actual, physical struggle with God (either the Angel of God, or the
Pre-Incarnate Christ). Whichever, the Angel had a physical body that could be
grappled with. You will remember the tenacity of Jacob in his birth: “25 And the first came out
red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26 And after that came his
brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called
Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.” (Gen 25:25-26) Jacob was a
plain man, we are told; and Esau was a cunning hunter and man of the fields.
But if a plain man has drive, he will leave the cunning hunter behind just as
did the tortoise outrun the rabbit. Jacob and the Angel struggled all night
long. The Angel made as if He could not get the advantage, but had to leave ere
the day dawned. So Jacob invokes a blessing from the Angel. It was precisely
God’s point in the match. “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”
Our secretary, Cinder, in Statesville, is a strong believer in persevering
prayer, and this account of Jacob is strong evidence in support of that kind of
prayer. We hold God’s attention in prayer until we learn His will!
God will always leave evidence that a man or woman has had a close communion in
life with Him. He leaves such evidence in the form of a shrunken sinew on Jacob’s
thigh. This would be a reminder to us - from Jacob’s constant limp - to Jacob
as well for the awkward gait he would have.
27 And he said unto him, What is
thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be
called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and
with men, and hast prevailed.
Jacob simply received the blessing that God had already granted, however, he
did also receive a new name as does every person who comes in surety to the
Lord. Our names at salvation is called Christian from henceforth; and in
eternity, even another name that no one knows but its owner! To him
that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a
white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving
he that receiveth it. (Rev 2:17) What is the purpose of this new
name that no one else knows? What would be the scandal in heaven if we
were to drag these old disreputable names with us there? All of our sinful life
before Christ would be spoken of by all who saw us. But there is no scandal at
all associated with that new name written in a white stone (signifying
INNOCENCE). Jacob’s new name is that by which all of the church is known today –
ISRAEL! The name ISRAEL means “God prevails.” So this is evidence that
Jacob did not win the wrestling match, but God did in reality!
There are many and sundry things that God intends to be a mystery to us for a
time, though you will be hard put to find a theologian that will admit to any
mystery in God’s Word. They will aver that all is perfectly explainable in
natural terms. They are WRONG. God does keep mysteries from us until the due
time of their being made known in His calendar of events. We find one such
mystery here: “29 And
Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said,
Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.” Which Person of the Godhead
did Jacob wrestle? We do not know, but the text implies that it was, indeed,
God, or his Vicegerent, with whom Jacob wrestled. This is deduced from the name
God gave Jacob – Israel, God prevails. See also Hosea 12:3-6 – He took his
brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:
Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication
unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; Even the LORD God
of hosts; the LORD is his memorial. Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy
and judgment, and wait on thy God continually. (Hosea
12:3-6)
Jacob was near to the Banks of Jordan Waters (at Jabbok) where he wrestled with
God. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face
to face, and my life is preserved. (Gen 32:30) Peniel means, “Facing God,”
because Jacob came face-to-face with God short of Jordan Banks. As we approach
the troubled Banks of Jordan waters, will it not be worth a life of devotion to
see God face-to-face ere we cross those waters? There is an old song that
expresses that sentiment:
When I come to the river at the
ending of day
When the last winds of sorrow
have blown
There'll be somebody waiting to
show me the way I won't have to cross Jordan alone
Refrain
I
won't have to cross Jordan alone
Jesus died all my sins to atone
In
the darkness I see he'll be waiting for me
I
won't have to cross Jordan alone
Often times I'm weary and troubled
and sad
When it seems that my friends
have all flown
There is one thought that cheers
me and makes my heart glad
Refrain
Though the billows of trouble and
sorrow may sweep
Christ the Saviour will care for
his own
Till the end of my journey my
soul he will keep and I won't have to cross Jordan alone
Refrain
Well friend, if you do a bit of wrestling with God before those Jordan Waters
loom ahead, neither will you have to cross Jordan alone. He will be with you
every step of the way!
