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27_Wrestling with God

Gen 32:24-32 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 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. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

28 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.”

29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Hos 12:3,4

In the womb he took his brother by the heel,
And in his mature strength he contended with God.
4 Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed;
He wept and implored His favor.

Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch Christian who sheltered Jews during Hitler’s reign of terror. Betrayed, she and her sister endured the horrors of Nazi concentration camp life during World War II. Despite numerous trials and miseries, they shared the good news of Christ with others in the camps. Many found God’s forgiveness and love in that setting of horror. After her release, she traveled the world, sharing her testimony of God’s grace and forgiveness. At one meeting, as she stood to receive people after her message, she recognized the man in front of her as a particularly brutal guard in one of the camps. This man had even beaten up her frail sister Betsie for not being able to work as hard as the others. Betsie died just before Corrie was released.

Now the ex-guard smiled as he joyfully repeated what she had just spoken about – that God’s love could overcome any sin, no matter how great. But as he held his hand out for her to shake, her heart was in a wild tumult of anger, pain, and bitterness. How dare he smile at her after doing such evil? How could she forgive such a man?

In that moment of inner turmoil, she clung to just one thought. She promised God that she would hold out her hand even though she felt only hatred for him. God would have to do the rest. As she took his hand, the miracle happened. She was filled to overflowing with love and forgiveness for her former enemy. She experienced the power of Christ to forgive his enemies in that moment. This striking story reminds us of what it means to wrestle with God. It is not an act of defiance, but a recognition of the helplessness of the flesh, and utter dependence on him in the spirit, so that we may bear his good fruit.

Jacob’s story depicts the reality of wrestling with God. Returning to his homeland after many years away, he faced the looming threat of his brother Esau. Though God had assured Jacob that he would protect him and bring him back to his father’s home safely, Jacob was still gripped by fear when he heard of Esau’s coming with 600 men.

Jacob instantly sprang into action. True to his character, he began to carry out his schemes, dividing his family and possessions to allow some at least to escape if Esau attacked. He also sent forward mitigate potential loss if Esau attacked. Jacob’s fear reveals a common struggle: even with God’s promises, we often wrestle with doubt, worry, and the temptation to rely on our strength instead of trusting Him.

In his distress, Jacob turned to God in prayer—a significant moment in his journey. He acknowledged God’s faithfulness and grace, confessing his unworthiness of the blessings he had received. Twenty years earlier, Jacob had crossed the Jordan River with nothing but his staff. Now, he was returning with two large groups of family and possessions, a testament to God’s provision. Yet, Jacob’s prayer was not merely a declaration of gratitude; it was a desperate plea for deliverance:

“Save me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children. For You said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be counted.’” (Genesis 32:11-12, NASB)

Jacob’s prayer shows us that true dependence on God begins with humility. He acknowledged his fears and laid them before the Lord, but God wasn’t finished with him yet. That night, Jacob found himself utterly alone—a place where God often meets us. In the silence of isolation, stripped of distractions and human solutions, Jacob encountered God in a mysterious and transformative way.

The narrative tells us that Jacob wrestled with a man until daybreak. This struggle was not merely physical but deeply spiritual. It was a wrestling of wills, a confrontation of Jacob’s self-reliance and deceitful nature. At one point, the man asked Jacob his name—not because He didn’t know it, but because Jacob needed to confront the truth of who he was. His name, “Jacob,” meaning “supplanter” or “deceiver,” encapsulated his character and the choices he had made. In confessing his name, Jacob admitted his need for transformation.

The wrestling match reached a turning point when the man touched Jacob’s hip, dislocating it. From that moment, Jacob could no longer fight in his own strength. All he could do was cling to his opponent and plead for a blessing. This moment of helplessness was Jacob’s greatest victory. Stripped of self-reliance, he held on to God with a newfound desperation and humility.

Hosea 12:3-4 reflects on this encounter:

“In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and in his vigor he wrestled with God. Yes, he struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor.”

Jacob’s prevailing was not in defeating God but in yielding to Him. His tears and supplication revealed a heart that was finally ready to receive grace. And God responded by giving Jacob a new name: Israel, meaning “he who struggles with God” or “prince of God.” This name marked a turning point in Jacob’s life. He was no longer defined by his deceitful past but by his relationship with God.

As the sun rose, Jacob limped away from the encounter—a lasting reminder of his weakness and God’s strength. His limp was not a mark of defeat but a symbol of transformation. He had seen the face of God and lived, not because of his own merit but because of God’s mercy. The place of his struggle became a sacred site, named Peniel, meaning “face of God.”

Jacob’s wrestling teaches us profound lessons about our own encounters with God. Often, we find ourselves in situations where fear, guilt, or uncertainty overwhelm us. Like Jacob, we may be tempted to rely on our schemes or strength, but God desires to bring us to the end of ourselves. In those moments of wrestling, He invites us to confront the truth of who we are, to confess our need for His grace, and to cling to Him with unwavering faith.

God’s breaking is not an act of cruelty but of love. He breaks our self-reliance, pride, and sinful tendencies to make us vessels of His grace. As Griffith Thomas beautifully said, “The wrestling was an endeavor on God’s part to break down Jacob’s opposition, to bring him to an end of himself, to take from him all self-trust, all confidence in his own cleverness and resource.”

In our brokenness, we discover the power of God’s grace. His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and His blessing comes not through our striving but through surrender. This is the paradox of faith: when we lose ourselves in Him, we find true life.

Corrie ten Boom’s wrestling with forgiveness mirrors Jacob’s struggle. Both were confronted with their limitations and forced to rely on God’s grace. Corrie’s act of forgiveness was not her own; it was the Spirit of Christ working through her. Similarly, Jacob’s transformation into Israel was not the result of his cunning but of God’s intervention.

As we reflect on Jacob’s story, let us ask ourselves: What are we wrestling with today? Is it fear, guilt, unforgiveness, or doubt? Whatever it may be, God invites us to bring it to Him. In the solitude of prayer and surrender, we can encounter the God who transforms our weakness into strength and our struggles into blessings.

May we, like Jacob, emerge from our wrestling matches with a new identity in Christ. May we limp forward, marked by His grace, and live as testimonies of His power to change lives. And may we, like Corrie ten Boom, extend the forgiveness and love we have received to others, reflecting the heart of the God who first loved us.