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Jacob is the kind of guy who goes by many titles. Grandson of Abraham, deceiver, heel-grabber and shrewd businessman would be a few of those titles. All of that changed one night when he was all alone and had to wrestle through the night with an angel. Jacob’s tenacity had grown over the years thanks to his uncle Laban and his many sons so he refused to stop the wrestle until daybreak. At this point the angel wanted to be released, but Jacob refused to release Him until he blessed him. What audacity! And yet the angel did just that. He asks Jacob to state his name (not because he didn’t know it) so that he could be aware of who he was for real and who he would now be after encountering God for himself.
Jacob went from being the runaway son of Isaac to becoming Israel because he contended with God and man and prevailed. That’s high praise and an equally high qualification. Jacob was transformed because of his willingness to wrestle with God and to prevail on Him to bless him. That’s persistence. That’s a brazen faith.
That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 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.
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2 Responses
Father, my prayer is for the tenacity of Jacob! To stand firm & to persevere against the evil of this world. I pray to be strong in faith & to move forward in love. Your word is the constant in my life. I give you GOD, thanks, for being so generous & for fulfilling your promises. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen! ✝️
I’ve had some rough times even trauma in my life where I feel like I was wrestling with God.
Just trying to find a little peace. It was a long hard road but know now that I’m on the other side of it, I can look back and say only through God did I get through it. Clinging to God is the only way to get through any hard times. Knowing in the end, no matter what that end may be, I will be blessed by the Lord.