Jacob holds on

Genesis 32 As Jacob started on his way again, angels of God came to meet him. ² When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, "This is God's camp!" So he named the place Mahanaim.....²⁴ This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. ²⁵ When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob's hip and wrenched it out of its socket. ²⁶ Then the man said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!"

But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

²⁷ "What is your name?" the man asked.

He replied, "Jacob."

²⁸ "Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him. "From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won."

Jacob has spent 20 years working for a bigger rascal than himself, named Laban.  Now he is returning home, as God has directed him, with his large family of 11 sons and four wives (a story in itself!).  But he has one great challenge ahead.  He must face the brother he deceived and stole a birthright and a father's blessing from.  His brother Esau's anger was what drove Jacob away to begin with.  But God has told Jacob that he will be safe and Jacob is proceeding out of obedience, though with great trepidation.  Just before he would face Esau, Jacob has a night alone and encounters God in a wrestling match (perhaps an early showing of Jesus, or perhaps an angel).  They wrestle all night and neither can prevail until the heavenly being puts Jacob's hip out of socket.  The interesting thing to me is that, at that point, Jacob doesn't give up...instead he holds on!  Rather than separate himself as the loser in the contest, he insists that he won't let go, even though he can no longer wrestle and no longer win.  He has come to believe that only God can bless him and so he won't let go without a blessing.  Then Jacob learns that holding onto God when you can no longer wrestle is the key, itself, to blessing.  And his name is changed by the heavenly being to Israel as Jacob has learned to no longer wrestle with men in his own strength and no longer to expect to outmatch God in his own strength...but to acknowledge that he is a man who limps and finds blessing by holding onto God and God's strength.

blessings from another who limps and leans on God!

Rob Smith