Genesis 32:24-32 Wrestling with God

After Jacob sends his servants and family across the river to meet Esau, he spends the night alone. A most unusual event takes place, “A man wrestled with him until daybreak” (Gen 32:24).

Most wrestling matches last just a few minutes. This one lasted all night. Not only that, Jacob’s opponent was none other than God Himself (32:28,30).

As the dawn approached, the opponent asked Jacob to let him go, but Jacob refused to do so unless the opponent gave him a blessing. The man asked Jacob his name. When Jacob told him, the man blessed Jacob by changing his name from Jacob to Israel.

At the end of the session Jacob says, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved” (32:30). Jacob lived, but in the process of fighting his hip was injured in the sinew of the socket. From that day forward Jacob limped.

What do we learn from this account? First, we see that God is with Jacob even though Jacob was a cunning and dishonest person at times. God had not abandoned him.

We too commit various sins. Even so, if we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Lord does not abandon us when we sin. He does not want us to continue in our sin (Rom 6:1-2) and commands us to confess it (1 John 1:8-9). But He does cease from being our loving, Heavenly Father, even when we sin.

Second, Israel means “God fights.” This teaching would be important for Jacob, because He needed to know that the nation of Israel would prevail. The name communicates that truth. God would fight for the nation.

In our day we face great difficulties too. Life is not always fair. In fact, people may turn against us because we trust in the God of the Bible. In those times of struggle and even disappointment, we must remember that God fights for us. One way to keep things in perspective is to recall the name “Israel” and the fight that took place on that night so long ago.

Finally, Jacob had been so worried about meeting Esau. Now he had actually seen God and survived. If He had been that close to the Living God, it would not be difficult for him to meet Esau.

Whatever, you and I are facing today, let’s remember that God is with us. He loves us and cares for us as we travel spend these days on earth.

“Oh how He loves you and me. Oh how He loves you and me. He gave His life, what more could He give. Oh how He loves you. Oh how He loves me. Oh how He loves you and me.”