Creator, Father, King #62

When he became a man, he even fought with God.

UNFORTUNATELY FOR JACOB, THE ancient Greek Olympics didn’t start until long after his death. Otherwise, he might have medaled in running and wrestling.

As a young man, Jacob deceived Esau and fled for his life to his uncle Laban. Then he wore out his welcome with Laban and ran away from him, too.

In Genesis 32, on the night before Jacob was to be reunited with Esau, a mysterious man attacked him. The two wrestled throughout the night. Jacob was no match for his adversary, but he refused to give up, even after the man dislocated his hip socket just by touching it.

At sunrise, Jacob realized his foe was supernatural. He was fighting God himself in human form—a theophany. So he pleaded for a blessing.

God said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob. . . . From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won” (Genesis 32:28).

What’s It Mean?

Approximately 1,200 years later, the prophet Hosea used Jacob’s example to rebuke his generation’s stubbornness toward God:

The LORD is bringing charges against Judah. He is about to punish Jacob for all his deceitful ways, and pay him back for all he has done. Even in the womb, Jacob struggled with his brother; when he became a man, he even fought with God. Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won. He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him. There at Bethel he met God face to face, and God spoke to him—the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies, the LORD is his name! So now, come back to your God. Act with love and justice, and always depend on him.

This is a good word for us, too. Are you wrestling against God right now? Is your heart resisting fully submitting to his lordship in your life? If so, you are fighting a losing battle.

Don’t think you can win a confrontation with the Lord God Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth. It’s impossible! His power is limitless. Yet he always acts out of holy love, wanting lost sinners to repent and his children to follow him. He changed Jacob’s heart, and he can change yours.

If you’re struggling with the Lord, listen to the words of Hosea: “Come back to your God . . . and always depend on him.”

Now What?

Meditate on James 4:6-10. It’s a great passage on submitting to God’s rule in your life.

Did You Know?

Jacob’s name change marks the first time “Israel” is used in the Bible. In Hebrew, it means “He strives with God,” or “God strives.”