Reading
SAA Notes
Jacob next has to face the brother he so wronged twice, the brother that swore to kill him when next they met. Jacob wrestles with God and Esau. With the angel, he uses the angel’s strength to persevere and not give in – his hip is out. There is a good message for us here to persevere in prayer. With Esau, he divides up his company and sends out many gifts of the flock first. Bluff Esau forgives his little lame brother. Jacob’s lameness is a severe mercy from the Lord.
SJA Notes
* Lord God Almighty, thank You for Your steadfast love and faithfulness without end. Please show us a little more of You today from Your word.
“And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.”
Jacob wrestled with God!
There are many elements, deep truths, that are bound up in this passage – And one of them is this.
Jacob wrestled with God, and prevailed.
What does that even mean!
God is without equal in power, in knowledge, in understanding.
Yet Jacob could wrestle in human form and prevail.
Was there something special about Jacob in himself?
No. He was a sinner like us all.
But he wrestled with God, not letting go until he obtained a blessing, and he prevailed.
God blessed Jacob, giving him a new name – Israel.
We can wrestle with our God.
We wrestle in our spiritual life, as we walk along this narrow road being guided by His word, His will being done through our lives.
We wrestle in the act of prayer. In James (ch 5) we read,
“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
Elijah wrestled with God through prayer, praying fervently for no rain, then for rain – and both times he prevailed.
Fervent prayer is wrestling, not letting go, persistent and dogged.
Our God has called us to be this way, to pray in such a fashion. Let us do this!
* God Above,
We come before You, our God and King, in prayer.
Please write Your word on our hearts Lord God, this we pray, so that we might not sin against You.
As Your word is on our hearts, we are refined, transformed through the renewal of our minds, able to go about Your will, able to submit under Your will.
Please make us a little more like Jesus today!
Amen.