Before you begin, take time to read through Genesis 32:22-32.
One of the greatest and most vital sporting matches in history had no audience. There was no time on the clock, there was no referee, and there was no sound of cheering fans. There was only the sound of dirt being stirred up in a cloud, and the heavy breathing from two exhausted men. At the time when a referee should have been looking for the loosing opponent to tap out, there came the sound of a hip being wrenched from its socket and the scream from an unrelenting opponent. It was a stalemate; neither man was surrendering.
This story in Genesis 32, when Jacob and God wrestled face-to-face, is a scenario we all have been in and will find ourselves in again. Do you have questions that God hasn’t answered yet? Is there an ache in your heart for something to change in your career? Do you have that dream that feels so far out of reach, or do you have a loved one who is so lost and broken and you just want them saved? These are struggles of the heart that can keep us up all night wrestling with hip wrenching realities.
This story continues with the Man, who is God, asking for Jacob to release him. Jacob refuses, and demands a blessing. The Man asks for Jacob’s name, then changes it to a name more fitting—Israel. The Man blesses Israel and sends him on his limping way. The application question for us is—how does this relate to our current struggles and difficulties? “Going to the mat” is the moment two wrestlers meet face-to-face, each one aiming to defeat the other. Yet, this struggle seems to be of a different nature.
- God Had a Plan for Jacob
The Man could have easily defeated Jacob in a split second, yet the Man stayed evenly matched the entire night. God is merciful and gracious; he struggles with us on our level. God wanted something for Jacob; he wanted Jacob to go through the struggle with him and come out on the other side a new man. But it took time.
God won’t give too much or too little in the wrestling. He knows our limits and stays in sync with our needs, while at the same time challenging us to grow. God wanted to show Jacob that in the worst of times he still had a plan for Jacob’s life.
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV).
The Man begins to lose, which can be confusing since he could have won easily, yet God wanted to win in a different way. Just as Jesus won his victory by dying on the cross, this Man was winning by losing the fight. Just when Jacob thinks he is in control, he feels the pain in his hip. He is not in control as much as he thought he was.
This wrestling match wasn’t just for fun; God came for the purpose of showing and teaching Jacob something new. At times we can feel that there is no purpose in our life struggles or in our prayers to God. However, if we allow it, the daily wrestling match with God’s plan for our lives can be very fruitful. It’s painful and it can be a long road, but there is a purpose, plan, and promise for your life!
- We Can Be Made New
When Jacob asks for a blessing in return God changes his name to Israel, meaning “you have struggled with God and prevailed.” Prevailing in this struggle was not about strength or about Jacob being more powerful than God. It’s about prevailing through faith. Jacob knew that this man could bless him, he knew that he could push through pain to receive that blessing.
The blessing that he received—and that we can all receive—is a new identity. This was a turning point for Jacob to lay aside his old self and become a new man.
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV).
Though we face difficult questions and seasons when we are constantly wrestling with God, if we persevere through them we can find growth and new identity in Jesus. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV).
- Israel’s Limp
As the sun was rising and the dust was settling, Israel limped away from his time on the mat with God. He lost… and won. He lost his old self and gained God’s blessing for the generations to come. He was a new man. And yet, he now had a limp. The limp reminded Jacob of God’s ruling over him, but also of the blessing he received. We too need to remember the times we’ve wrestled with God. Those are sacred moments that redefine our relationship to God’s rulership.
The last verse of Genesis 32 says, “Therefore, to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon” (NIV). This memory became a legacy. Sometimes things that we may perceive as a hinderance, or a punishment, may actually be a gift from God. What is a “limp” in your life from a time your wrestled with God? What is a testimony that you need to share with your family that will help God’s promise and blessing live on through the next generation? When were you made new and given a new identity?
I would encourage you to spend time reading the scripture, journaling, and praying with God. Ask him the hard questions, struggle with the difficult prayers. Keep pushing with unrelenting faith into the promises that God has for you. Don’t be afraid to look back at the past promises and life transforming moments you’ve had with God. If you haven’t had a moment with God that ended in a name change I would encourage you to take time and listen. Turn your ear to heaven and hear what God wants to speak to you. Be warned, it may take all night!
Tags: identity, struggle, jacob, blessing, wrestling, new name, contending
