Page 3 - April 2023 - Truth & Tidings

t was night, and he was all alone. Jacob name was Israel (“God fights”), and we
couldn’t stop thinking about Esau and are thankfully told how to interpret it:
Ithe horde of men with him. He hoped “You have fought with God … and have
his over-the-top generosity would pacify prevailed” (v28). How did the 97-year-old
his brother’s anger, for a meeting with him patriarch prevail? Certainly not by best-
was imminent. However, it wasn’t Esau he ing his divine opponent, who was able to
needed to worry about. Out of nowhere disable him quite easily. Hosea 12:4 says
a total stranger slammed into Jacob and Jacob “wept and begged for his favor,”
threw him to the ground. And so began the hardly language for one who overpowered
wrestling match that lasted all night long, his rival. Jacob prevailed in obtaining this
emblematic of Jacob’s entire existence. He blessing, not by clever maneuvering but
rightly concluded that his opponent was by holding fast to the Lord. Yet, he was not
divine (Gen 32:30) and that he had been always called by his new name from this
fighting Him, not just for a night but for point on. Unlike Abraham and Sarah, who,
a lifetime. once given their new names, were never re-
But the fighting needed to end, so the ferred to by their old ones, Jacob was called
Lord did something both painful and ulti- both Jacob and Israel. Prevailing with God
mately beneficial to Jacob. Striking his hip was only potential, whereas crafty schem-
ing was always a sad possibility.
He left Jacob helpless; his only option was
to cling, and he wouldn’t let go. However, The lessons from fight night in Peniel
the dawn was breaking, which meant that are plentiful, not the least of which is that,
Jacob’s life was in danger – and not because like Jacob with a new name, we have been
of his injury. To see his opponent in the full given a new nature. His old name wasn’t
light of day meant certain death. Yet Jacob removed, and neither has God removed
took the risk with these words, “I will not our old nature. The struggle between being
let you go … unless you bless me” (v26). Jacob or Israel would always afflict him,
1
Jacob had made a career out of manipulat- as does our struggle between yielding to
ing blessings from others, whether from the flesh or to the Spirit. And as the Lord
his father Isaac, his brother Esau or his initiated the fight with Jacob, so will He
father-in-law Laban. But for the first time often invade the lives of His people with
trials that leave us wrestling with His will
in his life, he was forced to seek blessing and Word. The experiences can often be
from its proper source – God Himself. And painful, just like Jacob’s. But if they scrape
he received it, not by fighting the Lord but away our self-sufficiency and drive us to
by clinging to Him. cling to the Lord in dependence for all we
The blessing came in the form of a new need, they will be worth it. For it is, ironi-
name. He had lived up to his name Jacob cally, by giving up and clinging to Him that
(“supplanter”), seizing from others by we truly prevail and secure His blessing.
trickery whatever he desired. His new When we wave the white flag of surrender
¹ Bible quotations in this article are from the NET. to the Lord, we win.

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