Wrestling with God || Genesis 32:24-32 || Session 53 || Verse by Verse Bible Study

What happens when a deceiver wrestles with God? Join us as in this verse by verse Bible study session, where we uncover the profound transformation of Jacob in Genesis 32. This episode, "Wrestling with God," takes you through the night-long struggle where Jacob encounters a man, interpreted as the pre-incarnate Messiah. Overcome by fear and desperation before meeting his brother Esau, Jacob's relentless determination to receive a blessing signifies a pivotal change in his character and faith, setting the stage for the birth of the nation of Israel. 

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:19

Well, Steve, you ever been to a wrestling match.

Speaker 2 0:21

I have not been to a wrestling match, but I used to watch wrestling all the time on Saturday nights.

Speaker 1 0:26

You used to watch the professional wrestling and it was really more of a show than wrestle. Well, we're going to go to the wrestling match today in Genesis, chapter 32, when Jacob wrestles with God. Only, this is not for show, this is for real. Hi and welcome. My name is Glenn and I'm here with Steve. We are Reasoning Through the Bible. As I said, we're in Genesis, chapter 32. We're at the place where Jacob has left Laban. He is about to meet Esau and he has sent his livestock and his family all across and he's left alone here he wrestles with God. Steve, this is going to be quite interesting. I think he's the only one in the scriptures that wrestles with God. Steve, this is going to be quite interesting. I think he's the only one in the scriptures that wrestles with God. Am I right?

Speaker 2 1:08

I believe so, and it's also something that he doesn't want to give up. It's going to be interesting to see what happens.

Speaker 1 1:14

If you have your Bibles, turn to Genesis, chapter 32, and we'll start reading there.

Speaker 2 1:20

Then Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh. So the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. Then he said let me go, for the dawn is breaking. But he said I will not let you go unless you bless me. So he said to him what is your name? And he said Jacob. He said your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.

Speaker 2 1:50

Then Jacob asked and said Please tell me your name. But he said why is it that you ask my name? And he blessed him there. So Jacob named the place Penuel, for he said I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved. Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel and he was limping on his thigh. Therefore, to this day, the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh, because he touched the socket of Jacob's thigh in the sinew of the hip.

Speaker 1 2:21

This man approaches Jacob and wrestles with him. Again, jacob was left alone. So that brings out the natural question who is this man? Well, in verse 24, it calls him a man, then in verse 28 and in verse 30, it calls him God, because it says he's wrestling with God who, in the scripture, steve is both God and man. That would be the second person of the Trinity. Jesus, of course, over in the New Testament is the only one who's both God and man.

Speaker 2 2:42

That would be the second person of the Trinity.

Speaker 1 2:44

Jesus, of course, over in the New Testament is the only one who's both God and man. We would take it that this is a pre-incarnate Christ because it says in the text that this man approaches him. But it's also God. As we've mentioned before, steve, that several times in the scriptures, when God appears is a man, appears in physical form. I'm thinking of the time where Joshua is about to go into battle and it says a man is there with a drawn sword and it calls him God. There was Samson's parents who were met God. There's several places where it calls the angel of the Lord. It doesn't use that phrase here, but again, this is a man who is God. That, of course, is the pre-incarnate Christ.

Speaker 1 3:32

With this, we note that Jacob had prayed for God's protection back in verse 11 of this chapter, and God then shows up. But when God shows up, he shows up for a very different reason than what Jacob had originally asked for. Jacob was afraid of his brother Esau, and he prays for protection. Well, god shows up, but he shows up for a very different purpose. Oftentimes, when God shows up, he shows up for a different purpose than what we expect. We sometimes ask for things, ask for God, and he'll answer our prayer. But oftentimes it's something that we just don't expect. God answered the prayer by wrestling with him. He wrestled with him all night.

Speaker 1 4:18

It says and if you again look at this passage, at the beginning of it it's the man, it's God, that starts the wrestling match. God wrestled with him, but before it's over, jacob won't let him go. This is the place here where Jacob is a changed man. He is a changed person. We can drive our stake down right here and say changed person. We can drive our stake down right here and say this is where Jacob really comes to terms with who God is and says I will not let you go until you bless me, steve. I think this is a profound moment in the life of Jacob, don't you?

Speaker 2 4:59

I absolutely do, and it's at this moment. Whenever he's going back he's going to meet his brother. He knows that they have. He has 400 men with him. He's made this plan to send livestock ahead. To soften him up, he separated his family out of fear over to one side of the river. He's there by himself. He's taking precautions because he is scared of Esau and what Esau might fulfill what he promised to do before he left, 20 years before. I see this as Jacob, at a point where he has nothing left to do. He's at a desperate point in his life. It's going to almost like it's completely in control of Esau. What Esau might do, like it's completely in control of Esau. What Esau might do. He's taking every precaution, but yet he's still fearful. Here it is, God shows up and he wrestles with him. From this point we do see a little bit of a difference in Jacob. I think you're exactly right, Glenn. This is something that Jacob. To me, it's almost like he's at the point where he just has nobody else to depend on but God.

Speaker 1 6:05

I think you're exactly right. Jacob is at a point where he just has nobody else to depend on but God. I think you're exactly right. Jacob is at a point where all his defenses are gone. He's by himself. There's nobody around him, there's nobody that he can focus his attention on. He's afraid of what's going to happen with Esau. As we pointed out in a previous session, jacob prays to God for protection, so he's at a point of desperation. God answers his prayer. God shows up for a very different reason. God shows up so he can change Jacob. In this wrestling with him, he is as close to God as anybody could get, literally the physical incarnation of God. He has his hands on him and God has his hands on Jacob. Incarnation of God he has his hands on him and God has his hands on Jacob. Here's a question, steve how far away is God?

Jacob Wrestles With God's Blessing

Speaker 2 6:47

God is right close. Of course. As believers we have the Holy Spirit, which is the third person of the Trinity who indwells us. We are fortunate, this side of the cross, to have the Holy Spirit with us on a daily basis. I think sometimes we overlook that, that we have that advantage in our lives today.

Speaker 1 7:08

In the beginning. Again, if we look at the beginning of this passage in verse 24, jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him. Until how long does it say Daybreak, daybreak? It says there the man wrestles with him. I take it that God takes the initiative in verse 24. But by the time we get down to verse 26, we have what?

Speaker 2 7:32

Who's holding on to who here? Well, Jacob is holding on to the man and the man's making his escape, but he's holding on tight to him and won't let go of him.

Speaker 1 7:41

I take that to mean that God shows up to wrestle with Jacob. Let go of him. I take that to mean that God shows up to wrestle with Jacob and at the beginning Jacob's wrestling against him. But once he realizes who he's with here, jacob will not let him go. It says again in verse 24, until daybreak. So he's doing this all night. Jacob is wrestling all night and will not let God go until he has a blessing.

Speaker 1 8:03

I think this is the lowest point of Jacob's life. He has nothing else to turn to. He hangs on to God with all of his strength and says God, you're all I have left. Bless me, please, help me. I think that's what we see here. We see Jacob at a point where he's finally come to terms with I can't do this and I need your help, steve. Do we need to get to a point in our lives still today, all these years after Jacob? Do we need to get to a place where we say I really don't have any defenses, I really can't do this. God, I need you. I'm not going to let God go until he tells me what to do. How do I get myself out of this mess that I've gotten into?

Speaker 2 8:48

That is part of my testimony that I got to a point where I had been trying to do everything to promote myself within the company that I was working for and Tina and I were moving on an average of about every six months for a period of about five or six years. I finally got to a point where I said, you know what, lord, I'm just tired of trying and do it on my own. I'm going to turn my life completely over to you. You do with it what you will. You guide me where you want me to go. And that was my low point, so to speak, in just turning my life over to God. So, yeah, I think there comes a time whenever people get to a point where they just don't have any other place to go and they then, if they're smart, they'll turn their life over to Jesus Christ and let Him control it and let him take them where he wants to go.

Speaker 1 9:49

I think you're exactly right. All of us need to have a time where I said I was the one that I'm not going to turn to anyone else except God and I need him because I realized I can't work myself up to him. He has to come down to me, and he's done that to all of us. He's very near and he's reaching out to us. If we but accept his gift, then he will bless us, and that's what he was asking for. Here was a blessing. What does God do to Jacob in verse 28?

Speaker 2 10:19

He says that your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, so he changes his name.

Speaker 1 10:24

That your name will no longer be Jacob but Israel. So he changes his name. He changes his name from Jacob, which means deceiver, to Israel, which means reaches for God or wrestles with God. Does God change?

Speaker 2 10:34

our name when we're saved Over. In Revelation, chapter 217, I believe it states there that those who overcome will receive a white stone with a new name written on it. Yes, I'm under the impression that whenever we become a believer, god gives us a new name, and we'll find out what that new name is one day.

Speaker 1 10:54

The contrast here is that Jacob is a changed person. Right here Jacob is changed to Israel Again. The entire book of Genesis is the book of beginnings. Right here is the beginning of the country of Israel, the nation of Israel. Jacob in the past was a deceiver. That's what his name meant was a deceiver. Now he's changed. Israel is a worshiper. Jacob means usurper or one who takes Israel means prince of God or possibly wrestles with God. It's the beginning of Israel. Jacob and his sons become Israel. Oftentimes throughout the Old Testament it'll use Jacob or Israel interchangeably. That's because of right here Jacob's name was changed to Israel. The sons of Israel become the tribes of Israel. It happens right here at this wrestling match in Genesis, chapter 32.

Speaker 2 11:52

I also think, glenn, there's a key thing there at the last part of verse 28. He gives him that name because you've striven with God, like you said. The name've striven with God, like you said, the name itself means wrestle with God, but he also includes in that striven with God. He says end with men and you've prevailed. You think of the last 20 years of Jacob's life has been striving with Laban. We just went through that with the sessions, that when they parted ways they created that monument which was a boundary and said make the covenant, you're not going to come cross this boundary and I'm not going to cross this boundary. We talked about how they just kind of turned away and walked away from each other, two men who had kind of wrestled, so to speak, through the years, trying to outwit the other one and cheat the other one. Here it is is that it's not only just because he had striven with God that night, but also because he had striven with man and had prevailed.

Speaker 1 12:50

Jacob's going to be a changed man. He's going to be. He changed his name and he changed his nature, and I think that happens to us. This is a picture of us in salvation when we're changed. Our nature is changed. We're reborn, we're regenerated is the word that is used in the New Testament. We are changed, steve, whenever there's some cultures in the world that when people become Christians, they actually change their name. We're talking a while ago about how, yes, we're changed and we get a new name. It says in Revelation we take on Christ's name, we become an heir to the throne. What else does God change when we're saved? What happens at salvation that make us different?

Speaker 2 13:33

We did Colossians here a few months ago. Glenn and I would encourage our viewers to go and Colossians here a few months ago. Glenn and I would encourage our viewers to go and watch that series on Colossians because in that book of Colossians Paul makes it clear all the things that we get when we become believers. Paul's term is whenever we become in Christ. There's a dichotomy Either you're in Christ or you're not in Christ. Paul has a litany of things that we get when we're in Christ or you're not in Christ. Paul has a litany of things that we get when we're in Christ. They were transferred from darkness over to light. We're made peace with him. We're found blameless in front of God. There's about a dozen things that Paul talks about.

Speaker 2 14:14

Of all the benefits that we now get whenever we become believers. Of all the benefits that we now get whenever we become believers, the number one thing, in my opinion, is we now again have a relationship with God that's been restored. It's something that we can take in our life, that now we have that restored relationship. I think of Adam. Before Adam fell, he used to walk with God in the cool of the day. We can get that type of thing whenever we have that restoration of our relationship with God, but the main thing that we get is salvation and a promise of eternal life.

Speaker 1 14:48

In this passage, in this story, jacob holds on to God and says I will not let you go until you bless me. He's holding on, asking for, insisting on a blessing. One of my questions, steve, is is that really proper? Let me expand on the question just a little bit. I always think of God as high and lofty and majestic. He's very different than us but at the same time, yes, jesus is a man, but God is very powerful. He's sovereign. Is it proper to go up to a sovereign king and said I'm demanding a blessing, you understand what I'm asking. Are we really in a position to go to God and say God, I will not let you go until you bless me. How should we take that in our lives today?

Trusting God's Blessing Through Struggles

Speaker 2 15:34

We are told that we can now approach the throne of God directly and petition him in our prayers, as we have Jesus as an intercessor for us. God looks at the blood that was shed by Jesus and his death, burial and resurrection. We're found righteous in front of God because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. Should we take that next step and demand a blessing from God? I don't know. This is a unique situation. This is a situation where Jacob is actually wrestling with a form, a man there, and he has that opportunity. He's holding on to him to say no, I'm not going to let you go until you give me a blessing. Is that really a demand? Or is it a situation where he's just saying no, I want you to be close to me and I'm not going to let you go until you give me a blessing? I think it's okay for us to ask for a blessing. I'm not so sure that we should demand a blessing from God.

Speaker 1 16:33

I think it's more of like we were saying earlier, which is, jacob didn't have anything left. He had nothing else, no one to go to. He said God, I'm going to hang on to you with all my strength because you're all I've got. And I think that's really what's going on here. He's just hanging on to God because everything else in his life is crashing down around him and he says God, you're my only hope. I'm not going to let you go, god. I think that's really the message and I think that is proper.

Speaker 1 17:04

I don't think it's so proper to barge into the throne room demanding things. I mean, that's not how you do with the king. But what we can do as Christians is hold on to God and say God, I need your help because I can't do this and you're all I have. There's just too much going on in my life. Here's another question, steve. If we think of Jacob here as a changed man and he's wrestling with God, and if I ask the question have I ever wrestled with God and how far did I get? Well, the answer is is I didn't really get very far wrestling against God. How?

Speaker 2 17:40

about you? The times that I have wrestled with God seem to be focused around making decisions, wanting to make the right decision to God lead me in the right direction. That seems to be the times whenever I wrestled with God. I mentioned before that I got to a point where I just turned everything over to the Lord and said I'm going to let you take control of it, rather than me trying to make something out of my life. I'm tired of that. Well, it was three years later, before God moved me on. You can believe it. During those three years, there were some wrestling moments like, lord, is this what you want me to do? You just still want me to wait on you, or am I supposed to do something? Or those are the type of wrestling moments that I've had with God through the years. What about you?

Speaker 1 18:28

Same thing. I think that the times are where I felt God's leading and I resisted that a little bit. Then those were the times where I'm not really where I need to be with God and knew he wanted me to go do something, and I'm resisting against that, in which case you don't really have any peace. But fortunately, god doesn't abandon us. He keeps leading. He always wins. His ways are always the better ways. Here's another thing that happens in this passage is that again, jacob won't let go and is wrestling with God. It says in verse 25 that when he God saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh and dislocated it. Now Jacob is crippled. He, god, physically cripples Jacob so that for the rest of his life he's going to walk with this limp, he's going to have this physical infirmity. I find this interesting, steve. God came, god initiated this wrestling match, but yet Jacob is saying I need a blessing and God does bless him, but he also damages him physically. How do we reconcile that?

Speaker 2 19:42

I thought about this Glenn when I was going through and studying this. How do we reconcile that? I thought about this Glenn when I was going through and studying this. It's not stated here, but I'm wondering if this had an impact on Esau. Whenever he sees Jacob, jacob is limping Because it says here he limps for the rest of his life. I'm just wondering if that's one of the things. Here comes Jacob when he's coming from afar off and he sees his brother. Possibly he might still have some a little bit of anger there. I mean, it is clear that Esau wants to have reconciliation, but I'm just wondering if him limping didn't play some sort of a role with Esau wanting this reconciliation to his brother. I mean, I can just imagine my brother or my family member whenever you see him in a vulnerable situation that you might change something. But yeah, this for sure it changes Jacob. He's no longer has a physical ability to do some of the things that he's done before, which shows that he is going to be dependent on God going forward.

Speaker 1 20:46

In this, God does two things. He does indeed bless him, but he also takes away his physical strength. I find this two very profound things. God will bless us, but he doesn't always do it in a way that will feel good. Nowhere in here does it say God has to do things that always feel good to me, but he will do things that are in my to me, but he will do things that are in my best interest and he will do things that will bless me.

Speaker 1 21:10

I find it also interesting that in the point where Jacob is changed is the point where God reminds him that you can't do this on your own. You and your own physical strength aren't going to be able to do godly things. I find that is a great truth too. What does the New Testament say about our flesh? Our flesh is weak, Our flesh is the old self, but yet we need the new self, the new regenerated self. When we realize that our strength can't do it, that's the point where God can take over and bless us. I find this to be another great, profound New Testament truth is that the old physical flesh is just weak and it won't do what God needs it to do. The old physical flesh won't get us to the point where God needs us, and Jacob and his physical strength won't go where God needs them to go or can't do what God needs them to do. I find this to be a great, profound strength.

Speaker 1 22:11

Once the change happened, Israel as a nation could not depend on their physical strength like the other nations did, because he changes his name to Israel and he takes away his physical strength. Well, what happens for the entire rest of the Old Testament? God says depend on me. He tells them in the Mosaic law don't build up a military. He says don't multiply horses. Horses were animals of war. I will be your protection.

Speaker 1 22:40

Israel was to be different. It wasn't to depend on its physical strength in order to become a great nation, but realize that it was weak and that through its weakness God can work. Through that, God's ways are always very different from the ways of the world. All of that comes down to right here, where God dislocates his hip and takes away his physical strength but says now, now I can work through you.

Speaker 1 23:06

As Christians, can we depend on our physical strength to do God's work? And of course, the answer is no. From here on out, we see Jacob or Israel with a new nature. He has met God while he was alone, and all of us have to deal with God while we're alone. We stand before God by ourselves. We can't stand before him with family members or the pastor or the priest or anyone like that. We have to stand before God alone and deal directly with him as we are in our flesh, and we have to realize that we can't do it of our own strength and be different, just like Israel is now different, Israel is to depend on God and not their own physical strength. The other thing that happens here, what is the question that Jacob asks in?

Speaker 2 23:55

verse 29?. He asks tell me what is your name. He asked him what's your name? What's God's answer? Why are you asking me what my name is? It's kind of like why do you want to know my name? He doesn't really give an answer. Why are you asking me what my name is? It's kind of like why do you want to know my name? He doesn't really give an answer.

Speaker 1 24:08

Jacob asked for the name, but God doesn't give him a name. I think of Exodus, chapter 4, the burning bush, where Moses asked God what is your name? God's answer there is I am. Well, it seems like a strange name. It's not Glenn or Steve or Bob or Mary, it's I am. What kind of a name is that? What kind of a name does God?

Speaker 2 24:31

have. I think the name signifies that he's past, present and future. He's the alpha and omega. He just is. I think that's what the name signifies. I am meaning he is Exactly.

Speaker 1 24:46

We have a God that is different than all other beings. We have a God who defines himself as existing. We worship a God who is. When he says I am, then that means I am the self-existing one. Jesus in John 8, 58 said before Abraham was I am the self-existing one. Jesus in John 8, 58 said before Abraham was I am. God's nature is that of pure existence, pure being. God asked for Jacob his name. Jacob says well, my name is Deceiver. He says I'm going to give you a new name. Jacob asked God his name. God didn't answer. God doesn't always reveal himself fully to us. We just need to know that he is the existing one. He is the one who blesses us.

Speaker 1 25:31

In verse 30, jacob says I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved. That's how we know this was God. In this, jacob understood that God was so powerful, so majestic, that seeing him face to face would overwhelm a human and indeed take our life. But God is so loving that he doesn't do that. Jacob names this place Peniel, or Peniel, which means the face of God. So, steve, I find this to be a. Again, we can put a stake down here. Jacob the old Jacob's gone, we now have the new Israel, who is a follower of God. This person is going to be different for the rest of life.

Remembering Religious Events Through Tradition

Speaker 2 26:13

Kind of remind you a little bit of Paul and what Paul's experience was whenever he was confronted by Jesus, by Jesus, and it was such a dramatic event that it definitely changed Paul's direction in his life that we can see his drive to get the gospel message out to both the Jews and the Gentiles over in the New Testament. One last thing before we leave here. Glenn is in verse 30. There it says and the sons of Israel don't eat the sinew of the hip, even to this day. I see that this is another thing in the Old Testament here that as events take place, sometimes it's God says take these stones from the river and put up a monument so that when your children ask what happens, you'll tell them this is where we crossed the Jordan River.

Speaker 2 27:04

There's other things that take place. They have ceremonies, Passover, Feast of Booze, Feast of Trumpets, these things that God gives to them so that they can remember who God is. This is something here that they, even to this day, they don't eat the sinew of the hip because they want to remember that event where Jacob's name was changed to Israel and where Jacob changed and where the birth of Israel, the nation, came from this. I just find that that's something very, very interesting, because you can see how it can be passed down. Mom, how come you don't eat that part there? That's because we don't eat it, because here's the story. I just see that that's a good way to be able to pass down religious events that happen in your history.

Speaker 1 27:50

If the Jews have anything, it's tradition, and our tradition is to stop right here because we've reached the end of chapter 32. Our man, israel, now, is still yet to meet his brother Esau. We'll be seeing that next time as we continue to reason through the Bible.

Speaker 2 28:07

Thank you so much for watching and listening. May God bless you.