Time to Wrestle

Read Genesis 32

What’s your first instinct when something goes wrong? What do you do when things don’t go according to plan? Is it to cry? Scheme? Give up? Maybe in our most difficult moments its time we consider something different: wrestle. Yup, wrestle, not the high flying, spandex wearing, square ring sort, but the desperate grappling you’d see from someone with no other options left. We see in Genesis 32 that Jacob has arrived at this final choice, to wrestle. He’s in the midst of an incredibly difficult time. After running from home because he’d stolen the blessing from his brother Esau, Jacob has left his uncle Laban’s with a new family and great wealth (again, much of it cheated from Laban) to return home. But he’s met with alarming news, his brother Esau, who he hasn’t seen in over 20 years, is coming out to meet him. Jacob is afraid. Last time he saw Esau, he’d stolen the blessing. He’s out of choices, he can’t run, he has his family with him. All he can do is send them ahead across the river and wait for Esau. Alone. Time for him to wrestle.

Read Genesis 32:22-31

His entire life up until now, Jacob has gotten what he wanted by scheming and trickery. His name Jacob means “He Cheats.” Everything he has earned he has done by his own hands and his own mind. But now, there’s nothing he can do to trick his way out of escaping Esau. And so, that night, Jacob wrestles with God. Jacob probably doesn’t know its God initially. Its just a man who has attacked him in the night. Maybe he thinks its one of Esau’s men. But Jacob does what he’s always done, he fights. He tries to win it with his own ability and strength. And for a time, it seems like he’s winning. So much so, that the man has to touch his hip to gain the upper hand. Now Jacob’s hip is dislocated and probably starting to realize this is no ordinary man he is dealing with. With no ability to use his lower body strength, Jacob has very few options, much like his problem with Esau. There’s only one thing he can do. He clings to God. He grabs hold of God and says, I will not let go until you bless me. If Jacob was the stronger, this would seem to be an arrogant demanding request. But Jacob is the loser, he can’t wrestle anymore. He’s not demanding anything, he’s desperate; he’s begging for blessing. All of a sudden, his strength is insufficient. He’s run out of tricks and deception.
Its in this desperate clinging to God that Jacob finds the victory. This is real blessing. Not blessing won from ability or trickery, but blessing given as a gift from God. Real blessing. God blesses Jacob (v29) and gives him a new name as a reflection of that blessing. No longer Jacob, “he cheats” but now, Israel, “He strives with God.” So that’s the question for us, how do we respond in our darkest moments? Do we try to cheat and win by our own ability? Or do we cling in desperation to God? Jacob’s life changed that night when he wrestled with God, lost, and realized it. Perhaps in our most difficult moments, its time for us to wrestle so that we can see our only hope comes when we hold on to God.