Holding On

Genesis 32:24-27 … "And Jacob was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until daybreak. And when the Man saw that He did not prevail against Jacob, He touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob's thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with Him. Then He said, Let Me go, for day is breaking. But Jacob said, I will not let You go unless You declare a blessing upon me. The Man asked him, What is your name? And he said, Jacob."

This unknown wrestler has wrestled Jacob all night; and with the breaking of day, wanting to end this struggle, this Man, (who was the manifestation of God), asks Jacob to "Let me go, for it is dawn." It's as though He has other matters to attend to. So with only one touch, Jacob now feels the strength that is in this Man and the power of His might and he can no longer stand by himself. Without any support of his own, Jacob now must hang upon this Man, and in this weakened condition learns the practice of sole reliance on one more powerful than himself.

We should learn to do the same.

This is the turning point in this strange drama. It is related that God could not prevail against Jacob, but rather Jacob prevailed over God because he held on with determination, if necessary to the death. God could not prevail; but only because He would not overthrow Jacob's faith and will.

God does not shake off the clinging grasp of desperation that Jacob has on Him as he says, "I will not let you go except you bless me." Now, even with his own strength gone, he declares his determination to hold on until his conqueror will bless him. He now knows he is in the hand of a higher power, one who can curse and also bless. Jacob also now knows that he is totally helpless without the healing power of his victor, and although he may die in this fight, he will not let Him go without receiving this blessing.

Genesis 32:28-30 … "And He said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel [contender with God]; for you have contended and have power with God and with men and have prevailed. Then Jacob asked Him, Tell me, I pray You, what is Your name? But He said, Why is it that you ask My name? And the Angel of God declared a blessing on Jacob there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [the face of God], saying, For I have seen God face to face, and my life is spared and not snatched away."

Jacob says, "I have seen God face to face." He is at first called a man; here Jacob calls him God. I cannot say that every word of Scripture is to be understood in a literal sense; but in this instance I think it should. If God … walked with Adam in the garden, told Noah how to build the ark, talked with Abraham and Moses, was the fourth man in the fiery furnace in Daniel, etc.; can we agree that God, for whatever reason He chooses, might enter into a bodily conflict with Jacob? If we accept any of these other manifestations of God, are we not bound to accept all of them?

An act took place during the birth of Jacob and his twin brother Esau that would shape his future. Jacob has a hold of his brother’s heel, as if to show he would trip him up from his very birth. This action of his was not done by chance, but ordered by the providence of God as a shadow of things to come with Jacob getting Esau's birthright and blessing.

Hosea 12:3-5 … "He took his brother by the heel in their mother's womb, and in the strength of his manhood he contended and had power with God. Yes, he had power over the Angel of the Lord and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor. He met Him in Bethel, and there God spoke with him and through him with us, Even the Lord the God of hosts, the name of Him Who spoke with Jacob is the Lord."

Jacob in his manhood contended with power and prevailed over God; Hosea assuring us that it was God by calling Him Who spoke with Jacob … "the Lord."

God, through Jacob is speaking "with us" … how? By this lesson … fight and hold on … until we receive God's blessing.

What I receive from this today is … when we struggle or wrestle with anything, even contending with God for something … "hold on" … with the same tenacity, the persistent determination and strength, that Hosea said caused Jacob to prevail over God, and "receive" a blessing from Him.

One lesson for us to learn from this battle or test is this … God will in the end always win; although, "if He so chooses," when He does touch us, we may have a limp to remind us of our struggle. In the greatest spiritual victories which any believer can obtain through faith, there is always something to humble us.

When you choose a spiritual leader to follow, make sure he … walks with a limp.

This way you will know that he has met with God.



Comments welcome.