Jacob Wrestling With God

INTRO

As Jacob and his family were on their way back to Canaan, God’s angels met Jacob. These angels could be similar to the angels in Genesis 28 where God released the promise to Jacob in Bethel, and God reiterated His promise of Genesis 12:1–3.

TEACHING

Genesis 32:1: God’s angels met Jacob on His way back to Canaan. Hebrews 1:13–14 shows us the role of angels as messengers and ministering spirits sent out to serve. God sends His angels to have our back! I believe God is sending angels wherever we go as we advance the kingdom of God.

Genesis 32:2: Jacob saw the angels and recognized he was in God’s camp! When Jacob called this place a camp, he implied that there was a great army of angels there. Jacob called this place, Mahanaim, which meant, “double camps, two camps.” God sent a massive number of angels. What a comfort that should have been, to know that God was with them!

Genesis 32:3: Jacob sent out messengers to his brother Esau. There is a debate among theologians as to who these messengers were. Some argue angels were sent. That could have been, but we can’t conclusively know for sure. Jacob sending messengers to Esau was a big deal! Jacob hadn’t seen Esau since he had stolen Esau’s birthright and blessing. The reason Jacob had fled was because Esau had been ready to kill him. It is important to remember that if God has promised something for you, no one can keep it from you (Romans 8:31). Jacob finally recognized that God was with him!

Genesis: 32:4: The messengers relayed Jacob’s message meant for Esau. The message started with “my lord Esau.” Jacob was nervous as he addressed his brother. It is almost as if Jacob’s trust was in the outcome of his own planning rather than the Lord’s plan. Jacob’s message seemed too brief, with almost no detail. Jacob communicated that he had stayed with Laban and had been delayed.

Genesis 32:5: Jacob had tried to find favor with Esau. Three times besides this one, Jacob asked for favor. First, in Genesis 33:8, “So Esau said, ‘What do you mean by this whole procession I met?’ ‘To find favor with you, my lord,’ he answered.” Second, in Genesis 33:10, “But Jacob said, ‘No, please! If I have found favor with you, take this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing God’s face, since you have accepted me.’" Third, in Genesis 33:15, “Esau said, ‘Let me leave some of my people with you.’ But he replied, ‘Why do that? Please indulge me, my lord.’"

Genesis 32:6–8: The messengers returned to Jacob to declare that Esau and 400 men were coming to see Jacob. Four hundred men was a typical number for a militia. Throughout Scripture there is a constant theme of numbers. For example, 1 Samuel 22:2 and 25:13–– both passages mention the number 400. Jacob was afraid. Jacob divided the people with him, his family, into two camps, so that if one was attacked, the other could escape. Remember in verse 2, Jacob had named the spot they were in Mahanaim, which means “double camps, two camps.” God knew this was going to happen, and He went ahead of Jacob. God used Jacob’s imperfection and accomplished His perfect plan. Wiersbe wrote, “A guilty conscience often makes us see the darkest possible picture.”¹There had been no inner healing between Jacob and Esau.

Genesis 32:9–12: In these verses, Jacob actually turned to the Lord! He addressed God in prayer because God had gotten him to that point in time. Jacob recognized God, confessed, and then petitioned. This petition was huge because Jacob didn’t want the blessing, the seed, to stop. It was not just about Jacob anymore; it was about his family and his children. Jacob wanted God to preserve the seed. Jacob reminded God of His promise. Jacob pleaded with God—God, you’ve promised me descendants! You can’t wipe us out (Genesis 28:14–16)! When you realize the promises of God’s call in your life—how much are you willing to petition for what He’s asked you to do?

Genesis 32:13–23: Jacob listed all the animals he was going to give his brother—550-580 animals. He sent the animals with his slaves, divided into two groups. Each group had the same speech to give to Esau. I think Jacob was still sucking up, addressing him as “your servant Jacob, my lord Esau” and giving him the best of the best. Jacob wanted to appease and soften Esau with all the gifts. Jacob sent the gifts ahead to Esau, while he himself stayed behind. During the night, Jacob took his family and female slaves to cross the river, in an attempt to keep them safe. For Jacob’s family to cross the river at night was just as dangerous as facing 400 militiamen. I can’t help but wonder, what about God’s camp? The angels? And God’s promise to be with Jacob? It feels as though Jacob kept going back and forth, trusting God and then trying to make it happen on his own.

Genesis 32:24: With his family across the river, Jacob was left alone. This is when God showed up! The real battle was about to take place. Wiersbe quotes Walter Savage Lander, who wrote, “Being left alone is the audience chamber of God”²Finally, there were no distractions for Jacob—no wives arguing over children, no camels, and no children fighting. Alone, Jacob wrestled 'a man' until daybreak. Jacob had been stripped of everything, his whole family, possessions, and was utterly alone (Hosea 12:2–4). As a child, Jacob wrestled with his brother, and now he wrestled with God. Jacob wrestled with God in human form, the pre-incarnate Christ.

Genesis 32:25–27: When the man could not defeat Jacob, He dislocated Jacob’s hip. If God is all-powerful, how was Jacob winning? My only conclusion is that God let him. Just the fact that God dislocated his hip socket shows it was God. He removed Jacob’s strength and revealed a weakness. The limp would always remind Jacob of God wrestling with him. Interestingly, God came as a traveler when Abraham was a pilgrim, as a soldier when Joshua was a general, and as a wrestler because Jacob was always wrestling. I think this was Jacob’s love language. Jacob went from a physical battle to a verbal battle: “I will not let You go unless You bless me.” Jacob was constantly trying to get something out of every situation! God asked Jacob his name. God wanted a confession! Remember the last time he was asked his name was when Isaac asked who he was, and he lied Genesis 27:18-19). Jacob’s name was equated with cheating (Genesis 27:36). God wanted to redeem Jacob’s name.

Genesis 32:28–32: Because Jacob prevailed, God renamed him Israel. “Renaming marked a change of direction and context for an individual. It does not always mark a change of character or inner person.”³Notice throughout the Old Testament that whenever Moses made a reference to Jacob, it was in line with the flesh. When Moses referenced “Israel,” it usually was in line with the Spirit. Jacob needed inner healing, and God was his Deliverer.

Did Jacob wrestle with the pre-incarnate Christ? Hosea 12 said it was God. Exodus 33:20 said that no one can see God and live. Judges 13:21–22 said that the mentality was that whoever sees God face-to-face would die. The only conclusion I have is that Jacob didn’t see God the Father, but he saw God the Son. Jesus came in some form and wrestled with Jacob. Israel walked away limping. In our weakness, God is made strong

CLOSING

As Jacob was made weak, God was made strong. In Genesis 33, Jacob and Esau end up meeting, and a truce takes place. God continued to move through Jacob. Through imperfect people, God’s perfect plan continues. And that’s for the Seed, Christ, to continue through all generations (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).