Jacob was known in the Bible to be a pursuer of blessing, but many times he sought it the wrong way. Maybe Jacob was wrestling with doubt and fear. 25 Encouraging Bible Verses About Strength, Words of Encouragement: 30 Uplifting Quotes, 10 Encouraging Bible Verses When You Need Them. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Jacob just wrestled a little harder and wrested from his brother, Esau, two different blessings. One night on the journey, he … It was only after he came to grips with God and ceased his struggling, realizing that he could not go on without Him, that he received God’s blessing (Genesis 32:29). Ask them to do some action like: stand on one foot; say his or her name extending the last syllable as long as he or she could; balance a book on the head, etc. Instead He was wrestling to keep God with Him.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'christiantoday_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_0',156,'0','0'])); In our own lives we find that it can be a struggle to have God's presence remain with us. John Calvin agrees that this episode is paradigmatic of our wrestling with the Lord today. We won't always find it easy to have God around, but it will always be worth it. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day has broken.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me’”, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed”, “I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered”, “Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, instructing them, ‘Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now’”, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. Jacob Wrestles with God – The Birth of a New Nation Israel Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. Jacob was hurt on his hip, according to these commentators, as a … Maybe Jacob wrestled with God so that He’d give Jacob a promise that he would live and survive, ensuring his own children’s future? Jacob took the gold because God took the heart. Jacob’s energy was so high and intense with anger and God was merciful for him, did not want to kill him or hurt him bad so Jacob won. If necessary, God will cause us to limp to increase our faith. They wrestled until the morning. In reality, both Esau and Jacob were wrestling to receive the blessing of their father, Jacob, but also the promised blessing as the firstborn or the preeminent son in the family. Jacob’s struggle with God is symbolic of his struggle with his inner self. He wrestled for his father Isaac's blessing through deception. When the Father tests us, we may find ourselves struggling with Him, looking for blessing in the midst of our trouble. His books are include: “Teaching Children The Gospel/How to Raise Godly Children,“ “Do Babies Go To Heaven?/Why Does God Allow Suffering?,“ "The Great Omission; Reaching the Lost for Christ," and “Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies & the Bible.". Apparently while Jacob was wrestling with God, God was holding back on Him. The 365 sinews of a person correspond to the 365 days of the solar year, as well as the 365 negative commandments. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'christiantoday_com-box-3','ezslot_4',113,'0','0'])); There is an interesting account in the book of Genesis that you've probably heard of but don't completely understand. Jacob could not disengage for the man sought to subdue him and so Jacob was obliged to wrestle. Sometimes, those spiritual wrestles or struggles of tremendous magnitude have become intensely physical even though they have not encountered a tangible being as Jacob did. Note verse 24: "And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day." Even though Jacob got hurt, he would not give up. Jacob Wrestled with … “Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed” (Genesis 32:7) and he decided to spend the night in prayer alone with God. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions() 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. It is during that encounter that Jacob realizes he is wrestling God and requests a blessing. Jacob was the one who schemed with his mother to take away Esau’s rightful inheritance as the older brother by getting his father (Isaac) to bless him instead. This is a simple activity that the children can do. God in human form came to reassure Jacob that he would survive….but more than that, he would thrive and know that God’s access to His throne in heaven was just as accessible as a ladder or stairway would be from one level to another. Christian Answers, Ice Dragon: Legend of the Blue Daisies – Movie Review, Phoenix Wilder And The Great Elephant Adventure – Movie Review, The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island – Movie Review. Leah, Martin Luther … Later in this chapter when Jacob said he had beheld the Lord, that did not have reference to his wrestling.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:17.) All Rights Reserved. The man was clearly strong and meant no harm to Jacob but matched Jacob's strength so that Jacob wrestled all night. In Genesis chapter 32, we read: “[24] And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. Jacob was trying to do life his own way. Someone in the form of a man wrestled with Jacob; some say it was Christ, who is God in human form, others say it was an angel of the Lord. This had the effect of making Jacob even more vulnerable to Esau, forcing Jacob’s faith to more fully rest on God and not himself. Jack has written 1115 articles on What Christians Want To Know! Sometimes the blessings of God are released in our lives through persistent prayer. “The man asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘ Jacob,’ he answered. Jacob was not wrestling with God because God was His enemy. Jacob’s wrestling with the Lord will bring him great blessing (vv. Maybe I should rephrase that, “What besetting sin have you been struggling with” since most of us have our own Achilles’ heel, so to speak. Zvi Kolitz (1993) referred to Jacob "wrestling with God". What is Backsliding and How Can You Avoid It? The full story comes in Genesis 32 and Hosea 12:3-4 recapitulates the incident and to Trinitarians Hosea 12:3 specifies the identity of the being that struggled with Jacob. Whether Jacob wrestled with God or a representative of God literally or in a spiritual sense, we can learn a thing or two about the thought of wrestling with God. Jacob’s soon-to-be father-in-law gave Jacob a taste of his own medicine when he tricked Jacob into marrying Leah when he thought he was marrying Rachel. Jacob wasn't wrestling to keep or push God away. From the entire context of Genesis 32, I believe it is clear that Jacob feared being killed by his brother Esau, because the last time he heard of Esau, he had planned to kill Jacob, but God had other plans. Or, did Jacob wrestle with God in order to be blessed? As a result of the hip injury Jacob suffered while wrestling, Jews are prohibited from eating the meat tendon attached to the hip socket (sciatic tendon), as mentioned in the account at Genesis 32:32. 19.) Wrestle with God today not because He is against you but because He is all you want. If you like what you're reading, you can get free daily updates through the RSS feed here. Jacob Wrestles With God. On the night that Jacob wrestled with God, it was only when “Jacob was left alone. Registered in England and Wales 5090917, Christian Today, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. Jacob Wrestles with God: An Application Activity. Why would Jacob choose to wrestle against God? You can use this activity after your lesson, to encourage kids to personally apply the truths from the story of Jacob’s struggle with God. Should Christians be Using Foul Language? We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. It worked. Then … He was wrestling with God because God was His prize. Jacob knew that this wasn’t just a Man but God in a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, because Jacob said, “I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered” (Gen 32:30). The angel said: ‘Let me go.’ But Jacob said: ‘No, not until you bless me.’ The angel finally blessed Jacob. What if suffering is God's secret weapon. Maybe Jacob wrestled with God so that He’d give Jacob a promise that he would live and survive, ensuring his own children’s future? It’s impossible to wrestle against something you cannot see but know exists, so it’s easier to wrestle against someone else rather than an invisible enemy, but thankfully, God provided every resource we’ll need, plus the strength of Christ (Phil 4:13). But Jacob said, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.'" Did he do so out of fear of his coming encounter with his brother Esau, who last time he heard was going to kill him? According to many Trinitarians, if not most of them, Jacob most certainly wrestled with God because Hosea 12:3 says so. Why Jacob Wrestled With God? This personal application activity is intended for use in small groups. The old man is not acceptable to God and He opposes it. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail, Previous post: 10 Important Bible Verses About Betrayal, Next post: Top 7 Bible Verses About Peer Pressure. Verse 26 gives us the reason why Jacob wrestled with God or His angel. In the account of Genesis chapter 32, did Jacob actually wrestle with God? God often wants to do something personal in us, and we, like Shakespeare’s weak-kneed would-be lover, want someone else to plead our case. "eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'christiantoday_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_1',150,'0','0'])); We often look for the blessing—money, success, fame, significance, purpose or any other desirable object—not realising that God is the blessing Himself and everything else is just an added bonus. This may be why God would later give Jacob a dream about a stairway to heaven where it seems that God was telling him, he has access to God and perhaps, access to God’s angels but more importantly, Jacob will survive this meeting of Esau. eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'christiantoday_com-box-4','ezslot_2',117,'0','0'])); Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! And Jacob was left alone. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Jesus also came in the flesh, appearing as a man, divesting His glory for a time, and “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). Read them in the archive below. On the night that Jacob wrestled with God, it was only when “Jacob was left alone. Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Advertise, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”, “I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate”, “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing”, “Jacob was left alone. It is just as Paul wrote; “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Rom 7:19) but the good news is we’re in a struggle. We’re only as strong as our weakest link and just like the Apostle Paul wrote, “I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Rom 7:15b), so I have done the exact same thing. The commandment not to eat the gid ha-nasheh, as well as the nerve itself, correspond the Ninth of Av, the day on which the Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed.Even though Jacob did overcome the angel, the angel wounded him in the gid ha-nasheh. It was an exhausting struggle that left him crippled. [25] And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. But God is more passionate for His glory than for ours. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape” (Gen 32:6-8) so we can see that just before Jacob has his encounter with God, he fears for his life and those of his camp. Now, in his wrestling with God, Jacob finally realized that God could not be used for his means. “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us"- Augustine, Copyright © 2010-2021 Telling Ministries LLC. And, like Jacob, we often use God for our own gain in life and our own wants. The stranger placed his finger upon Jacob’s thigh, and he was crippled instantly. When you’re going to wrestle with the problems of your life it is important to get alone with God. Our Identity Is in Christ. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. (7-25) Genesis 33:1–2 Some have criticized Jacob’s arrangement of the camp because it appears that he is putting the handmaids and their children in the most dangerous position. All rights reserved. There is a connection between Jacob's famous wrestle with God (Gen. 32) and the very beginning of the story, when Jacob and Esau begin to wrestle with each other even before they are born (Gen. This wrestle with God was nothing like that. Why did God feel the need to deceive Jacob in this … Tagged as: I do believe that from the Scriptures, Jacob desired God’s protection from Esau and his entourage but also to receive a blessing and a promise that God would bring him through this experience and God did just that. He had to work another seven years for his father-in-law Laban in order to secure the woman he loved, Rachel. The Biblical account of Jacob wrestling with God is a difficult one for many to understand. Have you wrestled with a besetting sin? God touched his hip afterwards to show Jacob, even he can overcame a very high standard human wrestler but was nothing compared to God’ power. They struggle so furiously in the womb that their … Please click here to learn how. He discovered—quite suddenly—that the Lord is to be feared. But eventually the wrestling match ended and so must the interpretation, at least for now. God commanded Jacob to go back to the land of his fathers and promised Jacob that he was going to be with him ( we read about it in Genesis 31:1-2).We have to remember that Esau had set in his mind that he was going to kill Jacob for taking his blessing. Because Jesus wrestled with sin and death, we can now wrestle with God in pursuit of Him and His blessing. It's found in Genesis 32:24, which says, "And Jacob was left alone. He did his graduate work at Moody Theological Seminary. Let us look into why God let Jacob wrestle with Him and how we can apply these reasons to our own wrestling matches with God. This reminds us that God holds back His powerful wrath against us because Jesus took God's anger caused by our sin so that we wouldn't have to wrestle with the consequences of our sin. No, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12) and without putting on the armor that God’s provided for us (Eph 6:13-18). But, depending on the size of your group, you may also choose to do it all together. The usual Christian understanding is that Jacob struggled with God because he named the place “face of God” (meaning of the Hebrew word “Peniel”). [26] And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. God even afflicted Jacob with a debilitating injury. By stopping the flight, God was able to fulfill the divine promise to Jacob that Esau would not harm him. Jacob Wrestles with God worksheet: This is for bigger kids who know how to read and write. Enos said at the beginning of his record that he wanted to tell us “of the wrestle which [he] had before God” (Enos 1:2). … I wanted to wrestle with the scripture longer, just as Jacob had wrestled all night with God.