Wrestling
And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him (Gen 32:24)
Gym class wrestling was fun. I learned a couple of moves and decided to try them out on my dad. Dad weighted 165lbs and I 150lbs. I was fifteen and dad sixty-five. Our match was a quick one. Dad was not the athletic type though in later years he would walk circles around this much younger whipper-snapper.
I took the all-four’s position and dad knelt beside me and placed his hands where I instructed him to. His right arm wrapped around my waist. That was his big mistake! I had set him up.
Mom shouted “GO!” and in a flash I flipped dad over my back and onto his. He was pinned and I felt guilty in my victory.
Jacob seems to feel no guilt for having equaled God. I come to this strange account in Genesis 32 nearly yearly and wonder. Jacob wrestles the night away with none other than the Lord Jesus.
As they mucked around hour after hour was there any wrestling banter, or only grunts? What did it feel like for each participant? How did the encounter begin? “Hey wanna wrestle?” Weird to think about isn’t it?
Why did Jesus let Jacob prevail for so long? Why did they wrestle in the first place? Jacob was petrified to meet his brother Esau but willing to wrestle with a complete stranger. Strange.
Or, was that the point? God had promised to bless Jacob. He had promised to protect him. He had promised him a heritage. Yet here Jacob was fearing imminent death at the hands of Esau.
By allowing Jacob to wrestle awhile and “prevail” Jesus/ God was encouraging Jacob’s faith. He was emphasizing future blessing. He was allowing him to see that he HAD a future. The name change was the topper to this strange wrestling match. Jacob, who struggled with man, became Israel who struggled with God.
Israel still struggles with God doesn’t it? It will until Jesus comes back for a second round. He’ll win that one quicker-than-a-wink!
