I have heard the story of Jacob preached as if the story was about Jacob wrestling a blessing out of God, refusing to let God go until he got blessed and that we should have that attitude.
I have been duped. That's not what it's about. It's about facing up to who we are and allowing God to change us.
Jacob's name meant usurper, deceiver or 'con man,' and he lived up to that name: deceiving his father, his brother, his father-in-law, and reaping what he sowed part of the time. Working in the flesh, he did quite well for himself -- becoming wealthy with many kids. But his lifestyle was catching up with him; he had to face his deceived brother again.
Scared, he begged for God to help and sent some bribes ahead: which left him on his own . . . waiting.
Now my Bible heading says, “Jacob wrestles with God,” but isn't it the other way round? Jacob didn't go to heaven to wrestle -- God came down to earth from heaven -- it is more like “God wrestles with Jacob.” God had long ago picked Jacob's family line. He had showed Jacob the ladder, and now He came down that ladder to sort Jacob out.
For a while Jacob is asking for earthly blessings, but God's answer is “What is your name?” Now, God knew Jacob's name, so why did he ask it? Was it that, for once, He wanted Jacob to stop trying to work out a deal and really face who he was? The wrestling went on long and eventually, a wounded Jacob admits, “Jacob. Deceiver, that's who I am.”
He admits it to himself and to God, and in the face of such honesty, God changes his name to “Israel” -- the name of the nation he will father. Jacob starts to change.
No longer obsessed with his own blessing, he asks, “What is your name?” – “Who are you, God?” Now his desire is not earthly blessing, but thirst for God. Now that he was asking for God, God finally blesses him. Kinda like, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you.”
It was a costly encounter, a long struggle that did eventually bring not only the blessing but a thirst for God, a new name indicating a change in character, an appreciation of God – and it left Jacob with a limp.
Anyone else here wrestled with God? Anyone else walk with a limp?
Disclaimer -- many of these "thought pieces" were collected before I started these webpages, just because I found them interesting or provoking. As a result, I often don't remember where they came from. I'd love to give credit where it's due, but sometimes I just don't know.
-- Cliff
