Genesis 32:22-32 - Life is a Wrestling Match
- Chad Werkhoven
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
God wants you to tenaciously pursue His blessing.
SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF: After Jacob swindled his brother out of his birthright and Isaac's blessing, Esau vowed revenge. Jacob fled to his uncle Laban, where God reaffirmed His covenant promises to him at Bethel. Jacob endures years of deception and hardship, marries sisters Leah and Rachel, builds a large family, and prospers despite Laban’s schemes. He's now returning toward Canaan at God’s command. As he prepares to meet Esau again, Jacob fears retribution, divides his household, and sends generous gifts ahead, seeking peace and God’s protection.
Genesis 32:9-12, 22–32 (NIV)
9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, LORD, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’ ”
----
22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 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. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.
32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.
Point V, Article 12:
This assurance of our perseverance, however, so far from making true believers proud and carnally self-assured, is rather the true root of humility, of childlike respect, of genuine godliness, of endurance in every conflict, of fervent prayers, of steadfastness in crossbearing and in confessing the truth, and of well-founded joy in God.
Reflecting on this benefit provides an incentive to a serious and continual practice of thanksgiving and good works, as is evident from the testimonies of Scripture and the examples of the saints.
Summary
Jacob here finds himself between a rock and a hard place. Behind him was his father-in-law, Laben. Jacob had worked for him for over twenty years, and got a big taste of his own medicine from him. Laben had swindled Jacob time and time again, not the least of which was when he secretly swapped in sister Leah in the bridal gown after Jacob had worked seven years for the privilege of marrying Rachel. But despite all of Laben's schemes, God had richly blessed Jacob during his time there.
Yet God had called Jacob back to the Promised Land. But to get there, Jacob would have to go through his twin brother Esau, who'd been had by Jacob in ways that made Laben's capers seem trivial. Jacob was so frightened of this encounter that he'd sent a massive peace offering over to help smooth things over. But at the same time he hedged his bets by dividing his family and belongings into two groups, so that if one group was attacked, the other might escape.
Jacob's massive character flaws are such that his life far more often serves as a cautionary tale rather than an example to follow. But Genesis 32 is an exception. There's little doubt that Jacob could have overcome his father-in-law anytime he pleased and built a nice little empire for himself right where he was at. But he heeded the LORD's call, and like his grandfather Abraham, immediately packed up his belongings and went where God directed.
And Jacob offers a model prayer in the midst of his fear. In this short prayer (most Biblical prayers are short) He prays back God's Word - the covenant promises God had made to him - and then clearly and succinctly asks God to save him. After he prayed, Jacob wisely divided his camp and moved forward.
Dig Deeper
But what's up with this strange all night wrestling match? And who exactly is the Man that Jacob wrestled - was it really God Himself? And why do they wrestle to a stalemate before the Man simply touched Jacob's hip and wrenched it? Already in the opening weeks of our journey through the Bible, you've learned that not every question will be fully answered, and today's passage will add to that list.
But you've also learned that the Bible is its own best interpreter, and the prophet Hosea sheds some light on the subject for us, inspired by the Holy Spirit thousands of years after the famous wrestling match:
Hosea 12:3–6 (NIV)
3 In the womb Jacob grasped his brother’s heel;
as a man he struggled with God.
4 He struggled with the angel and overcame him;
he wept and begged for his favor.
He found him at Bethel
and talked with him there—
5 the LORD God Almighty,
the LORD is his name!
6 But you must return to your God;
maintain love and justice,
and wait for your God always.
God never endorsed Jacob's deceptive shortcuts, but He does respect Jacob's tenacious desire to seek His blessing. This is the same tenacity He desires from you, for you to have also been given Jacob's new name: Yiś·rā·ʾēl - the one who struggles - both with God and for God's blessing.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the God of our father Abraham, God of our father Isaac, who has promised to make His covenant people prosper;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be as tenacious as Jacob in seeking the LORD's blessing;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
