Breaking

Now in our daily reading (Genesis31-33) we are going to be focusing the wrestling of Jacob w/the LORD.

Genesis 32:24 “24 Then Jacob was left alone, & a man wrestled w/him until daybreak.”

This man was none other than the Angel of the LORD! Here also we see in this verse a good picture of what type of man Jacob is. He was a man w/an iron will, one that never gives up. In the world, this is an attribute that is to be admired, but when you never give up fighting w/God its not good.

You see what was Jacob’s strength was also his greatest weakness. He was someone who never gave up. He was one who only trusted in his own strength & he never completely trusted in God. So Jacob wrestled w/God all night!

Genesis 32:25 “25 When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled w/him.”

So when the Angel of the LORD saw that Jacob wouldn’t give up, He deliberately crippled Jacob. Now this really messed up the plans that Jacob had made. While Jacob was preparing to meet w/Esau (Genesis32.01-22), he made plans to escape in case Esau became angry w/him. Probably in the back of his mind, Jacob knew that if Esau gets mad, he could just run away. So now the LORD closed the way of escape for him.  How often has this happened to you?

Genesis 32:26 “26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.””

Jacob finally surrendered.  This is what God wanted Jacob to do all along; to surrender his life, surrender his will to the LORD. But it came w/the crippling. It took the crippling to do it. That's tragic. Sometimes a person's greatest strength can be their greatest weakness.

You might have a great strength but yet so many times the natural abilities are the very things that get in our way in our attempt to serve God. God often has to deal & bring us to a dependence upon Him in all things. He doesn't want us to depend upon our natural abilities. He wants me to depend totally upon Him. It took the crippling in order to bring Jacob to the place of surrender. In order for God to be able to really do all for Jacob that He wanted to do, Jacob had to be crippled.

Paul said…

2 Corinthians 12:9 “9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”

Jacob is a good example of what not to do. It's just a good illustration & demonstration of what God has to do to some people to bring them into a complete surrender of themselves to God, so that then God can take them & begin to work through them. And they have that understanding, that deep understanding that I have to depend upon the LORD. And so the LORD crippled him.

Hosea tells us what Jacob did at this point…

Hosea 12:4 “4 Yes, he wrestled w/the angel & prevailed; He wept & sought His favor. He found Him at Bethel And there He spoke w/us,”

Jacob basically was saying, “I give up! Please don’t go w/o blessing me!”

Genesis 32:27-29 “27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven w/God & w/men & have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him & said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there.”

God knew his name, but what God is doing here by asking him his name is forcing Jacob to come to the realization of what his character is.

Your name reveals who you are.

Proverbs 22:1 “1 A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver & gold.”

By asking him his name, the LORD was reminding Jacob that he is a heal-catcher. He is a deceiver.

So now the LORD gives Jacob the blessing that he asked for, the blessing that was promised many years before…

Genesis 25:23 “23 The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.””

The blessing is God changes his name! The name Israel means, “Strived w/God”. The name change indicates the change of nature. God is telling Jacob here that he is no longer to be a self-governed, heel catcher, a Jacob. He is to stop fighting w/God, & he is now to be a man who allows God to fight for him. It also indicates the change of character. Actually it is the new birth; it's being born again. No longer being mastered by self, by the flesh, but now being mastered by the spirit of God.

We are called to live after the Spirit.

Ephesians 4:17-32 “17 So this I say, & affirm together w/the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 & they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity w/greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him & have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance w/the lusts of deceit, 23 & that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 & put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness & holiness of the truth. 25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. 26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 & do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing w/his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share w/one who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness & wrath & anger & clamor & slander be put away from you, along w/all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

What a glorious blessing received. The greatest blessing he could ever receive. It was the blessing that was to last the rest of his life. God wants to bless you. He wants to change your nature from a self-governed, independent, self-sufficient individual into a person who is relying & trusting in God completely, whose life is now governed by the spirit of God.  We all need to be that someone who allows God to fight for them.