New Evangelizers Post: Wrestling with God

I have a new article up at NewEvangelizers.com.  

In the Book of Genesis, Jacob was asleep, anticipating the next day. He was camped away from his old home, afraid of his older brother Esau. Years earlier, Jacob had tricked his brother out of his birthright and then tricked their father into getting the Patriarchal blessings. This means that the Promised Land belonged to Jacob and not Esau. In fear of his older brother, Jacob fled to his uncle Laban’s land. There he was tricked into 14 years of slavery and marrying Laban’s oldest daughter.

Jacob was now on his way home with his two wives, two concubines, and all of his children. Afraid that Esau would still be angry, he sent over gifts first. Then he sent his family without him, for fear that seeing him with them would cause Esau to harm them all. So Jacob was alone at night.

But something unexpected happened.

Someone came in the night and began to wrestle with him. This was a knock-down, drag-out fight that lasted until the dawn. The person tried to get away, but Jacob held on even when the strange knocked Jacob’s hip out of its socket. When the stranger asked to be released, Jacob answered, “Not until you bless me.” The stranger blessed Jacob and renamed him.

The name Jacob means “liar, trickster, deceiver, supplanter.” This is what Jacob has been his entire life. Literally translated, the name means “Heel-grabber,” which is how he came out of the womb, gripping Esau’s heel. But “heel-grabber” is a euphemism for someone who is tricky. The modern equivalent would be to say someone is pulling your leg. Jacob is someone who would trick or “jacob” you.

Jacob’s mother Rebekka was told that God intended to give him the birthright and the blessing. But Jacob and his mother decided to take it for themselves through deceit. Jacob “jacobed” his brother and then he “jacobed” his father.

But the stranger renames him “Israel.” This name means “I have wrestled with God.” And that is exactly what Jacob was doing at that moment and identity of the stranger is revealed.

Jacob was wrestling with God.

When I tell this story to my students, I sometimes get the question: “Why was God wrestling with Jacob?”

The answer is: because that is what Jacob has been doing all of his life.

God wanted to give him the Promised Land. He wanted to give him a great and glorious destiny. But instead of waiting on the Lord to act in His time, Jacob tried to wrestle that prize from God’s hands.

Imagine a parent buys a new car for their 15-year-old child and puts in the garage to give to him or her for their 16th birthday. But instead of waiting, the child breaks into the garage and steals the car and crashes it. This is essentially Jacob’s story. He wasn’t ready to be the leader, but he thought he was clever enough anyway. As a result, he brings pain into his life. He is “jacobed” by Laban. He is a slave for 14 years. After his mother sends him to Laban, he never sees her again. His hip injury is a reminder of the suffering his life endured because he chose to wrestle with God.

So what does this have to do with us?

For many of us, this describes us.

You can read the whole article here.