Getting ready for a sermon on Jacob wrestling with God usually starts with looking at our own battles, because let's be honest, we've all been presently there. We've all acquired those long, dark nights where it feels like every thing is closing within and we're still left alone with nothing but our fears and an entire lot of questions. Jacob's story in Genesis 32 isn't just a weird piece of historic history; it's a mirror for anybody who else has ever felt like they had to guard their existence, their identity, or even their future.
If you've actually seemed you had been in a "make or break" period, then you're within good company with Jacob. This man wasn't exactly the saint. Up till this point within the Bible, he had been known for being a bit of a shyster. He or she tricked his brother, lied to their father, and spent years out-maneuvering their father-in-law. But ultimately, earlier times catches upward to everyone. He's headed back home, plus his brother Esau—the guy he cheated—is coming to fulfill him with four hundred men. Jacob is usually terrified.
When You're Left Alone with Your Past
Before we all arrive at the actual wrestling, we have to look at the setup. Jacob sends his family, his maids, and all his possessions throughout the river. He or she stays behind. The reason why? Maybe he required space to believe, or maybe he or she was just immobilized by fear. In either case, the text says Jacob was "left alone. "
There's some thing heavy about becoming alone when you know you're in trouble. When the particular noise stops plus the distractions are gone, that's once the real work starts. For many associated with us, our "wrestling" starts when we can't run from ourself anymore. We can't hide behind our own jobs, our interpersonal media, or the busy schedules. It's just us and the silence. And it was in that silence that a "man" made an appearance and started wrestling with him until daybreak.
What's wild is that this isn't just a metaphorical battle. This was the physical, gritty, filthy, exhausting fight. Within any sermon on Jacob wrestling with God, we have to emphasize that God met Jacob exactly where this individual was—in the center of the mess. God didn't wait for Jacob to get his work together or go to a temple. He met him in the dust by a river in the middle of the night.
The particular Struggle Is the Relationship
Have got you ever pondered why God didn't just win instantly? I am talking about, this is definitely the Creator of the universe. If This individual wanted to pin number Jacob, He can have done this in a portion of a second. But the wrestling proceeded to go on all night.
This informs us something outstanding about how God relates to us. Sometimes, the struggle is the point. We often believe that if we're battling or if we all have questions regarding God, it indicates we're failing from faith. Good we're supposed to get this "peace that passes all understanding" 24/7. But Jacob displays us that wrestling with God is actually a deeply intimate work. You can't wrestle with someone when you're standing 10 feet away. You need to be close. You have got to be locked in.
Whenever we bring our frustrations, our doubts, in addition to our "Why is this happening? " to God, we aren't moving away through Him. We're joining with Him. It's an honest romantic relationship. God can manage our wrestling. He's not offended simply by our persistence or our desperation. In fact, it appears as though He or she invited it.
The Blessing Is in the Wound
Then comes the part of the story that always catches people away from guard. The man sees he isn't winning (again, most likely because He's allowing the match continue), so He touches it of Jacob's hip and out there of joint it goes. Can you think about the pain? A single touch and Jacob is physically broken.
But take a look at Jacob's reaction. He or she doesn't quit. This individual doesn't curl upward and cry. This individual clings even stronger. He admits that, "I can not allow you to proceed unless you bless me. "
That is definitely such a powerful second. Jacob realizes that the person he's fighting may be the only one who can actually give your pet what he needs. He's done attempting to scheme their way into a blessing. He's performed lying for it. He's finally in the point where he says, "I'm broken, I'm hurting, but I'm not letting go of You. "
In our lives, we regularly want the blessing without the limp. We would like the particular victory without the scar. But in the economy of God, the scar is usually the proof associated with the blessing. Jacob walked away through that river with a permanent sagging. Every step he or she took for the rest of their life reminded your pet of that night. It reminded your pet that he wasn't simply because strong as this individual thought he had been, but that God was more true than he actually imagined.
Admitting Who You actually Are
Before the benefit comes, the "man" asks Jacob the question: "What is the name? "
Now, God obviously knew his name. But years earlier, when his dad Isaac asked your pet that same question, Jacob lied. He said, "I was Esau. " He tried to become someone else to get what he wanted.
This particular time, Jacob needs to tell the truth. "My name will be Jacob. " By saying his name, he's admitting almost everything. He's saying, "I'm the grabber. I'm the cheater. I'm the one who's been running. " He had to own his identification before God could change it.
And God does change it. He says, "Your title shall no much longer be Jacob, yet Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and possess prevailed. " This individual went from being "The Deceiver" to "The One that Problems with God. " That's an enormous promotion.
Carrying the Limp into Tomorrow
As we wrap up this sermon on Jacob wrestling with God, we need to ask ourselves exactly what we're holding onto. Are you in a season where this feels like you're fighting for your sanity or your faith? Does this feel like God is distant, or worse, like He's the one you're fighting against?
If that's you, don't let go. Don't be afraid associated with the struggle. Sunlight will eventually increase, just like this did for Jacob. He named that will place Peniel, saying, "I saw God in person, and yet my life was spared. "
We don't serve a God who stays far away. We serve a God who gets down in the particular mud with us. He's a God who may be okay with just a little wrestling. He's a God who would go for you fighting with Your pet than ignoring Your pet.
A person might come away of your trial with a sagging. You might become a bit more tired, a little bit even more humbled, and a little less certain of your personal strength. But you'll also come out there of it with a new title along with a deeper understanding of who God really is.
So, in case you're in the middle of your own "night at the particular Jabbok, " suspend on. Keep wrestling. Keep talking to Him. The true blessing is coming, also if it looks different than a person expected. You're not just surviving; you're being transformed. Plus honestly? That's the particular greatest blessing of.