Today we are looking at the bibles best wrestler - Jacob.
Jacob is the son of Isaac who is the son of Abraham
Jacob is one of the founding father of the Jewish faith.
They say that Tiger Woods starting playing golf when he was two years old well Jacob started wrestling from the moment of his conception.
Here’s how the story goes
Genesis 25
21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.
23 The LORD said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.
The babies inside Rebekah’s womb are wrestling. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable that must be. I have seen pregnant mothers wheeze as a baby kicks them in the liver or something but imagine if you had two babies going at it inside your womb.
They are fighting to be first out,
To be the eldest son meant you had the rights to the inheritance, you were the favourite, the chosen one. More than this, with it comes the promises spoken to his father and grandfather.
‘I will surely treat you well and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which can not be numbered for multitude’.
Frist out gets to father a nation. First out gets to be a patriarch of the Jewish people. It’s a pretty special thing.
When it comes to the time of the birth Esau comes out first – he is the strangest looking baby all red with hair like a garment covering his body
Just as they are pulling Esau out, all amused by how hairy he is they notice that it is not just the umbilical cord connecting him to his mother Rebekah but the hand of Jacob.
Now I’m not sure what was going on here.
Maybe Jacob is trying to pull his slightly older brother back out so he could come out first
Maybe he is trying to say that he came out at the same time as Esau and is therefore was at least an equal
The first twin was named Esau his name meant Hairy
The second was named Jacob which meant one who grabs from behind. A schemer or a cheat. It is so interesting that the first thoughts of the parents defined what their children were called
In Jacobs case it was very accurate as his life contained many schemes to gain for himself a better life.
Jacob plotted and schemed and wrestled with his brother Esau to get him to sell his rights be being the first born son.
Jacob plotted and schemed and wrestled with his uncle Laban over his flocks, his herds, and his daughter.
But his ultimate wrestling match was still to come
Genesis 32:21-32
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.
Jacob wrestles with God
His schemes and cheats are all beginning to catch up with him.
Jacob has just run away from his Uncle Laban from whom he was taken his daughters and his finest cattle.
Jacob is heading towards a show down with his elder brother from whom he has taken his birth right. Jacob wants peace but he has been told that his brother is coming with 400 men
Gen 32:7 says that Jacob was greatly afraid
Yet this is God’s intention, this was God’s plan
See Jacob the schemer begins to he divide his stuff up and sends it all on ahead of himself so at least he won’t lose everything of his brother attacks.
He send everything ahead of himself
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
God strips Jacob of everything that he thinks are his strengths. Everything he thinks defines him. Everything he thinks he has earnt or made for himself
Jacob is left alone, with nothing.
Alone in the dark and a man comes and wrestles him. Jacob is scared, this is unexpected. Jacob has other things on his mind. Tomorrow he may have to face his angry brother, Jacob is tired and needs to rest. He certainly doesn’t need this right now.
He has sent ahead of himself all those people who can help in this moment of need.
I wonder if there is any dialogue and the wrestler approaches him
I wonder who starts the fight or whether the man just runs at him and grabs him.
But Jacob was made to wrestle. He has been at this since the moment of his conception so even though he is scared he gets stuck in. The fight isn’t over quickly it goes on and on from minutes to hours.
'...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.'
As Jacob fights he begins to realise that he has nothing left. Maybe this happens when your life is at risk and in danger.
All he has worked hard for has gone.
Jacob begins to see that the man he wrestles with is no ordinary man. He is alone before God with nothing but himself so he clings on, through the struggle and the pain. He holds on tight and refuses to be moved. Without God he has nothing, all he had around him was superficial, his livelihood, his cattle, his wealth and even his family. In this moment, afraid, alone in the dark all he has is God, the man he wrestles with
The other wrestler realises that he can not take him down, he is holding on so tight so he supernaturally injures his side
But still Jacob refuses to let go, his hip now giving him real agony
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.”
Jacob refuses to let go until the man blesses him. So the man gives him a new name.
‘No longer will you be known as the one who grabs from behind, the schemer or the cheat. You will be known as the Israel, the one who strives with God, the Prince of God. Jacob it is time to leave behind your old ways, your old methods of self reliance and struggle, your old ways of making a name for yourself. You are mine and I have a better plan for your life, for your people.’
We read about Jacob in Hebrews 11 as one of the heros of the faith. It simply says this:
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
Jacob in his final moments stands to bless his descendants,
Is it for this that is known as a great man of faith? I think not
His show of faith is not in the blessing but what is summed up in his final moments. Jacob even as he is dying stands leaning on his staff because his hip is still giving him problems. From the moment of the fight onwards Jacob has limped. He has walked with a stick. Jacob though out his life has carried the mark of his encounter with God.
His hip is a constant reminder of that dark and lonely night where he clung to God as hard as he could.
His hip reminds him of that without God he is nothing
His hip reminds him that with God he has a promise, an inheritance and now as he stands for the last time he is able to bless his descendants and pass on the promise of God. He stands as a testament to his faith in a faithful God
From the fight on, Jacob has lived to see the promises of God fulfilled
therefore Jacob doesn’t pass on his wealth or his wives, he passes on the promises of God, the promise of a chosen race, and special people belonging to God.
So here is the challenge
How often do you stand alone before God?
How often are you stripped of the superficial things of this world
Maybe God wants to get you alone
Maybe God wants to see you as you are
When no one is watching
When no one is dependent upon you
When you are dependent on nothing but him
What will be your response
Are you going to run from him?
Are you going to hide?
Or are you going to cling to him?
Are you clinging on to God like nothing around you matters
Are you holding onto God saying I need nothing but you?
Or are you still clinging to the things of the world hoping that they will define you? Hoping that they will be enough?
What is defining you?
Your career?
Your family?
Your relationships?
Your skills?
Your bank balance?
What matters most when you stand before your king?
Is God challenging your strengths to see if you are willing to live faithfully?
Do you carry the marks of an encounter with God – how is your life different as a result of meeting God?
What is God doing in your life right now that will matter the most when you are in your last moments?
Maybe you’re encountering a struggle
Maybe you a feel like life is one big wrestling match right now, can I encourage you to cling to God. Hold on tight, don’t let go.
Imagine if Jacob had let go he would have missed out on a blessing from God.
Maybe God wants to bless you. Maybe God wants to pour his love into your life
Maybe God wants to name you are his prince or princess. Maybe God want to include you in his eternal promise
