Genesis 32
Genesis 32
At the end of Genesis 32, there is an interesting section of Jacob and God having a wrestling match. Let’s spend some time on this:
Why would God wrestle with Jacob? God didn’t do it for fun, He did it for Jacob. God could have won the wrestling match (I mean He touched Jacob’s hip and it went out of socket). In the wrestling match, Jacob was persistent, and God blessed that. In turn, Jacob recognized God in the end (v. 30).
This wouldn’t be the last time we would see someone wrestle with God. Many other biblical characters wrestled with God (not physically, but spiritually). God was about to strike judgment on Israel till Moses pleaded for them (Deut. 9). David poured out lament Psalm after lament Psalm. Habakkuk cried out for help when it didn’t seem like God was near (Habakkuk 1:2). Paul wanted God to remove the thorn from his flesh (2 Cor. 12:7-10). Jesus on the crossed asked God why He had forsaken Him.
In some instances, God granted these people their desire. In others, God’s plan prevailed despite their wrestling. But whatever the outcome, each person trusted God’s plan was better than their desire.
For us: We can wrestle with God. We can pray bold prayers. We can expect God to move. We can ask, seek, and knock. But in the end, when the wrestling is over, we need to allow that wrestling to bring us into closer intimacy with God despite the outcome. The outcome might not be the answer we wanted, but it was the answer God provided to further His plan of redemption.
I encourage you today to take the burden’s that are on your heart and wrestle with God.
By: Brice Stockton
At the end of Genesis 32, there is an interesting section of Jacob and God having a wrestling match. Let’s spend some time on this:
Why would God wrestle with Jacob? God didn’t do it for fun, He did it for Jacob. God could have won the wrestling match (I mean He touched Jacob’s hip and it went out of socket). In the wrestling match, Jacob was persistent, and God blessed that. In turn, Jacob recognized God in the end (v. 30).
This wouldn’t be the last time we would see someone wrestle with God. Many other biblical characters wrestled with God (not physically, but spiritually). God was about to strike judgment on Israel till Moses pleaded for them (Deut. 9). David poured out lament Psalm after lament Psalm. Habakkuk cried out for help when it didn’t seem like God was near (Habakkuk 1:2). Paul wanted God to remove the thorn from his flesh (2 Cor. 12:7-10). Jesus on the crossed asked God why He had forsaken Him.
In some instances, God granted these people their desire. In others, God’s plan prevailed despite their wrestling. But whatever the outcome, each person trusted God’s plan was better than their desire.
For us: We can wrestle with God. We can pray bold prayers. We can expect God to move. We can ask, seek, and knock. But in the end, when the wrestling is over, we need to allow that wrestling to bring us into closer intimacy with God despite the outcome. The outcome might not be the answer we wanted, but it was the answer God provided to further His plan of redemption.
I encourage you today to take the burden’s that are on your heart and wrestle with God.
By: Brice Stockton
1 Comment
My study Bible explains the wrestling match in this way: God meets us at whatever level He finds us in order to lift us up to where He wants us to be. To Abraham the nomad He came as a traveler, to Joshua the general He came as a soldier, and because Joshua / Israel had wrestled with people most of his adult life (Esau, Isaac, Laban and his wives) He came as a wrestler. My study Bible also says: "It was the dawning of a new day for Jacob/Israel. He had a new name; he had a new walk (he was limping); and he had a new relationship with God that would help him face and solve any problem if only he would faith."
A lot of powerful messages in today's Word.