The interesting story of Jacob wrestling with God.
The Lord showed Simon Peter, that he could not do anything without God's help (Luke 5:6). And Job was broken, (Job 42:5-6).
1. JACOB WAS BROKEN BY GOD. God waited for Jacob to be alone, so they could meet. This was no ordinary man wrestling with Jacob. This was the pre-incarnate Christ, often referred to in the OT as “the angel of the LORD.” Theologians refer to this as a theophany, or specifically a Christophany.
The Lord started this wrestling match, and it could have been over very quickly, but the Lord wanted Jacob to prevail. The Lord wanted the Syrophenician woman to prevail (Mark 7:26). He wanted Moses to prevail. And he wants you and me to prevail. We must wrestle with God until God breaks us.
2. JACOB WAS BLESSED BY GOD (32:29b). The man wrestling with Jacob said to him, “Let me go” (32:26). Jacob's name means, “Supplanter” or “Heel-grabber.” His name literally means, “that which grabs, or that which holds.”
3. JACOB WAS NOW DEPENDENT UPON GOD. Jacob was an example of a man operating in the flesh. He would try and appease Esau with generous gifts (32:13-15). Jacob did pray, carnal people pray. They pray only after their own schemes and plans are exhausted. They want God to bless their plans, rather than ask God what His plan is.
The purpose of this wrestling match was to break Jacob's stubborn will. The Lord wanted Jacob to submit to His will. Only then would Jacob realize what a poor, worthless, helpless man he really was.
One of the great lessons in the Bible is that we are to be totally dependent upon God. Jesus said in John 15:5, “without me ye can do nothing.”
SERMON ACTIVITY
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James J. Barker is a graduate of Tabernacle Baptist Bible College, Virginia Beach, Virginia. He started Bible Baptist Church, May 1990, in Queens, NY. The LORD commissioned him to minister in the new location of Elmont, NY in 1998. The church has moved from storefront to tent...
