“And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me! “So, He said to him, “What is your name? “He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. Genesis 32:22-29
We live in a world that glorifies self above all. The media markets self-independence as the ultimate goal. It’s the reason we dream of finding the ideal career, building the dream house, having a big savings account, and being perfectly independent of others. In case you are low on love, practice some self-love; indulge and pamper yourself to the point you feel good. This notion has also creeped into our churches, with a gospel that preaches that God’s ultimate goal for us is our comfort.
However, true Christianity advocates the dying of self. That the pathway to living is death. To follow Christ is a death sentence to self. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus tells his disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” He reiterates this principle in John 12:24-25, “Truly, Truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life”.
Jesus is not asking you to hate your life (self-hatred) but he is calling his disciples to a sacrificial life that includes the death to self-daily.
God is more concerned about your holiness than your comfort. It isn’t that He doesn’t care about your personal needs (He is a good father), but his ultimate desire is for you to be conformed to the image of his son (Romans 8:29). For that to happen you have to pass through Gethsemane to experience the resurrection. Paul says in Galatians 2:20, for I have been crucified with Christ, it is not I that lives but Christ lives in me.
Jacob the Deceiver
Jacob was born a deceiver, that is what his name means. Before he was born, there was contention with his brother while still in the womb. Even before he was born God had chosen him by divine election (Romans 9:13) to be heir to the Abrahamic covenant and the Messiah’s lineage. Yet, with all these blessings over his head, Jacob chose to live up to his name as a deceiver.
For a meal, he deceived his brother Esau over his birthright, then also deceived his father Isaac to bless him over Esau. His life of deceit led him to flee to his uncle Laban’s household as Esau had sworn to kill him. As fate would have it, the uncle also swindled Jacob off his wife and changed his wages multiple times.
In the scripture we just read, we see Jacob at a crossroads that we often find ourselves. He lived his life as a deceiver and was about to encounter his brother Esau. Have you ever found yourself in the same situation, living a double life? The word hypocrite screams into your conscience constantly. Maybe, you serve in your church worship team, but during the weekends you spend the night at your boyfriend’s place. Or God has called you to be a pastor but no one knows you have that whiskey bottle carefully hidden in your bedroom; you take sips each night to take the stress away.
You are aware of your sin, yet you persist in it.
At some point Jacob has to die for Israel to live. Your old self must encounter the holiness of God, and in the ensuing battle, it dies.. As human beings, we have a body, soul and spirit. The Holy Spirit resides in your Spirit and wants to guide you from the inside out. However, your flesh (fallen nature) also has appetites and wants to take the driver’s seat. As long as you have a body there will be this constant battle between the spirit and the flesh; the two are antagonistic to each other (Galatians 5:17). Whatever you feed, either the spirit or flesh, dominates your life.
Jacob’s Encounter with an Angel
For Jacob, his flesh had been on the driving seat and God desired that old man to die, hence the wrestling match at Peniel. You have to note that Jacob was a very blessed man at this point. In Genesis 32:14-15 it says he had 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 30 milk camels with colts, 40 cows and 10 bulls. The man was wealthy but he desired more than material blessings; he wanted a spiritual blessing that only God could give.
Many have used this scripture as a standing point that if you contend with God, like Jacob did, then material blessings will flow to you. You have to understand that spiritual blessings have more weight than material ones. The wrestling with God in Peniel also had a side to it, as God conquered the old man, Jacob. He changed his name from Jacob to Israel as evidence of this struggle.
Before God asks you to conquer the world, he has to conquer you first. Or else the world will conquer you through your unrestrained flesh. Through divine encounters God crushes our pride, self-sufficiency, stubbornness, lusts and materialism.
What comes out of that struggle is a man that is led by the Spirit rather than the impulses of the flesh. At Gethsemane, Jesus had his struggle with the flesh as his crucifixion drew closer. He asked God in Luke 22:42, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup of suffering away from me. However, not my will but your will must be done.”
The cross came before the crown.
In Christianity, the pathway to life is death. It is a life of constant surrender to the will of the Father. It is a life where you die to your selfish desires and the materialism that characterize this world. It is a life where you pick up your cross daily, die to self and allow the Holy Spirit to direct and guide your life. It calls for sacrifices, with the greatest being your own life.
What are you willing to lose for Jesus to be enthroned in your heart as Lord and King?
Are you ready for a Jacob’s encounter? It might leave you limping but the highest version of yourself, which is in your spirit, will thrive. Are you ready for a new name? Then ask God, I want to encounter you; don’t leave me the way you found me. Jacob in verse 22 left all that he had – his wives, children, and material possessions – and he was left alone with God.
Are you willing to live the entertainment that ensnares you, the friends that lead you astray, and the career that chokes God out of your life; live all behind and wrestle with God until he breaks you? There is a saying God does not use a man greatly until he breaks him greatly.
My question remains, are you desperate for a Jacob’s encounter?