Yet after obtaining these things, Jacob now seeks to return to the land of his birth. Meaning and Significance of Israel. Jacob’s new name of Israel literally means ‘he struggles with God’. and wait for your God always. Jacob’s intention to undermine his brother of both his birthright and father’s blessing also earned him the name of “Supplanter” (Genesis 27:36). I believe, this side of heaven, we’ll all struggle with sin and we’ll battle our own fleshly desires, we not only wrestle against wicked spirits in high places, we wrestle with our own sinful nature. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Instead He was wrestling to keep God with Him.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'christiantoday_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',156,'0','0'])); In our own lives we find that it can be a struggle to have God's presence remain with us. and will punish Jacob according to his ways; he will repay him according to his deeds. All rights reserved. of But God would not be bested. God in human form came to reassure Jacob that he would survive….but more than that, he would thrive and know that God’s access to His throne in heaven was just as accessible as a ladder or stairway would be from one level to another. Some have interpreted this as Jacob wrestling with an angel of God. "Christianity, Judaism and Other Greco-Roman Cults: Judaism After 70; Other Greco-Roman Cults." Yet Jacob, always prudent, continues to scheme and devise a plan to save himself in case God does not come through. Others say that Jacob wrestled with God Himself. Jacob was not wrestling with God because God was His enemy. Madeline Twooney is a Christian writer and blogger. There is evidence that Jacob has fully put his trust in God after this encounter. Perhaps the most confusing part of this story is that Jacob is said to have “struggled with God…and have overcome.” Jacob is victorious, but how so? But Jacob sees God ‘face to face’ (Genesis 32:32) and it changes him. Used by permission. He is most commonly known in the Bible for his cunning and deceitful ways, especially towards his twin brother Esau. Hosea 12:2: “The LORD has a charge to bring against Judah; he will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds.”, Genesis 27:36: ‘Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? In this week’s Torah portion, Vayishlah, Jacob wrestles all night with a mysterious angel representing God.Because Jacob successfully survives this encounter, his name is changed to Israel. It’s impossible to wrestle against something you cannot see but know exists, so it’s easier to wrestle against someone else rather than an invisible enemy, but thankfully, God provided every resource we’ll need, plus the strength of Christ (Phil 4:13). "Hosea." The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. You can contact Madeline at [email protected] or Tweet her at @MTwooney. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. God blessed Jacob and gave him a new name – Israel (Genesis 32:28) and with it a new identity.Jacob was no longer to be associated as the swindler and trickster of his past: He was a new creation, filled with God’s blessings with a divine purpose to establish the Israelite nation. ", This famous story about Jacob can inspire all of us to wrestle with God and angels in our lives to strengthen our faith, Lichtenwalter writes in "Wrestling with Angels.". He is given a new name; he is a new person. (Hosea 12: 2-6, NIV). Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. And when Esau and Jacob meet, Esau does not kill Jacob. 25 Encouraging Bible Verses About Strength, Words of Encouragement: 30 Uplifting Quotes, How Christians Can Celebrate Thanksgiving Day (Every Day), Bible Verses For When You’ve Failed Or Blown It, Ice Dragon: Legend of the Blue Daisies – Movie Review, Phoenix Wilder And The Great Elephant Adventure – Movie Review, The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island – Movie Review. She is the author of the book "Wake Up to Wonder.". At some point during this weird contest Jacob realizes that he is wrestling God. Does Jacob defeat God, or at least wear him out, in some sense? Some have interpreted this as Jacob wrestling with an angel of God. On the night that Jacob wrestled with God, it was only when “Jacob was left alone. The story of the prophet Jacob wrestling with a man of supernatural strength, which is in both Torah and Bible, has captured readers' attention for centuries. Apparently while Jacob was wrestling with God, God was holding back on Him. Sometimes we’re able to avoid sin but other times, we fall. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! I do believe that from the Scriptures, Jacob desired God’s protection from Esau and his entourage but also to receive a blessing and a promise that God would bring him through this experience and God did just that. as a man he struggled with God. It is then that God changes Jacob's name to Israel - meaning "strives for God.". God blessed Jacob and gave him a new name – Israel (Genesis 32:28) and with it a new identity. What seems more clearly to be happening is that as morning draws near and Jacob continues to resist God, God humbles Jacob even more. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'whatchristianswanttoknow_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_0',115,'0','0']));Have you wrestled with a besetting sin? In return for 20 years of service, Jacob tricked Laban into giving him his desired choice of wages - speckled and spotted sheep and goats - by stripping back the branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees and placing them at the watering troughs where the strongest animals came to drink and mate (Genesis 30:25-43). But it was not until Jacob took it in a prayer-wrestling match with God that it really became his. and don’t give up on him—ever! Jacob is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 25. 5 the Lord God Almighty, From the time of his birth until his wrestling encounter with God (Genesis 32:24-29, Jacob was associated with trickery and deception. The Apostle Paul tells us that we’re wrestling, but hopefully, not against God. We all might have felt at some point that we were wrestling with God. Jacob is on his way to visit his estranged brother Esau, hoping to reconcile with him, when he encounters the mysterious man on a riverbank at night. While he tried to run from God, a stranger met him during the night and begins wrestling with him. Jacob, however, appears not to submit to God and to continue to battle throughout the night. We know that Jacob wrestles with God during the night, but what are the circumstances that precipitate this? Jesus makes our burdens light and puts upon Himself the yoke of our sin so that we won't have to struggle as much as we would if we were left on our own. Clearly, Jacob didn’t want to let go until God, appearing in the form of a Man, blessed him, which He later did, but something else changed too. All rights reserved. Second, as Jacob continues on his journey, he has a newfound integrity. Return to your God! It is during that encounter that Jacob realizes he is wrestling God and requests a blessing. The story of Jacob is so relevant to those of us with illnesses. Why Did He Wrestle With God? Jacob’s soon-to-be father-in-law gave Jacob a taste of his own medicine when he tricked Jacob into marrying Leah when he thought he was marrying Rachel. While Jacob was traveling towards Haran, he lay down to sleep in the desert and dreamt of a staircase that extended up to heaven, on which angels ascended and descended. Proud member But first, for this story to make sense, let me explain the most important elements of the narrative.
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