Genesis 32:22–32

Genesis 32:22–32

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Wrestling with God

22 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. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 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. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”

But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”

27 So He said to him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Jacob.”

28 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.”

29 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.

30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ge 32:22–32

• Transcript

  They're perfect a moonbow Perfect. All right. Well, good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to Coffee and devotions is where every weekday morning you and I we get together we have a little bit of coffee. We get into God's word and we grow in our love for the Lord together. And this year 2023 Lord willing, we'll make it from the book of Genesis to Leviticus. We're at Genesis 32 this morning. Finnick gonna wrap up that chapter. Let's have some coffee, we'll pray and we'll get into the Lord's word. Let's pray. Father, you are a generous, gracious, loving, good God. We thank You for Your Word. And we pray that this morning as we read your word, you would please watch over us and bless us. instruct our souls. Lord, we need your Holy Spirit in Jesus's name, Amen. All right, Genesis chapter 2032. I forgot to put on my glasses yesterday I was trying to figure out why was I having such a hard time seeing the page while old man is setting in. All right, here we go. Genesis 32, beginning of verse 22. And he arose that night and took his two wives his two female servants and his 11 sons and crossed over the Ford of Jabbok. Then he took them and sent them over the brook and sent over what he had said and 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. 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 asked me my name? And he blessed him there? So Jacob called the name of the place denial, for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. Just as he crossed over penjual the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. Therefore, to this day, the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrink, which is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip in the muscle that shrink. Well, we need to ask ourselves a, what's this about B? What's the best verse that summarizes NC what are we called to do in response to these words? So what's this about? Remember the plan that Jacob had had the last chapter, you know, he's, he said, Okay, I'm gonna split my family up into two groups, and I'm gonna have this drove of gifts, this trove of gifts and this drove a guest. He's trying to try to appease his brother Esau, so he's able to go back to his family's inheritance. And now, he's prayed to God and now he interacts with God is this is this amazing scene of Jacob wrestling with God? Now, there's two different ways to look at this theologians will either call it a theophany a theophany. That is a God appearing in the form of a man some people will argue that this is a Chris Stafanie a Christoph and he has in Christ appearing before his incarnation. Other people will say that Jacob is wrestling with an angel. And so you can go and research that on your own. I'm not going to delve into the depths depths of this with you and ye have different positions on this and sometimes they still scratch my head. So I'm not going to take a firm stance on this one. But it's clear that Jacob believes that he has seen God face to face and yet his life is preserved as his family is put into two different groups as he's taking it by himself. He's spending the night alone as his 11 children, his wives and all the droves of gifts and a servants are gonna go and do their thing. He finds himself wrestling with God. And it's at this point that Jacob is wrestling with God all night long, and he's he's wrestling and that clings on he clings on this and he says let me go and Jacob says Not until you bless me. So he's does he changes his name from Jacob to Israel? Is this beautiful picture we're gonna we're gonna see that Jacob's life is going to start to shift it's going to start to change it's going to take on a new course from this point on. Jacob, the schemers going to become this type of person who is more respectable, who's more godly. He comes into interaction with a living God and He's going to be changed forever. But it's not going to come easily. With just the stroke of a finger. His hip was put out of place. This is this interesting egg, right? He has been wrestling with him all night. And he's not in the it seems as if Jacob is a strong one here. But at the moment of change of the end of these things, the changing we find out who really is the powerful one, just the touch of his hip and it's pulled out of place. And Jacob for the rest of his life will walk with a hip with a limp and there's there's a cultural tradition that goes on from here that Israelites from that day on when they would be you know, having a barbecue and they will be making a sacrifice, whatever. They wouldn't eat that part of the hip. So they wouldn't leave that alone because it was in remembrance of God touching Jacob so what's this about? This is God changing. Jacob changing his name to Israel and changing his life forever. He's already given the promises. But now, God says you've wrestled with both God and men, but you're going to limp from now on you're going to walk with an impairment to remember that you have wrestled with me face to face, and it's going to be better from here on out. But it's not going to be without repercussions. This is Jacob life changing. Now, what's the best verse to summarize this? Well in my Bible, I have verse 24, verse 28, as well as verse 30 I verse 30, double underlined. So Jacob called the name of the place Pinocchio, for I've seen God face to face in my life is preserved. What what are we called to do? Right? Well, how does this interact with us? Well, this is true in our lives also. We can go the historical redemptive way. Yes, we can talk about how God is accomplishing His promises. He's taking ownership of Israel, and he's bringing about the seat of Christ. But I want to talk to you this morning about how God interacts with you. Many times when we come into relationship with the Lord, it is by a wrestling with him. It is as we struggle and we fight and we wrestle. I love when I hear people telling me that they've been reading their bible and there's things that are difficult for them or they're going through hardships in their life. I cannot tell you how many testimonies how many things I've heard from people about how they came to saving faith in Jesus Christ, after they were had to wrestle through some of the most difficult things in their lives. And they've walked with a limp the rest of their lives but they were a changed person coming out of it. I don't know what you're wrestling with today. I don't know what you're struggling with in your life. Some of you are struggling through some of the most difficult and challenging things. I know some of you in our in our own congregation are suffering and are struggling and are fighting. It seems like you're wrestling with God, God, why are you doing this? How is this happening? And even though we might walk with a limp from here on out, you can cling to God and you can tell him I will not let go of you till you bless me. And if you are in Christ Jesus then we know that all things work together for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purposes. We know that there is no condemnation in Christ, and that everything that he is doing all the wrestling that we must do with him all the hard Providence's he brings in our lives are for a purpose. Some of you are struggling. Some of you, it seems like if you come out of this, you're always going to walk with a limp. The Lord is doing it to make you rely on him more, to cling to Him more and to shape you into the type of person he desires. He does things perfectly. He does things for a reason. He does all things well. And he's working in your life, for your good and for His glory. So Christian, cling to Him for the blessing. Wrestle with him. Know that he is a God who does not injure us out of violence. But he allows us to wrestle with him for our good let's pray. Father, we thank you that in our lives, Lord, you allow us to go through hard things. Lord, there are difficulties emotionally, spiritually, physically, in our relationships, because of our actions, in our workplaces, in our marriages, with our children, with our families, with our co workers, Lord things in our lives that are so difficult and yet father we know that you are the one who brings them to us. Because if we are yours, Lord, you are using all these things, to mold us and shape us. For you are the potter and we are the clay but Lord we will cling to you. And we will hold out hope for that blessing. Lord, you have shown us your love in Jesus Christ. And you have called us your own father Please bless us. Do not forget us. Though we walk with a limp the rest of our lives Lord, please change us and make us more like you. Bless us, Lord, we pray in Jesus's name. Amen. Well, may you wrestle with God. May you know that he is the Omnipotent One. But he is also the shepherd of your soul. And the one who watches over you day and night. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye. Transcribed by https://otter.ai