Further Thoughts on Jacob

Barbara Bowyer writes: This past Sunday, the Adult Forum continued its Advent study under the guidance of Pastor Travis. Our reading for the day was Genesis 32: 22-32, where Jacob wrestles all night with God. Unlike the WWE, however, this was not entertainment-based performance theater, featuring storyline-driven, scripted and partially choreographed matches. The struggle was real; I imagine God then Jacob seemingly having the upper hand in the contest only to have the other to find a second wind to continue the struggle. Neither side has a clear advantage and so the wrestling continues throughout the night. After he prevails in his fight and receives his desired blessing, Jacob is injured at the hip, an injury he will carry with him the rest of his life. The sun rises, and he's given a new name — Israel — which means 'he who wrestles with God.' The new name reflects his struggle, and the destiny of an entire people.

As I considered the passage, I was struck by the length of time the two foes struggled with one another. The determination and persistence it took to continue the match was remarkable. I’m certain that Jacob must have felt desperation, exhaustion, and pain at various points throughout the long night. One could almost feel empathy for Jacob if we didn’t know his back story. He was a determined man; some would consider him to be ruthless. He was a con artist, a liar, and a manipulator. In fact, the name Jacob not only means “deceiver,” but more literally it means “grabber.” He had come to this place because of his life choices. Though God promised Jacob that through him would come not only a great nation, but a whole company of nations, he was a man full of fears and anxieties and deep-seated family hostilities characterized his life. He lies to his father, Isaac. He's manipulated by his mother, Rebecca. He steals his brother Esau's blessing. Jacob runs for his life, and then ends up under the thumb of Laban, his father-in-law, for a couple of decades. 

Despite all the above, God chose Jacob to be the leader of the Jewish people and father to the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Pretty amazing, eh? More importantly, what does this passage mean to us today? In Jacob’s story, we can easily recognize our own elements of struggle: fears, darkness, loneliness, vulnerabilities, empty feelings of powerlessness, exhaustion, and relentless pain. What we learn from this remarkable incident in the life of Jacob is that our lives are rarely meant to be easy. This is especially true when we take it upon ourselves to wrestle with God and His will for our lives. We also learn that as Christians, despite our trials and tribulations, our strivings in this life are never devoid of God’s presence, and His blessing inevitably follows the struggle, which can sometimes be messy and chaotic. Like Jacob, real growth experiences always involve struggle and pain. The challenge is to be persistent and not give up the struggle.

"Jacob and the Angel," a sculpture by Jacob Epstein


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