Im going to wrestle until he bless me! Im not going stop hallelujah! Lord theres something that need from you! Hallelujah! As Jacob began to pray that night, little did he know that as he cried out to God for strength and deliverance that he would end up wrestling with God Himself. As he wrestled in prayer, it was as though he sensed that God was really present with him. As he cried out more and more in prayer, God’s presence became more and more real to him until, suddenly, He was real! His uplifted arms were actually clinging to God Himself, God in human form. Jacob felt that, if he ever let go, it would mean that God had left him with his prayer unanswered; and so he clung desperately, pleading all the while for His blessing. God in His grace allowed him to hang on, seeing that Jacob’s faith and understanding were growing as he clung.506 At some point, when God saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he finally gave him the blessing he sought. It wasn’t that He couldnt over power him, but He allowed Jacob to hold on. Then, to remind Jacob of the experience forever, He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched and slightly dislocated as he wrestled with him (32:25).This would be a continual reminder of this unique encounter. But Jacob continued to struggle for the blessing, despite having a dislocated hip. The Rabbis teach that the laming of Jacob was his punishment for wanting to flee and not relying on God. Then the Lord said: Let Me go, for it is daybreak. The fact that the wrestling lasted until daybreak is significant. For the darkness symbolized Jacob’s situation. Fear and uncertainty had seized him.507 It was a long indecisive struggle. But once it dawned on Jacob who his assailant was, he pleaded: I will not let you go unless you bless me (32:26). Jacob wasn’t wrestling any more, he was just holding on. He found out that you do not get anywhere with God by struggling and resisting; the only way that you get anywhere with Him is by yielding and just holding on to Him. Abraham had learned that, and that is why he believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness (15:6). When you are willing to hold on, the Lord is there ready to help you.508 The Lord desires men and women to persist in prayer and align themselves to His will. He delights in yielding to such prayers. Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He concluded: Will not God bring justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will he keep putting them off (Luke 18:1 and 8)? But to show the transition between Jacob’s time of preparation and his time of fulfillment,the Angel of the Lord called attention to his name. Then the Lord asked him: What is your name? The Rabbis teach that angels have no set names, but their names change according to the mission given to them. Jacob, he answered (32:27). Then the man said: Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel. He would no longer be called the supplanter, but the prevailer. In Hebrew, Yisrael, is a combination of two Hebrew words, sarah andel. Literally it means, he who prevails victoriously with God. Other interpretations are such names as God strives, God fights, or may God contend. The reason for the name change is because you have struggled with God, to gain the blessing, and with men, such as Esau and Laban, and have prevailed or overcome (32:28).
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 13:50:01 +0000
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