The God Who Wrestles

Our kids and grands got a new puppy, Frankie. He wrestles and nips and romps and is full of personality–a perfect fit for their active family. Hypothetically, if you went to pick out a puppy, and you could judge by a single visit which would be a Naughty Nelson or a Pillow Parker, which temperament would you choose?

• Naughty Nelson: would be more exciting and less predictable.
• Pillow Parker: would be more obedient and less active.

In 2015, we chose Mr. Pillow Parker. Zeke is now and has always been a lump of love and never chewed a slipper in his life. Our kids had another dog back then, Daisy, and she was more like Frank–tearing up kleenexes out of the trash until the day she crossed the “Rainbow Bridge.” (Rainbow Bridge is a beautiful poem but not my theology on the afterlife of pets. 😉 )

Naughty Can Be Nice

Daisy brought her people to live with us for a time when we moved to North Carolina. Zeke loved her, as did her whole pack (my daughter, son-in-love, and two grandkids). Roy and I–not so much. We were accustomed to Zeke, the Pillow Parker, not Daisy, the Naughty Nancy.

However, after a few weeks, we realized why this energetic, persistent, attention-seeking dog was like a four-legged nanny for our grandkids–and we adored her too! Daisy barked if they strayed too far from the house or even if they climbed too high on their playset.

Why am I talking about dogs when I usually talk about God? It’s not because I’m dyslexic (dog/god). 😆

The God Who Wrestles

I’m about to share a lesson I learned from Jacob about the God who wrestles. I don’t like to struggle or be challenged. I’d rather have the Pillow Puddle dog and a smooth, unchallenging life with a puffy-clouds-and-lollipops god. But that’s not the God of the Bible.

If we can fall in love with a dog who challenges our patience, can we also adore the God who wrestles our faith? The answer is YES! I’ve experienced it, and we see the same thing happen to Jacob with the God who Wrestles.

Setting the Scene

Let’s take a 30,000 ft. flyover of Jacob’s life (Gen. 25-31) to see who he was before, during, and after God wrestles with him:

• In the womb, God told Rebecca she would have twins and that the older would serve the younger.
• Esau was born first, Jacob second. Isaac favored Esau; Rebecca favored Jacob.
• Rebecca convinced Jacob to deceive Isaac and steal Esau’s covenant blessing.
• When Jacob successfully gained the blessing, Esau vowed to kill him, so Jacob fled to Rebecca’s brother, Laban, in Harran.
• Jacob had a dream on the way (named the location, Bethel) and vowed to make Yahweh his God IF He did everything He promised.
• Jacob met and fell in love with Rachel when he first arrived in Harran and served his uncle, Laban, as a shepherd to earn her hand in marriage.
• Laban substituted Rachel’s older sister, Leah, on the wedding night, but Jacob didn’t realize it until morning.
• Laban gave Rachel to Jacob as well–in exchange for another seven years of labor.
• Jacob served Laban for a total of twenty years and endured repeated deceptions, cheating, and threats. With Yahweh’s direction, however, Jacob’s wealth increased through wages while Laban’s decreased.
• Finally, God appeared to Jacob in a dream and told him to return to Canaan. Jacob fled Harran with his wives, children, and all his possessions while Laban and his sons were away shearing sheep.
• Laban caught up to Jacob’s family but didn’t harm anyone because God had also appeared to him in a dream, warning him against it. He and Jacob promised no future retributions, Jacob sacrificed to the Lord, and Laban returned home.
• When Jacob’s family continued into Canaan, angels of God met him, and he called the place Mahanaim.
• Upon entering Canaan, Jacob immediately sent messengers to announce his return to Esau, calling himself his older brother’s “servant” (contrary to both the prophecy before his birth and the blessing he stole from his brother).
• His messengers returned with news that Esau was coming with 400 men. Yikes!

In This Corner–Jacob

When Jacob heard Esau was coming with a small army of men, he divided his family into “two camps” (the literal meaning of Mahanaim) and prayed.

“O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'” Genesis 32:9–12 (emphasis added)

Can you hear the panic in his prayer? “You told me to go back to Canaan, God, and now Esau’s coming!”

Jacob is literally cornered. He wrestles internally with what to do. He can’t go back to Harran, and he can’t escape his big ol’, hairy, red brother.

Let the Wrestling Begin

After choosing several droves of animals to send with servants as gifts to his brother–very generous peace offerings–Jacob sent his wives, children, and all his possessions across the Jabbok River. Why would a man send his family away the night before he faces his greatest fear?

“So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.” Genesis 32:24-25

• Jacob wanted to be alone – God showed up.
• Jacob wanted to rest – God wanted to wrestle.
• Jacob wanted to be strong when he met Esau – God wanted him weak, wrestling him until dawn and then wrenching his hip.

God wrestles with Jacob to instill in him two key principles:

1. Jacob was never alone because God was ALWAYS with him.
2. When Jacob’s weakness was overshadowed by God’s strength, Jacob could face his greatest fear as an overcomer (Israel).

Are You Wrestling?

I’ve found myself wrestling with God quite a bit lately. Afraid. Cornered. Weak. And needing to rely on God because my strength was gone. It usually happened when I felt out of control or was surprised by unexpectedly harsh realities.

Changed At the Core

Remember Jacob’s prayer when the messengers told him Esau was coming? Very fearful and sort of trembly and cowering? After his all-night divine wrestling match, his tone changed:

“The man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’

But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’

The man asked him, ‘What is your name?’

‘Jacob,’ he answered.

Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.'” Genesis 32:26–28 (emphasis added)

He Who Wrestles Overcomes

Here’s what I’ve learned from Jacob and the God Who Wrestles:

What comes before the wrestling is terrifying. The wrestling itself is exhausting. But if we hold onto God until His blessing comes, we’ll be amazed at the changes He brings–inside and out.

So, suck in that pouty lip and get ready to rumble. The God of the Universe has only good reasons for us to wrestle.

Today’s Questions:

• Are you cornered and fearful? Is God calling you to wrestle for His blessing?
• How can you let His strength shine through your weakness?

Tweet-ables:

• Check out the #newpuppy that challenges our patience, and see it as proof we can love God when He challenges our faith.
• Who was Jacob before, during, and after God wrestled with him, and why do we wrestle for the same reasons today?
• Suck in that pouty lip and get ready to rumble. The God of the Universe has good reasons for us to wrestle.