Genesis 32 -- Jacob Wrestles God And Himself

God had told Jacob to return to Bethel, yet on the way he would enter the land of his brother Esau, who he hadn’t seen since stealing Isaac’s blessing twenty years prior.  Despite God’s direction and promise to protect him, Jacob began to worry and scheme.  “He adopted a condescending attitude that wasn’t befitting to the man God had chosen to carry on the Abrahamic covenant,” my commentary said, “Calling Esau my lord and himself your servant.”  He also devised a lavish gift, hoping perhaps to bribe Esau into forgiving him.

Despite all this, my commentary had a lot of good things to say about Jacob’s prayer for God’s protection.  He prayed based on God’s covenant, and God’s command that he leave Laban’s land.  He reminded God of how God had cared for him.  He prayed that God’s purpose wouldn’t fail, and he reminded God of the promises God had made to him at Bethel.

The only negative thing seemed to be that “he was praying in desperation and not in confidence.”

Rather than completely trusting God, Jacob decided to try to appease Esau.  “Whatever we do that isn’t motivated by faith is sin, no matter how successful it may appear.  The real problem wasn’t Esau; it was Jacob, and God was now going to solve that problem.”

Having moved his family to safety, Jacob found himself alone, and that night he met the Lord.  “God meets us at whatever level He finds us in order to lift us to where He wants us to be … Jacob discovered that he’d spent his life fighting God and resisting his will, and that the only way to victory was through surrender.  The Lord cannot fully bless a man until He has first conquered him.”

Father, I’m so glad that You met me and conquered me all those years ago.  I’d been fighting You, thinking I was winning when all I was doing was hurting myself in my pride.  Help my sons to see this and learn it before they reach the same point.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford