Wrestling with God - Treasures of Faith - Week 6 Day 2

TODAY'S TREASURE

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." 

Genesis 32:28

Transcript

Wrestling with God

Chuck and Sharon Betters

Today’s Treasure 

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." 

Genesis 32:28

Observers must not give in to the temptation to tear away a cocoon encasing a caterpillar. To do so pulls the struggling caterpillar past the very step this small creature needs to push vital fluids into its wings and to transform it into a soaring, healthy butterfly. As we journey beside our next example of faith, Jacob, we will be tempted to tear away his cocoon of selfish machinations, grab him by the throat, and scream, “Jacob, how many times does God have to speak to you before you really hear Him?” But our patience with Jacob will grow as his journey illuminates our own failures. In many ways, Jacob is someone we can personally identify with. He will teach us, through the example of his own life, how God’s grace can rescue us from ourselves, from our own foolish and self-centered behavior. In Jacob’s story, we are reminded that, as believers, we will inherit the same glorious legacy.

The reference to Jacob in Hebrews 11 is so brief and flies by so quickly that you might easily miss it altogether. But there is a priceless message buried here:

“By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. “ Hebrews 11:21

This verse takes us into Jacob’s death room, where we witness the final moments of his life. But before we enter that holy place, we must reflect on the events and circumstances God had used to bring Jacob to this culminating point in his life’s journey.

Jacob’s entire life was a battle for control. Born grasping his brother Esau’s heel, he lived up to his name: supplanter, schemer, self-reliant. He tricked his father, stole his brother's blessing, manipulated his way through family dynamics, and spent years dodging consequences. But that all changed the night he was left alone by the Jabbok River.

After years of hiding from his brother, all the while building his own family, Jacob returns home, not knowing how Esau will treat him. He feared the worst, perhaps because he deserved the worst or maybe because he knew he himself would inflict great damage on anyone who had betrayed him as he betrayed his brother and father. After ensuring the safety of his family, Jacob collapsed in fear. God came to Jacob not in a dream but as a physical presence, a man who wrestled him to the ground. This was not a scolding or a teaching moment. It was a breaking moment. As the two struggled through the night, God touched Jacob’s hip and dislocated it, marking him permanently. But Jacob would not let go. For once, Jacob knew he had nothing left to manipulate, no strength left to run. And in that weakness, he clung to God, not in defiance but desperation.

Jacob’s identity was redefined. His new name, Israel, given to him by God, wasn’t a badge of success but a testimony of grace. He had not overcome by strength but through surrender. He saw that the blessing he craved could never be stolen, it had to be received.

This moment foreshadowed the gospel: the true Israel, Jesus, wrestled not to gain but to give. He absorbed God’s judgment so we could receive His blessing.

This moment changed everything. No longer would he be known for grasping and scheming. He would be known as one who struggled with God and prevailed.

LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT 

Take a minute to think about the stress of Jacob’s life. I imagine him exhausted from all the family conflict, drama, and lack of peace.  Can you relate? Like you, I have seasons of life where conflict consumed me. And then there are the years of lament over the death of our son. Such striving can drive us to Jesus, where we fall on our knees, exhausted and empty of answers or strength. The night seasons of life often expose our illusions of control. God often meets us in the dark night of our souls, not to destroy but to transform us. When every earthly prop is removed, when our cleverness, strength, and pride are stripped away, that is when we learn to cling. And it is in the breaking that we are remade. 

Let God rename you in those moments. Don’t resist the breaking. Trust that what He breaks, He also heals, and He never leaves us unchanged. What name is He writing over your life today?

PRAYER

Father, when I try to control everything, bring me to a place where I cling to You. Break what needs breaking. Heal what needs healing. But most of all, change me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Adapted from Treasures of Faith by Chuck and Sharon Betters with permission from P&R Publishing

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