Genesis 32
Wrestling with God
Prayer for illumination: please join me in prayer…
Sermon introduction:
Of all the unsavory characters in the Bible Jacob is on top of the list.
Lets start with his name. Jacob literally means heal grabber or deceiver. When he wants
something nothing is going to stop him from grabbing it. This is the story of his life.
While in the womb he wrestles violently with his brother.
When it is time for his birth he comes out of the womb grabbing his twin brother’s heal.
When he reaches manhood he steals his old brother’s inheritance through manipulation.
To make maters worse he tricks his blind elderly father into giving him the blessing that belongs
to his older brother Esau. Do you remember this story? Jacob puts on animal skins, gives his father lots
of strong drink, and brings him a tasty meal in order to get the blessing that belongs to someone else.
When older brother Esau finds out he is so livid that he shakes with rage and promises to kill his
brother.
A little while later he wrestles his future father in law for Rachael’s hand in marriage.
A few years later he wrestles his Father in laws sheep away from his father in law.
From a human perspective Jacob is a self made man. He is rich, he has two wives, and lots of kids.
He is self sufficient and independent. If he wants something he grabs it.
There is a little bit of Jacob in all of us. We too can be self reliant, self sufficient, giving God lip
service, but doing things in our own strength. That is all about to change for Jacob.
Jacob learns that he will only prevail in prayer and weakness not in his own power.
You and I will only prevail in prayer and weakness and not in our own power. God will often use
whatever means necessary to get us to a place of utter dependence on him. Lets look at this story. It has
three points.
First Jacob panics
Second Jacob prays
Third Jacob prevails
First, Jacob panics
Why does Jacob panic? Esau is coming!
As Jacob heads back to the promise land he draws near to Esau’s neck of the woods.
Genesis 32:3–6 (ESV) —3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land
of Seir, the country of Edom, 4 instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your
servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male
servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’ ” 6
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet
you, and there are four hundred men with him.”
It has been 20 years since Jacob has seen his older brother Esau. Sometimes distance and time
makes the heart grow fonder and sometimes distance and time makes the heart grow bitter. What would
time and distance due to Esau’s heart?
Jacob sends diplomats ahead to smooth things out with his brother. Unfortunately they bring back
bad news. Esau is coming with 400 men; which happened to be the size of an average militia. The only
reason to bring 400 men was to wage war. He did not approach with 400 men so that they could carry
400 olive branches.
Jacob panic’s because Esau is coming…
Why does Esau’s make Jacob panic? Esau hates Jacob!
Lets go back in time 20 years to Genesis 27. In genesis 27 Esau finds out that his younger brother
Jacob just stole his blessing. Here is his responseGenesis 27:34–36 (ESV) —34 As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an
exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” 35 But he
said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” 36 Esau said, “Is he not
rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold,
now he has taken away my blessing.”
Genesis 27:41 (ESV) — 41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father
had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I
will kill my brother Jacob.”
Esau is livid. Earlier in the story Esau is described as a skilled hunter. This is a bad combination.
Esau is a livid, skilled hunter, and he is approaching with 400 men.
There is nothing Jacob can do? He can’t call the police, the Marines, Seal Team six, or Delta force.
He is in trouble…
It would be better to come across a crew of zombies than 400 armed men.
Just use your imagination a little bit. This was the era of hand-to-hand combat. People did not die
quickly when a bullet hit them in the head. They did slowly and painfully from arrows, spears, swords,
and clubs. Furthermore, women and children were not spared from the horrors of war.
What does Jacob’s panic lead to? Abject Terror!
Genesis 32:7–8 (ESV) — 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people
who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, 8 thinking, “If Esau comes to
the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”
He divides his family into two camps to minimize deaths. If Esau attacks the first group the
second group may escape.
Jacob panics…
Application: when was the last time you went into panic mode?
This is easy for me to answer. I was greatly distressed the day after the elections.
Obama wants more taxes, more government spending, and we are already 16 trillion dollars in
debt. This has me greatly distressed. Plus the president is pro-choice, pro gay marriage, and he is
eroding our religious liberty. To make matters worse he is probably going to appoint two left leaning
Supreme Court justices. Our country is rapidly changing before our eyes. I find this distressing.
At the same time our state legalized Marijuana and same sex marriage. I could not believe that we
were even voting on those things. What is there to vote about??? Our culture is unraveling at the seems.
I was tempted to panic. Especially as I think about my children’s futures.
What makes you distressed? When do you panic?
Wayward kids
Health issues
Aging parents
The thought of yourself aging
Work stress
Relational stress
A nasty boss
The loss of freedoms
Financial hardship
We live in a broken world where many things have the potential to cause us to panic.
First, Jacob panics
Second, Jacob prays
Look with me at Jacob’s prayer in Genesis 32:9-12
You can learn allot about someone by his or her prayers.
Genesis 32:9–12 (ESV) — 9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father
Isaac, O LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ 10 I
am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown
to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please
deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and
attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your
offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”
This is the longest recorded prayer in Genesis, it is personal, humble, and it is based on God’s
promises.
But why is this prayer so important?
This is the first time Jacob prays in Genesis. Jacob has finally come to the end of his rope. In
the past he was always able to develop a plan, tighten his sandals, get to work and solve his problems on
his own. Now his back is against the wall, there is nothing he can do about 400 soldiers. He is desperate,
he needs deliverance, and he knows it!
This is the beginning of a new Jacob. He finally realizes his need for God’s help. But his faith is
not perfect. He is a weak man. He can’t quite let go of his old ways. He still wants to do something! He
has been doing things in his own strength for years.
This explains verses 13-23. Jacob sends a total of 550/580 animals to Esau in five groups in order
to appease Esau’s anger. This is no small gift and reveals Jacob’s incredible wealth.
It is important to note that it was not Jacob’s scheming that delivered Jacob. Nothing but the hand
of God was going to change the perspective of 400 armed men eager for battle and the spoils of war.
God delivered Jacob because earlier God promised to deliver Jacob.
Application:
What do you do when you are terrified? Scheme, plan, organize, work harder, put your head in the
sand and try to forget your problems. Maybe you eat your sorrows away, entertain your sorrows away,
or try to spend your sorrows away.
What we do when calamity strikes reveals whom or what we trust. If we say we believe that God
will deliver us but look to our plans, abilities, schemes, or something else to save us we don’t really
believe that God will save us.
This reveals that we are self sufficient and independent people. These things are the fruits of
pride and God hates pride.
How do we know that we are depending on ourselves and not trusting God when calamity strikes?
We don’t pray.
We lack peace and joy.
If we say we trust God but we consistently lack peace we don’t really trust God to deliver us and
we are probably depending on ourselves just like Jacob did most of his life.
Warren Wiersbe writes- “Faith is living without scheming” (Wiersbe, 133)
I’m not saying that we should not act when calamity strikes. I’m merely saying that we must not
depend on our actions to solve our problems.
Who is the hero in this story? Not Jacob!!! God is the hero. It is God who places Jacob in this
predicament so that he has no other choice but to cry out to God for deliverance.
God in his kindness will often bring us to a place of absolute reliance on him. He will often
orchestrate things so that our only option is to pray! This is often a painful process.
(Meeting with and old friend recently whose marriage and life was a mess)
Maybe you are thinking, “I have screwed things up so royally that I don’t know what to do. My
back us up against the wall. I have done some stupid sinful things in the past and now they haunt me.”
God has brought you to this place for a reason! This is God’s kindness to us. He wants to rid all of us of
self-sufficiency.
First, Jacob panics
Second, Jacob prays
Third, Jacob prevails
How does Jacob prevail? Jacob prevails through weakness.
Genesis 32:24–32 (ESV) — 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the
breaking of the day.
Jacob is left alone. He sent his wives and children across the river to safety and now he is left with
his fears. Fear have a way of taking over when we are alone at night. This was probably the darkest,
loneliest, and most fearful night of his life. I doubt he slept! He was terrified.
While he waited a man reached out in the darkness and grabbed him – maybe on the shoulder
maybe around the leg, we can’t say for sure. Was it Esau, a bandit, or one of Esau’s soldiers? Then Jacob
and the man wrestled for hours. If we were there we would have seen headlocks, arm bars, punches,
kicks, blood, sweat, and tears. They had to have stopped a few times to catch their breath. Knowing
Jacob’s character I doubt that he fought fair.
Later we find out that God is the one wrestling with Jacob. This raises all kinds of questions,
namely why couldn’t God prevail in this wrestling match??? He is God right??? Obviously God lowered
himself to Jacob’s level like he would do many years later in the incarnation. He set aside his glory and
his power in order to give Jacob a fighting chance. This wrestling match was God’s way of illustrating
Jacob’s whole life up to this point.
25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s
hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But
Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
After several hours of wrestling God has had enough so he reaches down with his finger and
dislocates Jacob’s hip. Jacob probably let out a scream or a groan; more than likely he was immediately
crippled. This wrestling match is over but Jacob will not leg go. It is now impossible for him to beat his
opponent in his own strength, which he has been able to do his whole life. Now all he can do is hang on to
God for dear life and cry out for a blessing. He is like a limp rag doll. He is literally and figuratively a
broken man.
With his hip out of socket he has no physical way to defend his family against Esau. This is right
where God wants him, dependent and weak. He has never been in this place before.
He does not prevail through trickery or strength. He now prevails through brokenness and
prayer.
27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name
shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have
prevailed.”
When God asks for Jacob’s name it was an embarrassing question because a name revealed one’s
character and Jacob’s name meant heel grabber or deceiver. God obviously knew this but he wanted to
hear Jacob say it. Giving some a new name in the Bible meant that person had a new beginning. Jacob
now has a fresh start in life.
Verse 28 is the climax of the story. God changes Jacob’s name to Israel.
Jacob means heel grabber or deceiver. This described his life up to this point. He was a selfsufficient schemer and deceiver.
Israel means, “He strives against God”. This new name indicates that Jacob will now prevail in a
new way, not in self-sufficient deception but in prayer and weakness.
Jacob’s limp will forever remind him that God knocked his self-sufficiency right out of him.
29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my
name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen
God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel,
limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh
that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.
After Jacob cries out to God in humble dependence for deliverance and blessing God gives him the
ultimate blessing. God shows him his face. Now theologians are divided on this point. Other parts of
scripture say that no man can see God and live. So this may have been an exception or a figure of speech
for intimacy with God. We don’t know for sure but we do know that Jacob has now found favor in God’s
eyes due to his prayer and weakness.
Jacob panics
Jacob prays
Jacob prevails
Bruce Waltke sums up this story well,
“First Jacob prays the longest prayer in Genesis, basing his future on God’s covenant promises.
Then God wrenches his hip so that he must depend on God alone. The man who prevails through decisive
and prudent action in strength now prevails through prayer and weakness.” (Waltke, 438)
This is the Christian life! We prevail through prayer and weakness not human strength, cunning,
and wisdom.
2 Corinthians 12:10 (ESV) — 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses,
insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Have you come to that place of weakness? This is the only way to come to Jesus.
My story-
When I was a junior in high school I dated a non-Christian. Before this I would have called
myself a Christian. I went to church, read my Bible on occasion, and had a conscience. But God
had not broken me yet.
To make a long story short I knew that dating this girl was wrong but I could not bring
myself to break up with her because she was cute, popular, and fun to be with. After months of
agonizing and compromising I finally broke up with her.
This was one of the hardest decisions in my life and for months I tried to do it in my own
strength but was unable to follow through.
After I called things off the pain begin. For six months I was depressed, which men this girl
was a major idol in my life. This loneliness and depression broke me. For the first time in my life
I cried out to God in weakness and begged him to help me. I did not know much about theology
but I knew that I was in pain and only God could help me.
Have you reached a place of brokenness like Jacob? We can only come to Christ in
brokenness.
Jacob lived well over one thousand years before Jesus. We live 2000 years after Jesus. On this side
of the cross not much has changed.
We cling to Jesus the same way Jacob clung to God. Jacob clung to God as a broken and weak man
begging God to bless him.
We cling to Jesus as broken, sinful, needy people, begging God to bless us.
We not only come to Christ as weak and needy people we live the Christian life as weak and needy
people.
Proud self-sufficient people will not cling to Jesus and will miss out on God’s blessings in this life
and the life to come.
Maybe that is you this morning. Maybe you don’t think you need Jesus! How is that working for
you? Do you struggle with fear, anxiety, and a guilty conscience? If the answer is yes Jesus is waiting for
you with open harms but you must come to him bowing your knee confessing your sins and admitting
that you need him. This is the only way to come to Jesus.
Some people claim that Christianity is a crutch for weak people. This is absolutely true. Jesus
came for weak people whose lives have been ruined and destroyed by sin.
But how do we know that God will bless us as we cling to Jesus in faith? We know that God will
bless us because the same Jesus we cling to is the Jesus who clung to the cross in our place suffering,
dying, and rising from the grave. He is no longer dead, he has risen and he promises that some day we
will rise with him not in weakness but in power.
He died in weakness and rose in resurrection power. All those who cling to him in weakness will
rise with him someday in resurrection power.
Conclusion:
Jacob panics
Jacob prays
Jacob prevails
We panic
We pray
We will only prevail in weakness
Lets pray.