"Greeting Everyone in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"
Today's Blog Title: "Wrestling with God"
Today's Bible Verses: Genesis 32:22-32
Today's Key Verse: Genesis 32:26 "And He said, "Let me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!"
Today with be part 2 of the 2 parts of Chapter 32 Part 1 was titled "Esau Comes to Meet Jacob" and today's title is "Wrestling with God".
Jacob throughout his life had been struggling, even when he was born and at the moment of his birth, he was struggling with Esau. He had just finished struggling serving Laban the past 20 years and now, right before his meeting with Esau, Jacob had the struggle of his life. You may remember at his birth, (Genesis 25:26) Jacob had grasped his brothers heel, but now Jacob was clinging to the bodily form of the Living God. There are those who believe, that the Man who Jacob wrestled with was the preincarnate Jesus Christ, while other believe it was an angel of God. In either case, Jacob wrestled with a manifestation of God, and because of God's mercy he survived.
We are told that the Man could not turn Jacob away from the struggle, even though He could have easily defeated Jacob. We are told that the Man touched the socket of Jacobs hip. This touch was God's special touch. Like His special touch, when He touches the earth or our hearts. In this scene we see that His touched caused pain, but yet Jacob would not give up. The Man says to Jacob, "Let Me go for, the day breaks", but even in pain, Jacob refuses and says, "I will not let You go until You bless me!'. "WOW" Can you imagine wrestling all through the night with God and living to tell about it. What mercy God shows here to Jacob.
The Man in verse 27 says to Jacob, "What is your name?" He tells the Man that his name is Jacob, but then God tell him, that Jacob will no longer be his name, that his new name would be, "Israel, (Prince with God) for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed. One day, we as Christians will stand before God, and He will tell us that we have prevailed for Him, and He will welcome us in His Kingdom. What a day that will be!!!!!!
Jacob then asks the Man His name, since he had given Him, his name. The Man did not answer him. Jacob must have known, deep down, the answer to that question. The Man whom he had wrestled with, was the Mighty God of of Abraham and Isaac and He was his God as well.
Jacob's experience with God that day, physically changed him, because he now limped, but the experience also had a deep spiritual impact on his life.
It is interesting to note that the Jews to this day do not eat from the muscle on the hip socket, because God had touched Jacob on his hip muscle and it had shrank.
Today's Question and Closing Comment: "In your struggles with live do you just let go and say "I Can't? or do you hang onto God's promises that tells you "But I Can"?" In this story today, we saw that Jacob all through his life had been struggling. Jacob would have known that he was wrestling with God, because when the Man said "Let me go" Jacob responds with, "I will not let YOU go, until YOU BLESS ME". That statement would indicated that he knew who the Man was because, the only one who could Bless him was God Himself. I found it interesting that God then would ask Jacob what his name was. The all knowing God knew his name, and when Jacob told him, God says that is no longer your name. You will now be called "Israel" (Prince with God). Jacob then asks the Man what his name was, and did not receive a response. Jacob knew in his heart the answer to his question. God will one day reveal His name more fully to Moses.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His mercy to me
And as far as the east is from the west, So far are my sins from me
Great is the Lord, His mercy endures forever and ever
Great is the Lord, His mercy endured forever, forever
Heavenly Father, How thankful we are for Your mercy and grace that saves us from unrighteousness. Let our voices raise to You in thanksgiving and praise forever and ever, and may Your light shine within us that others will see You in us.
Amen
Have a God Filled and Spirit Led Day. Go in Peace and Serve the Lord with Gladness. Love God More Today and remember that when you have a Spiritual Defeat that Yells "I can't", God whispers to you "BUT I CAN".
Yours In Christ
Cindi
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