Jacob was a self-reliant man who depended on his own wits and ingenuity in life, rather than trusting in the Lord. Therefore, Jesus Christ came to Jacob and battled him, broke him, blessed him, and branded him in order to transform him from “Heelcatcher” to “He who strives with God.” Listen carefully, as you just might find yourself in this story!
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Christ – The Crippler of the Self-Sufficient
Genesis 32:24-32
In our text this morning, we find Jacob involved in a strange wrestling match with an even stranger individual. I have often heard sermons, and maybe you have too, which tell us that the point of this passage is that we need to learn from the mighty prayer life of Jacob. They say, “Look at how great a prayer warrior Jacob was! He would not let God go unless He blessed him. And notice what God says of him, “You have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” These preachers say to us, “Jacob is a great model of prayer. He is someone we ought to emulate. Come on, let’s all be like Jacob!” However, folks, that is not at all the point of this passage. Jacob is not the hero of this passage. Jesus Christ is, as we shall see. Jacob was merely the recipient of God’s grace.
Now, in order to understand this passage I need to fill you in on the story. Last Sunday we found old Jacob hotfooting it out of Beersheeba, because his brother was furious with him and was plotting to kill him. And rightly so – Jacob had stolen the blessing from his brother by lying, and deceiving his father. So, Jacob ran for his life. Well, now it is 20 years later. Jacob left home with only the clothes on his body, and now he is returning as a very wealthy man. God has blessed him with flocks, and herds, and wives, and concubines, and many children. Well, now that he is coming home, his old fears about meeting his brother in all his fury begin to resurface. So, he comes up with a scheme. Jacob’s always got a scheme. He sends a messenger to Esau to let him know that he’s coming home, and he’s a wealthy man, and he wants to find favor in Esau’s sight. Well, the messenger returns and tells Jacob, “Yeah, we found Esau. Actually, he’s coming to meet you, and he’s got 400 men with him!” To put it mildly, that was not comforting news. Jacob is in a real pickle. He can’t retreat, because he and Laban had taken an oath that either one would not cross the heap at Mizpah. He doesn’t want to go forward, because that is like marching into a potential minefield. But that was his only option left.
Verse 7 says that Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. So, being the resilient and resourceful man that he is, he comes up with another scheme, Plan B. Jacob starts dividing all the people and animals up into two companies, because he figures that if Esau attacks one company, at least the other will escape. Then, after doing everything that he could think of to do, he prays, sort of as a last resort. You know, “when all else fails… pray!” And, it’s actually a wonderful prayer. Jacob reminds God that He had commanded him to return to his relatives, and He would prosper him. He tells God that he is afraid of him that he will come and attack “me, the mothers with the children.” Isn’t it interesting that Jacob is more concerned about himself being attacked than he is about the women and children being attacked. Then he reminds God of His promise to him, that He would prosper him and make his descendants as the sand of the sea.
Well, now that Jacob is done praying, does God’s peace wash over him? Now that he has cast his burdens on the Lord, is he at rest? Absolutely not! Instead, he takes those burdens back on his own shoulder, and commences to scheming again, trying to figure out something in his own ingenuity that can save his skin. Jacob comes up with a lavish present to offer Esau, nearly 600 animals including goats, sheep, camels, cows and donkeys! Actually, this was an extremely lavish gift. It would be equivalent to about a $200,000 gift. Wouldn’t it be nice to get a birthday card from your brother with a check for $200,000 in it?! Then he sent this present on ahead to Esau, and made sure that there was a space between each drove, so that Esau would just be blown away by this extravagant gift as drove after drove of animals kept coming to him.
Well, now that Jacob had done everything he possibly could to escape the wrath of his brother, he sent his family across the brook, but he himself stayed behind. And it was at this very low point in his life, that a mysterious man appears and wrestles with him. I would like you to see the events of this story under four headings: Christ Battling Jacob, Christ Breaking Jacob, Christ Blessing Jacob, and Christ Branding Jacob.
1. Christ Battling Jacob 32:24
Who Was The Wrestler?
32:24 “Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.” Notice that it was not Jacob wrestling with the man. Rather, our text says that “a man wrestled with Jacob.” This Man was the initiator and the aggressor in this battle. Who was this mysterious man that shows up out of nowhere and wrestles with him for hours until daybreak? For all Jacob knew, it was his brother Esau, who had showed up to finish him off once for all. But no, this man was not Esau. Verse 24 calls him a man. Hosea 12:4 says, “Yes, he (Jacob) wrestled with the angel and prevailed.” In Hosea, this person is called “the angel.” And then, to complicate matters even further, in Genesis 32:30 this person is called God, “I have seen God face to face.” How can the same Person be man, messenger, and God? The only way the same person can be all of those at the same time is if He is Jesus Christ, the One who would later be the God-Man. Jesus is God and Man, and came on an errand of mercy as the Messenger of the Lord.
Why Was Christ Wrestling Jacob?
Perhaps the answer can be found in the name of the brook where Jacob was staying the night. It is the Ford Jabbok. “Jabbok” means “the place of emptying.” And it was here, at the place of emptying, that the Lord determined He would empty Jacob of self, of self-confidence, of self-reliance, of all his self-sufficiency. You see, Jacob had lived his whole life depending on himself. By nature, Jacob was a very cunning and crafty fellow. He had learned to rely on his own wits and ingenuity, and it had served him well. He had been able to get his brother’s birthright and blessing that way, and he had been able to grow rich on his Uncle Laban’s farm that way. But remember, the Lord had plans of grace for Jacob. Later in Malachi 1:2-3 God said, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” In spite of his deceitfulness and crookedness, God loved Jacob, and had determined before the foundation of the world to bestow grace upon this rascal. The Lord is intent on bringing Jacob to the end of himself, so that he would rely entirely on Him. When a lamb continually strays from the fold, the shepherd will break its leg, bandage it up, and then carry that little lamb until the leg heals. And, lo and behold, when the leg is healed, the lamb doesn’t stray off any more. The Lord is going to break Jacob’s leg here (or more truthfully, dislocate his thigh) in order to bring him to a place of surrender and trust in Him.
How Long Did the Lord Wrestle Jacob?
Until daybreak. Oh, how this shows Christ’s patience and forbearance with us. The Lord wrestled with Jacob, but Jacob stubbornly fought back. Jacob kept on resisting and resisting, hour after hour, all the way to the break of day. But thank God, He doesn’t give up on us, even when we continually resist him. The Lord continues to wrestle with us. Now the Lord could have conquered Jacob instantly, if He had wanted. He proves that later by simply touching his thigh and dislocating it. He is omnipotent. But He doesn’t. Instead He continues to convict us and chastise us until we learn to trust Him and distrust ourselves. It’s because the Lord loves us, that He won’t give up on us.
2. Christ Breaking Jacob 32:25-27
Why Did Christ Break Jacob?
32:25 “And when he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh.” Christ finally touched Jacob and completely incapacitated him, because He had not prevailed against him. All night long the Lord had wrestled Jacob but had not prevailed over his stubborn self-will. The Lord says to us, “OK, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Well, Jacob wasn’t going to do it the easy way. So, the Lord had to do it the hard way. Oh, we could do ourselves a favor, and just willingly surrender to the Lord. If we resist, He’s going to have to get tough with us, and we are the ones that are going to surrender. Has the Lord been dealing with you about something lately, but yet He has not prevailed against you? If so, watch out! The hammer is about to fall! The old carnal, stubborn, self-sufficient, unyielding Jacob was still very much alive, even though he had met God 20 years earlier at Bethel. Brothers and sisters, in our own lives, the flesh wars against the Spirit. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. How many of us are just like old stubborn Jacob?
How Did Christ Break Jacob?
He broke him by merely “touching” the socket of his thigh. It is of vital importance that a wrestler have strong legs and hips. Jacob’s legs and hips are useless at this point. Jacob’s thigh had just popped out of the socket. At this point, he was a helpless man. Now, it was not only impossible for Jacob to fight this Man, but it was impossible for him to fight Esau, or run from Esau. His situation, humanly speaking, was hopeless. All of his natural ability and scheming couldn’t save him now. And, truth be known, that was exactly where the Lord wanted him. In our own lives, the Lord will bring us to the end of ourselves, where we can’t do it, so that we will learn to turn from ourselves to Him.
What Did Jacob Do When Christ Broke Him?
He clung to the Lord! 32:26, “Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” It was time for Jacob to face his avenger. Time was up. Jacob would be desperate now. He couldn’t face Esau in this condition. He would be killed for sure. There was nothing he could do to save himself now, and he realized he needed this mysterious man more than ever. He was beginning to realize he was no ordinary mortal. He had to be some kind of supernatural being. After all, he had dislocated his thigh with just a touch. He realized he needed His blessing now, because he couldn’t get himself out of this mess. Even though Jesus had conquered Jacob, Jacob clung to him. Now, this is the part of the story that we so often misunderstand. We picture Jacob as the proud hero, the champion, that refused to let Christ go until He blessed him. However, look at what the prophet Hosea said about this encounter in Hosea 12:4, “Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor.” What kind of condition was Jacob in when he prevailed with the Lord? He was weeping! He was clinging to Christ! He was begging for His favor! This was not a great champion, a powerful prayer warrior. This is not a picture of Jacob overcoming the Lord, but of the Lord overcoming Jacob and bringing him to the end of himself. This was a broken, helpless man, clinging to Christ for dear life, begging Him to bestow His blessing upon him. Bridge saints, when the Lord breaks you of sin, or self-reliance, or trusting in yourself, the best thing you can do is just cling to Him. We call that faith – clinging to Christ. We’re not trying to overcome the Lord, we’re just seeking to stay close to Him. Why? Because we know that only He can bestow the blessing! Brothers and sisters, get close to Jesus, and cling to Him for dear life. Tell Him, I won’t let You go. Not because you are overcoming Him, but because you desperately need Him, and only He can bestow favor on you.
He confessed to the Lord! 32:27, “So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Now, why would the Lord ask him what his name was? Did the Lord not know what his name was? Was he saying, “You know, I can’t remember your name. It’s on the tip of my tongue, but I’m sorry, I just can’t remember. Will you enlighten me.” No! Earlier, Isaac had asked him, “Who are you, my son?” Jacob had replied, “I am Esau your first-born” (Gen.27:18-19). Now, the Lord is going to ask him one more time, “Who are you?” “What is your name?” The Lord is bringing Jacob to the point where he must confess who he is by nature. “I am Jacob. I am the heelcatcher, the conniver, the crook, the con artist. That’s who I am, and that’s who I have always been, and apart from grace, that’s who I will always be!” The Lord is wanting Jacob to come clean, and honestly admit his sin and wretchedness. That’s what He did with Adam, when he called out, “Adam, where are you?” He said to Abel, “Where is Abel your brother?” It’s not as if the Lord is lacking in information. No, he wants us to come clean, admit our guilt, so that we can be forgiven. As long as we hide our sin and shame, we remain unforgiven. The Lord calls us out because He loves us and wants to bless us!
3. Christ Blessing Jacob 32:28-30
How Did Christ Bless Jacob?
By Changing His Name. Just as God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, and Sarai’s name to Sarah, and Simon’s name to Peter, so he changed Jacob’s name to Israel. “Heelcatcher” was now “he who strives with God.” But he was not he who strives with God to stubbornly resist His will. No, he strives with God in brokenness, clinging to Him, and begging for His favor. Wow, what a change! Jacob had always been a self-confident, self-sufficient man. He had always ruled himself by his wits and ingenuity. Now he was a God-confident man. The name “Israel” was simply God’s way of identifying the new man He had made Jacob into. When God changed Jacob’s name, it was symbolic of the fact that He had changed his nature. “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17).
By Answering His Prayer. 32:29, “And he blessed him there.” What was the blessing that the Lord gave him. The next day, when Jacob went to meet Esau, he found out. Esau, instead of taking Jacob’s life, greeted him as if they were old buddies. God freely and graciously answered Jacob’s prayer for deliverance from his brother.
By Preserving His Life. 32:30, “So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to f ace, yet my life has been preserved.” The word “Peniel” means “the face of God.” Jacob knew that “no man can see God’s face and live” (Ex. 33:20). But, miraculously, he had seen God’s face and lived! He had seen God’s face, and yet his life had been preserved. Why? Because he had seen the face of God’s Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ. The only way sinful man can have any dealings with our Holy God, is through a Mediator. He is the umpire that lays his hand on us both and brings us together, reconciled by the blood of His cross.
4. Christ Branding Jacob 32:31-32
Once a man asked Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones what a man who has met God looks like. Lloyd-Jones replied, “He walks with a limp.” The next morning, when Jacob crossed over Penuel, he was limping on his thigh. His wives and children rushed up to him and cried out, “Jacob, father, are you all right? What’s happened? Why are you limping?” Jacob would have replied, “I met God last night. I wrestled with God all night, and I will never walk the same. I will never be the same. I used to walk with a swagger, a confidence in myself. But no more! From now on, I walk by leaning on this staff. He has changed me forever.”
Every step Jacob took from then on to the rest of his life was a reminder that he was the Lord’s, and the Lord had touched him in a very powerful way. When Jacob stood before Pharoah, the king of Egypt in Genesis 47, he walked with a limp. Everyone who saw him, noticed that he was different. Shouldn’t it be the same with us folks? Paul says in Philippians 2:16 that we should prove ourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom we appear as lights in the world.” This world is a very dark and perverse place. Believers ought to show up as shining lights in the midst of this dark world. It should be obvious to everyone, that we are Christians. If someone can know you more than a few hours, and not tell that you are the Lord’s, you’re not letting your light shine before men. In Exodus 21 we are told that a master was to set his slave free after six years. However, if that slave says that he loves his master, and does not want to leave him, then the master was to pierce his ear, and put an earring through it. From that time on, it was no surprise as to who the slave belonged to. Neither should it be any surprise who we belong to, if the Lord has touched us, branded us with His own mark.
Life Application
1. God Will Battle Us In Order To Break Us: God will not allow His true children to go on in their sin. He will come after you like the Hound of Heaven. “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives” (Heb.12:6). If you can go on in sin and get away with it, it just proves that you are not His son or daughter at all. It is actually a great blessing that we have a God who loves us enough to discipline us
2. God Will Break Us In Order To Bless Us: The Lord used a very painful way to sanctify Jacob. How many of you know that He will use a painful way to sanctify us. That is, unless we choose the easy way. The problem is that very few of us choose the easy way. It seems that we all want the hard way. And if we choose the hard way, the Lord will go along with it. It is not pleasant to be convicted of sin, or to have to confess our sin, or to forsake our sin. But know this – God only brings pain into our lives, because He knows it is necessary in order to bring blessing. If the shepherd doesn’t break the leg of that straying lamb, what’s going to happen? He’s going to be eaten by wolves. If God doesn’t break the self-will of his children, what’s going to happen? We are going to drift off and be overcome by sin and Satan. Hebrews 12:11 says, “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” We say, “I just want the pain to go away.” However, if all the pain went away, what would happen? More than likely, you’d be drifting off and straying away. “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Thy word” (Ps. 119:67). Instead of becoming bitter and angry at the Lord when He allows pain our lives, trust that He has a design to bless you out of love.
3. God Will Bless Us By Branding Us: Oh, how we need the touch of God on our lives, to transform us, to bring us to a place of crisis where He does something in our lives that permanently alters us. Perhaps He makes you so miserable and wretched and sick and tired of the drinking or the drugs, that you finally surrender, pour out the liquor and flush the drugs down the toilet, and join an alcohol or drug support group. Perhaps He impresses you so strongly, that you make a decision you won’t watch TV any more. Perhaps He shows you how self-sufficient you have been so that you begin to commit all to Him in prayer. Perhaps He brings you to the place where you get rid of all your worldly music and magazines and movies, because you want Him to govern your life.
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