Willing to Fight

Written By: Kirk Peterson

Intro

Recently, in reading the book of Genesis in bible study I was blow away by the story of Jacob wrestling with God.  It was perhaps the single greatest story I have ever read in God’s word.  There are incredible stories throughout the entire book of the bible, but when Jacob wrestled with God and won…well, I had never heard a story quite like that before!

 Also, I started watching the History Channel’s The Bible Series, and it too has also made an impact on my life.  The secular media has certainly taken to attacking the series, but as I heard on a Christian radio station, how great could it be for us as Christians to use this great visual story of God’s word to spread the good news of Jesus to those who don’t know him…

Jacob’s Backstory

God gave a prophecy for the twins Esau and Jacob.  It would not only tell of what would happen for Isaac & Rebekah’s family but would act as a prophecy for the struggle between Christians and the nation of Islam even today. (Genesis 25:21-26, NLT)

Isaac & Rebekah’s family even starting out so strong in their faith with the LORD, would end up letting lies, deceit and sin into their house that ultimately shattered their family.  It shows us just how crafty the enemy is, even to those who are close with God and how far we can fall away from Him and his promises.  Eventually, Jacob following his mother’s direction, tried to trick his father Isaac into thinking he was the firstborn brother Esau by lying and stealing his father’s blessing for the birthright that God had prophesied about earlier to his mother Rebekah. (Genesis 27:1-40, NLT)

Jacob succeeded in stealing the blessing for the birthright, Esau hated his brother for this and began to scheme that he would kill his brother Jacob because of it.  Jacob fled to his relatives where God showed him in His mighty wisdom discipline for Jacob that would help mold his character and shape him into the man God knew he could be.   Jacob was mistreated by his uncle Laban by the same sins that he committed against his family back in the Promised Land, but through those trials that lasted 20 years he showed endurance and faith in the LORD.  He still would fall in some of his choices that he makes, but eventually God comes to him and tells Jacob to return to Canaan where his brother is waiting for him to return to kill him.   (Genesis 27:41-Genesis 32:21, NLT)

Fear & Doubt

God was with Jacob.  He came to him in a dream back in Genesis 28:

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

10Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 11At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. 12As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.  13At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. 14Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. 15What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

Jacob himself told his wives that God was with him later in Genesis 31, after the LORD had an angel appear to him in a dream and told him to prepare to leave back to the Promised Land.

5He said to them, “I have noticed that your father’s attitude toward me has changed. But the God of my father has been with me. (Genesis 31:5, NLT)

Angels were with him in his camp on his trip back to Canaan, but he still let the grip of fear into his heart and tried to go his own way rather then turning toward God.  Jacob decided to send gifts ahead to his brother Esau to try and pacify his anger over the birthright.  The word even tells us that he was terrified when his servants came back to him with the news that his brother Esau had an army of 400 men that were marching to meet him. 

I know in my own life that no matter how hard I try to stay close to God and trust in Him, sin is right there to lead me astray.  Fear and doubt have played a big role in my life.  God has showed me this year in bible study that not only is He with me, but with God I have nothing to fear!  He has given me peace where once there was doubt and I am grateful to The Shaper of The Universe for blessing me with that gift.  If you have issues with fear and doubt like I did, I encourage you to go to the LORD in prayer and open your heart to him.  Ask him to show you his truth and dig into his word, for the word of God will not fail.

Willing to Fight

Jacob Wrestles with God

22During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. 23After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions. 24This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. 25When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27“What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.” 28“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.” 29“Please tell me your name,” Jacob said. “Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there. 30Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” 31The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. (Genesis 32:22-31, NLT)

2Now the Lord is bringing charges against Judah. He is about to punish Jacob for all his deceitful ways, and pay him back for all he has done. 3Even in the womb, Jacob struggled with his brother; when he became a man, he even fought with God. 4Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won. He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him. There at Bethel he met God face to face, and God spoke to him 5the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the Lord is his name! (Hosea 12:2-5, NLT)

As I read these verses in Bible Study, I was blown away by the story.  I read over and over the verses trying to understand God’s word, even going as far as changing my answer to the questions in our study.  However, after thinking on God’s word, I feel like the spirit was telling me that God was testing Jacob and wanted him to fight for Him and for His blessing of keeping Jacob safe from Esau.  Jacob was all alone in the camp, with no one else to rely on but himself.  He began to wrestle with the man until dawn began to break.  Can you imagine how hard it would be to wrestle with God?  His struggle must have been for hours, God being ALL powerful decided to let Jacob win, but isn’t it interesting that his word tells us that the man saw that he would not win the match and performed a miracle in wrenching Jacob’s hip from his socket with but a touch.  God asked him to let him go because dawn was breaking but Jacob refused and continued to fight on.  I believe it is evident that Jacob’s heart had changed here by the fact God changed his name to Israel and the heritage that name would bring to God’s chosen people.

The verse in Hosea tells us that Jacob wrestled with an angel.  I believe the man Jacob was wrestling with was Jesus, God in flesh--kind of like how some Bible scholars believe in the Old Testament when the bible speaks of:  'The Angel of the LORD', that this was Jesus.  The word tells us that Jacob meet God face to face and his life was spared.  Abraham meets God outside his camp before Sodom and Gomorrah as well.  I believe that Jacob knew that the man was God when it says that he would not let go unless you bless me.

As I continued to read about the reconciliation between Jacob and his brother Esau in Genesis 33, I actually wept---probably because it hits so close to home with me as my own brother has so much anger in his heart just like Esau.  Wasn't it miraculous to see Jacob humbly bow down to his brother (having just won a wrestling match with God) not knowing if he was going to get an ax to the head—only to see his brother embrace him the way that he did.  Awesome stuff guys and gals, just awesome!

Jacob and Esau Make Peace

1Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives. 2He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him. 4Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept. 5Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, “Who are these people with you?”  “These are the children God has graciously given to me, your servant,” Jacob replied. (Genesis 33:1-5, NLT)

God is With Us

I don’t know what would have happened if Jacob’s heart hadn’t changed when he meet his brother Esau there with his army of 400 men.  But, I do know that GOD IS WITH US when we become his children by trusting in Him and His son Jesus.  I pray that the world will come to know that GOD IS WITH US and that He is the source of Love and can live in each and every one of us!

May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us. (1 Kings 8:57 NLT)

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. (1 John 4:16 NLT)