Mar 15

Genesis 32:22 - 33:20
Memorise Genesis 32:26
“I will not let thee go, except thou bless me”

That same night, despite having made all the preparations that he could, Jacob still could not shake off the fear that he had. Thus he sent his family and possessions across the river Jabbok, whilst he himself stayed alone on the other side. It was here that a man came to wrestle with him. Initially, Jacob might have thought that his worst fears were coming true, that it was an assassin from Esau sent to kill him. He fought tenaciously for his life, and fought with him all through the night. Eventually, when daybreak came, and it seemed that neither had the upper hand, the man simply touched Jacob at his hip socket, and caused his thigh bone to go out of joint. It was perhaps at this moment, that Jacob realised that this was no mere man, and neither was he an assassin sent by Esau. He perceived that it must have been a divine being that was wrestling with him, for the way that the man wrestled and miraculously injured Jacob must have shown that he was not a common man. Scripture’s commentary in Hosea 12:4 and Jacob’s naming of the place as “Peniel” shows that this was the Angel of the Lord, the pre-incarnate Christ who had come personally to wrestle with Jacob. This was why Jacob refused to let go even after his thigh was injured, and said “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” (Genesis 32:26). In this, Jacob shows his humility and acknowledges his weakness. He was not proudly prevailing and demanding from God, but was desperately crying to God to help him in his infirmities. He knew that without God’s help and blessing, he would not be able to do anything at all. That is why he struggled so hard, for he seized the opportunity to receive something from the Lord.

True enough, we see in the next chapter that all Jacob’s fears were unfounded. God softened the heart of Esau, such that the meeting was a joyous reunion of long lost brothers, and not a terse meeting of arch enemies. Jacob was quick to testify of the Lord’s goodness to him in blessing him with family (Genesis 33:5) and wealth (Genesis 33:11). He was certain that it was God who had blessed him, for he had met with God and God had answered His prayer. At the end of it all, he erected an altar and called it “Elelohe-Israel” – meaning God is the God of Israel, his new name (Genesis 32:28).

Thought: Do you actively ask the Lord to bless you?
Prayer: Lord, may You bless us this day, that we might serve Thee with all that we are and all that we have.