In hindsight we already know that Jacob wrestled with God in these verses, but the realization only came for him when the battle was nearly over. Alone and afraid, Jacob was about to face the greatest challenge of his life. Esau was not the predator; however, God determined that his disciple was nearly ready for the ultimate blessing. Parabolic of his life, Jacob spent the entire night grasping to retain control by forcing his adversary into submission (
vv. 24-25).
Different from his brother, his father and his father-in-law, this was a battle he could not win. Thus, after undergoing a crippling wound, Jacob is relieved by the prospective offer to end the feud and he helplessly cries out for a blessing (
v. 26). Furthermore, admitting his name is a poignant admission of guilt as a deceiver (
v. 27).
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At that moment, God gives his project a new name because he finally came to his lowest point. Israel literally means “God fights” and it brought with it a profound insight. The way up is down. Our mission is not fighting for God with our strength because that is a battle we cannot win. To the contrary, God will only bless us when we yield to Him with our dependence.
Have you ever struggled to give God control of your life? Do you mistakenly assume that God will only bless you begrudgingly? The problem is not God’s refusal to bless us, but our unwillingness to rest fully in Him. Jacob did not win God’s blessing. He became weak enough to handle it.
Before his death, Adrian Rogers shared on numerous occasions of the remarkable moment in his life when this truth became precious. Desperate for God to use him, the young teenage boy went to the football field in his hometown in order to pray. As he walked to the middle of the gridiron, Adrian was pleading with God to use him. Sensing the need to get lower, he laid down face-first on the ground to humble himself to the best of his ability. Believing that was not quite low enough, he stuck his nose in the dirt. Overwhelmed by his own inadequacies, Rogers then dug a little hole in the dirt and pushed his face even lower. From the moment he was willing to be weak for God, this great pulpiteer had an unusual power in his life. May God make it so for each of us!