Today’s reading is Genesis 32.
After reading this, couldn’t help but think of the question I heard asked by another kid at school when I was a child..
“Can God make a rock so big he can’t move it?”
Of course it’s a trick question, if he’s God he can make anything, but if he’s God he should still be able to move the rock no matter how big!
In this chapter we read about Jacob physically wrestling with a man later referred to as God, but God doesn’t quickly put Jacob in a chokehold or full nelson and make Jacob tap out and give up when God presumably could. The question is, why?
Jacob was a deceiver, con man, and liar. And specifically he was after worldly status and blessings. In Genesis 25 he took advantage of his older brother’s deep hunger to take his birthright and then in Genesis 27 went even further to steal his father’s blessing from Esau. Jacob also was so infatuated with Rachel that he was willing to serve her Dad Laban for 7 years so he could marry her, and then after that another 7 years for a total of 14 until Laban finally gave Rachel to him for marriage. To reiterate, Jacob, like us often times, was after worldly blessings and status.
So back to our question, why didn’t God defeat Jacob quickly in their wrestling match? I believe it’s because God wanted to see if Jacob would continue to wrestle him until Jacob finally said in Genesis 32:26, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” Even after God put Jacob’s hip out of joint (Genesis 32:25), Jacob did not let go. Finally Jacob as willing to fight for something without resolving to deception and most specifically he was finally willing to cling to and go after the only blessing that mattes, God’s blessing, which he received (Genesis 32:29).
I believe we can learn a lot from Jacob’s life prior and his experience here. We can be critical of Jacob, but we are probably more like him than we care to admit. And like with Jacob, what God is really after is our heart and for us to seek after and cling to him in a manner that we only care about God’s blessings.
And just like God did not let go of Jacob and defeat him, Jesus not let go and come down from that cross even though he could have. He stayed to give each and every one of us an opportunity to be saved from our sins and to have eternal life with him by finally saying “yes” and giving our life to him. Ironically, we don’t have to ask for his blessing, he’s already given it. We only must be humble enough to realize it and receive it.
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9
