The Wrestling Match
By Rev. James May
Jacob’s life had not been an easy one, but he had brought most of his problems upon himself. It had started from the moment he was conceived by Rebekah, after she became the wife of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham. Even in the womb there was a wrestling match going on and poor Rebekah was having a rough time.
When Isaac inquired of God to know the reason of this great struggle within Rebekah, he was told she was having twins and each was struggling for dominance over the other. In time, they would like two nations, with very different personalities, but that one would be stronger than the other but that the elder, the one born first, would serve the younger. Isaac and Rebekah prepared themselves for the many long days of arguing that would come along shortly as these two sons would grow up.
Even at the moment of birth, the second son reached out and grabbed hold of the first son’s foot as he was being delivered as though to say, “You aren’t going to get ahead of me, even if you were born first.”
This second son, with the personality of a deceiver and a conniving mind, which was already developing when he drew his first breath as a newborn child, was given the name, Jacob, and his elder brother was named Esau.
Esau was born full of red hair and almost looked like an animal when he was born, or at least like baby with a fur coat on. That must have been some sight to see! The scripture is pretty descriptive of how hairy that child was.
Genesis 25:25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
As the twins grew up their opposite personalities grew even more pronounced and the competition between the two of them to gain the respect and love of their parents grew stronger all the time. Esau lived up to his nature and became a great hunter and man of the field. He loved camping, sleeping under the stars, fishing, hunting and all type of outdoor activities. Isaac loved Esau more because he was a man’s man, an excellent shot with a bow, and Isaac could always count of having fresh venison from every hunting trip that Esau took.
Jacob was the opposite to Esau and he became a homebody. He liked staying in the tent, out of the hot sun, hanging around Rebekah’s skirts. He learned to cook and clean the tent, and he won the heart of his mother because was just a spoiled mama’s boy who was always figuring a way to stay inside. While Esau was hunting, Jacob was at home cooking stew, and stewing on ways to cheat his brother as well. Jacob’s mind was always figuring ways to cheat somebody and to manipulate other people to get his own way.
Sooner or later, it was almost inevitable that these two brothers, with very different personalities, would clash in a manner that would bring division in the family. In the first place, when parents begin to show obvious preferential treatment of one child above another, there’s bound to be problems, so that didn’t help. But the real trouble was always brewing between Jacob and Esau.
I’m sure that most of you know the story of what brought the great wrestling match to a head. Jacob, the sneaking and conniving one, figured out a way to steal the birthright from Esau while Esau was out hunting. It all started with a bowl of stew! Jacob made the stew at home knowing that Esau would soon return from a long hunt and that Esau would be famished.
Genesis 25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. (Edom means, “red, earthy; of blood)
(Not to go too far into this right now because this isn’t the focus of this message exactly, but I do think it’s important to note that Esau’s desire to fulfill the needs of the flesh, and his love for the things of this world were the factors that drove him to make the biggest mistake of his life. We must ever guard against allowing the desires of the flesh, and the desire to have the things of this life, to take the place of wanting and desiring the things of God. Never make this world more valuable in your eyes, than the world that is come. This one is for a few short years, but the next one is for eternity.)
Genesis 25:31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. Here begins the manipulation of Jacob, always trying to find a way to get what he wants. But at least he recognized the value of what he was asking for.
Genesis 25:32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
Genesis 25:33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
Genesis 25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
What was the “birthright” that Esau sold for a bowl of stew? The birthright was the natural privilege of the firstborn son to become the head of the family, and have the responsibility and authority of the head of the family, and all of the family property. He would be responsible for the welfare of the younger sons, the widow, and any unmarried daughters that were still around after Isaac died. He would also be entitled to a “blessing” that would allow him to be in a special covenant relationship with the Lord because in those days, God would deal with the head of the family above all the rest.
Perhaps Esau thought that it was only a joke, and that Jacob really wouldn’t force him to keep the bargain, but he was very wrong. Jacob had planned this all along. He was going to steal Esau’s right to be the authority in the family, and take that right for himself.
But if you read the verse, it certainly gives me the impression that Esau really didn’t care. All he wanted was a bowl of stew to fill his stomach and relieve his hunger. He was all too willing to settle for what he wanted right now, more than for what he wanted for the rest of his life. Right now was all that mattered. Let tomorrow’s problem wait until tomorrow.
How careless and foolish can we be to sell out the blessings of God and eternal life for a moment of enjoyment of the things of this world! People still sell their birthright today for little or nothing; and certainly nothing of value that can be compared with Heaven.
Jacob now had the birthright, but the wrestling match with Esau wasn’t over yet. A little later on, Rebekah helped him to fool Isaac into stealing from Esau once again. Being a mama’s boy was paying off for Jacob and Esau was being blind- sided by a conniving, lying brother and mother who wanted her favorite son to get all that he could.
In Genesis chapter 27 the story is told of how that Jacob, being disguised by Rebekah, to fool her blind husband, by placing an animal skin on his arm and neck, and causing Isaac to pass the “blessing” of the firstborn onto Jacob instead of Esau.
All of this cheating, conniving and under-handed deception in the family finally came to a head! This was the straw that broke the camel’s back, if you will!
Genesis 27:41 tells us that, “Esau hated Jacob…and said in his heart… I will slay my brother Jacob.”
Rebekah found out and warned Jacob, and Jacob ran for his life. After all, he was a deceiving, manipulating liar; but he was not a fighter! Esau was a dead shot with a bow, and if Esau caught him, he would be killed for sure!
Jacob left, and Esau went out of hunt him down, and Rebekah paid the price of being a mother with no sons, and soon no husband. She had sown the winds of division in her sons, and now she would reap the whirlwind of their hatred for one another.
Remember this; What We Sow, We Shall Also Reap! Be careful of the seeds that you sow in your children. The time will come when those seeds will grow. Will they bring forth unity or division, love or hatred, a feeling of self-worth, or of self-worthlessness? Your words carry power, even in the hearts of young children, and will be a major factor in what they become later on in life.
The wrestling match between Jacob and Esau had escalated, and now it was to be a fight to the death. For the next 20 years this division ruled the lives of Jacob and Esau. Though they went their separate ways, and Jacob was always looking over his shoulder to see where Esau was, yet somehow, they prospered and their own families grew. For 20 years, revenge ruled the heart of Esau; and for 20 years, fear and dread ruled the life of Jacob and he was forever on the run from his brother who had vowed to kill him. What good did stealing the birthright do him now when he could not enjoy it? Was lying to get the blessing worth a lifetime of fear and dread and separation from home?
From Genesis 27 to Genesis 32, 20 years passed as this struggle continued, until finally Jacob’s heart began to change. He knew he had been wrong in what he had done. He knew that he wanted to make peace, but he didn’t know how. He was afraid that Esau would not accept his attempts to make things right. He sent servants to find Esau and to try and feel him out. Then word came that Esau was coming, and fear gripped the heart of Jacob.
Genesis 32:6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.
Genesis 32:7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;
Since Jacob expected Esau’s revenge, he assumed they were coming to kill him, so he divided his family and possessions into two groups, sent them in two directions in the hope that at least one group might escape Esau’s wrath! He sent them away, and stayed behind, all alone! The time had come for the real wrestling match to begin, but this wasn’t going to be a fight with Esau; this was to be a fight with himself and with Almighty God. Something had to change in Jacob, and this night was the time that God chose to enter into Jacob’s life in a greater way, so that the will of God in the Covenant of Abraham could be fulfilled.
Genesis 32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
Who was this man that Jacob wrestled with? It wasn’t Esau. It wasn’t just himself. This was man who grabbed hold of Jacob and wouldn’t turn him loose. They wrestled all night long, not trying to kill one another, but one trying to get the other to yield so that someone could be declared the victor and stronger than the other.
Most people believe and teach, and I agree with them, that this man Jacob wrestled was none other than Jesus himself. There are several times in the Old Testament where Jesus appeared as a man, though he had not come to stay in that form and to begin his earthly ministry. Jesus is eternal. He was before he was born of a virgin, and is now, since his resurrection and ascension. Jesus was, is and is to come, always God. He would make appearances in the Old Testament and we know it was him because he would allow men to bow down and worship him, and call him Lord. Angel’s would not accept worship, nor would they allow anyone to call them Lord. Worship is reserved for God alone.
In order for Jacob’s heart to be changed, and for reconciliation to take place between him and Esau, he had to get to a place where the Lord could deal with him one-on-one.
That’s the only way God still deals with us today. Even in you’re standing in a congregation, the Spirit of God will deal with you, and you alone, about the things that need to change in your life. We may preach the Word of God to everyone, but you alone have to decide whether to allow it to make a change in you. The wrestling match that is taking place in your heart is between you and the Lord alone, and I believe that there are wrestling matches going on in nearly every one of us right now. Right now, God is already speaking to you. Right now, the Spirit of the Lord is showing us that there are things in us that need to change. Right now, the Holy Ghost is shining the Light of God upon the deepest recesses of our hearts and revealing every hidden sin, every secret hiding place, and every wrong attitude in us. If there is sin, He’s revealing it. If there is revenge that we hold against anyone, he is showing us that too.
Your wrestling match is going on, and it could go on all day, all night, and even for the rest of your life until either you yield to the will of God, or God finally stops wrestling with you and lets you go your own way. I hope and pray that your wrestling match ends with God as the victor!
Genesis 32:25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
Jacob’s heart wasn’t easy to change. There was a great struggle both within and without. The wrestling match is more than trying to pin the body of your opponent to the ground for 10 seconds. This wrestling match is more than just physical; its spiritual and emotional as well. There was a lot of hurt, a lot of pain, a lot of fear, a lot of doubts, a lot of trouble that had to be decided in this match, and it was a long, drawn out wrestling match that lasted all night, until the break of day.
How long have you wrestled with your past? How long have you wrestled with a complete surrendering of your will to God’s will, even wrestled with giving up on taking revenge on someone who may have hurt you? How long will you all the pain that someone else caused in your heart, keep you from experiencing the victory the Jesus offers? Are you willing to give it up to have God’s best?
Keeping revenge in your heart only serves to allow that person who hurt you to remain in control of your eternal destination and your victory in this life. Holding on to the past hurts only keeps you from enjoying the present and future victories! Isn’t it time we did like Jacob and held onto the altar, and held onto the presence of God until we are finally set free? This wrestling match is between you and God. You have to make the decision to surrender to his will. You have to choose to let go and let God rule in your life! It’s a choice!
God struck Jacob in his thigh, not so much to cripple him, even though it did so, but to serve as a reminder to Jacob that he needed to change the way he had been walking through life. He had to walk a different way now. He could not longer be sneaky and conniving, but he had to walk in truth, in love and in forgiveness; and he had to trust God for deliverance and healing of his relationship with Esau.
Genesis 32:26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
Determination – that’s the key to the wrestling match. It appears to me that the Lord was getting ready to depart without Jacob receiving the blessing. Jacob wanted to keep wrestling but God had decided to end the match. Jacob could have let him go and nothing would have changed.
How long have you wrestled with the same problem? How long will you continue wrestle with God until you finally decide to give in and get your victory?
Jacob wasn’t worried about the rising of the sun. He didn’t care how long the match had lasted. He still needed answers, and he didn’t have them. He remembered what lay ahead and he needed God’s intervention in the situation, or there would be no hope.
How much are we willing to wait upon the Lord’s time to bless us? Sometimes the blessing may come at the beginning of the match, and then it may not come until after a long struggle. But when we finally reach the point of yielding to God and truly begin to seek him, that’s when the answer will come. Don’t worry about the clock. Keep your eyes on the Lord and seek his presence.
Genesis 32:27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
Genesis 32:28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
What was this name thing all about? By confessing that his name was Jacob, Jacob finally confessed the sin in his heart against his brother and his father. He confessed that he was a conniver, a sneak, a cheat and all the other things he had done. He recognized who he was, confessed who he was, and repented of all that he had done. Only then could the Lord give Jacob the blessing he wanted and needed.
Salvation only comes after confession, and repentance for sin. The blessing of having a New Name written down in glory only comes after salvation. If you’ve never come to that point in your life where you’ve confessed that you are a sinner, and repented of your sin, and asked Jesus to be the Blesser of your heart, then your name isn’t recorded yet! You can have your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life right now. Today you can walk out of here singing, “There’s a New Name written down in Glory, and it’s mine, oh Yes, it’s mine. And the white-robed angels can sing the story, A sinner has come home!” There’ll be shouting on the Hills of Glory if you give your heart to Jesus today! And there’ll be a great day when you walk into those gates of Heaven to a celebration and a crowning of another child of God, and that’s you!
Genesis 32:29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
Jacob hadn’t fully realized who Jesus was as he wrestled through the night. He was partially blinded by the darkness that covered the earth. His vision was dimmed and blinded by the struggle. He just couldn’t see and even though the Lord didn’t tell him his name, Jacob began to realize that this was God standing there in the form of a man, and that God’s blessing was now upon him.
Genesis 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Peniel – the name means, “the face or vision of God; one that sees God”. Jacob knew that he had come face-to-face with God and that through God’s grace and God’s blessing, he had a new life and a new heart! He would forever be changed by his vision of God that day.
Genesis 32:31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
The wrestling match was over. The Lord had won. Jacob had yielded. His whole identity changed. He was a new man, with a new heart and a new vision. He was now called Israel, meaning “he who prevails with God”! Jacob hadn’t won the wrestling match by fighting against God, but by finally yielding to God. He was an overcomer, a winner, because he chose to surrender. He was now called a “prince with God”, just as all of those who become Children of God are considered to be of the royal family of God. We are a chosen generation and a royal priesthood. We are all Israel when we serve the Lord!
One last verse of scripture that I want you to read with me is found in Hebrews chapter 11, verse 21, By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
This is a picture of the fact that when we finally yield our lives to Jesus, we learn to lean on his power, his presence and his victory!
Jacob’s walk was never the same again. He learned to lean upon God and not upon his own understanding. He learned that in God is strength, power and deliverance. Jacob, now named Israel, was finally in the place where God could truly bless him, and he became the father of 12 sons who were the fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel. Israel was given a name when Jacob surrendered and the people of God still bear that name today.
When God changes your heart, gives you an new name, and you begin to serve the Lord, your walk in life will forever be different. You will become separated more and more unto his will, leaving the past in the past and walking in victory. But you and I must learn to lean upon our staff and trust in God every step of the way. Leaning upon his staff is a picture of you and I leaning upon Jesus, learning to lean more everyday as we walk with the Lord, and learning that only in Jesus is there strength to overcome the world; only in Jesus do we have authority over all of the power of the devil; only in Jesus is there salvation and deliverance; and only in Jesus is there a hope for a relationship with our Father in Heaven. We must walk our lives while we lean upon that staff of the Lord's presence with us. In our weakness, he is made strong!
God’s plan for your life and mine will only come to pass when we give up the wrestling match and learn to lean upon him.
