Wrestling with the 

Lord

Gen. 32:24 “Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the
day”
Genesis 32:22–24

From birth, the patriarch Jacob has been fighting against those around him. Jacob has
initiated some struggles himself — he took hold of Esau (Gen. 25:24–26) and his
blessing underhandedly (vv. 29–34; 27:1–29). Laban, his sneaky father-in-law,
instigated Jacob’s later difficulties (29:1–30). But no matter the source of his struggles,
Jacob has tended to rely on his own wits, only slowly realizing his efforts are worthless
without God’s approval (31:4–16; 32:9–12).

Yet we have hope that this forefather in the faith will finally lean on God. Haran, one of
Abraham’s stops on his travels from Ur to the Promised Land (11:31; 12:4; Acts 7:2–3),
was located in Paddan-aram, a region roughly encompassing the Euphrates river
(modern-day Iraq). In journeying from Paddan-aram to Canaan (Gen. 31:18), Jacob
imitates his grandfather Abraham, encouraging us that Isaac’s son will one day trust
Yahweh like Abraham did.

In today’s passage, Jacob comes ever closer to Canaan and an encounter that will make
him finally submit to the Lord. The setting is the Jabbok river, a fast-moving tributary
that flows into the river Jordan. Jacob is anxious over the upcoming meeting with Esau;
this is plain in his willingness to cross the river at night (32:22–23). This feat would
have been especially dangerous with no light to guide him, but Jacob is so unsettled that
he presses ahead.

Jacob stays behind as his family crosses the Jabbok, probably to make sure everyone
gets across safely. In any case, he is left alone and soon finds himself wrestling with “a
man” until daybreak (v. 24). Though not apparent at first, this man is really an
appearance of God Himself (v. 30), perhaps in the guise of the Angel of the Lord.
Jacob’s wrestling with the Lord will bring him great blessing (vv. 25–29); in much the
same way our engaging God blesses us. John Calvin agrees that this episode is
paradigmatic of our wrestling with the Lord today. When the Father tests us, we may
find ourselves struggling with Him, looking for blessing in the midst of our trouble. This
striving is not blasphemous; wrestling with God can prove our faith if undertaken in the
right spirit (v. 28).
Coram Deo

Jesus shows how we are to wrestle with God. In Gethsemane, our Savior thrice
confessed His dread at His Father’s wrath, asking Him each time to let the cup of
suffering pass. But each time this request was accompanied by a trusting resolve to do
God’s will, whatever it may be (Mark 14:32–42). Like Jesus, we may freely admit our
fears to the Lord, but we must also be willing to submit to Him, no matter the difficulty it
might bring.
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Jacob’s Transformation

“Jacob said, ‘O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac…I am not worthy

of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have
shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have
become two camps’” (Gen. 32:9-10).
- Genesis 32:6-12

Genesis 32 is more proof of Jacob’s slow move from self-reliance to dependence on
Yahweh. God used Jacob’s scheming to give him Esau’s birthright (25:29–34; 27:1–29),
but Jacob’s deceit did not please Him. Jacob was once blind to his sin, but now he
addresses Esau far more deferentially than his culture required (32:3–5). Clearly, the
Spirit is convicting Jacob, and he feels guilty for wronging Esau.

Jacob again displays a deepening trust in the Lord in today’s passage. His envoy to Esau
returns without news of his older brother’s reply. Only the ominous sign of Esau’s
approach with “four hundred men” (v. 6) is reported. Moses does not often describe a
person’s emotional state explicitly; thus, the reference to Jacob’s fear and distress
emphasizes the dread that has seized him. Jacob divides his clan into two groups so that
one may escape if Esau attacks (vv. 7–8).

Nehemiah, among other biblical writings, teaches that wise preparation is consistent
with faith, though Jacob is likely motivated more by fear than wisdom. Yet Jacob’s
prayer reveals his faith is real (32:9–12). Matthew Henry writes, “Acute apprehension of
danger may…co-exist with a humble confidence in God’s power and promise.” True faith
does not mean fear is wholly absent; our trust in the Lord may be strongest when we
fear men but obey God anyway. John Calvin says Jacob’s prayer shows his faith finally
conquered his fear.

Jacob’s pleas demonstrate his growing consciousness of his need to depend on the
Almighty since he confesses his unworthiness (v. 10), “reminds” God of His promises
(vv. 9, 12), and appeals to His compassion on women and children (v. 11). Isaac’s son
is learning that apart from the Lord, his best efforts are worthless.

Many psalms also “remind” the Lord of His promises to deliver His people (for
example, Pss. 17; 22; 26). Obviously, God never forgets His pledges to us, but it is not
impious to ask Him to recall and act according to His promises in Scripture. In fact, we
can “remind” the Lord of His words only if we believe He will keep them, as such faith
fuels effectual prayer (Matt. 21:21). Matthew Henry comments: “The best we can say to
God in prayer is what he has said to us.”
 

Coram Deo

John Calvin wrote that those who think faith is exempt from fear have had no real

experience of living by faith. After all, God nowhere promises that we will not suffer or
become afraid in this life. What He does promise is that fear will not prevail and thereby
overwhelm us in despair. You can know that your faith is real if in your fear you continue
to pray and do the right thing. Confess your fears to the Lord and ask Him to help you
overcome them.
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Jacob’s Gift
“For he thought, ‘I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and
afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.’ So the present passed on
ahead of him and he himself stayed that night in the camp” (Gen. 32:20b-21).
- Genesis 32:13–21

Fear remains a factor among God’s chosen. True, fearfulness is not ideal, and some
biblical heroes seem to fear nothing (see Dan. 6, for example). Yet until we are glorified,
we will battle the flesh (Rom. 6:12–14). “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18), but
love, faith, and hope (1 Cor. 13:13) will not be perfected in us until that final day (1
John 3:2). Christ destroyed sin’s power (Rom. 8:2), but its presence remains; thus, fear
often colors our faith, hope, and love.

After his prayer in Genesis 32:9–12, Jacob shows how fear can affect faith. In today’s
passage, Jacob sends a gift to Esau ahead of their meeting. In the ancient Near East,
people gave presents to a great man before visiting him. But Jacob’s gift is excessive
given the custom of the day. He offers hundreds of animals, all gained in Paddan-aram
(vv. 13–15; 30:25–43). Coupled with this exorbitant gift is his address in which Esau is
called, “lord,” and Jacob, “servant” (32:16–20).

How does all this reveal the level of Jacob’s fear? First, Jacob calls himself “servant” and
Esau “lord,” thereby setting Esau over himself and returning the stolen blessing of
lordship (25:23; 27:27–29). This is a noble gesture only if Jacob is truly sorry for the
way he gained his blessing. But Jacob is not yet fully renouncing the ungodly means he
used to seize the godly gift, as evident in his lack of trust of the Lord to keep His word.
He is “greatly afraid and distressed” and more concerned to save his own skin (32:7). 
Second, Jacob approaches Esau in the same way pagans approached their gods. Seeing
them as capricious and vindictive, pagans offered sacrifices to get on the good side of
their deities. Jacob likewise hopes to buy off his brother; the Hebrew word for present in
this passage is the same word used for grain offering (Ex. 29:41).

Biblical sacrifices are rooted in God’s gracious redemption. They do not “bribe” an
arbitrary deity; God ordains them according to His unchanging holiness and mercy
towards His own people (Lev. 16; Rom. 5:8). Yahweh is on Jacob’s side (Gen. 32:12),
and he should expect “grace” from Esau without buying him off. Yet Jacob stumbles,
trying to give his blessing to Esau for all the wrong reasons.
Coram Deo

Jacob’s attempt to buy off his brother shows how little he trusted God to keep him safe
as he returned to the Promised Land. He goes too far in trying to make amends with
Esau, unconsciously showing a willingness to give up the blessing the Lord brought to
him in Paddan-aram. Do you trust God to provide for you even if you have greatly
displeased Him? If you have come to rely on Christ alone do not be like Jacob, but trust
Him to provide for you.

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A Wrestling People

“He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven
with God and with men, and have prevailed’” (Gen. 32:28).
- Genesis 32:22-32

Our look this month at God’s ways of relating to His creation in the Old Testament and
how those ways compare to His dealings in the new covenant has thus far focused on
His relationship to all the nations. Before we move on, however, we must consider how
He has related to the nation He first chose to take His light to the world — the people of
Israel (Isa. 42:6; 49:6).

In line with God’s promise to multiply the offspring of Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3), old
covenant Israel consisted mainly of the physical descendants of the patriarch through
his son Isaac (17:15–21). Abraham’s children, however, did not bear the name Israel
until the Lord intervened in the life of a man who was perhaps the most unlikely
candidate ever to receive divine blessing. This man was Jacob, Isaac’s younger son.
Humanly speaking, few of us would have chosen Jacob for great honor because he spent
a good deal of his life deceiving others and cheating to get his way. Jacob preyed on his
brother’s weaknesses and stole his birthright (25:29–34), conspired with his mother to
deceive his father (chap. 27), and did not turn the other cheek when his uncle Laban
cheated him (30:25–42). Throughout his life, Jacob displayed a disturbing tendency to
rely on himself and not on the Lord’s presence and power.
All that changed when he wrestled with “a man” on the borders of the Promised Land
(32:22–24). This was no ordinary man, for He was able to wrench Jacob’s hip out of
joint with a light tap, according to Genesis 32:25. Jacob came to learn that he had been
wrestling face to face with God Himself (vv. 30–32), and so generations of Christian
interpreters have seen in this wrestling match a bout between Jacob and a pre-incarnate
manifestation of the Son of God.

In the middle of the match, the man forced Jacob to speak his name, which has
significance. The name Jacob means something like “deceiver” or “cheater,” and in
giving his name to the man, Jacob was really confessing his sinful self-reliance on his
own way. As a sign of Jacob’s forgiveness and transformation, the patriarch was given
the new name Israel, the name by which all future generations of God’s people would be
known (vv. 26–29). And true Israelites by faith would wrestle like Jacob did — holding
on to the Lord with all their might that they might find blessing.

Coram Deo

The weight of today’s passage lies in the fact that Jacob wrestled with God. Note,
however, that Jacob could sustain the struggle only because of the Lord’s grace to Him.
Matthew Henry comments on today’s passage: “We cannot prevail with God but in his
own strength. It is his Spirit who intercedes in us, and helps us in our weakness (Rom.
8:26).” Commitment to the Lord in good and bad times depends on the help of His
Holy Spirit.

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The Touch of the Lord

“When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and
Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him” (Gen. 32:25).
- Genesis 32:25–26

The Jacob who wrestles with the Lord on the banks of the river is very different from the
Jacob who, by trusting himself, gained the blessing of Esau (Gen. 25:29–34). After his
years as Laban’s slave, Jacob has increasingly seen the impotence of his efforts apart
from God’s blessing (31:4–16). However, his attempt to buy Esau’s forgiveness (32:1–
21) shows Jacob does not yet understand that he must rely on God alone. In today’s
passage, he learns his lesson the hard way.

The Lord purposely tangles with Jacob in the night (vv. 22, 24, 26). Isaac’s son is no
fool; if Yahweh were to come in the daylight, Jacob would not have struggled with Him
because his divine foe’s strength would be visible to the eye. By day, Isaac’s son would
rely on his own smarts and avoid a conflict he was sure to lose. Thus, he might again be
confident that his own strength could save him. But since the Lord came at night when
Jacob could not see Him, God gets him to do the “sensible” thing (from man’s
perspective) and fight back.

The Lord withholds His full might for a time to let Jacob think he is winning. But just
when the patriarch thinks he has the upper hand, God puts his hip out of joint (v. 25).
The Almighty did not tear Jacob’s leg from its socket, as the Hebrew indicates he was
wounded by a soft touch. Jacob clings to the Lord and begs Him for a blessing (v. 26),
as the force of this nudge begins to reveal the identity of this “man.” After all, only God
has the strength to crush with a delicate tap. 
For too long, Jacob has assumed his skill is the primary factor in his success. In
defeating the patriarch so easily, the Lord shows Jacob who has the power and who truly
holds the key to his future. By implication, the wounding also teaches Jacob that he was
really fighting against the Lord’s holy character when he used dishonest tactics to secure
Esau’s birthright, even if the blessing was rightfully his.

Today, the Lord still wounds His people. Perhaps, like Paul, He will give us a thorn to
display His power in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:7–10). Maybe God will use the stripes of
men to discipline us like He did with David’s sons (2 Sam. 7:14). Whatever the case, the
Lord will not hesitate to wound us if it serves our good and His glory.
Coram Deo

Augustine reminds us that “the touch of the Lord is the hand of the Lord, chastising and
giving life” (Works of St. Augustine, 31:223). Too many Christians today run after the
abundant, life-giving touch of God without being willing to receive chastisement from
Him. It is not popular to say that the Lord at times may discipline His children, but
Scripture is clear that sometimes He tears us down in order to build us up (Hos. 6:1).
And God is good even in His discipline.

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From Jacob to Israel

“He said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said ‘Jacob.’ Then he said, ‘Your name

shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with
men, and have prevailed’” (Gen. 32:27-28).
- Genesis 32:27–28

Jacob has not only prevailed in grappling with men (Gen. 29–31), he also clings to God
as he wrestles Him. Bruised by the Lord, Jacob will not let go until Yahweh blesses
him (32:26). 

However, God asks the patriarch to reveal his name before He favors him (v. 27). Do
not discount the importance of this question and Jacob’s response. Despite his sin, the
Lord has blessed Jacob (30:25–43; 31:9), but he must fully submit to God for this
blessing. Just as boys say “uncle” when they have lost a fight, Jacob yields to the Lord
when he surrenders his name. Moreover, Jacob also confesses his sin. His name can
mean “he cheats” in addition to “may God be your rear guard” (25:26). The birthright of
Isaac’s firstborn was rightly his (v. 23), but Jacob seized it unlawfully, and he admits to
being a crafty usurper when he calls himself “Jacob.”

The Lord does not let Jacob’s past define him. Instead, He forgives and no longer hold’s
Jacob’s sin against him. He renames Jacob Israel (32:28), which loosely means “El
(God) fights.” In the history of the nation of Israel, the Lord fought with and for His
people (Ex. 14; Jer. 1:13–19). He also warred against Israel when He judged her
through pagan armies (Judg. 2:11–14; Jer. 21). Jacob’s new name hints at this future,
but we are also told he is called Israel because he has prevailed in his struggle with God
and men (Gen. 32:28). This being the case, how did Jacob prevail in his struggle with
the Almighty if he cried “uncle”? 

Understanding that the Lord wrestles with us whenever we are tempted or face trouble
helps us answer this question. Though perfectly holy and never Himself the author of sin
(James 1:13), God is sovereign, and any evil that attacks or tempts us only comes by
His permission (Isa. 45:7; 1 Cor. 10:13). Therefore, John Calvin comments, to fight
against such things is in some sense to do battle with the Lord’s hand since He allows
trials without being guilty of sin (for our good, Rom. 8:28). Jacob prevailed in this battle
by admitting His guilt and absolute dependence on the Lord, clinging to Him with all his
might. Such cleaving is the only way we can prevail with the Lord and trust Him to work
for our good even when life is tough.
Coram Deo

When God sends trials our way, He is not working against us. He also delivers us from
the travails He permits (Pss. 18:2; 74; 79; 1 Cor. 10:13). Calvin writes that “inasmuch
as he supplies us with more strength to resist than he employs in opposing us, we may
truly and properly say, that he fights against us with his left hand, and for us with his
right hand.” Let us imitate Jacob and cling to Him for blessing so that we may see the
good things He has for us.

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Jacob’s Deliverance

“Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, ‘For I have seen God face to
face, and yet my life has been delivered’” (Gen. 32:30).
- Genesis 32:29–32

As those able to look back on Jacob’s life, we can divide his wrestling match with the
Lord into particular segments and describe what he learned from each one. However,
Jacob was not fully aware of these lessons before the struggle ended. For example, we
have spoken of Jacob’s total submission to God when he gave up his name and held on
for a blessing (Gen. 32:26–28). Yet Jacob probably did not know the full meaning of his
capitulation until Yahweh left him. 

Today’s passage demonstrates this conclusion. In verse 29, Jacob asks his sparring
partner for His name, probably to gain an advantage over Him, since to demand and
learn the name of another person in those days gave power to the one demanding the
name. Thus, Jacob’s question implies he still sees the man as more his equal than his
superior. Israel is only beginning to see this man as He really is.

God does not surrender His name when asked, which, as the Reformation Study
Bible notes, shows He must take the gracious initiative to reveal it (see Ex. 3). The Lord
will not give His name to those who might try “to invoke and control” Him (20:7). In all
likelihood, this refusal, coupled with the content of God’s blessing (Gen. 32:29b; see
also 28:10–17; 35:1–15), makes Jacob finally know who he has wrestled. In awe he
names the place “Peniel,” for he has seen the Lord and has been delivered (32:30). He
realizes how fortunate he is to be alive since sinners cannot see God’s face and live (Ex.
33:20). Matthew Henry writes: “The name he [Jacob] gives the place preserves and
perpetuates…only the honor of God’s free grace.”

No one walks away from the Lord unscathed, and Jacob gets a permanent limp to
remind him that he is not self-sufficient but must rely on God. To recall this moment and
the grace shown Jacob, the Israelites altered their eating habits (Gen. 32:32). John
Chrysostom, an early bishop of Constantinople, calls this change “a constant reminder
for them of the kindnesses done by him [God]” (Homilies on Genesis, 58.14). And just
as the people of Israel did not eat the sciatic tendon because of this event, so too do we
gather around the Lord’s Table because of the great event of Christ’s death on the cross.
Coram Deo

John Calvin comments on Jacob’s wrestling with the Lord, saying, “This passage teaches
us always to expect the blessing of God, although we may have experienced his
presence to be harsh and grievous, even to the disjointing of our members.” Though His
servants are at times a bruised reed or a smoldering wick, our Father will not destroy
those who trust in Him (Isa. 42:1–3). Know that the Lord is eager to bless you if you
belong to Him.

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