Close Encounters of the 
Heavenly Kind

Jacob whose name literally means "He grasps the heel" was a man who grasped beyond what was his to get what belonged to others. Jacob lived by his own means. He was born grasping the heel of his older brother, Esau. He lived a pattern of deception to get what he wanted. When he desired a greater inheritance, he "grasped the heel" of Esau again by taking the birthright which belonged to the firstborn. He "grasped the heel" of his father, Isaac, and deceptively stole the family blessing. He was a man whose ingenuity was useful for spiteful, selfish gain.

Yet he was raised in a household of faith. His father was a prophet and taught his children about the Creator who loved them and promised a Redeemer who would one day right all that was wrong in His creation. His father was human, though, and acted in ways human fathers all too often do. He favored his son Esau. As a result, Jacob had a deep longing for acceptance and blessing from his father -- one that was unfettered by lies or trickery. But Jacob's deception separated him from his father for the rest of Isaac's natural life.

Now God had already made incredible promises to Jacob, and Jacob vowed to trust Him. His life took quite a turn as he became faithful to God in spite of severe, unjust deception on the part of his Uncle Laban, both his wives and his own sons. They say, "what goes around, comes around." This undoubtedly came from the Bible which says, "whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Gal. 6:7-8). Jacob found this to be true as he watched his sons engage in the same sinful deception of their father. Now he would face the brother he deceived once again, possibly losing his life in the process.

All this left Jacob feeling empty. Were the promises of God really his? Did God really love Jacob? Would God really protect him in the face of danger? Would God truly give the land to his descedants? Jacob sought God's blessings by the only means he knew -- trickery, deceit, craft and cunning.

Scripture Passage: Genesis 32:1-32
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Main Thought: The blessing of God is not something you can take, steal or earn from Him. When you humble yourself before God, He graciously gives to you because you trusted in Him.

1. God called Jacob to go back to the place He had promised which Jacob feared.
2. Alone with his fear, Jacob wrestled with God to gain the blessing he desparately needed.
3. Realizing his works of the flesh were worthless in obtaining God's blessing, Jacob simply held on to God and humbly asked for help.

"(11) Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, 'Jacob.' And I said, 'Here I am.' (12) And He said, 'Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. (13) 'I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.'" (Genesis 31:11-13, NKJV)

 

1. God called Jacob to go back to the place He had promised which Jacob feared.

Jacob was tested in this as God called him to leave his Uncle's house and go back to Canaan. The one who grasped the heel of his brother and father was about to grasp another -- none other than the LORD God Himself. You see, Jacob found that the genuine love and acceptance he desired from his earthly father he also required from his Heavenly Father.

He took all his possessions -- a great quantity of sheep, servants, and family -- and set out for Canaan. Jacob was very concerned about meeting up with his brother, Esau, who still lived in Canaan. When Jacob first left home, it was because Esau wanted to kill him for stealing his birthright and blessing. Jacob's faith collapsed into fear and he resorted to his deceptive ways to deal with his brother, again! He decided to bribe Esau in hopes that his enormous gift would allay any thought Esau might have of killing Jacob. God even sent angels remind Jacob that the LORD was guarding his journey (Gen. 32:1-2) but still Jacob clinged to fleshly fears. He sent out his servants with the gift and a message, "I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight" (Gen. 32:5, NKJV). Though God prophesied Jacob would rule over his brother, Jacob schemed by calling Esau his "lord" which means master in this sense.

In spite of all their differences, Jacob sincerely wanted his brother to love him. But "Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, 'We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him'" (Gen. 32:6, NKJV). Uh-oh! Looks like Jacob's scheme isn't working. Plan B is to cut his losses by dividing into groups. Jacob reasoned that if Jacob attacked one group then the other might escape. He sent his servants ahead of him in separate droves, each with the message that Esau was the "lord" and Jacob was his "servant" (Gen. 32:13-21). Thinking through the implications of his angry brother and his four hundred men finally drove Jacob to prayer in a desparate cry for God's deliverance. Of his prayer, Matthew Henry writes:

"There cannot be a better pattern for true prayer than this. Here is a thankful acknowledgement of former undeserved favours; a humble confession of unworthiness; a plain statement of his fears and distress; a full reference of the whole affair to the Lord, and resting all his hopes on him. The best we can say to God in prayer, is what he has said to us. Thus he made the name of the Lord his strong tower, and could not but be safe." (Matthew Henry Commentary, Genesis 32:9-23)

So he sent his family ahead of him across the river and Jacob was alone. Note his desparate cry in the message to Esau, "I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me." (Gen. 32:20, NKJV). The one who "grasped the heel" was now longing to see his face. One's face can reveal quite a lot about one's disposition and character. Jacob's grasping would soon be over. God had been working overtime to deal with Jacob's character flaw. Now it was time for God to personally intervene in Jacob's journey.

"(24) Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. (25) Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. (26) And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" ." (Gen 32:24-26, NKJV)

 

2. Alone with his fear, Jacob wrestled with God to gain the blessing he desparately needed.

Possibly one of the stranger accounts (no pun intended) in the Bible -- Jacob wrestling with a stranger (a "Man") who turns out to be God (v.30) in the form of an angel (Hosea 12:2-5). Jacob acknowledged Him as God leaving us with the only conclusion that this was THE Angel of the LORD whom we see in other events of the Old Testament. God the Father is invisible and is always made manifest through God the Son (Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17; Heb. 1:3), the Word which later became flesh for time and eternity. (John 1:14) Here we see the Angel of the LORD in a pre-incarnate appearance as a "wrestler."

Did God really wrestle Jacob? The word "wrestled" does mean to grapple with as in physical wrestling. That Jacob went into the Promised Land with a limp (v31) indicates this was a physical encounter with God, not just a figurative, spiritual encounter. God deals in all spheres of our lives -- physical, spiritual, mental, emotional. He chose to deal with Jacob's night vigil of prayer in a most unusual way. While Jacob wrestled with the Man physically, he was praying earnestly -- wrestling in a spiritual sense as it were.

What did Jacob want? He wanted the blessing from God, straight on, no tricks, no turns, just the blessing. He longed for acceptance from God, to know His love that was not based on trickery but integrity. Jacob would not give up until gained the blessing. First Jacob tried to overpower the Man and take the blessing from Him. Jacob was not nearly strong enough to force a blessing from the LORD. But the LORD saw that Jacob refused to give up. So He threw Jacob's hip out of joint (ouch!) to show that He could crush Jacob at any point.

"(27) So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." (28) And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." (29) Then Jacob asked, saying, "Tell me Your name, I pray." And He said, "Why is it that you ask about My name?" And He blessed him there. (30) And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." (Gen 32:27-30, NKJV)

3. Realizing his works of the flesh were worthless in obtaining God's blessing, Jacob simply held on to God and humbly asked for help.

As the day approached dawn, so Jacob's spiritual life approached a new dawn. The LORD did not want Jacob to see His face and told Jacob to let Him go "for no man shall see Me, and live" (Exodus 33:20, NKJV). Jacob risked his life rather than miss the blessing from God. "I will not let You go unless You bless me," said Jacob. This is the turning point for Jacob. He realized that for all his struggling to gain acceptance and blessing from God and from men, he could not force it by his own means. He "grasped the heel" of the Almighty Himself and could not get what he wanted. His only choice was to just hold on to God.

Jacob did not give up in seeking God's blessing. It seems as though Jacob's struggle in life was one of finding significance in his own right -- the antithesis of the life of deception he had weaved through the course of time. Failing to get it through fleshly means, Jacob finally lets go of his craftiness to pursue the intimate, spiritual relationship God wanted all along.

How do we know that the purpose of this encounter was one of prayer and spiritual soul-seeking? In verses 27-28, the LORD asks Jacob his name. More than just a point of reference, the name for one in these times signifies the very character of a person. This forces Jacob to admit to the LORD that he is the deceiver, the one who grasps the heel of others. But God declares the change only He can see in the inner person -- He gave Jacob the name "Israel" which has a mysterious origin but seems to mean "God prevails." God prevailed over the strong-willed Jacob and now he was called Israel. The physical exertion of wrestling paled in comparison to the drain of his fervent prayer. Yet this commitment of Jacob to seeking God's blessing in spite of risk to life and limb was rewarded by God. James 5:16 tells us, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." It can shut up the clouds of heaven, heal the sick, raise the dead, and protect the weak for it relies not on the weak, humble man or woman but on the All-powerful, All-knowing, Everywhere-present Almighty God!

Jacob finally reached the point of trusting in His Creator. He finally learned that craftiness and self-ingenuity are worthless for obtaining God's blessing. To the one who simply and sincerely trusts in the LORD, the LORD gives His love and acceptance. Psalm 9:10 explains "And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You." He never plays favorites for all who come to Him through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, are His favorites. To the one who trusts in the LORD, He brings unspeakable riches of blessing (Psalm 2:12; 34:8), goodness (Psalm 31:19), mercy (Psalm 32:10), rejoicing (Psalm 33:21), redemption of your soul from condemnation (Psalm 34:22), fullness of life (Psalm 36:7-9), godly success (Psalm 37:3-6) and the list just goes on and on.

Reflect on YOUR life: Let us not reach a life-threatening point to turn to the Almighty as did Jacob. Let us reach that point now where we give up our pursuit of success through fleshly means and pursue God in earnest through the greatest of His inventions -- fervent prayer. Let us pray for our wives, men, and for our husbands, women, and for our families and communities with fervent prayer. Let us pray for this class that we might reach our community with the good news of Jesus Christ and win them to faith in Christ! Let us pray for our church that the Spirit of God might light a holy fire in us to pursue with one heart the increase of truth, justice, and righteousness in this great land. Let us be humble people with passionate prayer and boldness in our speech. May we humbly seek and, therefore, find the face of God smiling upon each of us in the new year!

Our Creator God loves you and wants you to know Him! If you would like to contact this ministry for further information or questions, please send your e-mail to:
Email: ministryrequest1@WordTruth.Com
Web Site: WordTruth.Com

Copyright 1999, Randy Lariscy.