Wrestling with God

Genesis 32

Before we jump into the Word tonight, I just want to make you aware of a couple of things.

This Sunday- from 8-9 we will be serving a pancake breakfast to raise money for missions.

The price is whatever you feel like giving. So id encourage everyone to come out and get a good breakfast for the glory of God.

Next Wednesday we will have a business meeting. That will take place at 7pm on the 12th.

So be ready for that.

Also- we are implementing step 1 of moving towards discipleship groups this evening. After the sermon, we are all going to get into groups- 3 4 groups.

We will go through the prayer list and there are also reflection questions that pertain to the message for tonight.

The hope and prayer is that- as we implement this more and more down the road- the time of prayer, reflection questions, and the discussing wins, struggles, and personal prayer will be done in groups of 3-4 in all the areas around the church and it will be in conjecture to the sermon series on Sunday where we are able to dive deeper into the text.

I’m excited for it and Lord willing, we will all dive deeper and have a better understanding of God’s Word.

But for the next several Wednesdays we are going to keep this type of format at least until we finish the book of Genesis. and we still got a long way to go.

Praise God for all that He is doing in and through this His Church.

After making peace with Laban, Jacob prepares for his long-anticipated encounter with Esau. He first seeks to mend their relationship by sending gifts, but he also turns to God, pleading for protection based on God's covenant promise. Before facing Esau, Jacob will first come face-to-face with God, receiving a new name—Israel. His struggle with God foreshadows the future of true Israel: just as Jacob wrestles with God and is blessed, the true Israel will prevail, enduring God's judgment and securing His blessing for His people.

Genesis 32 ESV

1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim. 3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, 4 instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’ ” 6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, 8 thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.” 9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ 10 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. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ” 13 So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.” 17 He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’ ” 19 He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, 20 and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” 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.” 21 So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp. 22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 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. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 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.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.

1. The Fear of Man.

After reconciling with Laban, Jacob still has a looming crisis—his long-dreaded encounter with Esau. As far as he knows, Esau’s anger remains, and the last time they spoke, Esau had vowed to kill him once their father passed away (27:41). Wanting to gauge the situation, Jacob sends messengers ahead to seek Esau’s “favor” (32:5).

But imagine Jacob’s shock when the messengers return with unsettling news—Esau is on his way to meet him, bringing “four hundred men” (v. 6). Panic grips Jacob, as he assumes the worst. The text describes him as “greatly afraid and distressed” (v. 7), fearing that his family is about to be wiped out.

In desperation, he divides his camp, hoping that at least some of his household and possessions might escape Esau’s wrath. Yet, in his fear of man, Jacob does something crucial—he turns to God, crying out for deliverance, not only for his family but for the fulfillment of God’s promise (vv. 9–12).

But notice what’s he praying for? Deliverance. “God, get me out of this mess and don’t let Esau kill me.”

John Owen: the greatest insult to God is to doubt his love for you.

And Jacob has finally stopped doubting God. He has no fully placed His trust in the Lord.

At this moment, Jacob finally steps into his role as a patriarch and a man of deep faith. Standing before God, he appeals to the covenant, reminding God of His own words: “You have said, ‘I will cause you to prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to be counted’” (v. 12).

He also humbly acknowledges his own unworthiness, confessing that he does not deserve God’s love and blessing (32:10). Yet, despite his shortcomings, Jacob boldly asks God to remain faithful to the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and himself.

In this, Jacob reveals that his concern extends beyond his own survival—he cares about the future of his family, the chosen lineage, and the fulfillment of God’s covenant.

The pattern of seeking favor from the covenant-keeping God echoes throughout the rest of Scripture. When Israel falls into idolatry at Sinai—worshiping the golden calf—Moses will intercede on their behalf, following the same model as Jacob.

He will plead for God’s protection by recalling the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exod 32:13). Though Moses himself did not commit this particular sin, he stands in the place of the people, asking God to pass over their transgression.

In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews reveals that Jesus Christ fulfills this role in an even greater way.

Hebrews 7:24–25 ESV

24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

As our perfect intercessor, Jesus continually stands before the throne of God, reminding Him of His promise to redeem a people through Christ’s shed blood (Heb 7:24–25). Jacob, in this moment, trusts that God will hear, forgive, and remain faithful to His covenant. But Jesus is the new and better Jacob—He doesn’t merely plead for His people’s deliverance; He secures it with His own life.

2. The Blessing of God

The next defining moment in Jacob’s life reveals a powerful truth—God’s blessing often comes on the other side of a struggle.

During the night, Jacob sends his family across the Jabbok River, but he stays behind. Then, as he sleeps, he finds himself locked in a wrestling match with a mysterious man that lasts until daybreak (vv. 22–24).

Martin Luther (the Reformer, lived 500 or so years ago) said that this story of Jacob wrestling with God gives us a picture of wrestling with a seemingly hostile God in prayer.

And we may not physically wrestle with the Lord but some people wrestle in prayer.

Tozer Topical Reader in Two Volumes 942. Prayer: Wrong Use Of

There is an idea abroad that wrestling in prayer is always a good thing, but that is by no means true. Extreme religious exercises may be undergone with no higher motive than to get our own way.

The spiritual quality of a prayer is determined not by its intensity but by its origin. In evaluating prayer we should inquire who is doing the praying—our determined hearts or the Holy Spirit? If the prayer originates with the Holy Spirit, then the wrestling can be beautiful and wonderful; but if we are the victims of our own overheated desires, our praying can be as carnal as any other act.

At first, this struggle seems to mirror Jacob’s lifelong conflict with Esau. For chapters, Jacob has been consumed with fear over his brother’s approach. But in reality, he has a far greater opponent to face.

From the womb, Jacob has been wrestling—grappling with Esau before birth, striving against Laban for years, always fighting to secure his own future. Now, when he expects to meet Esau, he instead encounters a nameless stranger in the dark. And somewhere in the midst of the struggle, Jacob comes to a stunning realization—this is no ordinary man. This is the very God with whom he has just pleaded in prayer (32:29–31).

As Jacob wrestles with God, the struggle takes a decisive turn—God reaches out and strikes Jacob’s hip socket.

God’s signature finishing move--the hip flick! BTW, do you know how painful that would have been? Ever had your finger pulled out of joint? (RAISE) I’ve never had it happen to me but people tell me it’s unbelievably painful—and the largest joint in your body is your hip and this guy just touches it with his finger and knocks it out of joint.

In an instant, Jacob is permanently wounded, left with a limp that he will carry for the rest of his life (vv. 25, 31).

This moment is deeply significant. Up to this point, Jacob has been a picture of strength and self-reliance. He wrestled Esau in the womb, moved a massive stone from a well to impress Rachel, and outmaneuvered Laban. But from this point forward, Jacob will no longer walk the same way—physically or spiritually. His limp becomes a lasting reminder that true strength is not found in self-sufficiency but in dependence on God.

For Moses’s earliest readers, this event had an enduring impact. In verse 32, Moses notes that, in remembrance of what happened to Jacob, “the Israelites don’t eat the thigh muscle that is at the hip socket” (v. 32). What began as a personal encounter with God left an imprint on the entire nation, marking a shift from striving in human strength to walking—however limply—in the power of God’s promises.

Jacob’s insistence on receiving a blessing before releasing the stranger (v. 26) may seem unusual to modern readers, but it would have resonated deeply with Moses’s original audience. After an intense night of wrestling, Jacob realizes that this mysterious figure carries great significance. And, true to his nature, Jacob is once again striving for a blessing.

From the very beginning, Jacob has been a man who fights to secure favor—he grasped Esau’s heel at birth, deceived his brother for the birthright, and tricked his blind father to steal the blessing. But now, the tables have turned. This time, Jacob is the one who cannot see clearly, and he is the one seeking a blessing.

When the stranger asks for his name—just as Isaac did years earlier (27:18)—Jacob does not lie. Instead, he speaks truthfully, and in response, he is given a new identity. The stranger renames him Israel, saying, “because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed” (v. 28).

This moment marks a radical transformation. The old Jacob—the deceiver, the self-reliant striver—dies here at the river. And in his place, Israel emerges, a new man ready to cross over into God’s promises.

From this moment onward in the Bible, the name Israel refers not only to Jacob but also to the entire nation that stems from him, signifying "one who has struggled with God and triumphed." Throughout Scripture, Israel represents more than just an individual—it denotes a nation that originated from a single person and grew into a vast multitude, a mighty people.

God's purpose for this nation finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, who embodies the true essence of Israel. The promise to deliver humanity from the curse of sin starts with one man, Jacob, and reaches its climax in another, Jesus. The significance of the name Israel echoes through the biblical story: this is the one who has contended with God and emerged victorious. Through this struggle, the blessing is secured.

When God gives Jacob a new name, He’s showing He’s the boss over him. In Genesis, naming is a big deal—it shows who’s in charge. Adam names the animals to show he rules over them (2:19), and he names Eve because she’s his helper (2:23). Later in the Bible, Jesus gives Simon the name Peter (John 1:42).

So, when God renames Jacob, it’s His way of saying, “I’m in control here.” Jacob isn’t just a worker for his father-in-law or the younger brother who ran away anymore—he’s now the leader of a special nation that’ll grow big. His new name proves God’s got the power to make this happen.

In Revelation, Jesus promises people who get it and keep going that He’ll give them “a white stone with a new name on it that only they’ll know” (Rev 2:17). This means one day, He’ll give all believers new names to show He’s the boss and they’re part of His family.

The idea of Israel fighting with God and getting blessed afterward shows up again in Ezekiel and with Jesus. Ezekiel talks about how Israel messes up and God’s going to judge them, kind of like when Jacob wrestled with God way back.

He writes from the Lord’s Perspective: Ezekiel 20:34-35

Ezekiel 20:34–35 ESV

34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.

A few verses later, Ezekiel says, “I’ll make you pass under the rod and bring you into the covenant’s bond” (Ezek 20:37). Just like God let Jacob split from his family to wrestle with Him, He’ll pull Israel out from other nations.

Just like God used strength and power to wrestle with Jacob, He’ll do the same with rebellious Israel when He pours out His anger. Just like God faced Jacob head-on in the wilderness to judge him, He’ll face Israel the same way.

And just like wrestling with Jacob was how God brought him into the covenant’s blessing, judging Israel with the rod is how He’ll bring them into the covenant too.

But God meeting Jacob in Genesis 32 doesn’t just hint at the future judgment on the nation of Israel. It also points to the judgment that falls on Jesus Christ, the True Israel and ultimate son of Israel.

Jesus takes on God’s anger for the sake of His sinful brothers and sisters. One clue comes from a story about Jesus’ birth. One of the first people to meet Him is a prophetess named Anna (Luke 2:36

Luke 2:36 ESV

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin,

Her dad’s name, Phanuel, comes from “Penuel,” the name Jacob gave the place where he wrestled with God (Gen 32:31). Just as Jacob met God face-to-face at Penuel, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, meets God face-to-face when she sees Jesus, the ultimate son of Jacob.

The similarities get even stronger when we look at Jesus’ death. Like Jacob, Jesus gets separated from everyone and heads out into the wilderness for a big struggle, away from the camp. This struggle ends with Him taking on God’s anger for others (Heb 13:12).

Like Jacob, Jesus faces God’s judgment head-on as the Messiah, dealing with the strong hand and poured-out wrath Ezekiel talked about—except now it’s Jesus with His arms stretched out on the cross (Mark 15:24). Also like Jacob, He gets hit on His side when a Roman spear stabs Him, not messing up His walk but taking His life (John 19:34).

Like Jacob, this fight with God leaves marks on Jesus—not a limp, but scars on His hands and feet (John 20:25–27). And like Jacob, Jesus shows He’s not just Israel’s hope but the True Israel.

Even though His people messed up, He was perfect, “struggled with God and men,” and won by rising from the dead (Gen 32:28; cf. Col 2:15). So, just as Jacob got the name Israel, Jesus gets a name “above every name” (Phil 2:9).

Jesus is like a better version of Jacob, becoming the True Israel through His winning death and resurrection. God hands all the covenant blessings to Jesus, and then Jesus passes them on to God’s people.

When Jesus walks out of the tomb, He’s a new man, the True Israel. By reliving Israel’s struggle, Jesus creates a new group of people—not based on family ties but on God’s promise and the Spirit’s work.

So, while True Israel means Jesus, the phrase “true Israel” also points to those who get the covenant blessings because they’re connected to Christ, not just Jacob’s physical family. Jesus won the promise for His people through His tough, solo fight.