WWE: Jacob vs. God - Stories, Part 7

WWE: Jacob vs. God!

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.                   Romans 15:4

Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 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. And He said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless You bless me!”

So He said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 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.”                 Genesis 32:24-28

Before All Star Wrestling/WWF/WWE – an epic match: Jacob vs. God!

The Lead-Up:

• Jacob was very different from his (fraternal) twin brother Esau …
• Jacob lived up to his name: ‘supplanter’ …

- Tempting Esau for his birthright & Isaac for the blessing …

• Rebekah sends him away, and ‘a few days’ becomes 20 yrs. …
• Jacob meets his match in his uncle/father-in-law Laban …
• Jacob returns home with 2 wives, 2 maidservants, 11 sons, 1 daughter, many servants, and flocks/herds in abundance …
• Jacob sends the retinue ahead and tries to sleep alone …
• The match begins, as a ‘Man’ (God) wrestles with Jacob …
• The match lasts all night until God puts Jacob’s hip out of joint …
• Jacob confesses who he is – and God changes his character and gives him another name: ‘Israel’ – ‘ruling with God’ …

The Take-Aways:

• God is willing to stretch days to years to teach us life lessons …
• When we scheme, we will encounter one who is ‘better’ at it …
• That person/thing you are wrestling with now: ‘it’ may be God! …
• Recognize what is truly valuable and go after it! …
• God is willing to sacrifice our temporal health/comfort to make us more like Him … (Hebrews 12:5,6 and 12:10 – look it up) …
• When we confess and own up to God who we really are, a transformation takes place … see I John 1:9 …

Final Test Question: “Who won the wrestling match?”