Unexpected Blessings (Genesis 32: 22-31)
22The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. 24Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” 27So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” 29Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” 31The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.
Maybe Jacob felt regret. Maybe he cringed in the night as he viewed his past through the lens of contrition. Many times, he had not acted in an above-board manor. Among these instances, he had leveraged Esau’s birthright and even commandeered his blessing. Moreover, his questionable behavior was not confined to the distant past. In an interplay of wits and cunning, while living by the world’s standards, he had swindled his future father-in-law, Labon, out of a wealth of riches, only to move callously on. He often got what he wanted, but at the expense of a bad conscience and, now, a confrontation with his estranged brother. Consequences loomed large in the still of the night. Jacob was beside himself, clinging to futile acts of desperation in an attempt to protect his family.
Have you been there? Funny, how our giants tower above us in the solitude after midnight. We lie awake in bed, tossing and turning, maybe sweating a bit, imagining the worst. Here, we meet God. Humbled by impotence, filled with remorse, we confess our dependence. We pray that the judge is merciful. We are helpless.
Jacob wrestled with God. During the struggle his hip was dislocated. Isn’t that the way it is, how past mistakes cripple us, leaving us limping for a lifetime. But Jacob remained tenacious. In the battle which would transform a shady life of self-reliance into one of devotion. Jacob insisted on God’s blessing. Calling on God’s steadfast love and faithfulness, he refused to let go.
Can we be so bold? My inclination is that this might be a good time to surrender. But when we cast ourselves on the mercy of the court, we can still appeal to God’s goodness. If the encounter has brought about a pure heart, an honest spirit, we will experience gain despite the result. This aligning with God, scary as it may be, is really rooted in a trust that God’s will is good, that he is compassionate and kind, and that he blesses out of his remarkable abundance. The experience changes us forever. Maybe, for this result, it is all worth it. Not that we aren’t repentant, but that we are inspired to new heights, seeing clearly how we can be better. The situation, brought to a head, makes us more mature. From this point forward we will love better, be more gracious, more sensitive, show more respect, and love God fully.
Like Jacob whose name became Israel because he struggled with God, are you better for the experience? Jacob named the site Peniel as a way to honor that pivotal moment where he had seen God face to face and prevailed. Do you recognize cause and effect and give glory where glory is due? Are you appreciative of a God who provides and sustains even in our most vulnerable moments; yeah, to a God who creates vulnerable moments from which you will be transformed into someone better?
In the ensuing encounter Esau was remarkably cordial. Maybe he had grown from his own personal encounter with God as he contemplated his fate. Know this; God had blessed Esau too. And as a reflection of God’s goodness, he greeted his brother with immense love.
Tonight, don’t be resistant. Rather, be formed. As bitter as it may taste, just take your medicine; a dose of humility. Imagine not what you can do with your own strength to defer judgement, to skirt the reality of your own stubbornness. Surrender with confidence in the benevolent character of God. “Bless me despite myself,” are thoughtful words. Admit, “I mucked it up, please make it right,” knowing that God can bring bounty into desperate circumstances. When we pray, “thy will be done,” we are really releasing ourselves from a weight too heavy to lift. So, in practice, “cast all your anxiety on (the Lord) because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5: 7). Then experience God’s blessing!