Before a human laid eyes on Jesus incarnated, one man spent a night with God. Jacob, who was about to become Israel, wrestled with God. He didn’t receive a message from the Lord or get saved from a fiery furnace or engage in a philosophical conversation. He engaged God in a bodily way. Why?
This is the encounter I’ve always been jealous of. I get stuck in my head where I know the truth, know what I believe, but when I look at my actions or observe my feelings, I’m not sure my head knowledge is getting me very far. What I wouldn’t give to get out of my head and learn God another way. Not reading, not the school setting, not sermons. I want to touch God. I want to feel Him near me. I want to sense Him and see if He is really good.
That’s what Jacob did. He found out God would get close enough to touch him.
Jacob breathed God’s breath and sweated on God and at some point, in frustration, maybe some tears splashed on Him.
He stank from his fear and his effort and God did not leave. His efforts were feeble compared to God’s and God didn’t leave. Jacob was probably full of self doubt and condemnation, which God could sense, and still didn’t leave.
With no light pollution fading the night, Jacob spent the it in pitch black, feeling only through smell, taste, touch and sounds. Effectively blindfolded, he learned as visually impaired folks do – feeling not only God’s power, but God’s determination not to hurt him. Isn’t that what we need to know, deep in our bones? This was a night of therapy that taught Jacob God’s power is for us. When the sun rose the next day, he was Israel, transformed. Israel knew things Jacob could never begin to know. He went from the fearful deceiver to the one who had fought God and triumphed. Not by defeating God, but by finally knowing Him.
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 32:28
