Genesis 32 - Jacob Wrestles with God | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church
The Bible by David Alley · David Alley
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Show Notes
In this video listen to Genesis 32 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.
In Genesis 32 Jacob gets the terrible news that his brother is coming with an army of 400 soldiers to meet him. It cannot possibly be good news. Jacob does what is practical, dividing his family into two groups, giving better odds for one group to survive, and he also sends a messenger and gifts to his brother.
But he also deals with the news by going to prayer. First he prays alone, but then he finds a strange man who wrestles with him. Jacob is unwilling to give up, and so prevails against a stronger opponent, who ends up being the Lord. This is an all night affair. This alludes to our call to wrestle with God in prayer, until we breakthrough, even if it takes all night.
Jacob’s situation was desperate, but we often face desperate spiritual circumstances which don’t bother us much.
In overcoming, Jacob was given a new identity of Israel, and that shaped the rest of the entire scripture, and salvation history. It also shows us that we are called to wrestle with God. No longer was Jacob a deceiver, he was a perseverer.
Finally the name Israel suggest that God started the wrestle. It suggests that God puts us into some predicaments for our own overcoming and good.