Jacob does not wrestle with God as a morally pure man.
He deceived Esau, his older brother, decades ago, and still feels guilty about it. He fears him (Gen 32:11), and leans into God's promise to bless him (Gen 32:12). He has been in exile with Laban, tricking the trickster to stay afloat financially.
What I never noticed is that the blessing Jacob seeks as he wrestles with God is very specific. He doesn't want some generic blessing from God (Gen 32:26) - he wants protection from Esau. And he gets it.
Many of us have people who loom large in our life as a threat. A harsh father. A school bully. A bad church experience. A less than loving husband. This was Esau, for Jacob.
Our calling is to wrestle with God, and seek His blessing to preserve us, even if we were guilty in the past. To claim His promises for blessing, and not disengage from Him, dispirited from those threats He allowed in our lives. We continue seeking His face (Psalm 27:4, 7-10).
No comments:
Post a Comment