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Grounded-In-Biblical-Truth | |
Sovereign Grace Doctrine
Concerning 'THE GOSPEL' - JESUS CHRIST
CHRIST WRESTLES WITH JACOB
GENESIS 32:22-32
Good News From The Redeemer
DANIEL E. PARKS, PASTOR
OCTOBER 9, 1999 - RADIO MESSAGE #288
“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. ...” (Genesis 32:24-32).
I. Jacob’s opponent is identified in a three-fold way: 1. “a Man wrestled with him” (v.24); 2. “he struggled with the Angel” (Hosea 12:4); 3. he “struggled with God” (v.28); “in his strength he wrestled with God” -- “the LORD God of hosts” (Hosea 12:3,5). “And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [literally Face of God]: ‘For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved’”(Genesis 32:30).
II. Jacob’s opponent was therefore Christ. None but Christ fits the three-fold description of Jacob’s opponent as being man, angel, and God.
1. Christ is “God.” Among the many proofs of His deity is the fact that He is emphatically called “God” by Isaiah the prophet (Isaiah 9:6), by John the apostle (John 1:1; 1 John 5:20), by Thomas the apostle (John 20:28), by Paul the apostle (Romans 9:15; Titus 2:13), by Peter the apostle (2 Peter 1:1), and by God the Father (Hebrews 1:8, applying Psalm 45:6f to Christ).
2. Christ is “the Angel.” An angel is a “messenger.” Christ is an angel not by nature, but by office. He is far superior to those spirits who are angels by mere nature because He is the “Angel of [God’s] Presence” (Isaiah 63:9; as also in Malachi 3:1). This designation means that God is present when this Angel is present, because this Angel possesses the divine name, nature, and perfections. He therefore is “the brightness of [God’s] glory and the express image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3; cp. John 1:14b). He appeared on this and many other occasions in Old Testament days as the divine “Angel of Jehovah” (e.g. Genesis 16:7ff; 22:11-14; 22:15-18; 28:12-15 with 31:11-13 & 48:15f; Exodus 3:2-4:17; 23:20-26; Judges 2:1-5; 6:11-24; 13:2-23; Zechariah 3:6ff).
3. Christ is “a Man.” In New Testament days Christ permanently assumed human nature: “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14); “God was manifested in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16). But on various occasions in Old Testament days, including this when He wrestled with Jacob, Christ temporarily assumed a human body (see also Genesis 18:1-2ff; Joshua 5:13-15; Zechariah 1:8).
III. Christ wrestled with Jacob in a time of great crisis. 1. “Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed” (32:7). Twenty years earlier, he had through deceit obtained that which belonged to his brother Esau, and Esau had therefore promised to kill him (Genesis 27:1-41; see time calculation in 31:38,41). Now, he is told “your brother Esau ... is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him” (32:6). 2. It was late “that night” (v.22), the gloomiest part of the day. 3. “Jacob was left alone” (v.24), separated from all companions. 4. He was physically disabled by his opponent (v.25): “He touched the socket of [Jacob’s] hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.” 5. The crisis was so severe that “he wept, and sought favor from [his opponent, Christ]” (Hosea 12:4).
IV. Jacob prevailed over Christ! (vv.26-28): “And He [Christ] said, ‘Let me go, for the day breaks.’ But [Jacob] 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’” (cp. Hosea 12:3f). Jacob prevailed over Christ because of Christ’s grace to him, not because of his own strength against him. Having prevailed over God that night in prayer, he would prevail over his crisis with Esau the next day (33:1-17).
Here is good news for believers! In the crises of our lives we may lay hold of Christ in prayer and prevail through His grace. This is especially true in times when we have mistreated others and thereby sinned against God, as the account of this incident recorded in Hosea 12:2-6 demonstrates. In all our crises let us lay hold of Christ and say with Jacob, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”
Your servant for Jesus' sake.
Address all questions to pastor
Daniel E. Parks (2 Corinthians 4:5) e-mail RedeemerBC@aol.com
Pastor, Redeemer Baptist Church
2801 Cleveland Boulevard, Louisville, KY 40206 / 502.899-9205
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