TRBC Youth Blog

Genesis 32:24-26
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

I've always been fascinated by Jacob's audacity - this guy stole his brother's blessing from his blind father, wrestled with God, and had the balls to say "I will not let you go until you bless me"?! I've also thought it was poetic justice that Laban tricked him into 14 years of slave labour for Leah and Rachel - who says God doesn't have a sense of humour?

While frantically writing my report (due on Monday - stupid, stupid me for procrastinating!), this passage somehow came to mind, and thanks to the wonderful thing called the Internet, I could read it between fits of panic and prayer. I'm wondering what sort of relationship Jacob had with God, that he could actually say such a thing to His face.

While it's true that we're all children of God and beloved by Him, shouldn't most of our supplications run along the general lines of "we are not worthy, so if You have the time, and if it isn't too much trouble, could You please grant us this or that"? I cannot imagine demanding something from God, like it was my right to have something of Him.

God's relationship with us has always been described as something like from a Father to a child - family. There are certain things that I expect of my parents that I do not, or do not need to articulate; "invisible privileges", if you would. That's not what Jacob is asking here - he's asking for a carte blanche blessing - almost like saying "God, I will not let you go until you give me an ang pow." The analogy is imperfect, of course, since ang pows bring to mind money, but you get the gist of the idea - what rude manners he has!

And yet, God blesses Jacob - a strange blessing, but a blessing nonetheless. God changes Jacob's name to Israel, or "he struggles with God". Perhaps it's self-explanatory - if Jacob had such a strong, wilful personality, to be subject to God's ruling must have chafed quite a bit on his person.

Perhaps I see this as permission from God to wrestle - to discuss, think, dialogue, toss around, struggle, "work out (my) salvation" - it's not forbidden, and it's been done before, the story chronicled and legitimised in canonical scripture.

Yay.