The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh. (Genesis 32:22-32 ESV).
Perhaps one of the most familiar stories from the life of Jacob is found in our reading today. Many have taken it and emphasized the wrestling with God rather than understanding the better principle at work. It is here that Jacob learned to lean on God. This resulted in a change of heart and name. Here he becomes Israel. It underscores one of the hardest things for any of us to do. We find great difficulty in admitting our faults. It’s much easier to tell ourselves that life’s problems come from outside, from the people or circumstances around us. Inevitably that leads to denial; and, that leads to destruction and defeat.
Jacob had become very good at hiding. Throughout his life, he had been a schemer. He knew how to manipulate people to get his way. But finally, in this strange wrestling match, God forced Jacob to recognize who he was. In the Bible, names are a big deal. A name says something about a person’s identity and character. The name Jacob means “deceiver” (cf. Genesis 25:26). And in this story Jacob has to admit to himself and God, “Yes, that is who I am.”
God asks the same question of each of us, not because he wants to embarrass us, but because he longs to redeem us. When we come to God, when we admit our sin and our need for God’s grace, God gives us a new identity in Christ. Jacob may have walked away from his wrestling match with a wound, but when God does the wounding, it is always for our good. And from that day onward, Jacob began to live with a new identity, one given by grace. The real work of repentance is in admitting we need it! God has provided the solution… trust Him!