He walked with a limp after the struggle.
"Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh." (Genesis 32:31)
Jacob encountered an angel of God and wrestled all night with him. In the process two things resulted: (1) the angel touched his thigh and dislocated his socket, and; (2) he was given a new name.
Jacob, who has been a liar, cheat, and thief, struggled with his past and prevailed and is given both a new beginning as well as a reminder of the struggle.
A new name represents a new beginning. The angel with whom Jacob struggled said,
"Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed." (Genesis 32:28)
The tiny nation in the Middle East that today celebrates its 60th birthday as a modern nation bears the ancient name of its founder, and what a fitting name it is! The descendants of Israel are characterized as those who struggle with God and men and prevail.
The story of Jacob's night-long struggle with an angel is rich with application for us. The "ghosts from our past" that hinder us must be wrestled with and overcome. Like Jacob, broken promises, deceit, and theft must be faced and reconciled. These things will hold us back in the present and future until we clearly face and wrestled with them. Once we have truly wrestled with them in the power of God, the victory is ours. But, we'll likely limp away from the struggle even though we have a new beginning.
One of life's tragedies is seeing present potential hindered by past painful experiences. Granted, the past holds extreme experiences of pain and trauma for some, but these will always hinder the present and future until they are faced in a Jacob-like struggle.
As members of the all-inclusive sinner's club we all walk with a limp, but hopefully we limp gladly through life because of the new beginning we've been graciously given.
Steve
"Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh." (Genesis 32:31)
Jacob encountered an angel of God and wrestled all night with him. In the process two things resulted: (1) the angel touched his thigh and dislocated his socket, and; (2) he was given a new name.
Jacob, who has been a liar, cheat, and thief, struggled with his past and prevailed and is given both a new beginning as well as a reminder of the struggle.
A new name represents a new beginning. The angel with whom Jacob struggled said,
"Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed." (Genesis 32:28)
The tiny nation in the Middle East that today celebrates its 60th birthday as a modern nation bears the ancient name of its founder, and what a fitting name it is! The descendants of Israel are characterized as those who struggle with God and men and prevail.
The story of Jacob's night-long struggle with an angel is rich with application for us. The "ghosts from our past" that hinder us must be wrestled with and overcome. Like Jacob, broken promises, deceit, and theft must be faced and reconciled. These things will hold us back in the present and future until we clearly face and wrestled with them. Once we have truly wrestled with them in the power of God, the victory is ours. But, we'll likely limp away from the struggle even though we have a new beginning.
One of life's tragedies is seeing present potential hindered by past painful experiences. Granted, the past holds extreme experiences of pain and trauma for some, but these will always hinder the present and future until they are faced in a Jacob-like struggle.
As members of the all-inclusive sinner's club we all walk with a limp, but hopefully we limp gladly through life because of the new beginning we've been graciously given.
Steve
posted by steve @ 10:07 AM
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