A Lasting Change

Genesis 32 and 33

In the Bible, there is always the "story within the story."  The Bible is a record of actual historic events and facts.  But, each of these stories are also filled with lessons for us today.  Such is the story of Jacob.

His is the story of a very flawed man.  But he was a man for whom God had great plans.  He was a mixture.  On the one hand, he desired greatly to live life to the fullest.  He wanted the blessing of his father Isaac.  But he used devious means to make advances in life.

Genesis Chapter 32 tells an amazing story of how God finally cornered this schemer.  In verse 24, we find five very significant words: "Then Jacob was left alone..."  All of the things he had fought for and desired were now distant.  His family was across the river.  It was there that God met him. 

In the form of an angel, God came down and actually wrestled with a man.  Why did God do this?  The angel could have pinned and finished off Jacob at any time.  But, instead, he wrestled with him all night. 

Self-made, self-sufficient, self-determining man meets all-powerful God.  In the final analysis, Jacob does not lay down and whimper.  Instead he says to the angel, "I won't let you go until you bless me."  This is a picture of prevailing prayer and of prevailing relationship to God.  Rather than retreating to a weak and whipped fatalism or conversely a bitter surrender, Jacob determines to find out why God has chosen to battle him in the first place.

As a result, Jacob become a victor.  In his surrender, he wins.  In being overpowered by God, he rises to a new place of leadership and destiny.  His name is changed from "schemer" to "prince."  Such is God's desire with each of us. 

This is more than a temporary season of reform.  It is more than remorse for getting caught and cornered.  It is a profound conversion that lasted the rest of Jacob's days.  This is a story of victory -- a story of transformation.  It is also our story.