The Wrestling Match
In this age of the Pandemic we have been blessed by beautiful music
One of those songs is 'The Blessing'
This speaks to the longing of our soul
In this mysterious story blessing takes on a limp
In the upside down world of The Kingdom of God
Not the kingdom of man
I have more questions than answers
I am just the storyteller
The night was dark and Jacob was finally alone.
He had left his family and servants ahead of him and he remained behind to keep the darkness company.
He believed this might be the last night of his life.
In the morning his twin brother was coming to greet him with 400 men.
Twenty years prior Jacob through trickery had stolen his brother's identity
He had stolen his brother's blessing and inheritance
On that dark night someone else was coming to get him
Exhausted and frightened he stood in a dark wilderness of his own making
A man of religion but not of faith
He had faith in himself and his own cunning
He had come to the end of that faith
Now, in this moment on this dark night his heart was full of guilt sorrow
He prayed and he wept.
His guilt sorrow had finally turned to sin sorrow
Guilt sorrow brings no relief
Hopelessness is what it brings
Sin sorrow is sweet with honey and hope accompanies it
"I am unworthy," he prays
Three words that opens up the gates of Heaven
What a way to start a prayer!
All though the night was dark around him, suddenly beside him stood a man
The man jostled him and Jacob pushed back and they started to push and shove
All night long they wrestled with each other in the darkness
There was grunting and groaning
Rough and tumble full of mud and dirt
The man outweighed Jacob but he did not overpower him.
Jacob sensed he could do that in a moment
However he would chose the moment
He had his knee under Jacob's hip and his weight was on top
They were panting like beasts
No words were spoken
In the darkness Jacob could not see the man
Jacob could not discern where his strength came from
Sometimes, near collapse he felt his strength was coming from the man.
Then the moment came.
The man gave a quick hard thrust and Jacob was full of a blazing light
In that moment the place was full of light
Jacob knew he was crippled and done.
He could do nothing but cling to what he now knew was God
He wept and clung for life and he clung for death
Then the angel spoke in Jacob's ear whispering in fire
"Let me go!" he said "For the day is breaking."
"I will not let you go until you bless me!" pleaded Jacob
"Who are you?" again came the whisper of fire
"My name is Jacob,"
Then Jacob received the blessing .
In the light above was the blessing of Grace
"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience but shouts in our pains." - C.S.Lewis
This is a God who sometimes intrudes into our world and pursues us.
"God engages us in a battle in Jesus Christ because he wants to make a new men and women, just as he fought with Jacob to make him a new and different man. God wrestled with Jacob to give him that blessing and lock him into purpose. It is not always a pleasant experience." - Elizabeth Achtemier
When Jacob crossed the River in the morning his brother ran to him and embraced him. A man with a new name and a limp he would have for the rest of his life. Esau embraced Israel.
- Genesis 32
"Come, O Thou Traveler unknown
Whom still I hold, but can not see
My company before is gone
And I am left alone with Thee
With thee all night I mean to stay
And wrestle till the break of day
I need to tell you who I am
And misery and sin declare
You have called me by my name
Speak to my heart, in blessing speak
And tell me if your name is Love - Charles Wesley