Jake The Snake Wrestles God
Gen 32:21-32
I grew up watching Pro Wrestling. It was fake way back then, and it’s even more fake now. But I would have never told my daddy that. Me and Daddy used to have a ringside seat beside our black and white t.v. set on Sat’s at 6:00. And chances were that before the matches were over, Daddy would end up down in the floor hollering, and screaming and saying words that I can’t repeat, and threatening to throw our only t.v out the window.
One time my brother in law decided that Daddy, and I should go to a live match in Atlanta. He got us tickets to the matches at the Civic Auditorium in Atlanta. Now Daddy was serious about his wrestling, and he was even more serious about it if he’d been drinking.........Daddy sit pretty calmly in his seat until his favorite wrestler got hit in the head with a chair, and daddy went beserk. He charged toward the ring, and it was all that Johnny, myself, and the security guards could do to keep him off of Nick Bockwinkle !
This morning we’re looking at a wrestling match which takes place in the Bible.
In one corner you have Jacob or better known as "Jake the Snake" who is one dirty wrestler. He hits below the belt.....he’ll steal from his own brother to get what he wants ! And in the other corner.......you have God...........He is the champion. He knows all of Jake’s moves, and has quite a few of his own !
How many of you have ever been to a wrestling match ? Ever did any wrestling ? Well.....can I tell you that we all have.......and in fact.........we’re probably all wrestling with somethings this morning.......and possibly wrestling with God over some issues. In fact, if we look at this main event between "Jake the Snake and God" we can probably visualize ourself in the ring with God !
Now let’s take a blow by blow look at this match between Jake & God........First let’s
I. Notice The Road To Jacob’s Wrestling With God.
a. The wrestling commenced in labor.
Actually it began before birth. Jacob and Esau his twin brother were "duking" it out in their mother’s womb. Later when they were born, Esau came first, but Jacob actually grabbed his brother by the heel as if to pull him back in an effort to be the firstborn which was a position of prominence in the Hebrew family. Jacob was given his name because of this action. His name means "supplanter, schemer, cheater, or one who grabs from behind"
b. The wrestling continued in life.
The boys grew up. Esau became a skilful hunter, while Jacob became a shepherd dwelling in tents. One day Esau had been out hunting. As he returned from the field, he came upon Jacob who was boiling some soup. Esau asked for some of the soup because he was hungry. Now that’s a pretty simple request isn’t it ? I mean.......a brother is hungry........you’ve got soup.........you give him some soup right ? Well......nothing is that easy for Jacob ! He’s looking to do business........to make a deal...........he’s not through with grabbing Esau by the heel.
I tell you what I’ll do Esau. I’ll sell you some soup for your birthright ! Well Esau responds.......what could is a birthright if I starve to death ? You’ve got a deal ! So Jacob wrestled from his brother his birthright !
The birthright gave him the right to be the spiritual leader of the family, a respected position, an honored position. The birthright gave him the right to carry the seed of the Messiah, and it gave him a double portion of the inheritance of his father.
Pretty dirty wrestler this Jake the Snake isn’t he ? But he’s not through, he’s still got some moves, and holds that he hasn’t used yet ! Listen to what he does next......
Isaac the father of Jake, and Esau is old, almost totally blind, and is near death. Isaac loves venison especially the way that Esau prepares it. He calls for Esau, and asks him to go hunting, and then to prepare some savory meat from his kill, and then he will give him his blessing before he dies. So Esau takes his weapons, and heads to the fields hunting. In the meantime, Rebekah, the mother of Esau, and Jake, overhears the conversation between Esau, and his father. Now Rebekah has a favorite.......it’s Jake, and she wants Jake to get Esau’s blessing, so she comes up with this new wrestling move for Jake. She prepares some savory meat.......dressses Jake up in Esau’s garments, and has Jake pretend to be Esau. And so, Jake wrestles away the blessing from Esau. He now has Esau’s birthright, and his blessing !
c. The wrestling connected to the Lord.
Who was Jake really wrestling with ? Was his problem Esau ? No his problem was Jake ! Jacob was selfish. His wrestling also was with the Lord. He wasn’t satisfied with what he had, and wasn’t willing to trust God with his life !
When you look at the problems in your life.........whose problem are they ? It’s easy for us to pass the buck, and blame everyone but ourselves. Could it be that the wrestling that is taking place in our lives today is because we’re wrestling with God
II. Notice The Reasons For Jacob’s Wrestling With God.
a. He’s wrestling with God over his past.
The deeds of the past have come back to haunt him. After stealing the blessing from Esau, he became a man on the run. He feared that Esau would kill him because Esau had said that he would. So he flees from his family, and heads to Syria to be with his Uncle Laban. As Jake sits by the river Jabbok, he has been gone from home 20 years. As far as we know, he had no contact with his family during those years. Though God blessed him in spite of his situation, still he must have been haunted over those years by all that he had done, and by the consequences of it !
On the other side of the River Jabbok, Esau awaits him. God has told Jake........it’s time to go back home.......to face Esau over what you’ve done. It is time to face your past !
b. He wrestling with God over power !
When Jacob was taking advantage of Esau, and obtaining his birthright for a bowl of soup........it was all about power ! When he deceived his father, and stole the blessing of Esau from him, it was all about control, and power. God wants to get a grip on Jake........God wants to have control of Jake’s life, and yet for all these years, Jake has been wrestling to have his own way ! This wrestling match is a showdown between God & Jake the Snake ! For all these years, Jacob has been singing ......."I’ve done it my way", while God has been saying......"Do it my way !"
c. He’s wrestling with God over purpose !
20 years on the run ! Can God still bless me ? Will God keep his promises ? What purpose is there in all of this ?
Jacob was supposed to have been the heir to the promises which God first gave to his grandfather Abraham, and passed down to Isaac.
And yet now look at the mess he’s in........he had deceived his brother, disappointed his father, spent 20 years on the run in a place where not everything was always as expected.........where he had been deceived, and used himself.
III. Notice The Results Of Jacob’s Wrestling With God.
a. He was caught !
He couldn’t run from God now. The Lord had Jake the Snake in the ring.........he had him cornered, and Jake had to make a decision !
b. He was crippled. V25
For the rest of his life Jacob would walk with a limp, but he would do with the Lord. Sometimes the only way that God can get our attention is by breaking us ! Jacob became a weaker man physically, but he was a stronger man spiritually !
c. He was clinging V26
All night long the match continued......the day was breaking......the match was coming to an end. The Lord crippled Jacob, and I believe at this point Jake quit wrestling with God, and started clinging ! God now had his attention......and so now Jake is bound, and determined that he will cling to God, and not let him go until God blesses him !
d. He was changed V27-28
God has changed his name, and his nature. He is no more Jake the Snake, but now he is Israel which means "he will rule like God"
IV. Note The Reality Of Our Own Wrestling With God.
Isn’t the wrestling of Jacob with God like our own. We are all wrestling with God over some things we’ve done in the past.........some decisions made ! We are all wrestling with God over some choices that we need to make this morning.........we are all fighting with God over the matter of control !
Here’s what we need to do this morning.......we need to surrender ! We need to quit wrestling, and start clinging ! We need to get hold of God this morning, and not let go until we know that he has touched us, forgiven us, changed us, and blessed us !
