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GENESIS 32:24-30
Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”
But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”
So He said to him, “What is your name?”
He said, “Jacob.”
And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”
And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.
So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”
For at least a week — maybe 10 days now — I have had a song running through my head. If I could find a recording to play to you I would do so, but there is none available that I can find. However the words are...
I will not let you go until You bless me
I will not let you go until You bless me
Bless me, oh Lord, bless me, oh Lord
I will not let you go until You bless me
Rend the veil of the flesh in me
Rend the veil of the flesh in me
Face to face I would see Thee
Rend the veil of the flesh in me
The song is of course based on the story of Jacob wrestling with what? Often described as an angel, we see that the actual expression used is a man, but could also be translated as ‘another person’, and my understanding of this is of a wrestling in the Spirit — a determination to get hold of God.
In verse 22 we see that [Jacob] arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. ‘Jabbok’ means ‘emptying’ and we remember that Jesus emptied Himself...
In verse 22 we see that [Jacob] arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. ‘Jabbok’ means ‘emptying’ and we remember that Jesus emptied Himself...
Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human.
PHILIPPIANS 2:7 [TPT - The Passion Translation]
That emptying is important. It means the ‘death to self’ which is so rarely preached today, but is actually an essential in fully knowing Christ. The actuality of it is also much misunderstood. For Jacob to experience a profound change spiritually, leading to that determination in getting to grips with God (literally) — and seeing Him face to face, there has to be that emptying of self, for only in that way can we know Christ within you the hope of glory.
We still possess our individual character and personality, our relationships to family and friends, but it is now hitched essentially and eternally to Jesus Christ.
The ‘crossing over to the other shore’ is something we all must do to get to know Him in His fullness, and The Lord makes that way for us, just as He did for the Israelites fleeing the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea; just as He did when they were shown ‘The Promised Land’, and just as He does now for each one of us. There is a crossing over to be done, a transaction with The Almighty, that brings us into His fold.
“I will not let You go until You bless me!” In a sense it is commanding God to act for us, which seems wrong in His order of things, but the reality is that it is what Our Lord desires of us. Turn it around and look at it from His perspective. “I will bless you if you do not let me go, if you cling to Me forevermore!”
Don’t see it from Jacob’s (or our own) point of view — look to see what The Lord is doing now! Jacob had his nature changed in the wrestling. No longer Jacob [supplanter], but now Israel [God prevails*]. I pray that this be so for each one of us.
We still possess our individual character and personality, our relationships to family and friends, but it is now hitched essentially and eternally to Jesus Christ.
The ‘crossing over to the other shore’ is something we all must do to get to know Him in His fullness, and The Lord makes that way for us, just as He did for the Israelites fleeing the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea; just as He did when they were shown ‘The Promised Land’, and just as He does now for each one of us. There is a crossing over to be done, a transaction with The Almighty, that brings us into His fold.
“I will not let You go until You bless me!” In a sense it is commanding God to act for us, which seems wrong in His order of things, but the reality is that it is what Our Lord desires of us. Turn it around and look at it from His perspective. “I will bless you if you do not let me go, if you cling to Me forevermore!”
Don’t see it from Jacob’s (or our own) point of view — look to see what The Lord is doing now! Jacob had his nature changed in the wrestling. No longer Jacob [supplanter], but now Israel [God prevails*]. I pray that this be so for each one of us.
- *Jacob’s new name acknowledges that his hip is out of joint. Basically, his strength, his power as a man has been taken from him, replaced by his new name — the change in his nature — God has prevailed and He is now the source of Jacob’s (Israel’s) strength.
MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS…
Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not,[I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
HEBREWS 13:5 AMPC
YOU NEVER LET GO — Matt Redman
PRAYER REQUIRES WORK…
THANK GOD FOR all the marvelous organisation there is in Christian work, for medical missions and finely educated missionaries, for aggressive work in every shape and form; but the key is not in any of our organisations, the key lies exactly to our hand by our Lord's instruction, "Pray."
[from ‘If Ye Shall Ask’ by Oswald Chambers]
LISTEN TO THIS MEDITATION HERE…
COMING NEXT … #527 A SOFT ANSWER TURNS AWAY WRATH
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