Did God really wrestle with Jacob - why and who won?

Answer 1

This account is found in the book of Genesis, Chapter 32. To answer your question we need to first get a background of who Jacob was. Jacob was the youngest son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham whom God promised would be the father of many nations. One day Jacob was making a stew and his older brother Esau came to him and begged for a bowl because he was hungry after hunting. Jacob then sold it to him after getting a promise of receiving the birthright that usually goes to the firstborn son. Years later when Isaac was nearing death he asked Esau to go and kill a deer and make a stew that was his favorite. Isaac's wife heard this and quickly came up with a plan to get Jacob to con his dad into giving him the blessing (birthright). Their plan worked, Isaac was deceived and Jacob was given the blessing and Esau was furious with his brother, so much so that Jacob had to flee. Years later Jacob was told by God to return to his home, he was unsure what type of reception he would receive from Esau and fretted much until he arrived at the creek that divided the land. Jacob sent a servant to spy out his brother and to see what type of reception he would receive. His servant returned to say that his brother is coming with 400 men. Fearing for his life, he sent his servant and livestock over the creek ahead of him, then sent his wives and children. Thus he was alone on the other side of the creek that night. A man came and they wrestled all night long. Why? It doesn't way why but I believe that it was because Jacob was a fighter, a deceiver and had a problem with telling the truth. God wanted to get Jacob's attention so he met him that night by the creek and they fought. This could have been both a physical and a mental spar that lasted until morning. As morning neared the other man said that it was time to stop but Jacob would not hear it unless he received something from him. By the way, the "him" was an angel, as we will see later. Jacob asked for, and was given, a blessing. Blessings in those days meant a lot because they affected your life in either a good way or a bad one. The blessing he was given is found in verse 28 which says, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." This blessing means that Jacob will be seen now as a ruler of men and as one of God's leaders, a far cry from his beginnings. Jacob means "wrestled with God" and after the man left he called the place "Penial" meaning that he saw God and he still lives. Why did he say that? Because as we see later on with Moses when he was on the mountain meeting God, God says that no man can see him and live because His perfectness would kill impurity. Man is impure because of sin and that is why Jesus was sent to earth to die for us and pay the penalty of sin which is death. Jacob's fight was with God and neither man won. When the man touched Jacob's hip and it went out of joint, Jacob was marred for life. This is also proof that Jacob was a man, because if he was a god this affliction could not have happened. There is no physical way a blow from a man can do this so it was a supernatural thing. It was not because God was losing but that he allowed Jacob the Wrestling match to give him a lesson, a teaching moment. This affliction stuck with Jacob the rest of his life and became a reminder to him of the change God made in his life, both physically and spiritually. We see this in what Israel (Jacob) said to his sons before his death. In Genesis 48:16 Jacob says that it was an angel that redeemed him from his wickedness, meaning he changed his ways from that point on. Thus it became a reminder of the lesson he was taught that night.

Gcd sent an angel to wrestle with Jacob. Classic sources claim this was his brother Esau's guardian angel and the wrestling symbolized the struggle between the physical and the spiritual forces. It's recorded in genesis that Jacob wrested with an angel. Gcd does not have a "body" so one cannot wrestle with Him.

ANOTHER ANSWER:

"...our wrestling is NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, but against the despotisms, the empires, the rulers of this present darkness, the SPIRIT-HOSTS OF EVIL in the heavenly realms." (Eph.6:12 MNT Montgomery New Testament)

[WEY] Weymouth's New Testament: "For ours is not a conflict with mere flesh and blood, but with the despotisms, the empires, the forces that control and govern this dark world - the spiritual hosts of evil arrayed against us in the HEAVENLY WARFARE."

[NLT] New Living Translation: "For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty power of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms."

Jacob wasn't wrestling with God... he was wrestling WITH HIMSELF against the Commandments of God... just as all men whom God is calling out of the world [sanctifying] for His Holy use do.

Many of the false denominations of modern professing Christianity teach that God's Commandments and Laws are "burdensome"… a "bad thing"… and "do away with them" in their tenets; their minds and their hearts. But that's not what God's Word says.

God's Laws just rub "carnal minded, selfish, rebellious, unconverted human nature" the wrong way, that's all. And any honest person whom God is calling can testify to a continuous "inner conflict" [wrestling] being waged within them.

Just as Paul did. Read now Paul's description of Jacob's [and his own] "wrestling against God." The same conflict all of God's Children, in the flesh, wage every day. The struggle to repent before God, to overcome our flesh and blood nature… submitting all of our worldly concerns to the LORD [the same LORD Jesus who created the worlds - see John 1:1-3… and who Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and all the other recorded Faithful in the Old Testament worshiped and obeyed]:

"I felt fine when I did not understand what the Law demanded. But WHEN I LEARNED THE TRUTH, I realized I had broken the Law and was a sinner [see I John 3:4 for God's definition of sin], doomed to die.

So THE GOOD LAW, which was supposed to show me the Way of Life, instead gave me the death penalty. Sin [disobedience to God's Law] took advantage of the Law and fooled me; it took THE GOOD LAW and used it to make me guilty of death.

But still, THE LAW ITSELF IS HOLY AND RIGHT AND GOOD.

But how can that be? Did the Law, WHICH IS GOOD, cause my doom? OF COURSE NOT! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation.

So we see HOW TERRIBLE SIN REALLY IS. It uses GOD'S GOOD COMMANDMENT for its own evil purposes.

THE LAW IS GOOD, then. The trouble IS NOT WITH THE LAW but WITH ME, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master. I DON'T UNDERSTAND MYSELF AT ALL, for I really want to do what is Right, but I DON'T DO IT. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that THE LAW IS GOOD.

But I CAN'T HELP MYSELF, because IT IS SIN INSIDE ME that makes me do these evil things. I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do Right. I want to, but I can't. When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I AM NOT REALLY THE ONE DOING IT; the SIN WITHIN ME IS DOING IT.

It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is Right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I LOVE GOD'S LAW WITH ALL MY HEART. [see Ps.119:97 & Acts 13:22]

But THERE IS ANOTHER LAW AT WORK WITHIN ME that is AT WAR WITH MY MIND. This law WINS THE FIGHT and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.

Oh, WHAT A MISERABLE PERSON I AM! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?

Thank God! THE ANSWER IS IN JESUS CHRIST our LORD. So you see how it is: IN MY MIND [and heart] I REALLY WANT TO OBEY GOD'S LAW, but because of my sinful nature [the physical pulls, wants and needs of the flesh] I am a slave to sin. (Rom.7:9-25 NLT)

"So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the Power of the Life-giving [Holy] Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death." (Rom.8:1-2 NLT)

An unrepentant, unconverted person who is not being called by God [which includes the vast majority of humanity] does not "wrestle" with the Law of God, because the flesh naturally embraces evil… which is rebellion against God's Commandments:

"For the sinful nature [the carnal mind - KJV] is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's Laws, and IT NEVER WILL." (Rom.8:7 NLT)

Jacob… like his father and grandfather… was "called out of the world; sanctified by God." And he, therefore, like all whom God calls to repentance, "wrestled against the sinful nature within him"… and "…against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms." EVERYONE WHO IS FLESH AND BLOOD [the nature ofwhich is naturally selfish and rebellious to authority] NATURALLY SINS: DISOBEYS GOD'S COMMANDMENTS - His LAWS COMMANDING ALL MEN TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

The flesh naturally leans toward the selfish, rebellious, hateful ways of this world's god, Satan the Devil [see John 8:44]. The ways that are the opposite of, and in conflict with, God's Ways.

In Genesis 32, Jacob was finally coming to grips with his inner conflict, and submitted to God in the end. Genesis 32 is a symbolic account of Jacob's "spiritual conversion."

Matthew Henry says: "…A great while before day, Jacob being alone, more fully spread his fears before God in prayer. While thus employed, One in the likeness of a man wrestled with him. When the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and our earnest and vast desires can scarcely find words to utter them, and we still mean more than we can express, then PRAYER IS INDEED WRESTLING WITH GOD. However tried or discouraged, we shall prevail; and prevailing with Him in prayer, we shall prevail against all enemies that strive with us. Nothing requires more vigour and unceasing exertion than wrestling. IT IS AN EMBLEM OF THE TRUE SPIRIT OF FAITH AND PRAYER. Jacob kept his ground; though the struggle continued long, this did not shake his Faith, nor silence his prayer. He shall have a blessing [God's Promised blessing to Abraham through Christ], and had rather have all his bone put out of joint than go away without one. Those who would have the blessing of Christ, must resolve to take no denial.

The fervent prayer in the effectual prayer. The angel puts a lasting mark of honour upon him, by changing his name. Jacob signifies a supplanter. From henceforth he shall be celebrated, not for craft and artful management, but for True Valour. Thou shalt be called ISRAEL, A PRINCE WITH GOD, a name greater than those of the great men of earth. He is a prince indeed that is a Prince with God; those are Truly Honorable that are mighty in PRAYER…" (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary: Genesis 32 - He wrestles with the Angel. - 24-28).

Answer 2

In an ancient tradition inserted into the life story of Jacob, he was left alone and wrestled with a man all night until the break of day, when the man said he must leave (Genesis 32:24ff). Even though his leg was dislocated, Jacob refused to let his opponent go unless he blessed Jacob. That the 'man' was a god is amply demonstrated - Jacob asked for his blessing, and he had the prerogative of changing Jacob's name. The new name he gave Jacob was Israel (generally assumed to mean "wrestled with God') and Jacob called the place Peniel ('the face of God') because he had seen God face to face.

If the man who wrestled with Jacob was a god, then Jacob was also a god in the very early tradition behind this account, as demonstrated by the fact that he was such an even match for his opponent. And if the opponent was a god, he was also a sun god - daybreak signalled the end of the contest, he had to leave Jacob before the sun could rise, then the sun rose upon Jacob.

There is evidence in The Bible itself that originally, in pre-biblical times, Jacob was a moon god, so I believe this was the daily struggle in which the sun god defeats the moon god at dawn.