We are all on a journey of faith. Some of us are just getting started. Some of us are near the end of a faithful life. Still others find ourselves at a crossroads, a crucial moment we’ll call “Jabbok” for now:
You’ve lost your job and you aren’t sure where the next paycheck will come from.
You’re saddled with debt and feel helpless to get out of it.
A loved one has passed and you aren’t sure how you’re going to “get over it.”
You’ve been done wrong your whole life and don’t know why God doesn’t seem to care.
The marriage you’ve always wanted seems like it’s never going to happen.
The children you’ve always wanted have now turned their back on you.
The list goes on and on. Our life will ultimately lead us to a crossroads (and probably more than once!). You can be sure that a “Jabbok” is in your future.
The ultimate question we have to answer at our “Jabbok” is this: Will I depend fully upon God or trust my own abilities? Stated another way, will I humbly accept who I am before God along with my human limitations and allow him control over my life?
There was nothing special about the banks of the stream called Jabbok where Jacob found himself one night (Genesis 32:22ff). Neither was there anything special about that night, save for the profound event that was soon to take place. It was at Jabbok that Jacob finally faced God, owned up to who he was, and was changed forever.
Jacob is one of the most fascinating and relatable characters in the book of Genesis, and perhaps the entire Bible. His ability to manipulate events and people are remarkable if not a little repulsive. Born a twin, he came from the womb grasping the heel of his brother Esau (Gen. 25:26). His name means “supplanter” or “deceiver” and there couldn’t be a more accurate way to describe his life. I’ll spare you the gritty details, but Jacob’s life contains a multitude of examples of him deceiving others including his brother, his father, and his father-in-law, as well as instances in which he was deceived and out-witted, most prominently by his father-in-law but also by his sons in his old age. If we were to create a Biblical Hero, we would create the exact opposite of Jacob.
Supplanter, deceiver, trickster…did I say this guy was relatable? Jacob was always trying to get by with his own wits and smarts (aren’t we all?). There came a crucial moment in his life, however, when he met someone “At Jabbok” that he couldn’t outrun, outdo, or outwit.
Because of the character of Jacob’s life, his story is full of fear, chaos, and uncertainty. As we descend upon chapter 32 of Genesis, Jacob finds himself on the run between two men he has wronged in his life: his brother Esau (around 20 years prior), and his father-in-law whom he has just (finally!) made peace with (Gen. 31).
On this night, after sending his family and possessions across the river, Jacob finds himself alone, wrestling with a man literally all night long. The man (it is safe to assume this was some angelic messenger of some kind) was not able to prevail against Jacob, so he touched Jacob and put his hip out of joint. Jacob, struggling and refusing to let go, demands that the angel bless him. The man/angel asks what Jacob’s name is, and then changes his name to Israel. Jacob walks away from this encounter humbled, limping, and changed forever. Jacob wrestled with God “At Jabbok.”
This has always been a puzzling passage, and we’ll attempt to make some sense of it here.
At Jabbok…we realize that life with God is better than life without God. When you think about Jacob’s life up to this point, it is seems unsettled, unhappy, unfulfilled…constantly trying to outwit people (which is exhausting!). Though there are glimpses of faith, it seems that he was still depending on his daddy and granddaddy’s faith then developing his own (which we’ll see more about below). What if Jacob had been “all in” with God from the get-go? His life would no doubt be remarkably different.
Why do we do the same thing? Why do we not commit fully to life with God? Chances are, our lives are filled with more stress, heartache, chaos, and fear when we try and live life without God. A “peace that passes understanding” is waiting on us.
At Jabbok…we admit who we really are. A friend recently pointed out to me a thought by Ravi Zacharias (not sure the exact book this is in) which brought a whole new light to this passage for me. Just gonna leave this here:
“In asking for the blessing from God, Jacob was compelled by God’s question to relive the last time he had asked for a blessing, the one he had stolen from his brother. The last time Jacob was asked for his name, the question had come from his earthly father. Jacob lied on that occasion and said, I am Esau and stole the blessing. Now he found himself, after many wasted years of running through life looking over his shoulder, before an all knowing all seeing heavenly father, once more seeking a blessing. Jacob fully understood the reason and the indictment behind God’s question and he answered, My Name is Jacob. “You have spoken the truth…and you know very well what your name signifies. You have been a duplicitous man, deceiving everyone everywhere you went. But now that you acknowledge the real you, I can change you, and I will make a great nation of you.” Greatness in the eyes of God is always preceded by humility before Him. There is no way for you or me or anyone else to attain greatness until we have come to Him.”
At Jabbok…we cling to God. Jacob wrestled until daybreak…aka all night long. Jacob was persistent, and his greatest efforts were not enough to overcome this angelic messenger after an entire night of wrestling (for the record, I believe this is more indicative of God purposefully letting Jacob struggle so he would see his own helplessness vs. Jacob being strong enough to fight an angel). At this point the angel dislocated his hip as if to say, “You’ve struggled with me all night and I could be done with you with a single touch.” At this Jacob has nothing left but to cling to God.
Unfortunately we often are the same way. It is not until the last possible moment, when the bank account is empty, when our emotions are completely overwhelmed, when our energy is completely depleted, that we finally reach out and cling to God. Why do we wrestle all night? Sometimes, like Jacob, we need to struggle before we realize how helpless we truly are. O to be one of the wise ones who recognizes his need for God early on!
At Jabbok…we stop trying to get by on our own. Jacob had outwitted everyone he came across. He had finally met someone he couldn’t trick or outsmart. When we are brought to our knees at our Jabbok, we realize that our own strength will never be enough to save us.
At Jabbok…we commit to Yahweh being OUR God. In Genesis 32:9, Jacob referred to God as the “God of my father Abraham…God of my father Isaac…” It’s worth noting that Jacob only prayed after doing everything he knew to do (arranging gifts to go before him to appease Esau). Jacob had grown up hearing about God and seeing his faithful family lineage. Jacob had himself had encounters with God (such as the vision at Bethel), but his lifestyle was evidence that God was not really HIS God. Yahweh was his fathers’ God.
Contrast this with Jacob’s statements later in life (33:20, 35:3, 48:15) in which Jacob refers to God as “God of Israel,” God as his shepherd, and One that had been with him his whole life. What changed? Jabbok!
It never fails that times of crisis (either external or internal) can bring about a closeness with God that few other things can match. Though our mindset and attitude can certainly determine whether we draw close to God or further from him, certainly our Journey at Jabbok provides fertile ground for faith to deepen.
At Jabbok…we walk away changed forever. Jacob was never the same as evidenced by his change in attitude about Yahweh God (see the above point). It’s clear through his narrative that, although he was still a fallible man who struggled, he was no longer a man who struggled against God. Jacob also walked away with a physical limp, proving that this was no imaginary or dream-like encounter. It would be a reminder for the rest of his life of that night that he confronted himself, wrestled with God, and was changed forever.
Likewise, when we meet God we can’t walk away unaffected. Sometimes we meet God at our Jabbok like we’ve discussed. But we can also meet God in the ordinary day-to-day experiences; Sharing our faith, the kindness of a stranger or loved one, or simple conversations can be moments in which we get glimpses of God (so to speak). If we are receptive to those moments, they can begin to shape our character. Every person who gets a glimpse of God in scripture is profoundly affected. May we be the same!
At Jabbok…we are given a new name. Jacob was no longer called “deceiver” but was now called “one who prevails with God.” Jacob was no longer a wrestler against God but a wrestler WITH God. They were no longer adversaries but compadres in life’s journey.
When we give our lives over to God, my life is no longer characterized by my sin. I’m no longer a slave to sin, to use New Testament language. I’m not Adam the selfish, the prideful, the lustful, the outcast, the sinner; Instead I am now a child of God, a Christian, one who prevails with God.
At Jabbok…we realize the depth of God’s patience. Though we don’t know for certain how old Jacob was, some estimate that he was anywhere from 80-100 years old when this “wrestling match” happened. He died when he was 148, so around half of his life was spent on the run (from God and man). I imagine God was yearning for Jacob to finally turn his life over to Him, and yet God was abundantly patient.
Isn’t the same true for me? Though there will come a time when God’s patience with me runs out (at my death, for example), God always stands ready with open arms and he desperately wants us to acknowledge our dependence upon Him. I’d rather not wait 80 years to fully come to God, but that’s how long it took Jacob. O the depth of God’s love and patience for mankind!
At Jabbok…we prevail with God. Jacob’s name is now Israel, one who prevails with God. What a difference compared to Jacob, one who prevails by his own deceit. 1 John 5:4-5 puts it best, that faith is the victory that overcomes the world.
Our life will have at least one Journey to Jabbok where we must face God alone to figure out how we’re going to proceed in this life. The stories of scriptures and life experience (mine and others) tell me this is an irrefutable truth. Jacob's life is filled with warning signs that he never listened to and it took God using this moment to bring him to his knees (but really to exalt him!). May we heed the warning signs in our lives and come to God. Have you made a Journey to Jabbok?
