ELM - Daylight is Breaking

“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day… ‘Let Me go, for the day breaks.’ But he said, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me!’ ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Jacob.’ And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel.’ And He blessed him there.” Genesis 32:24-29

This story has always been shrouded in mystery for me. The depth of its meaning when I previously considered it was that when we submit our will to God, we will receive His blessings. This after praying for God to open up the Scriptures to a better understanding, He was indeed faithful to my prayer. What I had failed to connect to the other times of study was Jacob’s sinful character from a few decades before. Prior to this wrestling match with a messenger from God, Jacob’s name was associated with being a liar, an opportunist, a deceiver and a thief. He deceived his blind father by pretending he was his older brother Esau in order to receive the older brother’s birthright. As if that wasn’t enough, Jacob masqueraded as Esau in an effort to receive his dad’s ultimate blessing which ushered in everything representing a family’s wealth. After the sinful plot was successful, Jacob was on the run for his life. He had stolen a blessing that never belonged to him. A few decades blew off the calendar before this encounter with a stranger. Scripture documents that they wrestled until the ‘breaking of day.’ Jacob was relentless in his request which was to receive a blessing from God’s messenger. As the scroll unrolled this morning in my mind, I have a new understanding of its meaning. The blessing Jacob previously sought from his dad was from the flesh, but the blessing he so desperately wanted from God was a blessing from the Spirit. And boy did he receive it! The blessing was a name change from Jacob to Israel.

I know all about wanting a name change when I consider my life in retrospect. My past seasons represented sins that labeled me a liar…a deceiver…a manipulator. My poor choices affected others and left them with feelings of rejection, insecurity and disillusionment. But God will only allow our past sins to define us for so long. He sometimes must resurrect past circumstances to free us from the names we call ourselves. At some point, we all have a ‘breaking of day’ experience where God completely restores us…forgives us…blesses us by calling us redeemed. The wrestling comes when we can’t forgive ourselves, and the blessing is ours when we believe God for His true forgiveness from our past.

‘In Hebrew, the spelling for wrestle (abaq) and the spelling for embrace (habaq) differ by one letter…Mystery is inherent in a long journey with God. When you’re tempted to turn away from Him over unanswered questions [or past sins], turn toward Him instead and struggle honestly. Wrestling with God can be its own form of intimacy. It’s face-to-face and hands on. And remember, if you’ll hang on long enough, the blessing with come and that wrestling match will turn into embrace.’ The Quest, Beth Moore, 133.

Daylight is breaking…and just like that our wrestling turns into our embrace.