Genesis 32:21-26: a reflection

21So the present passed over before him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp. 22He rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok. 23He took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which he had. 24Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day. 25When he saw that he didn’t prevail against him, the man touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained as he wrestled. 26The man said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” Jacob said, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.”

On the night before he must meet the brother he had wronged, Jacob is left alone and wrestles with God until daybreak; and when the man he wrestles asks to be released, Jacob will not let go without a blessing. Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day; and when the man said, let me go, Jacob said, I won't let you go unless you bless me. Through the long night's struggle, even when strained and wounded, Jacob held on, refusing to let go until he received a blessing. His was a tenacious, persevering hold, that would not give up, that clung to God until blessed. This shows a persevering hold on God that will not let go until blessed. Jacob would not let go of God until he received a blessing. A persevering hold on God clings until blessed. Do not let go; hold on to God until he blesses. Tenacious clinging to God marks Jacob's wrestling.

Notice the tenacity of Jacob's hold. Through the whole night he wrestled; and even when he was strained and wounded, when the man asked to be let go as day was breaking, Jacob would not release his grip: I won't let you go unless you bless me. His was a persevering, refusing-to-let-go hold, clinging to God even through struggle and pain, determined to receive a blessing. This is a picture of a certain kind of perseverance in seeking God. There are times when seeking God, praying, wrestling with him over our situation, feels like a struggle, when the blessing does not come easily or quickly, when we might be tempted to give up and let go. Jacob's example is of a hold that will not let go, that keeps clinging to God, keeps wrestling and seeking, refusing to give up until the blessing comes. There is a place for this holy tenacity in our life with God: a persevering, refusing to let go, clinging to God even when the struggle is long and hard, seeking his blessing and not giving up. God honors such perseverance, such a hold that will not let go. Hold on to God with a persevering grip that will not let go. Do not give up seeking God's blessing; keep clinging even through struggle. A holy tenacity clings to God until the blessing comes. Refuse to let go of God, seeking his blessing.

That is worth taking to heart, for there is a place for a persevering, refusing-to-let-go hold on God that clings until the blessing comes, as Jacob would not release his grip until he was blessed. We can give up seeking God too easily, letting go when the struggle is long or the blessing slow; but Jacob, even strained and wounded through the night's wrestling, held on and said, I won't let you go unless you bless me. God honors such tenacity. When seeking God feels like a struggle and the blessing is slow, do not let go; hold on with a persevering grip, clinging to God until he blesses. Hold on to God with a persevering grip that will not let go until the blessing comes, as Jacob, left alone on the night before he must meet the brother he had wronged, wrestled with God until daybreak and, even when strained and wounded and asked to release his grip, said, I won't let you go unless you bless me; for there are times when seeking God, praying, and wrestling with him over our situation feels like a struggle, when the blessing does not come easily or quickly and we are tempted to give up and let go, but Jacob's example is of a hold that will not let go, that keeps clinging to God through struggle and pain, refusing to give up until the blessing comes, and there is a place for this holy tenacity in our life with God, a persevering, refusing-to-let-go clinging even when the struggle is long and hard, so that God honors such perseverance, and we do well not to give up seeking his blessing but to hold on until it comes.

Lord, on the night before he must meet the brother he had wronged, Jacob is left alone and wrestles with you until daybreak; and when the man he wrestles asks to be released, Jacob will not let go without a blessing. Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day; and when the man said, let me go, Jacob said, I won't let you go unless you bless me. Through the long night's struggle, even when strained and wounded, Jacob held on, refusing to let go until he received a blessing. His was a tenacious, persevering hold, that would not give up, that clung to you until blessed. Show me the tenacity of Jacob's hold. Through the whole night he wrestled; and even when strained and wounded, when the man asked to be let go, Jacob would not release his grip. His was a persevering, refusing-to-let-go hold, clinging to you even through struggle and pain, determined to receive a blessing. This is a picture of a certain kind of perseverance in seeking you. There are times when seeking you, praying, wrestling with you over my situation, feels like a struggle, when the blessing does not come easily or quickly, when I am tempted to give up and let go. Jacob's example is of a hold that will not let go, that keeps clinging to you, refusing to give up until the blessing comes. There is a place for this holy tenacity in my life with you. Take that to my heart, for there is a place for a persevering hold on you that clings until the blessing comes. When seeking you feels like a struggle and the blessing is slow, keep me from giving up and letting go; help me hold on with a persevering grip, Lord, clinging to you even through struggle until you bless me, for you honor such tenacity.