Originally published on August 21, 2013.

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28, CSB).

After twenty years of separation, Jacob attempted to reconcile with his estranged brother, Esau, whom Jacob had tricked into giving up his birth right to him.

Fearing that his encounter with Esau may be a hostile one, Jacob appropriated from his flocks a considerable gift to assuage any revenge Esau might want to take on Jacob and his family. Then, Jacob sent his gift ahead with some of his servants to meet Esau first while Jacob and his immediate family remained behind.

Jacob took his immediate family with him and headed out to meet Esau. On the night before his meeting with Esau, Jacob sent his family and his remaining possessions across the river and remained alone in the camp.

During the night a man wrestled with Jacob until daybreak. While they wrestled, the man touched Jacob’s hip and dislocated it. But even with a dislocated hip Jacob continued to wrestle with him. Jacob would not let go.

The man, of course, was God Himself in the form of a theophany or angelic being. And Jacob held on insisting that He bless him.

So God changed Jacob’s name to “Israel,” which means “struggles with God” and reaffirmed His covenant with Jacob–now Israel.

From Jacob’s descendants came the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, whose history as recorded in the Old Testament is certainly one of collective struggling with God.

Striving with God is Israel’s story. But, Israel’s story is also our story. In fact, it’s the story of our human  existence.

We human beings struggle and strive with God. We wrestle with God for control of our individual and collective lives.

This cosmic struggle results in the problems of life that I would classify into two categories:

1. Problems that are not our doing but God allows for our spiritual development.
2. Problems that we bring upon ourselves as consequences of our own bad decisions, sinfulness, and/or willfulness (disobedience).

The second category of problems–problems we bring upon ourselves–probably account for 98% of our problems!

Because, it seems to be the human condition that we learn best from mistakes, wrong decisions and bad examples. (Reread the Old Testament if you don’t believe me!)

But problems, no matter the cause, can result in our spiritual development when we, like Jacob, hold on to God through our struggle: “But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (vs. 26).

So, whatever category of problems confront you as a result of this human/divine wrestling match, hopefully, like Jacob of old, you will take hold of God and not let go.

And, your struggle with God will become a struggle for God’s blessing.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. (Ephesians 6:12-13, CSB)