Jacob Wrestles with His Flesh to Get to God
Jacob never seems to be anyone’s favorite Bible personality. You don’t often hear Christians really relate to Jacob. We all want to be like David or one of the Apostles. Jacob just seems too “much”. He is intense. He is in your face from the moment he is born, literally. Jacob comes out of the womb fighting to get what he wants. His life is characterized by deception. His name itself means “grasper” or “deceiver”. Jacob tricks his brother out of his birthright and then out of his father’s blessing.
He just doesn’t seem like a good role model yourself. God doesn’t give us a comfortable example with Jacob. His is not the star you would chose for God’s story. He may be the perfect one for us, though.
Why?
Jacob may do some sinful things in his lifetime. He is clearly not following God in his choice of methods. But Jacob’s grasping is always consistent in its goal – the blessings of God. Jacob initially doesn’t do it in the right way. He receives consequences for doing so. But while Esau thinks nothing of throwing away his gifts from God, Jacob consistently battles for them. He also learns trust and to do the fighting God’s way as he grows older.
Jacob has always been my favorite Bible character. Jacob and Peter, I can get down with. I have 8 kids and I had to fight my husband to be able to get every one of those blessings. Not exactly the picture of the perfect submissive wife. He and I both are so glad we have them now. I also had to go through a few too many men before I settled on the one that I knew was worthy and could handle me. I am the only person in my birth family who has been able to kick addiction to drugs.I always wanted the best things from God. I remember once when I started reading the Bible and I found Jacob I said to myself, “I’m gonna wrestle with God, too until He gives me a big family and saves all my kids and my husband to make sure we all spend eternity together in heaven and I also want God to save all my drug addicted family members.” I still pray and wrestle God for those blessings. My husband asked me to find another Bible character to identify with in the beginning because it did and still does get pretty intense sometimes. I think most people would describe me as intense and up in your face. My 19 year old daughter says my passion is the best and worst thing about me. I have been fighting the flesh and learning to trust God. I still hold out hope for the gentle, and meek spirit that is precious in His sight. I have wrestled with Him for that too. Yes. I love Jacob very much and I can’t wait to meet him in heaven.
Penny, your story blessed me so much this morning, I have tears in my eyes writing this. God bless you for your fire for the Lord! We need people willing to grab all the Lord has to offer without apology and without backing down! God loves the heart for Him even when it sometimes is expressed in less than perfect ways. He can handle the sanctification process we just bring the passion.