Unbelievable, These Men Wrestled With God and You Won't Believe What Happened Next!

[Music] two men that wrestled with God number one habakkuk habakkuk's name means to wrestle or Embrace and he indeed battled with crucial concerns regarding the world and God's plan habakkuk brought his questions to the Lord in the book named after him we discover what habakkuk says sees and sings and we learn how to deal with life's big questions number one habakkuk's turmoil what he says we're listening to a conversation between the prophet and the Lord oh Lord how long shall I cry and you will not hear habakkuk started with a bold question habakkuk chapter 1 verses 1 through 2. the Oracle a burdensome message a pronouncement from God which habakkuk the prophet saw oh Lord how long will I call for help and you will not hear I cry out to you violence yet you do not save even though I screamed you violence you will not save habakkuk was grappling with the twofold mystery of God's Divine Providence he was perplexed by God's seeming inactivity people were sinning and God appeared to be doing nothing to stop it then he described judah's transgressions and lamented the fact that Wicked people seemed to have the upper hand Justice was a hoax God answered habakkuk's question by saying habakkuk chapter 1 verses 5 through 10. the Lord replied look among the Nations see be astonished Wonder for I am doing something in your days you would not believe it if you were told for behold I am raising up the Chaldeans who rule in Babylon that Fierce and impetuous Nation who marched throughout the Earth to take possession of Dwelling Places that do not belong to them the Chaldeans are dreaded and feared their Justice and Authority originate with themselves and are defined only by their decree their horses are swifter than leopards and Keener than hungry wolves in the evening their Horsemen come Galloping their Horsemen come from far away they fly like an eagle swooping down to devour they all come for violence their horde of faces moved eagerly forward they gather prisoners like sand they make fun of kings and rulers or a laughing matter to them they ridicule every stronghold and heap of rubble for Earth mounds and capture it [Music] then God explained how he would punish his people for their transgressions by sending the horrible Chaldeans Babylonians habakkuk chapter 1 verses 12 through 17. the prophet's second question are you not from Everlasting O Lord my God my Holy One we shall not die oh Lord you have appointed them for judgment oh rock you have marked them for correction you are a pure eyes than to behold evil and cannot look on wickedness why do you look on those who deal treacherously and hold your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he why do you make men like fish of the sea like creeping things that have no ruler over them they take up all of them with a hook they catch them in their net gather them in their Dragnet therefore they rejoice and are glad therefore they sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their Dragnet because by them their share is Sumptuous and their food plentiful so they therefore empty their net and continue to slay Nations Without Pity God's response did not appease a backache rather it seemed to create a larger concern about God's ability as well as his apparent inconsistency Lord I don't understand this inactivity either habakkuk said but now you tell me you're going to punish your own people with the people far worse than they are what exactly is going on here we frequently have questions like these because God's acts appear to contradict what we know about his character when confronted with life's troubles the first step should be to address them directly to God your openness poses no threat to him even our Lord on the cross asked why habakkuk's Tower what he sees habakkuk chapter 2 verses 1 through 2. I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the tower and I will keep watch to see what he will say to me and what answer I will give as a spokesman when I am reproved then the Lord answered me and said write the vision and engrave it plainly on Gray tablets so that the one who reads it will run God instructed habakkuk to write his word in huge letters so that everyone could read it the first statement made by God is that time is important habakkuk chapter 2 verse 3. for the vision is yet for the appointed future time it hurries toward the goal of fulfillment it will not fail even though it delays wait patiently for it because it will certainly come it will not delay he may appear slow in his acting but bear with him because his timing is perfect because God is in control timing is essential we reside in the shadow of two massive Peaks the first is the birth mountain and the final is the Death Mountain we exist in the valley of time between these two points God is in complete control of his actions we only await his arrival habakkuk chapter 2 verses 9 through 19. woe to him who covets evil gain for his house that he may set his nest on high that he may be delivered from the power of disaster you give shameful counsel to your house cutting off many peoples and sin against your soul for the stone will cry out from the wall and the beam from the Timbers will answer it woe to him who builds a town with Bloodshed who establishes a city by iniquity behold is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people's labor to feed the fire and Nations weary themselves in vain for the Earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor pressing him to your bottle even to make him drunk that you may look on his nakedness you are filled with shame instead of Glory you also drink and be exposed as uncircumcised the cup of the Lord's right hand will be turned against you another shame will be on your glory for the violence done to Lebanon will cover you and the plunder of beasts which made them afraid because of men's blood and the violence of the land and the city and of all who dwell in it what profit is the image that its maker should carve it the molded image a teacher of lies that the maker of its mold should trust in it to make mute idols woe to him who says to Wood awake the silent Stone arise it shall teach behold it is over and laid with gold and silver yet in it there is no breath at all continuing through the chapter we see four whoa passages in which God highlights sin's common to that culture and Ours covetousness violence seduction and idolatry God was stating that he would deal with those issues in his perfect timing then God responded for the Earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea that is a prophecy of the second coming of Christ I'm coming God said and all solve all of these problems we must learn to wait on the Lord so how should we spend our time while we wait by faith we live this text focuses on two types of people in the world the first type has faith in themselves they are saved based on who they are and what they do the righteous shall live by his faith it's a matter of trust God was saying to habakkuk and to us habakkuk chapter 2 verse 20. but the Lord is in his holy Temple let all the Earth keep silence before him but the Lord is in his holy Temple God declared let the entire Earth be silent in his presence that is the third and most crucial answer to Life's questions habakkuk's Triumph what he sings we find a changed man here habakkuk has gone from wailing to singing from Gloom to glory and from question marks to exclamation points he started this writing in the valley and finished it on top of a mountain what has changed neither God nor habakkuk circumstances were to blame instead habakkuk had learned to trust in the Lord and Was preparing to sing notice the music terms all through the chapter 3 verse 1. the prophet's prayer a prayer of habakkuk the Prophet on shigionath on shigionreth a Prayer of habakkuk the prophet that's a musical expression and as stated in the chapter's final sentence habakkuk chapter 3 verse 19. the Lord God is my strength he will make my feet like deer's feet and he will make me walk on my high hills to the chief musician with my stringed instruments that is it should be used for congregational music accompanied by an orchestra habakkuk chapter 3 verses 3-13 God came from Timon the Holy One for Mount piran Sila his glory covered the heavens and the Earth was full of his praise his brightness was like the light he had Rays flashing from his hand and there his power was hidden before him went pestilence and fever followed at his feet he stood and measured the Earth he looked and startled the Nations and the Everlasting mountains were scattered the Perpetual Hills bowed his ways are Everlasting I saw the tents of kushen in Affliction the curtains of the land of Midian trembled oh Lord were you displeased with the rivers was your anger against the rivers was your wrath against the sea the durone on your horses your Chariots of salvation your bowl was made quite ready Oaths were sworn over your arrows Sila you divided the Earth with rivers the mountains saw you and trembled the overflowing of the water passed by the Deep uttered its voice and lifted its hands on high the Sun and Moon Stood Still in their habitation at the light of your arrows they went at The Shining of your glittering spear you marched through the land in indignation you've trampled the nations in anger you went forth for the Salvation of your people for salvation with your anointed you struck the head from the house of the wicked by laying bare from Foundation to neck Sila this is a song of Prayer habakkuk was singing a plea to the Lord for Revival that is the ultimate cure to everything Revival God is the one who fixes life's difficulties God is the one who solves our society's problems God knows the solutions that the government does not the answer is not found in Social Services but in God is capable of sending Revival the next phrase refers to God coming down the sentences that follow retrace the steps of the children of Israel on their trip through the wilderness the emphasis is on God coming down and being there all along the journey if God could do it in the past he can certainly do it now God has not changed or diminished in strength we should be asking God to come down and bring Revival to America habakkuk chapter 3 verses 17 through 18. A Hymn of faith though the Fig Tree may not blossom nor fruit beyond the vines though the labor of the olive May Fail and the fields yield no food though the flock may be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the Stalls yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the god of my salvation this is a praise song as well consider how verses 17 and 18 are linked verse 17 begins with though whereas Verse 18 begins with yet regardless of the circumstances habakkuk was saying yet regardless of what happened yet I will rejoice in the Lord in the god of my salvation that is the fourth response to the unresolved problems of life keep joyful in the Lord in all circumstances habakkuk then concluded by saying that God was his strength habakkuk didn't have all the answers but he put his faith in his powerful God who did God appointed a back egg a contemporary of Jeremiah and Ezekiel to lead in tumultuous times his name means to embrace and he earned it by wrestling with God at the beginning of his book and attaining intimate closeness with God by the end leadership with no easy answers could have been the title of habakkuk's book this Prophet pondered why God permitted the people of Judah to continue in their immoral and evil ways he cried out to God but had no response at first God seems far too tolerant for habakkuk's tastes finally God revealed to him his plan to correct the problem by bringing up Babylon to plunder and capture Judah in war habakkuk was now in a new situation would god really employ a nation even more evil than Judah to correct Judah this seemed Preposterous to him so he presented god with an Integrity Jack do you really know what you were doing here when God answered his question he learned to trust and ended the book with a beautiful Psalm of faith habakkuk teaches us to be praying leaders the entire book is a dialogue between God and him and it is the only book in the Bible that is put out in this manner as a prophet habakkuk had to feed the people and guide the people but first he had to intercede for the people far too often those of us in positions of leadership are doers who lose sight of this critical duty in the New Testament Peter stated that he would devote himself to two things the word of God and prayer this is the first task of a spiritual leader habakkuk also tells us that it is permissible to challenge God we should have such a close relationship with God that we can freely communicate our questions worries or bewilderment about God's methods when we don't know what to do we should turn to God for guidance habakkuk posed precise and specific queries leaders must be confident enough to confess they don't know everything and seek guidance from God finally the most important leadership value we can learn from habakkuk is trust he knew he wasn't in control any more than we are today he waited for God when God finally spoke habakkuk had to trust him because he didn't understand in essence his final Psalm says although I don't understand what's going on and nothing is going the way I wanted to I'll still rejoice and Trust God's wisdom habakkuk must learn to follow God as the lead in the beginning the Lord remains silent and teaches his leader to wait he eventually replies to habakkuk's criticism in an unexpected way and teaches his leader to trust he later demonstrates his Supreme sovereignty over all things and encourages his leader to Rejoice regardless of the circumstances the weighing God treats habakkuk elevates him to a whole new level of leadership may God do the same for each of us number two Jacob Jacob is mentioned for the first time in the Bible in Genesis chapter 25. when Rebecca Jacob's mother was pregnant with him and his fraternal twin Esau she asked God why her two babies were fighting in her womb God responded that the animosity between the two brothers foreshadowed the two Nations that would emerge from them Jacob would be the forefather of Israel and Esau avino furthermore Esau the Elder twin would become Jacobs the younger twins servant Jacob was associated with trickery and deception from his birth until his wrestling match with God Jacob's most infamous deceptions were committed against his twin brother Esau in exchange for his Birthright as the firstborn son which was a double portion of his father Isaac's inheritance Jacob offered his famished brother a bowl of soup furthermore Jacob deprives Esau of their father's blessing which Esau was entitled to receive this resulted in Esau wanting to slay his younger brother so Jacob fled on his way to his mother's Homeland he saw angels and a ladder to heaven when Jacob arrives in Heron he meets his match in the form of his uncle Laban despite his feelings for laban's younger daughter Rachel Jacob is duped into marrying her older sister Leah Jacob on the other hand perseveres and is eventually able to mirror the object of his affections jabin worked for Laban for many years Jacob was able to take much of laban's herd for himself thanks to God's protection and Jacob's intelligence finally God tells Jacob to return to his father's land the problem is that this means Jacob will have to confront Esau will his brother's rage remain unquenched after all these years knowing Jacob's story means knowing that his life was full of ups and downs despite God's promise to Jacob that through him would come not only a great nation but a whole company of Nations he was a fearful and anxious man Jacob was about to meet his brother Esau who had vowed to kill him at a critical juncture in his life all of Jacob's struggles and fears were about to come true Jacob had fled Layman enraged by his father-in-law's treatment only to be met by his enraged brother Esau anxious for his life Jacob devised a bribe and sent a caravan of gifts across the river jabek with his women and children in the hopes of appeasing his brother he was stripped of all his worldly possessions because he was physically exhausted alone in the desert Wilderness and facing certain death in reality he had no control over his faith on the banks of the jabic river he fell into a deep sleep with his father-in-law behind him and Esau ahead of him he was too exhausted to fight any longer but it wasn't until then that his true struggle began fleeing his family history had been difficult enough wrestling with God himself was an entirely different matter that night Jacob was visited by an Angelic stranger Jacob had struggled his entire life even at the time of his birth he was at odds with Esau later he clashed with Laban yet just before meeting Esau Jacob went through the most difficult time of his life he would once grasp his brother's heel now clung to the living God's bodily form Genesis chapter 32 verses 24 through 32. so Jacob was left alone and a man came and wrestled with him until Daybreak when the man saw that he had not prevailed against Jacob touched his hip joint Jacob's hip was dislocated as he wrestled with him then he said let me go for days breaking but Jacob said I will not let you go unless you declare a blessing on me so we asked him what is your name and he said Jacob and he said your name shall no longer be Jacob but Israel for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed then Jacob asked him please tell me your name biddy said why is it that you ask my name and he declared a blessing of the Covenant promises on Jacob there so Jacob named the place pennile the face of God saying for I have seen God face to face yet my life has not been snatched away now the sun rose on him as he passed pennial and he was limping because of his hip therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh because he touched the socket of Jacob's thigh by the tendon of the hip note that Jacob is 97 years old at this point in the narrative as a result he is unlikely to pose a physical challenge to an angel though there is no reason to doubt that a physical contest takes place we must not mistake that for the main point when the text tells us that Jacob's opponent cannot overcome him it is not suggesting that Jacob is physically busting the man the ease with which he inflicts physical damage on Jacob indicates this the Turning Point occurs when Jacob informs the stranger that he will not release him unless such assurances are provided this I believe indicates Jacob's willingness to submit to God's demands on him Jacob's perseverance is now working in his favor he is willing to go to any length the blessing manifests itself in the form of a name change this is significant for Jacob because his name had become synonymous with his character throughout the story a name change thus denotes a change in character changing someone's name was a way to exert authority over them Jacob accepts the name change which is equivalent to accepting a change in character in this case the new name is intended to represent the transformation of one of Jacob's traditional strengths his perseverance has brought him success in his interactions with people and it is now responsible for his success in his struggle with God not because God has surrendered but because Jacob has conceded as his customary with God one must first lose in order to win it's possible the Jacob's request for the wrestler's name is a last-ditch effort to maintain control but the wrestler refuses who exactly is this stranger throughout the episode the narrator refers to him as a man at the end of the episode Jacob refers to the person as Elohim the man injures Jacob's hip but he refuses to let go until the man blesses him Jacob realized he wasn't wrestling a man but God and he wouldn't let go until he blessed him the location of the wrestling match is named peniel which means face of God in Hebrew here are takeaways from Jacob's wrestling match with God first we need forgiveness and it only comes by the mercy of God Jacob was responsible for what he did to Esau and he knew it Jacob had relied on his own wits for Success up until this point but now he didn't know what would happen his survival was contingent on his brother forgiving him for his wrongdoings although Jacob had no control over his brother's heart there was one who did so Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him till Daybreak Genesis chapter 32 verse 24. it was time for Jacob to realize that he couldn't rely on his own strength any longer he had no control over the Forgiveness he needed to survive if we are to follow God we must first admit our flaws and weaknesses only God's mercy can forgive us and only God's grace can see us through to the other side of the night Jacob possessed two admirable characteristics one of them had a spiritual sensitivity this was seen when he fled from his brother and saw the ladder to heaven and again when he obeyed the Lord's voice telling him to return to his homeland his perseverance is exemplified by his pursuit of Rachel and his patience in serving Laban it in order to win her hand in marriage in his struggle with a mysterious man Jacob exemplifies both qualities he recognized that he was wrestling with God and he refused to give up until God blessed him what made this even more powerful were the moral ramifications Jacob was facing he didn't deserve the blessing but he was willing to accept whatever judgment or consequence came with it the ramifications were not insignificant the wrestling match had rendered him immobile but God had given him his Blessing as we continue reading Genesis we see Jacob's name changing back and forth from his old to his new throughout his life God reminds Jacob of his new name once more in Genesis chapter 35 verse 10. this is something that frequently happens to us gone causes his beloved the New Creation in him but we forget Who We Are we should cling through our new identity after we've wrestled with God we may make mistakes and lose sight of Who We Are but we can always return to what God has called us to be God wants us to know him intimately and Jacob asked him and said tell me I pray thee thy name and he said wherefore is it that thou Dost ask after my name and he blessed him there Genesis chapter 32 verse 29. Jacob understood who God was he was aware that God was the god of his father and grandfather however the god Jacob wrestled with through the jabic was God in the form of man the part of the Trinity who had come to Earth and Bear who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness by whose Stripes ye were healed First Peter chapter 2 verse 24. God became the god of Jacob's Heart during the wrestling match many people are aware of God but have never had a genuine life-changing encounter with him understanding what God has done for others is not the same as comprehending what he has done for you God is far more concerned with the state of our hearts than with how successfully we appear to be living a righteous life spending time with God is the only way to have a relationship with him reading the Bible praying and worshiping were their hearts and Minds completely focused on God brings us closer more intimately into his presence the greatest impediment to spending time with God is sometimes ourselves our priorities become muddled I know that starting my day by spending time in God's word and or praying makes the rest of the day go more smoothly the events of my day do not change but my attitude does because God's peace is with me closeness to God requires humility the sun rose above him as he passed pineal and he was limping because of his hip Genesis chapter 32 31. this physical disability was a sign of his new humility for the proud self-sufficient quick-witted Jacob Miriam Webster defines humility as freedom from Pride or arrogance in today's world humility appears to be anti-culture and anti-success in God's world however we become better people when we proter pride or side and rely on him God humbled many biblical figures including Jacob similar stories can be found in Simon Peter and Saul's conversion to Paul no one would want to go through life with a disability or ailment to keep them humble but God knows what we need and that our dependence on him instead of ourselves is our greatest strength the sun was Rising on Jacob as he limped away he had a new ailment but also a new identity a new name and a new intimacy with God when God makes us wrestle with him for some blessings it is not because God is hesitant to bless us even if it appears that way at first it's because he has more blessings for us when we wrestle than when we don't remember that God Sato Jacob for this match God was the catalyst when God appeared Jacob was stewing in his own anxiety over Esau and his approaching Slaughter Squad and the wrestling Drew Jacob out of his fearful trance and forced him to concentrate on God continue to wrestle what do you really need from God right now do not let God go until He blesses you in your anguish fear and uncertainty God will meet you however he may not meet you in the manner you expect or desire your greatest Ally may appear at first to be your adversary prompting you to wrestle with him if so keep Jacob in mind there are numerous benefits to wrestling you may not require soft words of comfort you may not require time alone with your thoughts you may not require sleep and you may not even require a healthy hip when you require is God's favor when God invites you to wrestle with him in prayer it is an invitation to receive his Blessing continue to stick with him and don't give up don't let go of him until he blesses you he loves the Blessed tenacious faith and you will be transformed as a result today we like Jacob can enter into a relationship with Christ by confessing our sins and declaring God to be our savior and Redeemer God can give us a new life as his children by admitting her Brokenness to him we can enter into an eternal relationship with him full of His blessings and good promises for our lives through his new name Israel Jacob was able to experience a new identity similarly when we come to know Christ we undergo a transformation Everything Changes Our lives our thoughts our actions and so on we can also learn from Jacob's story that people in the Bible wrestled with God in ways other than physical ones there's nothing wrong with having questions and wanting to learn more about the Bible Christian faith is not blind but rather found it on how God has provided for us in the past we can fight him and still come out with a new identity keep in mind what God did when he wrestled Jacob Jacob spent the night anticipating Esau's arrival he was terrified and desperate but he came out of the night with God's blessing and A Renewed faith all of our faith-based struggles with God lead to peace when we need God's Comfort he sometimes sends it in unexpected and even unwanted packages God even inflicted a crippling injury on Jacob this made Jacob even more vulnerable to Esau forcing Jacob's Faith to rest more fully on God rather than himself if necessary God will make us limp in order to strengthen our faith finally Jacob's identity was altered as a result of his wrestling with God he was no longer to be remembered as someone who obtained his Blessing through deception he received God's blessing this time because he prevailed with God through faith when God calls us to wrestle with him there is always more going on than we realize and God always uses it to transform us for the better we can only receive the power of conversion and transformation through him as well as the gift of not only surrender but also Freedom as well as the gifts of endurance faith and courage finally Jacob does what we must all do he confronts his failures weaknesses sins and all that is hurting him and faces God Jacob fought with God all night he was paralyzed as a result of his exhausting struggle only after he had come to terms with God and stopped struggling realizing that he couldn't go on without him did he receive God's blessing this remarkable incident in Jacob's life teaches us that our lives are never meant to be easy this is especially true when we decide to wrestle with God and His will for our lives on our own we also learned that as Christians despite our trials and tribulations our efforts in this life are never without God's presence and his Blessing inevitably follows the struggle which can be messy and chaotic at times true growth experiences are always accompanied by struggle and pain Jacob's wrestling match with God at the jabic that dark night reminds us of this truth well we may oppose God and His will for us God is in fact very good as Christians we may struggle with him through the loneliness of the night but his Blessing will come by Daybreak Jacob ran into his brother Esau after his wrestling match instead of killing him his brother greeted him with a hug and tears of joy Esau had reconciled with his brother Jacob was spared death Esau didn't want any of the possessions Jacob offered him though he accepted them at Jacob's request he only wanted to be on good terms with his brother the rest of Jacob's story isn't a happy ending he would eventually lose his beloved wife Rachel during childbirth his favorite son would be sold into slavery after being betrayed by his older brothers Jacob's life comes to an end in a foreign land throughout it all God reminds Jacob that he is with him and that his promises are true even if he doesn't see how they are possible at the time what parts of Jacob's story do you identify with as you read the account of his wrestling match where in your life do you need to ask for forgiveness

Channel: Grace Digital Network

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Id: 9JLw1I-QegY

Length: 42min 50sec (2570 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 21 2023