Genesis 32:22-30

We shall read three short portions of Scripture, all illustrative of the great truth that God has sometimes given grace to his people to overcome himself, the Almighty has condescended to be vanquished by man. First, let us read the story of Jacob in the Book of Genesis, the thirty-second chapter, at the twenty-second verse:

Genesis 32:22. And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had. And Jacob was left alone;

He had made a quiet oratory for himself by sending everyone else of the company over to the other side of the brook; his own resolve being

«With thee all night I mean to stay,

And wrestle till the break of day.»

Genesis 32:24. And there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw

When the wrestling Man, the Angel of the covenant, saw

Genesis 32:25. That he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, so he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

When we come nearest to God, we must have a deep sense of our own personal weakness; it must never be supposed, if our suit prevails with heaven, that there is anything in us, or anything in our prayers, to account for our prevalence. Whatever power we have, must come from God's grace alone; and hence, usually, when we pray so as to prevail with the Lord there is at the same time a shrinking of the sinew, a consciousness of weakness, a sense of pain; yet it is just then that we are prevailing, and therefore we may rest assured that our prayer will be answered. The Angel said, «Let me go,» at the very time when Jacob felt the shrinking of the sinew: «He said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he (Jacob) said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.»

Genesis 32:27. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 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?

Holy desires will be realized, and believing prayers will be answered, but mere curiosity will not be gratified. Those who read the Scriptures with a view simply to find out novelties that may tickle their fancy, read in vain. The covenant Angel will give thee what thou wilt if it be needful for thee; but he will not answer thine idle questions. He said to Jacob, «Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?»

Genesis 32:29. And, he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Thus did Jacob the wrestler overcome his God. Now turn to the thirty-second chapter of the Book of Exodus, where we find a description of the sin of idolatry into which the Israelites fell while Moses was absent in communion with God upon the mountain. The people brought their golden ear-rings to Aaron, and he made a calf, and they bowed before it, saying, «These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.» While this wickedness was going on, Moses was on the mountain-top with God.

This exposition consisted of readings from Genesis 32:22; Exodus 32:7; and Mark 7:24.