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Daily Devotions

Genesis

Genesis 
Day 
Day 254

"O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant." Psalm 116:16

Text: Genesis 32:1-32

FINAL PREPARATIONS

Prayer had been offered. The present to Esau had been sent. Jacob now sought to prepare himself as best he could to face Esau his brother.

“So the present went on over before him,
but he himself lodged that night in the camp.
And he arose that night and took his two wives,
his two female servants, and his eleven sons,
and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. He took them,
sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had.”
GENESIS 32:21-23

The last bit of the preparation had to do with his family. His family mattered much more than all the animals that he had sent to Esau as his present. With the dreadful thought that he and his family might be killed, Jacob attended to family matters!


ANOTHER UNFORGETTABLE ENCOUNTER

Jacob’s first encounter with the Lord was an unforgettable one. This encounter with God was another life-changing experience!

“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him
until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not
prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip;
and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled
with him. And He said, ‘Let Me go, for the day breaks.’
But he said, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me.'”
GENESIS 32:24-26

“And a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day”

This is an intriguing phrase indeed. How should we understand it?

1. Literally

This would mean that Jacob was involved in an actual physical wrestling match! Imagine, Jacob with eleven children wrestling till daybreak!

2. Figuratively

The idea of a physical wrestling match is abandoned. Once Abraham stood and barred the way of a Man and two angels. They were headed to Sodom! Abraham kept pleading with the Man. He pleaded on behalf of Sodom again and again (Cf. Genesis 18:16-33).

Perhaps, Jacob underwent a similar experience! Jacob was struggling with this Man who had appeared out of nowhere. He must have sensed that this was no ordinary man! He “wrestled” with this Man and would not let go till he had obtained a blessing!