Devotion by Rory Larsen

Genesis 32:22-32 gives a very familiar account of the story of the patriarch Jacob and his now famous encounter of wrestling with an angel of the Lord.  Most Bible scholars agree that this divine encounter was actually Yahweh in human form, something they call a Christophany.  But the part of the story I want to focus on is the transformation of Jacob to Israel.  

The story of Jacob is very familiar, and if you remember he was quite a manipulative person.  Not just something that he did, but something that he was, inherently part of his character.  In fact, his name Jacob in Hebrew means ‘schemer’.  He has a sordid story of cheating his brother Esau out of his birthright, deceiving his father Issac in his blind condition that Jacob actually was Esau, and many other things that defined him in character as his namesake the schemer.  From the time of his birth, he showed himself to be a fighter in wrestling with his brother to see who would exit the womb first.  

Jacob fled his homeland and family in fear of retribution from his brother for stealing the birthright, and at the instruction of his mother he went to live with Laban.  It was at this time he fell head over heels enamored with one of Laban’s daughters.  The schemer Jacob made a deal with Laban for the hand of his daughter, and if Jacob worked for 7-years he could have her hand in marriage.  It was at this point the schemer got schemed.  At the end of his labors, Laban gave Jacob a different daughter and talked Jacob into working for him for another 7-years to get the wife his heart longed for.  It was well after this time that Jacob began his journey away from his father-in-law, who had been manipulating him for his services and Jacob began his long trek back home to confront his past.  

It was on this journey home that Jacob the schemer had a divine encounter.  The Bible says that Jacob wrestled all night with the angel of the Lord until finally, because they were in a stalemate, that the angel of the Lord “touched” the hollow of Jacob’s thigh.  A man’s strength as a wrestler is held in his thighs, it’s the place where he gets his balance, fortitude, and strength for a hand-to-hand grappling match.  The angel in striking the thigh of Jacob sent a very personal message to Jacob about human strength vs reliance upon divine strength.  

It was from that moment on “Jacob, the schemer” was given the new name of “Israel, the Prince with God”.

On that day more than Jacob’s name was changed.  He walked differently for the rest of his life, and this divine encounter is commemorated by the children of Israel by not eating the part of a cow that holds the sciatic nerve.  Vs 32 “Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.”

From that moment on, Jacob walked with a limp, or needed assistance of a walking stick and it was a reminder for him (and us) that a divine encounter with God should change your walk.  Much of our divine encounters today are expressed very differently.  I wonder what would happen to Christendom’s culture if we had a true divine encounter – one of mutual hand to hand combat with Yoshua.  

Here is the challenge.  Since you have encountered Christ has your walk changed?  Can the world tell the difference between you and them?  Are you allowing Christ to live out His life in you to the extent that when people look at you, they see Him?  Do they see a person who’s walk has been transformed, or does your life just blend into the world and people see no difference at all?  

If you truly know Jesus and you have had a divine encounter, a hand-to-hand combat exchange if you will, your walk should be changed!