Welcome to Study, Grow, Know, where we discuss theology, prophecy, and current political issues from a conservative biblical perspective. Here's your host, Dr. Fred DeRuvo. This is Dr. Fred. Thanks so much for joining me. And today's topic is called wrestling with God. And before we get into that, I just wanted to remind you all that in the transcript, I've got a number of links to a variety of different articles that you may find useful in your research. So you'll want to avail yourselves of that information. So let's get on with the actual topic. In Genesis 32, 22 through 32, the account of Jacob's wrestling with God is provided. Now it's really a fascinating account, but one that I guess frankly had me a bit baffled, at least until recently, I never made a connection. Here are the verses from Genesis 32, and that's verses 22 through 25. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Man here is capitalized in the text, verse 25. Now, when he saw, he meaning the man, that he did not prevail against him, Jacob, he touched the socket of his hip, and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as he wrestled with him. Those are the verses. Now, let me be honest here. I've read that passage numerous times over the years, at least once every year as I read through the scripture and other times as well, and it always made me question something. How could a human being actually wrestle with God? I'm fully aware that Jesus appeared in the Hebrew scriptures in pre-incarnate form. I do not doubt that Jacob literally and physically wrestled with God in the form of a human being. That's not my question at all. My question is, how does a mere human being prevail against God? The text states, quote, now, when he, God, saw that he did not prevail against him, Jacob, that tells us that though Jacob did not prevail against God, he obviously maintained his own against God, didn't he? But the whole scenario is one of real wonder. I can picture Jacob wrestling with God, but I can also see God in human form with a slight smile on his face as Jacob literally pursued a blessing from God. Jacob was not willing to let go of God. until God blessed him. Genesis 32, 26 through 28. Let me read those verses. And he said, here he refers to God, let me go for the day breaks. But he, Jacob said, I will not let you go unless you bless me. So God, I'm adding that, said to him, what is your name? And he said, Jacob. And he, God said, your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed. Yes. God actually told Jacob that he had prevailed in his struggle with God. But obviously there's no way that Jacob would have prevailed against God if God had not allowed it. Surely Jacob's physical attributes were nothing against God Almighty, even in human form. Now, I might be willing to admit that Samson might have a chance physically against God, but even that stretches credulity, doesn't it? I mean, really, no mere mortal, however well built, however strong, would ever truly prevail against God. I mean, can I get an amen to that? I mean, but yet the text is telling us that he did prevail. Hmm. So given this situation, it is clear to me that God obviously played with Jacob as a father adoringly wrestles with his young son. Dad might allow his son to gain a slight advantage for a short period, but ultimately Ultimately, Dad would let the son know that while he admires his son's willingness and perseverance to wrestle, Dad still runs. Dad still runs the house. Dad still rules. And I believe this was also the outcome of the wrestling between God and Jacob. I also believe that this physical wrestling signifies a spiritual struggle that often occurs in our own pursuit of God. And I've come to realize that in just the last three months, I've become more aware of that. I'm nearly 65 years old, so I guess this realization is better late than never, right? Let me explain as best I can. As I look over the past few months, I've noticed that just prior to God directing my steps in a certain way, There was an amount of turmoil inside that has occurred within me. If I go back to that situation and remember it a few months ago, when I was desperately trying to figure out what my next step in life was going to be, the frustration, turmoil, and tension was something that I literally felt and I did not like it. It was like a growing fire within me that I could not control. I seemed to be one step away from allowing it to overtake my personality so that I would have lashed out at people I love. All because of the tension that was within me that caused me to do two things. First, I focused a bit on the experience of my feelings within me because of the crossroads that I was facing, and it was kind of difficult to set those feelings aside. They're just kind of gnawing at me and trying to get my attention anyway. It was a combination of not feeling good at all emotionally, while at the same time pushing myself to believe God was in these small details of my life, which loomed large at the time, as they often do. doesn't mean they are large, it just seems like they were. Ultimately, I did a great deal of praying, reciting memorized scripture, and simply looking for resolution because I knew that I could not continue to live with this inner turmoil for long any more than a wrestler could continue physically wrestling an opponent night and day without a win or a defeat. Eventually it would wear the wrestler out, wouldn't it? Emotionally and physically. Now I have to admit that I pushed myself to pursue God through that situation a few months ago. I felt on one hand a real growing frustration at the situation and the unknown that, you know, how would this work out? On the other hand, I saw that my faith in God was increasing, and I actually got to a point where I experienced the frustration, but at the same time I was beginning to see the hope that God was leading me to a certain point. I hope that makes sense. In essence, I suppose it could be said that I was, in some way, wrestling with God, a bit like Jacob. However, my struggle was within me, while Jacob's actual struggle was without him, on the outside, physically. But here's the thing. I fully believe that both Jacob and I were not so much wrestling with God, but I think we were wrestling with ourselves because of the situations in our lives that came to the surface. There were times during my own wrestling a few months ago that I was tempted to be angry with God. How stupid is that? God had done nothing wrong, yet in my flesh, I was told to focus on what God was not doing. That's what my flesh wanted. Oh, don't pay attention to that. Just focus on the problem. Doesn't that feel good to be angry and frustrated and tense? I realized that this must mean God was actually busy doing something that would eventually and ultimately bring relief. through a breakthrough and God's answer would be provided to me. It would just show up. And this is exactly what happened to in a matter of just a few short days, my wife and I were discussing this situation. I had been tense, but I had done everything to assure her that I was not tense at her. I wasn't trying to take out my frustration on her and that she had done absolutely nothing to warrant receiving my frustration. In essence, I was apologizing for the way in which I might have made her feel as though it was somehow her fault. But since it was not her fault, and the least I needed her to know, that my frustration was solely based on believing that God needed to direct me and that he would do so in his way and in his time. Now, as my wife and I discussed this situation, she realized that my tension was not due to anything she had done. And it was also during that discussion that she made an offhand suggestion about what I could do in pursuing my objective. And what was fascinating about that is even though it was an offhand suggestion, it turned out to be the very thing that I believe God used to direct my path. I immediately took her suggestion to heart. And within one day, I had a callback from a company that wanted to interview me for a part-time position. I went in the next day at their request for an interview and was hired the same day. Now, of course, since I had seen God's path and went down that road, I saw how he worked things together. And my frustration and tension melted. It was replaced with praise. heartfelt praise, adoration, and awe for and of Him and His provision. That was several months ago, and I related that in another article, another episode. More recently, another thing happened, and I realized I was going through a similar situation in the sense that the turmoil, the tension, the frustration was again building. And as that grew, I also knew that I needed to be as persevering in my pursuit of God through prayer, praise, and recitation of memorized scripture, regardless of whether or not I felt like it. And it was a very interesting thing. And it was an interesting thing to once again see the frustration right alongside of the expectation that God was going to do something to solve my problem. They were both there together. And because of a situation I was experiencing through no fault of my own, I was beginning to dread my new part-time job. I had liked it up to this point and all of a sudden, I didn't even look forward to getting up the next day to go to it. I won't go into details because, of course, now that I'm on the other side of it, I can see what Satan meant for evil and God meant for good. It doesn't even matter what the situation was. And I don't want to give you the details of it because I don't want it to limit you into thinking, oh, well, that was good for that, but how's that going to affect my situation? We're all in different situations. And this most recent situation lasted roughly two days. And I saw myself going through the problem the same way. It was very interesting. I experienced growing frustration and tension, which brought to my mind that I needed to again wrestle with God by pursuing him in prayer and praise and reminding myself of his written word. Now one morning my boss asked me if I would do another situation that had just become available. Was I interested? Would I be open to it? I immediately saw that this question posed by her to me was God's hand, and I jumped at it. I began training yesterday morning, literally, and now I am learning it hands-on. In this particular situation, again, what Satan meant for evil, and he used people to do that. Another person God actually meant for my good. Now, how about this other person? Were they at fault? No. No, they were not. It was the way I perceived the situation. My whole point here is that in both cases, though some might argue I had been wrestling with God, in reality, I was wrestling with my flesh and the devil. Ephesians 6, 12. God is never the problem, is he? We might think we are wrestling against God, and we could be, but in truth, I think more often than not, we wrestle against the things that keep us from seeing God as He is and what He plans on doing and wants to do in and through our lives. Now, in Jacob's case, I believe we see a perfect example, a perfect physical example of how much God loves us, really. During times of tension, I can tend to say or even think things that are not only inaccurate about God, but it's almost like I'm daring him to prove me wrong. That's so immature and childish and fleshly. He doesn't have to prove anything to me. And of course, his word itself, not to mention his actual incarnation, perfect life ending in unqualified painful death for your sins and mine. All that is proof that he loves and cares for me and you. Now I've finally begun to understand that Jacob really didn't wrestle with God. Yes, he physically engaged with the pre-incarnate Jesus. But that reality, it wasn't actually wrestling in the sense that you've got two equal opponents and who knows who's gonna beat the other one. God was patiently teaching Jacob that it can be a struggle at times to push ourselves through to what we will learn to be the truth and how we should act and think. For some people, this may be a momentary pause to reflect, consider, and then move in a specific direction based on the revelation they feel that they're getting from God, or the direction they feel they're being pushed in. For others, like me, It may involve greater frustration, tension, and angst. It's all based on the inherent personality of each person. And because I am a type A personality, I actually end up making it more difficult for myself to quote unquote, hear God initially. And I don't mean audibly. I don't mean that he speaks to us that way. I'm talking about what direction is he pushing me in? What door does he want to open? Whereas someone else who doesn't have a type A personality, who is easier going, might not have the same difficulty that I do and can more easily push through the situations they face to get to a resolution. Wrestling with God. is often wrestling with ourselves in the process of letting go of the things that keep us bound to this world and our life. God always hears, He always sees, and always wants to help us move on in Him. He is literally guiding us. And that same thing happened with Jacob, by the way. This time, The time it takes for each person to do that, to succeed there, will depend on their own personality and their own responsiveness to God and His will. Well, I hope this has been beneficial for you. I want to thank you for joining me today. And until we meet again, I pray that God will open your eyes to show you how blessed you are in Him. You've been listening to Study, Grow, Know with Dr. Fred DeRuvo. 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