This lesson is compatible with the "Jacob" Flash-A-Cards from Abeka Books.
Scripture References: Genesis 32: 21-32; 33:1-17
All of a sudden, a man showed up and started to fight/wrestle with Jacob! He was all alone, with no servants to help him. His sons were also on the other side of the river, and some of them were strong young men who could have helped their now old father. In fact, Jacob was around 97 years old by now! People then lived longer than we do today, and their bodies didn’t grow old as fast as ours, but Jacob was no young man anymore. Fighting another man might have been a bit difficult. But he wrestled the man as best he could. He wrestled and wrestled. For HOURS he wrestled! In fact, the two wrestled until daybreak! When the man saw that Jacob just wouldn’t give up, he touched Jacob’s hip, and his hip moved out of joint.
We don’t know what they said to each other, but at some point, Jacob realized something. “I am wrestling with GOD!”
The person Jacob was wrestling with was God in the form of a man. Do we know someone who was God in the form of a man? What is his name? Jesus! When is another time Jesus showed up before his took the form of a baby in Bethlehem? He spoke with Abraham outside of his tent! Now, here he was wrestling with Jacob.
Do you think Jesus struggled to wrestle with an old man? No! He could have crushed him with his pinky. He is God! But God wanted Jacob to do something.
Jacob had been fighting God all of his life. He tried to do things his own way. I think by wrestling with Jacob, God was trying to teach Jacob to give his life over to God. He had to give up fighting God and surrender his life to Him.
I am just like Jacob. So many times, I fight God because I want to do something other than what God wants. Or I think I can do things my own way. It’s only when I surrender to God that I am truly happy.
Jesus saw that Jacob was still holding on, so He said, “Let me go, the morning is coming now.”
Jacob knew it was God by then, so he said, “I won’t let you go until you bless me.”
Jesus said, “What is your name?”
“My name is Jacob” he said. The name Jacob meant something like “to trick” or “to take another one’s place”.
Jesus said “Your name is no longer Jacob. Your name is Israel, because you have struggled with God, and with men, and you have the victory.”
Jesus gave him the name Israel, which might mean “God fights” or “let God rule”. Jesus was giving Jacob, now Israel, a new beginning, and reminding him that God fights for us, but we must surrender to Him.
Jacob then asked, “What is your name?” He didn’t know Jesus had a name, yet. And Jesus wasn’t going to tell his name yet. No one knew what His name would be until the angel told the virgin Mary what to name him. So, Jesus didn’t say his name. Instead, he blessed Jacob, and left.
Jacob couldn’t believe it! He had seen God and lived to tell about it. He said, “this place is now called Peniel, because I have seen God face to face.”
Jacob then crossed the river over to his family. They noticed something different about him. He was limping! Do you know why he was limping? (allow answers).
Jacob and his family traveled on towards Esau. Finally, he saw Esau and his 400 men coming into view in the distance. Quickly, he divided his family up. “Bilhah, Zilpah, take your children and stand in front. Leah, get your children and stand behind them. Rachel, take Joseph and stand behind everyone else.” Jacob was putting them in order of importance to him, so his favorites could get away if Esau’s men attacked them. How do you think it made the children feel? Probably not so good.
Then, Jacob went in front of everyone and bowed down to his brother seven times. Esau ran to meet him. I wonder how fast Jacob’s heart was beating as he saw his brother running towards him. But Esau grabbed his neck and kissed Jacob. They both began to cry. It had been so long since the twins had seen each other. And even longer since they had a good relationship. Here was a new beginning. Esau noticed all of the women and children behind them.
“Who are all these people with you?” he asked. “These are the children God has been so good to give me.” Said Jacob. Then, he motioned for them to come over. Bilhah and Zilpah came first and bowed down with all of their children. Then Leah and her children bowed down to greet Esau. Last, Rachel and Jacob came to bow down to meet Esau.
After Esau met everyone, he turned to Jacob and said, “What do you mean by all the gifts you sent me?”
Jacob said, “They are for you, and I hope we can forget the past and have a friendly relationship.” Esau said “I have enough. Keep them for yourself!”
“Oh no. Please take them. God has blessed me so much. I have more than enough. I want you to have them. I am so happy you are happy to see me.”
So, Esau agreed to keep the gifts of animals. Then he said “Let’s go back home. I will lead the way.”
Jacob said “I have young children, and animals with babies. I don’t want to go too fast, or the animals might die. Please go before me. I will come at a slower pace. I will see you in Seir.”
Esau agreed, and offered some of his savants to stay and help them. “What for? We have enough.” So, Esau went to Seir, but Jacob built a house in Succoth, which wasn’t in the same direction! We don’t know if Jacob ever went to Seir to see his brother or not. Even though Jacob had a new beginning, he still had a tendency to go back to his old ways.
When we accept Jesus, we have a new beginning. But we are still tempted to return to old ways. Only God can help us surrender to Him. And we have the Holy Spirit to help us!
Let’s pray and ask God to help us surrender our wills to Him. He will help us!