3/02/03 -- Transfig. INI Gen. 32:24-30
Dear Fellow Redeemed by the blood of God,
Jacob was alone that night by the river Jabok. A scout had
brought word that the brother whom Jacob had cheated so many
years ago was marching toward him with 400 men. Jacob had
made as many plans as possible for the protection of his family and
goods. He had prayed. But now in the night the tension is
mounting. He expects a battle in the morning. But, perhaps even
as he is considering how he might defend himself against brother
Esau, there appears a totally unexpected opponent in the night.
Hand to hand combat follows. Who will win? Who will capture the
goods of victory? In every way, this is
Consider the two combatants. Jacob was surely a strong man, well-conditioned, and brave. But he was still only a human being, inexperienced in battle, and subject to real injury. A wrestler is a capable wrestler only relatively. One must measure his strength, speed, experience , and agility against the total ability of his opponent. Jacob's strength and chances of victory must be measured by the ability of his opponent.
WHO was Jacob's opponent? God Himself! Hosea 12 says that Jacob wrestled with God. Yes the "Angel of the Lord," Hosea says, appeared in the form of a strong man! This was the Son of God, the promised Messiah, long before He became true man born of Mary. But what an uneven wrestling match! Man against God and God against man!
This combat is remarkable because it was extremely physical. This was no play-acting, which lasted for an hour or two, or the fakery of the World Wrestling Federation. Jacob and the Son of God wrestled all night until dawn. Jacob even continued after receiving a painful wound in his hip. This was also a spiritual battle as v. 26 shows. For when the Son of God asked Jacob to let Him go, the man replied: "I will not let You go unless you bless me."
This combat is remarkable because it was a trial of faith. The Son of God wrestled with Jacob in order to bring the man a blessing. Jacob, on the other hand, wrestled with the Son of God in order to receive a blessing. The scene before us is truly remarkable.
But in a sense, such combat is not uncommon. Abraham did battle with the Lord when he kept on praying for the safety of Lot when the Lord announced that He would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of its sins. 'Would you, Lord, destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous, would you not spare the city for the sake of the fifty?" And the Lord said that, "Yes," He would spare the city for the sake of fifty righteous. Then Abraham went on: "Suppose there were but forty-five, . . . suppose there were forty, suppose there were thirty, twenty, . . . and finally suppose "there were ten righteous persons?" Each time the Lord yielded to Abraham.
A few minutes ago you heard once again of the combat experience of that persistent, Canaanite woman, and of Paul the Apostle. Each one took hold of Jesus in prayer and would not let loose of Him. A careful search of Holy Scripture will reveal many remarkable combats, like the one of our text.
By "combat" with the Lord I do not mean that proud and rebellious opposition of the sinner against God, nor the self-inflicted troubles of sin. These call for repentance. But I mean the personal trials of God's children, in which the Lord comes near to us for the purpose of blessing us, while hiding His face -- His power and grace for a time.
He is present, very near. But He seems absent!
He is gracious, but seems harsh. Loving, but
seems angry.
Although we seek Him, we can't seem to find Him.
Although we cry out to Him, He seems not to hear.
We cling to Him, but we feel no support.
As did Jacob with wounded thigh, so Christians often bear physical signs of their remarkable combat. Some may carry a physical imperfection like Paul the Apostle, and yet because they have known the blessedness of combat with the Lord they are CONQUERORS like Paul was, or like the Psalmist who wrote in Psalm 119: "I know, O Lord, that your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me." (Ps. 119:75 ff. )
There are two conquerors here! The Son of God "saw that He did not prevail against Jacob." (v. 25) The Son of God begged Jacob, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." (V. 26) "I will not let you go unless you bless me!" Jacob cried. He conquered by persevering faith and prayer. This man conquered God! And God admits His defeat in v. 28: "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." Man the conqueror, God the conquered -- remarkable!
Yet God is also Conqueror. He is not humbled in our text. That's clear. It's Jacob who limps away. God gained His wonderful purpose with Jacob. By exerting strength UPON Jacob, God also gave strength TO Jacob. He bruised the body and healed the soul of his opponent! The Lord "blessed him there." (v. 29) And Jacob was more aware of His Savior's gracious presence and help than ever before. He named the place, "Face of God" (peniel) "for," He said, "I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved!" (v. 30) In this remarkable combat neither loses, both gain: Jacob gained a greater measure of faith and confidence in His Savior God, as well as a new and wonderful name, while the Lord gained His gracious and saving purpose with Jacob.
We are reminded here of how God exercises and tests our faith in connection with patience, endurance, boldness and prayer. In this way He conquered the Canaanite woman, Job, Paul, and so many others before us.
Can we conquer God? In God's strength, "Yes!" King Hezekiah became sick in the days of Isaiah the prophet.
Isaiah brought him this rather contrary word from the Lord:"Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live." Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed fervently and wept much. Isaiah had not yet left the palace when the Lord directed him to return to Hezekiah with a new message: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. . . . I will add to your days fifteen years. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for my own sake, and for the sake of my servant David." (2 Kings 20:1-11)
We conquer our Lord in His strength when we beg Him for mercy to save and bless us, approaching Him according to the direction given us in His Word. As the Psalmist David advises: "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord." (Ps. 27:14) Just take hold of your God by His words and remind Him of His promises. Say, "I will not let you go until you bless me." That is the victory HE WANTS US TO HAVE!
Isn't this remarkable combat a lesson also for us as we
commune today? Like Jacob, we too are weary and
frightened travelers in the night-time of this perishing world.
We are in trembling dependence upon our Lord's mercy and
help. Miraculously the Lord comforted and strengthened
Jacob. Mysteriously He came to Jacob with His physical
presence. Just so mysteriously our Lord Jesus comes with His
saving presence in His Holy Supper to strengthen our weak
faith in Him. The very presence of his Lord gave Jacob the
courage to hold on to Him and to receive the blessing in spite
of all his unworthiness. Likewise, God, in His holy law
condemns every one of us, and we tremble in the knowledge
of our wretchedness. But He comes near in His Gospel of
forgiveness in His Supper to give us courage to lay hold on
Him and not let go until He blesses us! For He promises and
seals to us the very blessings we seek: "Given and shed FOR
YOU for the remission of sins." Amen.
It was growing very late for the Old Testament people of God. Only a thin ray of light had pierced the darkness into which the world was plunged by the Fall. Israel had been that light because of the promises made to Abraham concerning the Savior of the nations. But at the late hour of 520-490 B.C. the darkness had all but smothered the brightness of the nation.
The judgment of JAHWEH had brought the Babylonians upon Judah (587);
The temple was destroyed and only a small remnant had returned after 70 years of captivity in Babylon. Now to Zechariah fell the task of encouraging the remnant in the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. In these hours of darkness Zechariah strengthened feeble hearts and hands with visions of the coming Messiah.
May the Light shed by the New Testament fulfillment of
these Old Testament prophecies pierce the gloom of our own
sin during this holy, Passion Season.
ASH WEDNESDAY: "Your Fathers, Where are They?
(The Words of the Lord Overtake Us!)"
-- Zechariah 1:5-6
MARCH 12TH : "The Messiah Supplies A Holy Priesthood"
-- Zechariah 3:1-4
MARCH 19TH: "The Branch Who Is Both King and Priest"
-- Zechariah 6:9-15a
MARCH 26TH: "The Coming of the Great King"
-- Zechariah 9:9
APRIL 2ND: "The contempt Poured Upon the Good Shepherd"
-- Zechariah 11:10-14
APRIL 9TH: "They Will Look on the One they Pierced . . .
in Repentance"
-- Zechariah 12:10
APRIL 16th (Maundy Thursday): "A Fountain Shall Be Opened"
-- Zechariah 13:1
APRIL 17th (Good Friday): "A Sword Shall Strike the Shepherd"
-- Zechariah 13:7-9