Then the man said, "You shall no longer be named Jacob, but Israel because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed." Genesis 32:29
This story is crazy. After being away for 20 years, Jacob (reference point here - son of Isaac and therefore grandson of Abraham) is returning home with a small tribe of wives and children. Jacob is tired, weak and scared and wants time to rest before facing his brother Esau who is waiting with an army. But an angel awakens him and they start what probably would put today's MMA matches to shame. Yes - Jacob wrestled an angel and put up a good fight until the angel dislocated his hip.
God blesses Jacob by giving him a new name: Israel, which means "You contended with divine beings."
Other than just being a cool story, what can we take away? Jacob continues on tired, weak and now injured, but his faith has been strengthened. Some of us are afraid to struggle with God. We are afraid to be mad or confused. But all of our struggling with God in faith can lead to peace. Jacob's struggle turned out to be a gift of restoration that God gave him, kinda like the gift Jesus gave Peter by letting Peter affirm his love for Jesus as many times as he had denied it.
When God makes us wrestle him, it is not because He wants a fight or doesn't care. It is because he has more blessings for us in the wrestling than without it.
