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Genesis 32: 24-28 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" 27 So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." 28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." This man wrestling with Jacob is what's called a Christophony, an appearance of Jesus in His pre incarnate form. Jesus touched Jacob's hip and put it out of joint where he had to lean on a staff in order to walk for the rest of his life. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not LEAN on our own understanding. In 2 Corinthians 2:9-11, Paul tells us that in our weakness, He is made strong. Before this encounter, Jacob sent a bunch of livestock ahead because an angel came to him and told him Esau was headed his way with 400 men. Rebekah told Jacob, went she sent him away that she'd send for him when Esau had gotten over his anger. He never heard from his mom so, as far as Jacob is concerned, Esau still hasn't gotten over it so hearing this message from the angel that Esau is coming with 400 men, has Jacob quaking in his sandals. Then, Jesus didn't ask Jacob his name because He doesn't know it, but because the name Jacob means coniver, schemer. Jesus is reminding him that's how he ended up here in the first place, and what he's doing by sending all this livestock ahead to appease Esau and by wrestling with Jesus and refusing to let Him go till He blesses him. Up until now, Jacob has been leaning on his own strength, but with a dislocated hip, he'll be leaning on a staff reminding him that he'll only be strong when he leans on God, which is why Jesus changes Jacob's name to Isreal. When I looked up Isreal in the Strong's concordance, it had several root words that it came from like strong, ram, twisted, persist, persevere, which gives me the picture of becoming stronger by twisting together, like braiding a rope makes it stronger. Jacob became stronger because he's leaning on God now. Me and God is a majority A little side note here: our greatest weakness is an unprotected strength. Any area that we feel we're strong in and don't surrender to God is open season for attack by the enemy. Papa God, thank You that, as we wrestle with You on a regular basis, that You could easily snuff us out, but You lovingly overpower us. You show Your strength in our weakness, always reminding us who and how You are.

This man is Jesus, who appears to Jacob, before His incarnation in Bethlehem. God wanted Jacob to surrender his pride and fleshly scheming and let Him lead and protect. Jacob like me, at times, doesn't rely on God but want to do things my own way... Lord, help me to completely surrender all aspects of my life to You and rely on Your leading as I journey with You through this earthly life. Amen.

Sometimes I feel like this as I am trying to resolve things that i have going on or make decsions about things. when it is quiet and I am alone to think I feel like God is wrestling with me all night it is hard to quiet my mind and sleep until I resolve the issues.

Jacob must have been quite the man in his day ... strong and rugged ...to be able to wrestle with God's (angel / Jesus?) all night! I always had the impression he was the mama's boy with soft skin, etc - unlike Esau, who was the rugged outdoors man. Jacob must have toughened up over the last 14 + years working as a shepherd to accomplish what he did that night. He had changed. God also changed His name to match what He had come and what He will become. God wants us to continually change and become like Christ Jesus as we grow in the Word and wrestle in prayer and trust Him and obey Him. Continue to work on me, Lord!