A friend wrote that she has “been wrestling with Genesis 32. I think Jacob is definitely wrestling with Yeshua because of two things: Scripture says he wrestles with a Man and later says he has seen Yah face to face (the Hebrew word is peniel). A man who is Yah...Yeshua.
"At first Jacob prevails—or does he? Do we really wish to prevail over Yeshua? Later when the tables are turned and Yeshua prevails (He is humbled) —at that point Jacob is blessed!
"We also wrestle with the world (Esau) and our Savior. Who will prevail in our hearts in each moment of the day? We must overcome the world and submit to Abba Father. We want Him to prevail! Then we are blessed. When he wins is when we win.”
This prompted some thoughts on my part:
I think, too, it is fascinating that the wrestling lasted all night. In most wrestling matches, guys are totally spent in 15 minutes! So I've imagined what the wrestling was like—to endure so long—perhaps many skirmishes between periods of sleep? Much like coming in and out of a dream, or a woman in labor—hard moments, with rests in between? I imagine that angel (the Lord) —sometimes lying on top of him! Jacob pinned under this massive body, on his stomach! Jacob waking to throw him off and squirm around with him some more on the ground (having long since given up the standing upright position/struggle)and then lying there sweating/ exhausted some more—and sometimes the angel laying right next to him, face to face, horizontally, like waking up and thinking, "Oh no, here he is still, he's in my face...here we go again!" Panting, thinking,"OK, I cry "Uncle" to my deceit. OK, if you want to take me out tomorrow via my brother, OK, OK, OK. On the other hand thinking...aha... now I can strangely see how I could prevail if you, LORD subdue him for me—if I ask for the warfare tomorrow to be done by you. Yes, I shall do that.
Every time he woke up, undergoing another layer of relinquishment, but strangely, simultaneously, growing a new hope, by dealing with some entity soooooo overwhelming—and relentless—and righteously demanding/purging by His very presence. The physical struggle was the package in which the psychological/spiritual transformation took place. Giving over the geography of Jacob's inner soul. Koshering his internal land. This is truly one of the most other-worldly moments in scripture.
