News and Events
- 07-21-2010Headed Out
You can take the evangelist off the road, but you cannot take the gifting of the evangelist out of the heart of the person. Five years ago I stepped away from the itinerate life required of an evangelist for two specific reasons: first, the stability of our family needs, and second, to receive medical help for some intense physical problems that I was personally facing.
- 12-11-2010Relief in Nashville
I just returned from the flood stricken city of Nashville TN. I had the privilege to fellowship with some very precious people of God and to see the grace of God in action.
I’d Rather Walk With A Limp
Fictional Characters With Limps
When I goggled characters with limps these were the men or creatures who came up in the search Yoda from the Star Wars series of films. Splinter from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and cartoons. Festus Hagan from Gunsmoke. Max Rockatansky from the Mad Max series of films. Dr. Gregory House from House (TV series). Dr. Donald Blake, the former civilian identity of Mighty Thor.Martin Crane the father of Frasier Crane in the sitcom Frasier. It is so evident that in our cultural setting that the scriptures do not even rate on the radar screen of the minds and or the imaginations of most. When I think of a man with a limp non of those characters came to mind at all. For me the first one that came to mind was one of the Patriarchs – Jacob who became Israel.
Genesis 32:24-32
24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.
25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.
26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”
28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him.
30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”
31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.
32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.
After Jacob had sent his family and flocks across the Jabbok, he was "left alone" (v. 24) on the other (north) side of the Jabbok. This was not abnormal, for "the natural thing for the master of the entire establishment to do is to stay behind to check whether all have really crossed or whether some stragglers of this great host still need directions" (Leupold). But what happened when he was "left alone" turned out to be very abnormal, for "there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day" (v. 24). This wrestling experience turned out to be a real strengthening experience for Jacob spiritually, and thus it provided more good preparation for his meeting with Esau.
To examine this unusual wrestling experience of Jacob which occurred just prior to his meeting Esau, we will note the contending in the wrestling, the crippling from the wrestling, the clinging in the wrestling, the commemorating of the wrestling, and the continuing after the wrestling.
1. The Preparation for God’s Reviving Work
The Seclusion in the reviving work. Jacob was "left alone" (v. 24) when he wrestled with this "man." A number of the greatest battles in our lives occur when we are unaccompanied. What someone is when they are alone tells us much about their character. How one wrestles in his combat when he is alone reveals what a person really is. A person can put on a hypocritical act in community, but there are no hypocrites in private. You are your authentic self in private. Great men are valiant men when alone. They persevere with character in their private life as well as in their public life.
The Sovereign who alone can do the reviving work. Who was this “man” who wrestled with Jacob? Jacob sought to know who the "man" was, and so he requests the man's name. "Tell me, I pray thee, thy name" (v. 29). The answer to Jacob's request was a question, "Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?" That answer to Jacob's request implied, and correctly so, that Jacob knew who the "man" was. The “man” Jacob wrestled with during the night was an "angel" (Hosea 12:4) who was the "Lord God" (Hosea 12:5). This tells us that Jacob wrestled with Christ Himself. It was a theophany of God in the person of Jesus Christ. It was a preincarnate manifestation of Jesus Christ to man.
Some believe that because Jacob was wrestling with God that he was opposing God and opposed to His will. On the other hand, if this was the case, then we will have difficulty illuminating the later Scripture which refers to Jacob in a praiseworthy way as one who "had power over the angel, and prevailed" (Hosea 12:4). It would seem that the right accounting is that Jacob was not fighting against God but fighting to gain a blessing from God as we will see more about further along.
2. The Pain in God’s Reviving Work
"And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him" (v. 25). We will focus on three aspects of this crippling of Jacob from the wrestling.
The place of the crippling. "He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint" (v. 25). The "hollow of his thigh" is "literally, the socket of his hip" (Whitelaw). Jacob experienced a dislocated hip in this wrestling bout. It was a serious injury which would greatly weaken one's ability to wrestle; but as we will see, Jacob would not give up even when crippled.
The power for the crippling. "He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint." This touch must have confirmed to Jacob that he was wrestling with somebody besides mere man. Man could not put Jacob's hip out of joint with a mere touch. But God is all-powerful, and it is so easy for Him to touch any part of our life and make a drastic change in it. This should not frighten us unless we are walking out of His will.
The purpose for the crippling. The crippling of Jacob was not judgment. It was a examination. Would Jacob keep contending and insisting on blessing though he was crippled? Would he quit and give up because he was crippled? Would difficulties discourage him from his pursuit of blessing?
3. The Transforming Power of God’s Reviving Work
"And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me" (v. 26).
The purpose in the struggle. "I will not let thee go." When Jacob was wrestling with Christ, Christ said, "Let me go," it did not mean that Christ could not free Himself from Jacob's grasp but that He would test Jacob's perseverance and spiritual desire. The determined clinging by Jacob shows that Jacob passed this test with flying colors. He would not give up though crippled. He would not stop pursuing the blessing though beset by a most painful difficulty. Jacob "does not mean to wrestle all night for nothing, but humbly resolves he will have a blessing, and rather shall all his bones be put out of joint than he will go away without one [a blessing] . . . Those that would have the blessings of Christ must be in good earnest, and be importunate for it as those that resolve to have no denial" (Henry). So many of us, have a tendency to fall short here. We are too swift to let go in seeking the face of God in prayer and in the study of the Word; and, as a result, we do not get much blessing from either. The problem is not in prayer or the Word but in our lack of spiritual stamina.
The Hosea description of this account tells us that the clinging by Jacob in particular involved some serious praying. Hosea says, "He had power over the angel, and prevailed; he wept, and made supplication unto him" (Hosea 12:4). The word "wept" along with the "supplication" speaks of intense praying indeed. While weeping is not essential to make a prayer earnest, earnest praying is indispensable to secure choice blessing. Jacob gained blessing because he would not give up in his praying. His spiritual stamina was strong. God's blessings are not given to us in a manner that would promote sloth or lack of devotion. It is just the reverse. It is true that salvation is immediate when we ask Christ to save us. But many other blessings will require unrelenting and earnest supplication before we obtain them. Failure to show this earnest pursuit of a blessing is a sign that you do not value the blessing well, and God is not in the habit of giving blessings to those who do not value them properly.
Proof of the Transforming power . "And he blessed him there" (v. 29). Jacob was blessed with Divine blessing because of his persistent clinging in the wrestling with the angel of God for the blessing. There are at least three specific blessings which Jacob received from God as a result of his persistent clinging to God for the blessings.
First, the different name. "And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel" (vv. 27, 28). There are two significant things we should know about this name.
To learn the significance of the name, we need to know that the name is composed of two words. The first word is "Isra" (Yisra) and can mean ruler or warrior. The last word is "el" the abbreviation for "God." So the meaning includes the idea that God rules or that God fights and also that one is a ruler (or prince) for God or a fighter for God.
The satisfaction in the name is in the fact that it is very complimentary for Jacob. In whatever way one looks at the meaning of this name, it honors Jacob. What an enhancement the name Israel is on the name Jacob. The name Jacob which means "supplanter," represents guileful character. But the name Israel symbolizes gallant character. For Jacob the name Israel can mean that God rules or fights for Jacob or that Jacob rules and fights for God. Either way it is an honor of Jacob. That Jacob had to confess that his name was Jacob before he was told his new name simply emphasizes the fact that the change in name reflected a heaven sent revival to his heart and fundamental change in character.
Second, the dynamic power. "For as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed" (v. 28). This is a great blessing to be sure. One great lack in the church today is power. We have programs and buildings and people and popularity, but we do not have spiritual power. Jacob obtained power through his earnest praying and clinging to God for blessing. The church needs to pray, too, instead of all the other fleshly things it tries to revive its declining ministry.
Third, the Divine revelation. "I have seen God face to face" (v. 30). What an amazing revelation Jacob received from God. The revelation of seeing God's face climaxes the entire revelation he received from God which included Jacob's new name and his Divinely-given power. God revealed marvelous things to Jacob that night. Divine revelation is such a choice blessing. Today we have that choice blessing in the form of the written Word of God. Few in the church value that blessing of the inerrant, inspired Word as we should. We seldom read the Word or study the Word as we really should. We may argue vehemently about peripheral theological preferences , but we often have little appetite for the clear cut truths of the Bible.
4. The Commemoration of the Reviving work of God
This night of wrestling by Jacob with God was commemorated in at least two significant ways.
The designation. "And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel; for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" (v. 30). The Hebrew word translated "Peniel" means "the face of God." When the wrestling was over, Jacob knew full well that he had been with God and had experienced God's grace. Both tradition and, more significantly, Scripture (Exodus 33:20) says that one cannot as a rule see God and live. The motive behind this is God's holiness and man's sinfulness. But grace abounded for Jacob, for he came to God through grace (v. 10).
The diet. "Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day; because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank" (v. 32). The Jews have traditionally avoided eating the sciatic nerve of the hind quarter of animals. This practice was not ordered by Divine law, but it was simply held in reserve as a commemorative event by the people, pointing to Jacob's memorable night of wrestling. Regrettably, many traditions such as this diet tradition, have habitually gained more importance, weight and ceremony then Divine commandments. This was a difficulty in Christ's day, for He rebuked it. He said, "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? . . . ye have made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition" (Matthew 15:3,6).
5. The Continuing - Life Long results of the Reviving work of God
"And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh" (v. 31). After the wrestling experience, Jacob continued to pursue his obligation.
The limp in the continuing. How, you may ask, was Jacob enabled to do his responsibilities better with a limp than without a limp. The answer to that question is that Jacob's physical infirmity was more than remunerated for by the spiritual strength he had received from the meeting with God during the night. Also his limp was a humbling asset which kept him from pride in his spiritual experience. Humility always helps our service for God. The Apostle Paul also experienced this kind of humbling. After he had been given extraordinary revelation from God, he was given a thorn in the flesh. "Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure" (2 Corinthians 12:7).
Hebrews 11:21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
The limp in the completion
I believe that is intently significant that the last glimpse we are given of Israel in the scriptures is in the book of Hebrews. We see him leaning on his staff and dying. I believe when we see him in heaven – If we were to ask him about all the trouble that his awful crippled gait was for the last part of his life – he might respond to us “Id rather walk with a limp!
