All right, all right, join the Journey family, friends, and guests. You're listening to Join the Journey

podcast with your host, Emma, daughter. Thanks for joining. Today, we're reading Genesis 29 through 32

and answering the questions, how did Jacob beat God in a wrestling match, or did he, and why did Jacob want

God's blessing so badly?

And then why did God change Jacob's name? So let's set the scene. Genesis 32 and 33 are part

of a single episode in Jacob's life, describing his return to the promised land and his

looming reunion with Esau, his brother. In chapter 31,

Jacob had already encountered God's messengers, but even with this reassurance, he was filled

with fear and divided his people into two groups to protect them. Jacob, he also prayed for

deliverance and sent lavish gifts to pacify Esau, hopefully in pursuit of peace.

One commentator rightly notes that up until this point, Jacob had been relying on his own cunning, his own intuition, his own efforts to get by.

Now, he was at the end of his natural resources, and God was bringing him to a moment of complete dependence.

And I think that commentator is exactly right.

I see a lot of myself and Jacob.

I want to do things myself, in my own strength, keep moving, do as much as possible.

But at some point, when that's how I'm operating,

it doesn't work. I'm exhausted. I have to turn back to God eventually. And Jacob, he's on the

verge of stepping into God's promise, the land of Canaan, this family, God's up to something,

but Jacob, he doesn't seem to be spiritually or even morally prepared to fully embrace it yet.

For him to truly carry out God's blessing, remember the Abrahamic covenant landseed in blessing,

Jacob needs to develop his own personal faith through a direct encounter with God,

rather than just relying on

...