The experience at the ford of the River Jabbok occurred as Jacob returned from his long stay at Haran. While preparing for a reunion with his brother, Esau, of whom he was still afraid (32:7), he had a profound experience that left him changed in both body and spirit.

At the ford of the Jabbok, “Jacob was left alone” (32:24). It was night, and he found himself suddenly engaged in a wrestling match in the darkness. This match lasted until the breaking of the dawn. The socket of Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he struggled with this mysterious stranger, but he refused to release his grip until he was given a blessing. For the first time in the narrative of Genesis, Jacob had been unable to defeat an opponent. When asked to identify himself in the darkness, he confessed he was Jacob—the “heel-grabber.”

But Jacob’s struggling earned him a new name. For his struggle “with God and with men” in which he had prevailed, his name was changed to Israel (literally, “he struggles with God”) [see Hos. 12:3]. In return, he gave a name to the spot that marked the change; it would be called Peniel—“For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (32:30).

In these first two instances, a deep spiritual sensitivity is evident in Jacob. He appears outwardly brash and grasping, always enriching himself and securing his future. Yet he responded readily to these night experiences—the dream and the wrestling contest—because he apparently sensed “the presence of the holy” in each of them. He also proved to be a man of his word in his dealings with Laban (Gen. 31:6), and in the fulfillment of his vow to return to Bethel (35:1–3).

Jacob, the Deceived

It was 600 miles from Jacob’s home at Beersheba southwest of the Dead Sea, to Haran in Mesopotamia where Rebecca’s family lived. Jacob spent his first night in lonely homesickness at a spot which he later named Bethel.

Jacob, Man of God

As Jacob came to the ford of the river Jabbok he learned that his brother Esau was on his way to meet him with 400 armed men. Immediately his reaction was to resort again to wiles and stratagems of his own. He divided hishousehold into two groups and planned to send them on before him to try to appease the wrath of Esau with giftsbefore he must encounter him personally.

While he waited alone, an angel in the form of a man, met him and began to wrestle with him through the long night. As the day broke the angel sought to disengage himself but Jacob clung with stubborn persistence. The angel touched Jacob’s thigh and threw it out of joint; but still Jacob clung in helplessness to the divine messenger, refusing to let go until he was blessed of God. Then the divine being changed the name of Jacob to Israel which means “he who prevails with God.” As the sun rose, Jacob limped off to meet Esau with a totally different attitude in his heart. He no longer feared man but was confident that God would fight his battles for him.

When GOD SAVES US HE DOES NOT LEAVE US  AS WE WERE, BUT INTENDS TO SEE US CHANGED

In order for god to change us  several things will have to happen,,

We will have to

1. come to the end or ourselves, him alone, your nothing
2. see ourselves as who we are
3. hold on to God and not let go,

  GOD COMES AFTER US IN ORDER TO CHANGE US,

FOR HE SEES IN US WHAT CAN BE

in order for God to change us we must be brought to the end, of ourselves

 God never forces jake to submit, to change, it has to  be a willingness

 Jacob is a distressed man

We run from GOD because of the things that we have done that we shouldn’t have done, and because of the things that we need to do that we don’t or won’t.

Here is a story where god sends a cheat to a cheat, then he is on the run again, because of the way he lives,  consequences,  but god can and will use  all of our blunders and still try  to change us,  a willing  change,

Ge   25:26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac [was] threescore years old when she bare them.

Ge   31:1 And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that [was] our father’s; and of [that] which [was] our father’s hath he gotten all this glory.

Ge   31:3 And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

Jacob  had been running and conniving, tricking,  all of his life and now

he is alone and he is afraid, and he is at the end of himself, and he is

worried,

GOD HAS TO GET MANY OF US TO THE END OF OURSELVES TO FIND HIM,

WHEN you are at the end, then you must admit what you are made of, see who you rally are

 Remember  jake is a saved man  he had met the lord at bethel  20 yrs earlier,,  but he still has a problem and god wants to to change the old boy,,  but he has not submit yet.

Now he is alone,  ALONE,  god is working on him, he is afraid  alone  now he is I

Isolated,  We can’t be still,  the carnal man stays busy  does not want to be alone,,

The man wrestles with him, Jacob is attacked, they wrestle, it was Christ, Christ is after him, he lost, he touched the thigh and he is broken  and desperate, now he has nothing, the enemy is still ahead, he can do nothing,

Even at the end of his self he wrestles with God, it is there that Jacob saw who he was, still fighting with God.

Ge   32:7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that [was] with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;

God saw this boy was not going to give up, but God had plans for him, this was a believer he knew God he just didn’t want to submitt to Gods rule and guidence in his life, Jacob would not submitt, but God had plans for him, though God never makes us do anything, he sure has a way of helping us see what we need to do, persuades us,  GOD HAD TO BREAK HIM,

God will and can break all of us, at that point there is always a decision,

 when broken you can turn to god or against

And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me

COULD IT BE, THAT JAKE KNEW, he did not want to be jake for the rest of his life, and if he missed this chance it might be the last,

Ge   32:27 And he said unto him, What [is] thy name? And he said, Jacob.

Ben Franklin, said there are three things that are extremely hard,,  steel, a diamond,  and to know ones self.

You must take responsibility for who you are as a person,

Admit what you cannot do,, by skill,

What k you should not do, based on talent,

And what you ought not do, based on character, that is not easy

God knew his name, and Jacob knew his name, but here Jacob has to really face it, all alone in a battle in the dirt, tired, away form the hustle he  says what is your name, and he said Jacob.

Jacob = “heel holder” or “supplanter” it was one who got ahead of others by treachery, tripping them and taking what they have,  the man says let me go?

Well my soul he could have gotten loose, that is what God wanted from him,

Jacob said I need a blessing, a touch from you, I will not turn loose, I

need your touch, So jacob held on because he knew if He didn’t he woudl have

to be Jacob the rest of his life, He is defeated

WHEN HE COMES TO US

 IF WE HOLD ON, GOD HE WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

he is finally where God wanted him all the time,  where he wants you and I,

God never did pin jake, he submitted,  God will not make us do anything,  he had to want it,

bless me I can not depend on the flesh.

Jacob made a choice to hold on, God changed him, even his name that shows us

that Jacob was changed, for the name was the character of the person, he

changed it to Israel

Ge   32:28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.  ISRAEL MEANS  God prevails, rules, God breakes him, he walks with a limp, but He walks with God, He held on and God changed him, that experience there was the foundation for the nation of God’s chosen people. that changed his life forever.

Jacob is now a different man

he won by loosing,  God has to break us all to bless us,  we don’t like the process,

if we judge ourselves  we don’t have to have it the way jake did,  it can be eaiser  if we cry out to God and say I don’t want to be like jake,  forgive the jake in me

Heb 11; 21  By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.