bible question , God 's lost fight?

Question

i was reading Genesis 32:24-30 and was woudering if God is all-powerful, then how come he lost his wrestling match with JACOB ? this is my third time reading the bible . i'm trying to find the religion in it.

Answer 1

B. Jacob wrestles with God.

1. (22-23) Jacob sends all his possessions over the river.

And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had.

a. He took them, sent them over the brook: This is a demonstration of his faith, because Jacob left himself no retreat. If Esau wanted to attack his group, they would quickly be backed up against the river.

b. Sent over what he had: Jacob spends the night alone. This is his last night on the east side of the Jordan, and he probably spent the night in prayer.

i. God had to get Jacob alone before He dealt with him. While all the hustle and bustle of the huge entourage was with Jacob, he could busy himself with a thousand different tasks. But once he was alone, God could command his attention.

ii. Think of all Jacob had to pray about: thanking God, remembering all the Lord did for him, wondering how God would fulfill His work in him. This was a significant turning point in Jacob’s life and he knew it.

2. (24-25) A Man wrestles with Jacob.

Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 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.

a. A Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day: Jacob didn’t wrestle with the Man. Instead, a Man wrestled with him. Jacob didn’t start out wanting anything from God. God wanted something from him. God wanted all of Jacob’s proud self-reliance and fleshly scheming and came to take it, by force if necessary.

b. A Man wrestled with him: As the following verses show, this was no mere man. This is another “special appearance” of Jesus in the Old Testament before His incarnation in Bethlehem. This was God in human form.

c. Until the breaking of the day: We can only imagine what this scene looked like. Perhaps sometimes it looked like a barroom brawl, and perhaps at other times it looked like an intense wrestling match.

i. “How did Jacob ever manage to keep up his struggle throughout the entire night? I do not know. But I do know that his determination to hang in there was no greater than our frequent determination to have our own way and eventually win out over God.” (Boice)

d. He saw that He did not prevail against him: As the fight progressed, it seemed Jacob was pretty evenly matched againt the Man. But the match was only even in appearance. The Man could have won easily at any time, using supernatural power.

i. Sometimes we feel man really can contend with God. A man or woman in rebellion against God might seem to do pretty well. The “match” is even in appearance only. God can turn the tide at any moment, and is allows the “match” to go own for His own purposes.

ii. It isn’t hard to imagine Jacob working so hard and feeling he is getting the best of his “opponent,” until finally the Man turns the tide in an instant. Jacob must have felt very defeated.

Answer 2

Why are you wrestling with stories of a people just out of the stone age, that lived in goat skin tents. Some of those stories may well be 10,000 years old and an oral tradition that weren't even written down till 500 b.c. They are steeped in metaphors and morals. Read the new testament and study it in historic context. If you really want to get deeper into the Old Testament, there are many wonderful, authoritative academic book on the subject. They deal with authorship, historical and archaeological evidence, some of the facts line up . some are strikingly different from the text but you can see the basis of the story. What do you think the story of Jacob was trying to say? Not in a literal sense but metaphorically,... I will not let you go until you have blessed me.......Your name is now Israel, Because you have struggled with God and Man and have overcome.

Answer 3

devil believed that he could win. devil isn't omniscient. He grow to be performing off of his fake have self assurance device. that's unhappy relatively...I mean to be so deceived. The bible says that devil is the daddy of lies so possibly he decieved himself... because of the fact the resurrection of Jesus nonetheless, devil is familiar with that he lost...he's familiar with that he is going to be destroyed now and he basically desires to take as plenty those with him as conceivable. the bible says devil grow to be finished of information whilst he grow to be created..he did not understand the destiny nonetheless. The bible says that he grew to grow to be proud "by capability of reason of his brightness"...or because of the fact of his information. He concept he grow to be sooo clever that he might desire to overcome God. He had to be exalted above God, that's what the bible says. So that's this fake have self assurance device that made him pass to conflict, he concept he might desire to out clever God.

Answer 4

ever wrestle with a sin or a duty God wants you to do

that is what the story means

I know a man who is a missionary that fought God for 15 yrs before he got there.

God could have forced him but he let him tire himself out without getting hurt

Answer 5

There was never a fight.... just a demonstaration on stubborness and what it can bring...... a wonky hip, and learning how to hang on in prayer for blessings when you realise that is the only way out!

Answer 6

Jacob did not win, but God renamed Jacob "Yisrael" or Israel, which means, "One who contended (fought) with God." Jacob lost, but was rewarded for his strength.

Answer 7

God never lost anything.

Answer 8

I agree with Maalru3...mullet.

Answer 9

He "lost"?? Who left the fight with a hip out of joint?

Answer 10

Not sure, but I just wanted to say "Mullet"