Let us turn to God's Word here
in Genesis chapter 32 and reading verses 30 and 31. And Jacob called the name of
the place Penuel, for I have seen God face to face and my
life is preserved. And as he passed over Penuel,
the sun rose upon him and he halted upon his thigh. Jacob called the name of the
place Penuel. The margin tells us the Hebrew
means the face of God. For I have seen God face to face
and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Penuel
the sun rose upon him and he halted upon his thigh." Now I
want us to consider something of halting Jacob. He halted upon
his thigh, it says. Jacob had been left alone, as
we're told there at the beginning of verse 24. Jacob was left alone. He had sent his wives, his children,
all his possessions had gone over the brook Jabbok before
him. When he was 22 he rose up that
night and took his two wives and his two women servants and
his 11 sons and passed over the ford Jabbok and he took them
and sent them over the brook and sent over that he had and
then he's alone. and doubtless he will join with
his loved ones. That surely was his intention. But then we're told, when he
was alone, they wrestled a man with him until the breaking of
the day. Who is this man that comes and
wrestles with Jacob? He had spent all those years
with his uncle Laban, you remember the reason was he cheated his
brother Esau out of the birthright, he deceived his father and it
was his mother Rebecca who had sent him away to her brother
Laban and he'd been there and he'd labored and he'd received
two wives, Leah And then Rachel, he had been deceived, he wanted
Rachel, but initially Laban gave him Leah, the older sister. And now God has told him he is
to return to his own land, but he's fearful as to what will
happen when he meets his brother Esau. And here he is, he's alone, fearful,
doubtless as to what's going to happen with them all and then
this man comes and wrestles with him and at first he seems to
be an enemy to Jacob because he's preventing Jacob from joining
the rest of his family but he's not really an enemy
because this one is none other than the angel of the Lord the
angel of the Lord. Who is the angel of the Lord?
Well, that's an appearance of Christ in the Old Testament previous
to the Incarnation. Isn't this the same one who had
also appeared to his grandfather Abraham? Back in chapter 18,
remember we're told how there were three strangers who came
to Abraham there at the beginning of that 18th chapter and the chapter opens with that expression
the Lord appeared the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre
and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day and he lift
up his eyes and looked and low three men stood by him And when
he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed
himself toward the ground. He's really entertaining angels
unaware. And then later in the chapter,
verse 22, we read, And the men turned their faces from thence
and went toward Sodom. But Abraham stood yet before
the Lord. The men turn their faces towards
Sodom. They're going to Sodom. Of course,
God is going to visit terrible judgments upon those wicked cities,
Sodom and Gomorrah. And the men turn themselves to
go there. And then we're told in chapter
19, there came two angels to Sodom at Even, and Lot sat in
the gate of Sodom. So these are the two angels,
and the third angel is that one who remains with Abram. Abram stood yet before the Lord. These are remarkable appearances,
theophanies is the technical term, appearances of God to men
and women here in the Old Testament Scriptures. We read also of how
the angel appeared unto Manoah and his wife in Judges chapter
13. parents of Samson and remember
how Manoah asks after the the name of the angel he says to
him what is thy name and the angel replies and said why askest
thou after my name seeing it is secret the margin says why
askest thou after my name seeing it is wonderful And that angel that appears to
Manoah and his wife does wonderful things. Manoah would present
a kid as a sacrifice and the angel ascends in the flame of
the altar. And he and his wife look on as
the angel is doing wondrously. Why his name is wonderful. Now
who is the one whose name is wonderful? Well we're told. There in Isaiah 9, 6, it's that
one who is spoken of as the child born and the son given. It's
the Lord Jesus. Unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given. His name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. This one who appears in Old Testament
scriptures as the angel, the angel of the Lord in particular,
is none other than the Lord Jesus. And as will be the case later
with Manasseh, here also with Jacob. What do we read? Verse 29 Jacob asked him, and
said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore
is it thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there,
it says. And then Jacob calls the name
of the place, Peneo, for I have seen God face to face. So he
recognizes who this angel is. He has seen God face to face. when he was left alone. Now,
isn't it a truth, in a sense, that real religion is so personal?
I know, of course, there's a place for the fellowship of the people
of God in the Apostles' Creed. That's
acknowledged. We believe in the communion of
saints. And we see the importance of the doctrine of the church
and the local church, the gathered assembly. We gather together
to worship God, corporate worship. It's such an important part of
our lives, or it should be. But ultimately, we also recognize
that religion, real religion, is that that concerns God and
the individual. And it must be so because real
religion is something inward, it's something that takes part
in the hearts of men. The Lord Jesus says the kingdom
of God is within you. The Lord has very real dealings
with us in a very special way, in a peculiar way, peculiar to
us. And so when we pray we're We're
to pray in secret. That's what the Lord says. We're
not to make a show before others of our devotions. There's a place
for private devotions, but where is it? Well, we're to go into
the closet, we're to shut the door, we're to seek our Father's
face in secret, and as we seek him in the secret place, he will
reward us openly. And isn't the Lord Jesus Christ
himself a remarkable pattern of that sort of praying? We read
of how the Lord Jesus would send away the multitude and go apart
to pray and be all night alone in prayers. Real religion is
person. And here we see Jacob. Jacob
was left alone, but Jacob's not alone. They wrestled a man with
him. until the breaking of the day.
What is his place? It's a secret place. It's a secret
place of the Most High. It's God coming and dealing with
an individual and ministering to an individual. And this individual
really knowing something of real fellowship with his Maker and
his Redeemer. Well, let us turn to the words
of the text that I read. These two verses at the end of
the chapter, or towards the end, Jacob calls the name of the place
Penuel. For I have seen God face to face,
and my life is preserved. As he passed over Penuel, the
sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh, halting Jacob. And what is this halting? Well, of course, it's a real
physical experience in the case of Jacob, and it's something
that was perpetuated through all his descendants,
perpetuated by the Israelites. As we are told in the last verse,
the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which is upon the
hollow of the thigh unto this day, because he touched The hollow
that is the angel, the angel of the Lord, even Christ, who
was to come touch the hollow of his thigh in the sinew that
shrank. It was a real physical thing
and yet when we think of halting Jacob, I want us to think of
his halting really in a spiritual sense, the spiritual significance
of the halting. And we see three things. here. How Jacob is convinced of his
weakness. How Jacob is brought to confess
his unworthiness. And how Jacob is blessed with
a season of communion with God. Those three headings then. First of all, Jacob convinced
of his weakness he was convinced of his weakness we are told aren't
we in verse 25 when he saw that he prevailed not against him
that's speaking of the angel the man is wrestling with him
and the man sees that he prevailed not against him he touched the
hollow of his thigh and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joints
as he wrestled with him in this wrestling match the man disables
him really the man has power to do that, he disables him and it's interesting isn't it,
what does Jacob then do? he can't really wrestle with
this man because this man is too powerful for him so from
wrestling he turns to cleaving he cleaves to the man now he
says in verse 26 I will not let thee go or the man says let me
go for the day breaketh and Jacob says I will not let thee go except
though, bless me, the man has gained the advantage, but Jacob
is not going to let go his hold of this man. He can't wrestle,
he can't resist him. So he's cleaving to him. But what is Jacob's experience
as a result of this man touching him in the hollow of his thigh?
Well, he's disabled. It's out of joints. he's weak
and you see God is only to touch us with his finger and what do
we feel we feel our weakness and our frailty and our mortality and when we feel all of those
things where are we why we are utterly cast upon him here is
Jacob you see he's a wrestler he's He's a cripple and then
he's a cleaver. He has to cleave to this one
who is wrestling with him. And this is all the Lord's remarkable
doing. This is how God deals with His
people. He makes them feel His his weakness. We were looking
last last Lord's Day, weren't we, at those words in 2 Corinthians
chapter 12 where the Apostle speaks of his speaking of his
experiences and the thorn in the flesh, remember and how he
beseeches the Lord three times to take away that thorn. We try
to understand just what the thorn in the flesh was And there in
that chapter we have those remarkable words where God says to the apostle,
he's not going to remove that thorn, but he says, my strength
is made perfect in weakness. God's strength, perfect in weakness. And so those words that follow,
when I am weak, then am I strong. It's another one of those paradoxes,
as we concluded that little series on paradoxes. When I am weak,
then am I strong. And so, here we see it again
with Jacob. Poor Jacob, halting as he goes
along because he's been taught his complete and utter weakness,
his absolute dependence upon the Lord his God. We think of
those words of the prophet when he addresses Jacob. Not just
the man Jacob, but all that Jacob is, you see, the father of the
nation. The father of the twelve patriarchs. They're Israelites, aren't they?
And what does the Prophet say there in Isaiah 41, 14? Fear
not, thou worm, Jacob, and ye men of Israel. And it's interesting,
the margin says, few men. Literally, that's what it means.
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye few men of Israel. I will help thee, saith the Lord,
and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. All Jacob then is
convinced here of his weakness, and that's, isn't that the mark
of those who are the true Israel of God? they all must feel something
of their weakness. And yet, the amazing thing is
that this weakness is the way whereby he really prevails in
his prayers. Hosea says, the prophet Hosea
chapter 12 and verse 3, By his strength he had power with God,
yea, he had power over the angel and prevailed. In all his weakness, he prevails. Maybe you feel like that. Your
prayers are such weak prayers. You tell me I can hardly ever
really pray. I just find it such a struggle.
Well, we have to come down with our sighs and our groanings. It's not just saying words. I remember once someone asked
me this question, what is the most difficult part of the ministry? What is the most difficult part?
Thinking in particular of the services of the Lord's Day and
isn't it a truth that really that most difficult part must
be the praying, not so much the preaching and all that that entails
in the way of preparation and delivery and so forth but to
pray because what is real prayer? I mean you it might be that you
have a ready gift you can put words together and sometimes
words flow very easily but prayer is more than that
and we see it here in the case of this man Jacob He's all weakness
really. He can't wrestle with this man
anymore. The man has overcome him and
disabled him. He's a cripple. And yet the Prophet
Hosea utters those words, yea, he had power over the angel and
prevailed. It's God's strength being made
perfect in weakness and we have to live to prove that. Because
it's not really our praying It's the God who answers prayer. That's
where we have to put our confidence, not in the words that we might
utter, but the God who is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think, and fine as our words might seem
to be in prayer, what are they before such a God as this? Here Jacob then is made to feel
something of the reality of his weakness. Job asked the question, will
he plead against me with his great power? No, he would put
strength in me. And this is how the Lord puts
strength in his people. He brings them to the end of
themselves. There's nothing of themselves
in it. It's all of God. It's all of grace. God does this to Jacob. thy name
shall be called no more Jacob but Israel what a remarkable thing thy name
shall be no more Jacob but Israel for as a prince hast thou power
with God and with men and hast prevailed all his name now is
the Prince of God that's what Israel means he's a prince of
God in all his weakness he has prevailed over the man but as
we think of halting Jacob it's not just that he he has to learn
his own weakness and have that weakness strengthened by God
and by God alone that weakness made so perfect by the Lord's
dealings with him but he also is here confessing his unworthiness
he confesses his unworthiness in the earlier part of the chapter
verse 10 he says I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies
and all the truth which thou hast showed unto thy servant
it's interesting I notice here that the margin says the Hebrew
is literally I am less than all think of those words again we
referred to them last week there in 2nd Corinthians 12 though
I be nothing God says my strength is made
perfect in weakness what does Paul say though I be nothing
zero I am less than all, says Jacob. I am not worthy of the
least of all the mercies and all the truth which thou hast
showed unto thy servants. Oh, he feels himself to be so
utterly unworthy. He feels something of the reality
of his sin. He was a sinner, this man. He
was a sinner. He was Jacob. He was the supplanter,
wasn't he? When he's asked his name, he
has to confess what he is. Verse 27, What is thy name? asked the man. He said, Jacob.
He was Jacob. And why was he called Jacob?
Because he was, he supplanted his brother. There were twins
in the womb of Rebecca, but Esau was the firstborn, not Jacob. But even there in his birth,
remember, as it's recorded previously in chapter 25, he takes hold
of the heel of his brother. It's his sword who comes first
out of the womb, but there is Jacob holding his brother's heel.
He's going to usurp the place of his brother. And how does
he do it? Well, we haven't time, but just
read through chapter 27. And we see Jacob deceit, lies,
cheating, stealing the birthright from his brother. That's the
man that he was. That's the man that he was. No
wonder in his prayer he's concerned that Esau might yet come and
and seek his revenge upon him. He prays, doesn't he? Verse 11.
Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from
the hand of Esau, for I fear him, lest he will come and smite
me and the mother with the children. He had good cause to be afraid. He was a sinful man. He was a sinful man and yet this
man has power over the angel. He prevails It's interesting
what it says there in that passage in Hosea. Hosea in chapter 12
and verse 4. Yea, he had power over the angel
and prevailed. It says he wept and made supplication
unto him. It's a description of what's
going on here really in Genesis 32 with the angel. He wept. He's weeping over his sins. He
knows how unworthy he is. He's making his confessions unto
God with bitter tears. And he made supplication unto
Him. And that verb, to make supplication,
it's really a reflexive verb. It's reflecting back upon himself. He's really pleading with God
for forgiveness and for favour as he supplicates. Oh, he's pleading here so intensely. He's pleading to the point of
tears with his God. Though the psalmist says, put
down my tears into thy bottle, are they not in thy book? Here he is, you see, he's evidencing that godly sorrow
over his sins. He feels what he has done, he
makes his confession, he supplicates his God. Aren't we told how the
kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force,
and this is what this man is doing, he will not let the angel
go. There's such determination here.
but he feels himself to be unworthy of the least of all the mercies
of God and of all the truth which God had shown unto him how God
had dealt with him so graciously he was so unworthy of the least
of all those mercies of God and he confesses it there's earnestness
here, there's sincerity That's a strange hymn in some
ways that we sang at our opening praise, that hymn of Thomas Callum,
and it's clearly based on those words in the book of Amos, Amos
chapter 7, verses 2 and 5. It's repeated, By whom shall
Jacob now arise for he is small? twice we have it in that chapter
that 7th chapter of Amos and that's not any vain repetition
we must always remember that there's nothing of vain repetition
in the Word of God when God repeats himself it's
significant and what a great mercy it is that God has given
us a fourfold gospel a fourfold gospel the account of the the
birth, and the life, and the ministry, and the death, and
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, four times over.
That's the Gospel. It centers in the person and
the work of the Lord Jesus. It's a great thing when God repeats
Himself. And He repeats Himself there
through His servant Amos, by whom shall Jacob arise, for he
is small. Oh, poor Jacob. How is he going to arise? The
answer is he can only do it by his God. It's the God of Jacob. Always the God of Jacob. And that's the one we have to
look to. And this is the one you see in the third place that
Jacob is favored to commune with. He called the name of the place
Penia. And he called it that name because
he recognized the favour that had been bestowed upon him, he
had seen the face of God. O God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, that shined in our hearts, says Paul,
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. The knowledge of the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ. or there be many who say you
will show us any good and the psalmist says lift up
the light of thy countenance upon us or when God lifts up
the light of his countenance when he shows himself and he
shows himself of course in the face of Jesus Christ it is Christ
who is the image of the invisible God and this is what Jacob is
favoured with It's the Lord dealing with him in that personal way
and the intimacy of the exchange that he should wrestle like this. Our fellowship is with the Father. It's with His Son Jesus Christ
our Lord. It's there that we meet with
God and we know God. There's no other way. There never has been any other
way of knowing God than in the face of Jesus Christ. And that
was as true in the Old Testament as it is in this day of grace. They saw him, these saints. They
saw him in types, and figures, and shadows. But those who were
the true Israel of God, they did see him, and they knew him. And here, how Jacob is so blessed. thy name shall be called no more
Jacob but Israel for as a prince has to have power
with God and with men and has prevailed by his strength he had power
with God he was a prince He behaved himself in a princely way, that's
what he is doing here. He's an Israelite. When we come
to the New Testament we read of one, don't we? Nathaniel. There in the end of that opening
chapter of John's Gospel. And what does the Lord say of
Nathaniel? Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile. ought to be that man an Israelite
and not just an Israelite an Israelite indeed a man who is
guileless a man who is open a man who is sincere ought to be that
man that's the true Israelite of God and God hears God hears
the prayers of those men If ye seek me, he says, ye shall find
me. But are we to seek? We are to
seek with all the heart. Ye shall seek me and find me
when ye shall search after me, he says, with all your heart.
I said, not unto the seed of Jacob. Seek him, I face, in vain. All friends, we are to be those
then who are wholehearted. in our seekings after Him, our
yearnings, our longings, our desires towards Him. We want
something real, not just a pretense, not something that
we can put on before men. But to know this One in that
secret place, Jacob all at all, and the man coming and beginning
to wrestle with him, and Jacob wrestling with the man, and Jacob
overwhelmed, and Jacob so crippled, and yet Jacob prevailing in his
prayers, even as he halts along in his way, he's a praying man.
I think of the words of the hymn of hearts, though to speak they'll
be not able, always pray and never rest. Prayers are a weapon
for the feeble. Weakest souls can wield it best. Oh, are we those feeble ones,
those weak souls. Our prayers are such poor prayers.
And yet, they are the sort of prayers that prevail just as
Jacob prevails here. And Jacob knows it. All Jacob
knew it at the end, didn't he? When he gave it that name, it
was Jabbok. But Jacob called the name of
the place Peniel. For I have seen God face to face,
and my life is preserved. What a remarkable thing. Why,
Manoah thought that because they'd seen that angel, they would die.
And his wife has to assure him. that God would not have granted
them such a favour had he not meant some good thing for them.
Here is Jacob then. He's seen the face of God and
his life is preserved. But Jake was never the same.
He was never the same. He was a different man. As he
passed over Penuel and the sun rose upon him, he halts us as
he goes along. He's a poor cripple. but is one
so utterly dependent all his days upon his God. O God, grant that we might know
something of the faith then of this man Jacob, that we might
feel what we are in ourselves, all our weakness, so often crippled
in our own souls it would seem, and yet living that life of complete
and utter dependence upon the Lord our God. Well, the Lord
grant his blessing upon his word. Amen.