(Genesis) Genesis 32:24 — J. Vernon McGee

Jacob Did Not Initiate the Wrestling Match

Now verse 24, And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. Now, there are several things I'd like to get straight as we come to this wrestling match. I've heard it said that Jacob did the wrestling.

Actually Jacob did not do any wrestling at all. He didn't want to wrestle anybody. Let's be very frank. He has Uncle Laban back of him, who doesn't mean good at all. And he has his brother Esau ahead of him.

Jacob Was Trapped Between Laban and Esau

And actually, Jacob is no match for either one. And he's caught now between a rock and a hard place, and he doesn't know which way to turn. Now do you think he wanted to take on a third one that night?

I don't think so. Time magazine, quite a few years ago, they put in the sporting section of the magazine, the writer there, he says concerning the votes for who was the greatest wrestler, it says not a vote went to the most famous athlete in history, Wrestling Jacob.

And lo and behold, they got a letter in the mail from someone who wrote in, says, Can you tell me something about this wrestler Jacob? They had never heard of him before, and evidently they had never read their Bible at all.

Well, he's no wrestler. Let's make that very clear here at the very beginning. That night he's alone because he wanted to be alone, and he wasn't looking for a fight that night. Now this man who wrestled with him, that's the question, who is this one that wrestled with him that night?

The Wrestler Was the Pre-Incarnate Christ

Well, again, there's been a great deal of speculation about who it is, but I think it's none other than the pre-incarnate Christ, and I have some evidence for it. Over in Hosea, the 12th chapter, and I'd like to turn to that.

Hosea's Evidence for Jacob's Encounter with God

Let me read this, chapter 12 of Hosea, verse 1. Ephraim feedeth on wind, and falleth after the east wind. And he daily increaseth lies and desolation. And they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and all is carried into Egypt.

The Lord hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways. According to his doings will he recompense him. He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God.

Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed. He wept, and made supplication unto him. He found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us. Even the Lord of hosts, the Lord is his memorial, or the Lord is his name.

Jehovah as the Wrestler in Genesis 32

May I say to you, it was none other than Jehovah, the pre-incarnate Christ, who wrestled with him that night.