Fighting With God Like Jacob — Keith Daniel

To verse 24, that Jacob, Jacob was left alone. Jacob was left alone. And there, there wrestled a man with him. There wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day, until the breaking of the day.

And when he saw that he prevailed not, when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh. And the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint. The hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him.

And he said, Let me go, let me go, for the day breaketh, the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? What is thy name?

And he said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel. Israel, for as a prince, as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed, and hast prevailed.

And Jacob asked him and said, Tell me, tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. He blessed him there. He blessed him there.

And Jacob, Jacob called the name of the place. Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, Peniel. For I have seen God. I have seen God face to face. I have seen God face to face. And my life, my life is preserved.

Jacob Alone With God

My life is preserved. Now we read, Jacob was left alone. Jacob was left alone. A good thing, where he put everything aside in life. He stopped life, put everything aside to be alone with God and to seek God desperately, to bless him, to meet with him, to have his way in his life.

Oh, he put everything aside to be alone with God. A good thing that not everybody is willing to do or able to do, and they zeal for other things, to stop everything and seek God and God only and be alone with God.

Jacob was left alone, finally. And there, there wrestled a man with him. They wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day, we read. Now here, Jacob was fighting with God. He was fighting with God.

Jacob's Struggle With God

Don't doubt this now. He was fighting with God over issues in his life that had to be dealt with, that had to be dealt with for God to be able to bless him, for God to be able to have his way in his life.

Oh, but he was fighting. He was fighting with God. He was not of that caliber of man. As we read in the Imbau's book of prayer warriors and praying for revival books, those people who pray will not let God go, those who are great, mighty warriors.

No, this man was not of that caliber. This man was fighting with God. He was fighting against God. And it was God, don't doubt that. Even though Hosea, people argue, would say that it was the angel of the Lord that he wrestled with.

No, no, that term taken as a study through the Old Testament, you will find that this was a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. This was a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ himself, as was in other situations in the Old Testament.

A pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. And all fundamental theologians throughout the ages agree without any hesitation that this was God. This was a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ at this sacred moment in his life.

This crucial moment in history, let alone his life, of what would happen here in this man's life. It was God. God didn't rebuke him when he said, I have seen God. I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved.

No, God would have rebuked him if it was just an angel. It was God. It was God he was fighting with. And if that staggers you, then this will stagger you more. God was not winning the battle. God was not winning the battle when he saw that he prevailed not.

When he saw that he prevailed not against him. He prevailed not against him. He touched the hollow of his thigh. And the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him. God struck this man with a severe blow.

God struck this man so severely that Jacob never recovered from that blow physically. Till the day he died, he limped and halted. He dragged his foot. He never recovered from what God did there. Oh, God struck him severely to try and bring him to his senses, to try and make him give in the fight.

God's Severe Blow and Perfect Love

The God's harshest blow is perfect love. His harshest blow on your life and mine is perfect love. Tell me, has God struck you a severe blow in life? Oh, you say it's the devil. It's the devil, not God.

Is it? All these things have come against me, you say. Oh, it's the devil. Is it? Is it not God? Look at your life. Are you still fighting with God over many issues in your life? And God is not having his way.

No matter what God does. Oh, is it not God? But after that, Jacob still fought on. This is the tragedy of our lives, relating to why God has his passage. Every word weighed up to speak to our hearts that God can have his way in our lives.

Oh, Jacob still fought on after God struck him in his perfect love, his harshest blow and perfect love to bring him. For God wanted to bless his life more than Jacob wanted to be blessed. Oh, he still fought on.

Oh, you say, no, he gave in the fight. No, he didn't. For after God struck him such a severe blow that he never recovered till the day he died. After that, God, looking through this man's heart, so fit to say, let me go.

Let me go. Let me go. For the day breaketh. You fight on and on, child. You fight all the night. You don't mean business with me. You don't mean business with God. You fight on and on, no matter what God does.

No matter what God does to bring you to a place of surrender. You just fight on and on and on. And it was then only that the words God said after while he was still fighting, it was then only Jacob sensing the tragedy, the tragedy of what would be written across his life for eternity.

That God came so close to blessing him abundantly, to making him into a man of God, such as has never been seen before to such a degree. Oh, sensing the tragedy that would be written against his name for all eternity, that God came so close to blessing him, but had to withdraw himself without having his way, without having his will in your life, Jacob.

And what of your life? What of your life? Are you still fighting with God? Are you still fighting with God over issues in your life? Is it not God? All this has come against you to bring you to a place of surrender, to his will, to getting alone and seeking him and letting him have his way.

Absolute Surrender and Clinging to God

Oh, Jacob did something wonderful. He clung to God in such desperation as is seldom seen through the scriptures. And he cried from his soul as his whole being surrendered to God, as the fight was given and everything in him just gave in the fight.

And with total surrender, he clung to God in desperation and cried, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me, except thou have thy way fully in my life. I will not let thee go until you have your way in my life.

Please God. Oh, Satan didn't, Jacob didn't want this to be written against his name. David didn't want this to be the end of having God's second bless, God's second best throughout the rest of his life, which comes from so many people.

Will it happen to you? Will it happen to you? And here was Jacob suddenly yielded, surrendered, his whole being surrendered, clinging to God, crying out to God and clinging in desperation for God to have his way.

And God looked at this man and heaven looked at this man. This was a sacred moment that seldom happens in a man's life. Tragically, yielded, surrendered, clinging. And God said, what is thy name? What is thy name?

Now, Jacob knew, of course, that God knew his name. What was this? This was God calling him as he does to us to confession of what we really are. Jacob knew that he said his name. It was a confession from his soul.

It's true, God. I'm just Jacob. Usurper, supplanter, deceiver. That's all I am with all the blessings of dealings of God in my life. It would make men today in their emotional state, cry out hallelujah in their thousands.

If I was to testify of the things, the dreams, the dealings of God in my life. But all I remain and am to this moment is nothing more than Jacob, deceiver, usurper, supplanter, Jacob. And God looked at this man.

Heaven looked at this man. The sacred moment man yielded, totally yielded to God, totally surrendered the fight, clinging desperately, will not let God go, confessing, confessing without any hiding, any hesitation, confessing what he truly is.

Until that moment, what he, it all he really is with all God's dealings in his life. This is what he still was. And God in one moment, looking at the sacred moment, the sacred moment in his life, said these staggering words, I shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, a prince of God, a prince of God.

And if that is not in the earthly realm, the physical realm, that's a spiritual. I believe he became the godliest man of his lifetime on earth. His walk with God from then onwards was not anything of question marks.

There was something in Jacob there that God did that was vital for him to become the holy man of God, that we all look back and remember him as Israel. Israel now, a prince of God spiritually, a prince of God spiritually.

Seeking God for More Than Second Best

Oh, but will that happen in your life? Are you still fighting with God? Will you fight on no matter what God does? Will you not give in the fight? Will you come before God in such desperation that you stop life and seek him and will not give up, will not get up until God meets with you?

And he will, because if you seek me, you shall find me. If you should search for me with all your heart, God promises and God cannot lie. Oh, when will that happen in your life? Will the tragedy of God's second best be on you, even though God has come so close to you, so much through your life and dealing with you, that he withdrew, withdrew from you without having his way, his will, without you coming to a place of absolute surrender?

The greatest and most greatly used preacher in South Africa's history beyond any doubt is Andrew Murray, Andrew Murray, who changed the course of this nation's history, and thank God for that, or we wouldn't be anywhere near where we still are.

Oh, Andrew Murray said these staggering words, if a Christian, if a child of God does not come to a place of absolute surrender, does not come to a place of total surrender, absolute surrender, whereby God fills him with the Holy Spirit, he will become a grief.

Though he saved, he will become a grief to God and man, beginning in his home, always beginning there, Murray said. Just look at the home, that is how real you are, as real as you are in your home, that's how real you are, Murray said.

No matter what you do outside there, it's all a show. Oh, he will become a grief to God and man, beginning in the home, beginning in the home, and then further afield. Under stress or other circumstances and temptations.

Being Filled With the Holy Spirit

Oh, unless a child of God comes to a place of absolute surrender and is filled with God the Holy Spirit, Murray said being filled with God the Holy Spirit, being filled with God the Holy Spirit is not like a glass of water, half empty, and now you fill the other half up.

No, the Holy Spirit is a person, he cannot dwell half in you, he's a person, he's in you if you're saved, or you have nothing of God if you're not having the Holy Spirit in you. Now, all it means is that God takes control, he's in you but he's not in control of you, as he ought to be, you know that daily if you're not filled with the Holy Spirit, if you're not in control, and this control to be controlled by God the Holy Ghost, this being controlled is a result of absolute surrender which is vital.

A crisis moment in your life, don't tell me it's not a crisis and you just sail into this. No, it's a crisis, a radical, staggering crisis where you stop life and see God until he blesses your life, until he has his way in your life, when you totally surrender, you come with him with words, you come confessing what you truly are.

Oh, Murray says that is being filled with God the Holy Ghost to be controlled but it takes absolute, total surrender to his will and stop the fight as Jacob, as Jacob. Oh, it does not mean to be made absolutely perfect, being filled with God the Holy Ghost, being controlled and absolute surrender.

No, all it does is position you to be able to grow. You see, we have to grow. This does not mean there's no more growth, you perfect it, no. You can live in the light you've been given as we walk in the light that we've been given but more light must come.

God has to continue to change your life, to be conformed, present continuous tense, into the image of his son. This is what God had in his heart predestinating us, to be conformed, not one to heaven, one to hell, no.

Look at the second phrase of every single thing talking of predestination, no. This, there's a purpose behind what God had in his heart, to conform you, to be conformed, to be brought back into the image that was lost at the fall, into the image of his son, not the physical image, the spiritual, the whole of your being refined with God and the fruit of the spirit is Christ.

It's not love, joy, etc. It's not one it's Christ, Christ in you. One Corinthians said is Christ in you. Believe me, the fruit, the evidence that God, the Holy Spirit is in control of your life is Christ likeness and you are more and more conformed.

It's a continual, present, continual going on, going on. It positions you to go on. You see, we can live in the light that we've been given to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not. To him it is sin, but in the light you've been given, you can live in victory and if we walk in the light that we've been given, we can, we must.

Growth in the Light and Continuous Victory

The blood of Jesus Christ, God's son cleanses us through all sin. You see, it's the present continuous again. There's a need for the blood, you see, for sins committed in ignorance and therefore they are not to be dealt with and looked at other things which are done deliberately.

We need the blood. No matter how holy you are, you must come to God always saying thank you for the blood, thank you for the victory and though my heart doesn't condemn me as I by grace am living in the light, there's more light.

You see, the path of the just, of those rightly related to God is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. It has to. You're growing. Not as though I had already attained, Paul said, or either were already perfect, but I follow after.

I'm not perfect. If that I may apprehend that which also I am apprehended of Christ. Beloved, I count on myself to be apprehended, but this one thing I do for getting those things behind and reaching forth.

We have to be reaching forth to those things, all that God still wants to do. We must be changing, oh, more and more, but all the fullness of the Spirit does is bring you into victory in the light you've been given, continuous victory in the light you've been given.

But more light comes. We are positioned to steady growth, whereas before it's ups and downs, more downs than ups many times in most Christians' lives before they absolutely surrendered. But from that time onwards, it's a steady growth, and only at death are we totally perfected.

But until then, there's more God wants to do in your life to make you more and more Christ-like until you are staggeringly Christ-like by His grace working in you, having His way in your life, till your life staggers the powers of hell, till your life staggers your home, your children, till your life staggers every enemy you have to silence, no matter what they do against you, trying to destroy you.

Absolute surrender is vital, vital friend, and unless a child of God comes to a place of absolute surrender, he will become a grief to God. Don't doubt this, Murray says, a grief to God and man. And man, beginning in the home, though you're saved, would you settle for that?

Would you argue against this? If you haven't this life, why not seek God for it instead of arguing against it and saying you have to be defeated all your life? No, you don't. You mustn't. And even those of you who perhaps years ago found such victory, and John Wesley said, it's greatly possible to lose, but then you've got to seek God and desperate again, desperation, until He brings you back into it.

Perhaps that's what God's saying to you tonight, get back what I gave you, because it's possible, it's possible to fall. And don't doubt it, the possibility of failure is there. My little children, these things write unto you that you sin not.

Preach it, thank God we must preach it. Oh, what have we got to preach? Of any worth. These things write unto you that you sin not, 1 John 2 verse 1. But if, don't ever forget that possibility is there that John wrote, John who wrote chapter 3, the staggering standard that can be attained and must be attained and sought for.

John wrote if, you see, if you fall, don't give up, immediately get up, confess that sin. But remember, remember to keep short accounts with God on any failure. But there is a wonderful continuous victory, a life of continued victory in the holy life, in a life totally surrendered like Jacob, totally surrendered.

Will you seek God for that life? Or will you settle for the second best that you say you have to be, a failure? Ups and downs, oh seek God as Jacob did, seek God as Jacob did. And as Murray cried out, we all should.

Or we become a tragedy, though we're saved, if we're honest. A tragedy in our consistent failures. Oh are you, if you are, for God's sake seek Him. And just in closing, be careful here, God never healed this man physically.

God's Will and Physical Healing

He, as he looked through Jacob and through our lives many times, he never saw fit to heal him physically. He healed him spiritually, don't doubt that. It's not sin if you're not healed. This occasion tells us that in many other occasions, it's not always God's will to heal us.

As so many people say, it's sin in your life or unbelief. Well, why isn't there unbelief? Why accuse you? They're the ones that pray if you're not healed. No, there are many scriptures that cry out that God does not heal everyone.

It's not His will, such as Jacob. Jacob limped and halted. You saw him a long way off, dragging his foot as he came over a hill. You knew as Jacob, far off by the way, he would stop and drag his one foot and then one foot forward and drag.

Oh God never saw fit to heal this man. He healed him spiritually, don't doubt that, don't argue against that. But though he was right with God, as few, as few of you will ever be, he didn't see fit to heal him physically.

God saw as he looked through this man's whole being. God in His great wisdom left that thing in his life till the day he died. Now, be careful of people who say it's always sin. The Old Testament, Elisha.

Biblical Examples of Unhealed Servants

Elisha prayed and God brought miracles that we saw in the time of Jesus. People were healed one after the other. Leprosy, oh, raised from the dead. New Testament miracles through this godly man. But he died in his sickness, the Bible said.

He didn't die of old age. Elisha, who prayed like, and he didn't die of accident, or God would have said it, like Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world. No, this man was right with God.

There at his grave people came in sickness, and prayer was offered, looking to the God of this man, where his bones lay, and they were healed. Oh, God honoured that. He wouldn't have, if the man died in sin.

No, he didn't have sin, that he was not healed. New Testament, Epaphroditus. Have I left? I send him back to you at Philippi because of his sickness. I don't send him back backslidden. Honour him, honour such, because for the work of the Lord he's in this state physically.

Don't doubt this. Paul didn't send him back full of sin, but he wasn't healed. Paul could have prayed and said, I mean, the wonders that Paul's prayers already had, but in God's will, oftentimes. Honour such people who come back over the field sick.

Don't say it's not, there's something wrong with them. Be careful of your doctrine. Look at all the scriptures. Compare scripture with scripture, and if your statement can stand in the light of all scriptures.

Yes, Jesus healed everyone that came, but also God put, Christ put, God himself, these warnings, these cautions. Trophimus, have I left at militum sick? Paul said, he didn't leave Trophimus backslidden, or full of sin, or like Demas, forsaken him.

No, Trophimus was honoured in the honorarium, right at the end of that letter, as one of the faithful. Oh no, but he left him at militum sick. Paul could have prayed for him, and he probably did, but it's not always God's will to heal.

It's not always God's will to heal. Timothy, Paul wrote, for thine often firmities, for thy stomach's sake, take a little wine, a little wine medicinally. He didn't say, Timothy, where's your faith? Oh, he didn't say, Timothy, why are you in sin, that you're not healed.

No, take a little wine, Timothy, for thine oft infirmities, weaknesses, physically, he's talking about, for thy stomach's sake. There was something radically wrong, but he was godly. There's no man like him, Paul said, that I have.

No one like Timothy, and he didn't retract that statement till the day he died. Oh, don't doubt this, we've got to be very careful now. Don't listen to people, who in their fanaticism, and extremism, and sensationalism, would claim that you're in sin, and unbelief, if you're not healed, especially through their prayers.

Well, ask them, why didn't God answer their prayers? They're the one that prayed, is it not their sin? No, it's many times not the will of God, as it was with Jacob. So, be careful here, not to accuse yourself, and let the devil accuse you, or others, theologians, and radical sensationalists, you know, bored people, who will bring you into such confusion, and self-condemnation, if God doesn't heal you.

Don't listen to that, listen to God, the Holy Ghost, in this book, and that is why we need to know this book, and compare scripture with scripture. And now I end, why won't you seek God, desperately? Why won't you stop life?

Seeking God Desperately and Remembering the Blood

You can, you know, you can argue till the day you die. Life is too busy to stop like that. Oh, that's not true. That is sin, to say that, when you need to do that. To get along with God, is sacred. To not get alone with God, especially if you need to, and when you need to, and in a way, Jacob got along with God.

That is sin, that is tragic. You're your own worst enemy, because you're settling, though you're saved, into a life that will bring dishonor to God, in your home, in your mission. Why settle for that?

Oh, seek God for absolute surrender, for God's sake. And if there's a possibility of sinning, remember, we do need the blood. We must always remember this when we're preaching, or testifying of victory in Christ.

Don't ever come to the place, where you don't say, you need the blood. You may come before God, but remember Leviticus. A sacrifice was made, and everything pointed to Christ's death, for sins committed in ignorance.

And that is where we come, for cleansing in the blood daily. Don't go through a day without thanking God for the victory, and all the circumstances Satan brought against you. No! Come with praise for that victory, but always thank Him for the blood.

Every day, never cease to thank God for the blood, that continues, as we walk in the light, as we walk in the light, that continues to just keep us clean in God's sight, even from that which still remains to be done, which is in all of us, all of us.

Final Exhortation: Let God Have His Way

Now, God bless you, and God bless you, if you let Him. I once cried out to a very, very godly man, who was the head of one of the great missions of this world. I said, God bless you, sir. And he turned and stunned me.

He said with a loud voice, He will! Don't doubt that! He will! I looked at him in the row. You want to know why, young man, why God will? Yes, sir. Because I let Him. I let Him, Keith. Well, I stood there, stunned for a while, as he walked away.

Because I let Him. Don't blame God. Blame yourself, if you don't seek God. Your heart made clean by blood. They were filled with the Spirit, their hearts being cleansed by faith. Creating me a clean heart, oh God, is something we all need to cry at some point of our life, with all of our heart, and renew a right spirit, a consistent, steadfast, living in the light I'm given, contextually and in the light of other scriptures, is what David was crying in Psalm 51.

Renew a right spirit, a consistent victory in the light I've been given. Do we need to pray that, for a clean heart, a heart made clean by blood, to be filled with God, the Holy Spirit? Oh, look to the blood, to cleanse you through and through and through and through and through and through, that He may fill you, take control of the Holy, the Holy Spirit.

Will you let God do that? Now, there are other meetings in this convention, and although we had a bit of difficulties in time tonight, and with the lights all failing here in South Africa at different times, and we had to struggle to get this thing all up, but I hope you managed to listen to the whole sermon.

I do hope you listen tomorrow at the same time, seven o 'clock, if all goes well, by God's grace. I want to preach two more vital, vital messages that may stagger you, yes, it may offend you, yes, but someone has to preach these things, so please listen tomorrow at this time, seven o 'clock in South Africa, other times in America and England, etc.

Not only tomorrow night, but Sunday, two hours earlier than seven o 'clock, two hours earlier than this time, wherever you are. Oh, please do look, please do make an effort, prayerfully, carefully, to listen to these messages now, because who knows, who knows how long we've got.

Now, God bless you, bless this sermon to all, in Jesus Christ's name, Amen.