Grapple with God
Power includes the ability to restrain
March, 2019
Jacob's wrestling match, recorded in Genesis chapter 32, leads many people to two puzzling questions. First, was that "God" he was fighting? As shown in this month's sample commentary, the answer appears to be "yes." The next question are, "how is it possible that God 'cannot' defeat a man in a wrestling match?"
When I was a hand-to-hand combat instructor, I'd often spar with students. Teaching grappling in my mid-20's often meant working with pre-teen children. There was absolutely zero chance those children could out-muscle, out-technique, or out-grapple me. In short, "sparring" with them was never a legitimate contest. That doesn't mean I simply went onto the mat and annihilated them every time.
Instead, I'd purposefully limit myself. I'd use only certain techniques. Or restrain my strength. Or I'd stall, delay, or purposefully give openings for them to use their own counters or attacks. The reason for that was education. The fact that a student's match with me lasted several minutes didn't (necessarily) imply they were any good; it just meant I was allowing the sparring to continue.
At times, I would purposefully guide the sparring session to a certain position or situation so I could teach a specific lesson. As an example, against a student prone to using up his energy too soon, I might stall and wear him out, to make a point about spending energy wisely. Against a student who relied too much on a particular move, I might never give them that opportunity, or counter it every time they tried it. Or, I'd maneuver to give them a chance to try a new technique—or a counter they had recently learned. A student who was arrogant might get a little extra "attention," reminding them not to be cocky.
The point is that in those situations, those students were really "wrestling" with their instructor—me—who could have easily, immediately, and decisively ended the contest at will. At times, I did just that. It's entirely reasonable that God did something very similar with Jacob. Taking on some temporary physical form, God might have engaged Jacob much as I once did my students. His "inability" to defeat Jacob was in the same context as my "inability" to defeat a student: a purposeful restriction, using self-limited techniques or strength.
That self-limitation was for a purpose, as the end of the encounter shows. God didn't leave Jacob untouched—he permanently injured his hip (Genesis 32:31). He let Jacob fight and fight, for a long time, before forcing him to state his own name (Genesis 32:24–27). That was a symbolic and poetic moment—Jacob was the liar who stole a birthright by claiming to be his twin brother (Genesis 27:19). When the lesson was learned, the match was ended (Genesis 32:28–30).
Of course, during my time as an instructor, the occasional student could legitimately beat me. That was especially the case with older teens or adults. Whether by brute strength, dumb luck, or legitimate skill, I wasn't 100% guaranteed to win just because I was the instructor. That, of course, is not the situation God found Himself in with Jacob. But the same principle applies. God's willingness to go easy on Jacob was no more an example of weakness than was my choice to drag out a grappling match with a five-year-old.
God's "sparring session" with Jacob was meant to teach several lessons; it was by no means an indication that God can really be beaten in a physical contest.
-- Editor
March, 2019
Jacob's wrestling match, recorded in Genesis chapter 32, leads many people to two puzzling questions. First, was that "God" he was fighting? As shown in this month's sample commentary, the answer appears to be "yes." The next question are, "how is it possible that God 'cannot' defeat a man in a wrestling match?"
When I was a hand-to-hand combat instructor, I'd often spar with students. Teaching grappling in my mid-20's often meant working with pre-teen children. There was absolutely zero chance those children could out-muscle, out-technique, or out-grapple me. In short, "sparring" with them was never a legitimate contest. That doesn't mean I simply went onto the mat and annihilated them every time.
Instead, I'd purposefully limit myself. I'd use only certain techniques. Or restrain my strength. Or I'd stall, delay, or purposefully give openings for them to use their own counters or attacks. The reason for that was education. The fact that a student's match with me lasted several minutes didn't (necessarily) imply they were any good; it just meant I was allowing the sparring to continue.
At times, I would purposefully guide the sparring session to a certain position or situation so I could teach a specific lesson. As an example, against a student prone to using up his energy too soon, I might stall and wear him out, to make a point about spending energy wisely. Against a student who relied too much on a particular move, I might never give them that opportunity, or counter it every time they tried it. Or, I'd maneuver to give them a chance to try a new technique—or a counter they had recently learned. A student who was arrogant might get a little extra "attention," reminding them not to be cocky.
The point is that in those situations, those students were really "wrestling" with their instructor—me—who could have easily, immediately, and decisively ended the contest at will. At times, I did just that. It's entirely reasonable that God did something very similar with Jacob. Taking on some temporary physical form, God might have engaged Jacob much as I once did my students. His "inability" to defeat Jacob was in the same context as my "inability" to defeat a student: a purposeful restriction, using self-limited techniques or strength.
That self-limitation was for a purpose, as the end of the encounter shows. God didn't leave Jacob untouched—he permanently injured his hip (Genesis 32:31). He let Jacob fight and fight, for a long time, before forcing him to state his own name (Genesis 32:24–27). That was a symbolic and poetic moment—Jacob was the liar who stole a birthright by claiming to be his twin brother (Genesis 27:19). When the lesson was learned, the match was ended (Genesis 32:28–30).
Of course, during my time as an instructor, the occasional student could legitimately beat me. That was especially the case with older teens or adults. Whether by brute strength, dumb luck, or legitimate skill, I wasn't 100% guaranteed to win just because I was the instructor. That, of course, is not the situation God found Himself in with Jacob. But the same principle applies. God's willingness to go easy on Jacob was no more an example of weakness than was my choice to drag out a grappling match with a five-year-old.
God's "sparring session" with Jacob was meant to teach several lessons; it was by no means an indication that God can really be beaten in a physical contest.
-- Editor
