2nd March 2025, Jacob and wrestling with God, Genesis 32

·27 min·2 clips

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes a poem from prison asking, 'Who am I?' as he wrestles with his own identity.

The episode is a sermon from Robertson Anglican Church, part of a teaching series called 'Promises Preserved' in Genesis 20-50. The speaker begins with a humorous anecdote about a preacher in a nursing home to introduce the core question of identity. He then sets the context by reviewing Jacob's background as a deceiver who stole his brother Esau's blessing and fled 20 years earlier. As Jacob returns home, he encounters angels at Mahanaim, which he names to remember God's presence and promise. The speaker connects this to baptism as a modern symbolic act for remembering God's work. Jacob then fears Esau's approach with 400 men and divides his camp, forgetting God's protection, but prays for the first time in humility. The sermon highlights Jacob's internal wrestle, comparing it to Dietrich Bonhoeffer's poem 'Who Am I?' written in prison during World War II. The climax is Jacob wrestling with a man who is revealed to be God all night, resulting in a dislocated hip and Jacob demanding a blessing. God asks Jacob his name, and upon hearing 'Jacob' (meaning deceiver), renames him Israel, signifying struggle and overcoming. The speaker explains this as a parable of Jacob's life and a model for Christian transformation, where defeat leads to victory through Christ's cross. The sermon ends with a call to accept a new identity in Jesus and share this blessing with others.

As heard by us

A reflective sermon on Jacob's fear, prayer, and identity in Christ.

Jacob's fear of his brother gives the episode its center: Esau is coming, Jacob divides the camp, protects what he can, and then turns toward prayer.

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Why you'd press play

Press play when fear has you planning every escape route, and you need Jacob to pray instead.

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