Wrestling with God

Having overcome Laban, Jacob prepares for his next obstacle on his way back home — his scorned brother, Esau. On the journey, the angels of the Lord meet him, and for some reason, Jacob sees it fit to rename that place Mahanaim, meaning “two camps” — one for himself and one for God and His angels (Genesis 32:1–2). This figurative split becomes a reality when Jacob learns that Esau is coming to meet him with four hundred men. Fear grips him once more. He quickly divides his household into two camps, thinking, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.”

Why did God send His angels to meet Jacob who was still relying in his own ways? Jacob had just escaped from Laban, carrying years of deception, family strife, and anxiety. He was returning to a land filled with memories of betrayal and fear. God sent angels to meet him, not because Jacob was at his strongest, but because he was most vulnerable.

The vision of angels was meant to remind Jacob that God’s protection was near, that unseen help surrounded him. Yet even divine assurance cannot remove fear from a heart not yet surrendered. Often, God’s presence comes not to erase fear but to remind us of His faithfulness amid it. Jacob needed this visible sign that the journey he dreaded was also the one God had ordained.

Jacob Prioritizes Deeds Over Faith

In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.”
Genesis 32:7-8 (NIV)

Does Jacob’s plan dividing his camp in two depict his faith or his unbelief? Mahanaim — “two camps” — becomes both a name and a mirror of Jacob’s divided spirit. He physically separates his family into two groups, but inwardly, he is torn between two loyalties — faith and fear. Jacob knows God’s promise, yet he cannot rest in it. He wants God to protect him, but also wants his own backup plan. In that sense, Mahanaim symbolises every believer’s inner struggle: one camp for trust, another for control. Many of us live the same way — one part devoted to God, another ruled by anxiety. We keep a “separate room” for God, honouring Him from a distance, afraid to let Him dwell among our daily concerns.

Why is Esau coming to meet Jacob with 400 men? The message that Esau is approaching with a large company fills Jacob with dread. Twenty years have passed since Esau vowed to kill him, and old wounds often outlive time. Esau’s intentions are unclear — is it reconciliation or retaliation? Perhaps Esau’s initial motive was cautious. He comes with an army because he does not know Jacob’s intentions either. Yet, unseen to both brothers, God is already working in their hearts. What Jacob interprets as a threat, God will turn into peace.

Jacob Prays for Help

“I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau.” Genesis 32:10–11 (NIV)

Does Jacob not trust God as he is busy planning to defuse his brother’s anger? Jacob’s fear outweighs his faith. Though he prays sincerely, he immediately acts as if his prayer might fail. He organises his gifts in waves, reasoning that by the time Esau reaches him, anger may have turned to mercy. This duality is familiar to us. We too pray for God’s help but continue strategising in fear, “just in case” He delays. Like Jacob, we often find it easier to trust our own plans than God’s promises. Faith without patience becomes anxiety disguised as effort.

That night, Jacob crosses the Jabbok River, sends his family ahead, and is left alone. Out of the silence comes a Man who wrestles with him until daybreak.

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.
Genesis 32:24 (NIV)

The struggle is both physical and spiritual — a lifetime of striving condensed into one night. The mysterious Man, later revealed as God Himself, touches Jacob’s hip, dislocating it. The fight ends not in triumph but in surrender. Jacob’s words echo with desperation and awakening: “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (Genesis 32:26 NIV) He no longer bargains or schemes; he simply clings. The Lord renames him Israel, meaning “he struggles with God.” This new identity signifies transformation — from deceiver to overcomer, from one who manipulates blessings to one who receives them by grace. He limps away, a wounded man blessed by mercy. His limp becomes a lifelong reminder that God’s strength is perfected in our weakness.

Jacob names the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
Genesis 32:30 (NIV)

The Reunion

When Jacob finally meets Esau, he arranges his family — not by age or order, but by preference. It may seem cruel, but it reveals his deep uncertainty about whether God will truly protect him. To his surprise, Esau runs to him, embraces him, and weeps.

“But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.”
Genesis 33:4 (NIV)

The brother Jacob feared has been transformed by grace. What years of guilt could not accomplish, God’s hand does in a moment. Jacob bows seven times before Esau, calling him “lord” and even saying, “To see your face is like seeing the face of God.” (Genesis 33:10 NIV). Having seen God’s face the night before, it is weird why Jacob would use this phrasing. Yet Jacob does not follow Esau to Edom. Instead, he journeys to Shechem, purchases land, and builds an altar, naming it El Elohe Israel — “God, the God of Israel.” It marks both settlement and a declaration that the God who wrestled with him is now his God.

Like Jacob, why do we not trust God in time of trouble? Jacob’s struggle is our struggle. Despite seeing God’s faithfulness, he still clings to control. His difficulty in trusting God comes from fear — fear of losing what he values, fear of being disappointed, fear that God’s plan might cost too much. We often live the same way — praying with hope yet acting in doubt. Trusting God fully feels risky because it demands surrender. But God’s goal is not to destroy our strength; it is to redirect it.

To wrestle with God is to confront our own fears, pride, and unbelief until all that remains is surrender. Like Jacob, we learn that blessing is not seized but bestowed, and that those who cling to God through the night will walk into the dawn changed forever.