August 17
Hosea 12:…by his strength he had power with God: 4: Yea, he had
power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him:
What? By Jacob’s strength, he had power
with God? He had power over the angel?
And he prevailed? What is this
strength by which a sinner has power and prevails with God? We find the story
in Genesis 32: 24-30.
Jacob was in the middle of a great
trial with his brother Esau. Instead of calling
on the Lord, Jacob tried to save himself until finally he was left all alone. That
is when Jacob found a man wrestling against him. That one who arranged everything to get Jacob
alone, then appeared to Jacob in the form of a man, was the pre-incarnate Son
of God, the Angel of the LORD, Christ our Savior. The Lord began to wrestle Jacob in order to
give Jacob strength so that Jacob could have power to prevail with God. The reason Jacob did not prevail at first is because
Jacob tried to resist in his own strength.
So the Son of God, in irresistible grace, touched the hollow of Jacob’s
thigh; and Jacob’s thigh was out of joint.
Then, Jacob was utterly weak. And
that utter weakness was Jacob’s strength. Then, the only thing Jacob could do was to weep
and make supplication for the Lord to bless him. And that is exactly how Jacob prevailed--“he
wept and made supplication unto him.”
Believer,
this is what our Savior did in the first hour he brought us to beg mercy from him
and what he continues to do. When we try
to save ourselves, Christ arranges everything to get us alone with him. Our all-powerful Savior wrestles us in order
to give us strength. By his effectual grace, he does not stop until he makes us
utterly weak. And our utter weakness is
our strength. When all we can do is weep and make supplication to Christ for
mercy that is when Christ alone is our strength and that is when we have power
with God and prevail. (2 Cor 12: 9-10)