Struggling With God

by Merchant, Paul | Category: Disability And Dignity | Sept 1999

Disability is a familiar feature of our society. As people live longer, we know more about disabilities of elderly people. As large institutions close, there are more people living ordinary lives in the community. Every marathon race around the world includes strongly competitive wheelchair users. Groups of people who have disabilities are asserting their rights to be included citizens and not segregated and forgotten. This series of articles explores disability in the Bible and the Christian response to disability in our own lives and in the lives of those whom we meet.

In the opening book of the Bible, there was an incident when a man became disabled. On two occasions in his life, God confronted Jacob and these experiences transformed his stubborn character. At Bethel Jacob recognized he was at the place of the house of God. Twenty years later, Jacob was travelling to his reconciliation with his estranged brother Esau and God wrestled with him all night. 'Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak'(1). Although his adversary would not reveal His name, Jacob recognized that it had been a unique night of drama. 'I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared' (2).

At the end of a hard night's wrestling, the struggle was brought to an end when the stranger touched the socket of Jacob's hip, thereby disabling him. There was a withering of the muscle in the hollow of his thigh and the thigh is the strongest part of the body.

God brought Jacob to a point of physical dependency. Up until then Jacob had been a man who had conducted his life in his own way and in his own strength. For a man who had succeeded in the arduous, outdoor life of a shepherd, this restraint would have affected him deeply. From being a cunning, striving, but insecure man, Jacob now trusted in God. God's intervention in his life gained Jacob a new name - Israel - and a physical disability for the rest of his life (3).

However his physical disability does not appear to have been an impediment to him. Esau does not refer to it when they meet. Jacob continues his travelling and later in his life migrates to Egypt.

It was not Jacob challenging the stranger to a fight, but rather the stranger meeting Jacob and struggling with him through the night until dawn. So it was God's initiative to confront Jacob and transform him to a character that God could use further. God's great desire was to have a people for Himself, a nation to worship Him. He intended giving to Jacob the privilege of being the father of that nation.

That night God changed Jacob from a tough fighter to a contented servant. His name was changed from a personal name to the name given to God's nation Israel. His relationship with his brother was changed from fear to mutual respect. Jacob's priorities were changed from being preoccupied with selfish strategies for success to being content to pursue God's plan in God's time. The physical dependence of Jacob brought him to dependence upon God. God gave him a new view of life. Jacob was transformed by the spiritual climax of both seeing God's face and having his name changed. How small was his physical adversity compared with the rich spiritual experiences God had shared with him.

Biblical references from Genesis chapter 32 (NIV) (1) v.24; (2) v.30, (3) v.28.

Merchant, Paul | Sept 1999
Disability And Dignity