3 In the womb he took his brother by the heel,
and in his manhood he strove with God. – Hosea 12:3
Empty Hands
Over and over we see the Prophets pleading with the Jewish people. Hosea is no exception. As a matter of fact, Hosea’s relationship with an unfaithful wife mirrored God’s relationship with unfaithful Israel. Involved in such a relationship, Hosea must have intimately felt the pain of God’s heart as he penned His Words. Words that begged for repentance and return.
As Hosea begins chapter twelve, he gives us a glimpse of the vanity of the Jewish people. According to verse one, they were guilty of feeding on the wind and chasing the east wind and at the same time making treaties with Egypt and Assyria. In other words, with one hand they were worshiping idols, and with the other hand they were shunning God and placing their trust for protection on mortal men.
Instead of holding onto God, both hands were empty. How do you bless others with empty hands?
Deceiving Hands
Rather than having empty hands, the Israelites could learn a lesson from their namesake Israel, or as Hosea refers to him in this passage, Jacob. Abraham may be the father of the Jewish nation, but it was Jacob who “built” the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen. 46:8-27). Although Jacob had many faults, his offspring could still learn from his life, whether in the womb or in the mud.
Hosea reminds the Jewish people that while still in the womb Jacob took his brother by the heel. Genesis chapter twenty-five tells us that while yet in the womb, Jacob and his twin brother jostled each other. Obviously, Jacob could not have known or understood what he was doing in utero, but his action was indicative of his nature and God’s plans. As he was born, Jacob was grasping his twin brother Esau’s heal, hence he was given the name Jacob which means “he grasps the heal”. Not exactly flattering as this is simply another way of saying someone is a deceiver, trickster or cheater. A title that fit Jacob well.
A Life of Deceipt
Jacob was good at using his cunning to get what he wanted. As Genesis tells us, Jacob “purchased” his elder brother’s birthright for a bowl of red stew (Genesis 25:27-34). Certainly, the bargain was foolish of Esau, but I’m not sure how ethical it was of Jacob to bargain with his brother who claimed to be starving. But Jacob and Esau were never a model of brotherly love.
Later, Jacob would deceive his father Isaac to steal Esau’s blessing (Genesis 27). Again, food was involved. With the assistance of his mother Rebekah, Jacob prepared a favorite meal for his aging father (substituting young goats for wild game). With goatskins on his hands and his brother’s clothes on his back, Jacob deceived his visually impaired father. When questioned by his father, Jacob actually lied to him in order to get Isaac to give him the blessing intended for his firstborn Esau.
When Esau learned of his “stolen” blessing he lamented,“Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing” (Genesis 27:36a). Being twice victimized by the heal grabber, Esau vowed to kill Jacob once their father was deceased. Fearing for the life of her favorite son, Rebekah sent Jacob away to her brother Laban.
The Bargain at Bethel
After leaving Beersheba to make his journey to Haran, Jacob stopped to rest at sunset. As he laid on the ground with a stone for his pillow, he had a “vision” from God. In his dream, he saw a ladder connecting heaven and earth. The angels of God were ascending and descending this ladder. Standing over the ladder was the LORD, who then spoke to Jacob.
As Jacob dreamed, the LORD renewed the covenant he had made with Abraham and Isaac. The land on which Jacob was resting would belong to Jacob and his descendants. Further, Jacob was assured that his offspring would be as numerous as the dust of the earth. And not only would his offspring be great in number, they would also spread to the west and east and north and south. But not only would Jacob’s offspring be blessed, God also promised that in Jacob and his offspring all the families of the earth would be blessed (remember the empty hands?). But God wasn’t done.
After making the promises to Jacob, God assured him that His presence would not leave Jacob. He would accompany him and protect him and bring him safely back to this place (Bethel). God would be Jacob’s ever-present guide until all of His promises were fulfilled. But Jacob isn’t like God. The heal grabber’s commitment came with contingencies; IF. IF God will protect me. IF God will feed me. IF God will clothe me. IF God will bring me back to my father’s house in peace. THEN the LORD shall be my God. THEN I will turn this stone I am using as a pillow into His house and give back a tenth of everything He has given to me. Do I smell red stew and young goats? Regardless, God recognized it as a vow (Genesis 31:13).
Deceiving a Deceiver
After his “bargain” with God, Jacob continued his journey east. Finally, he came to the home of his uncle Laban, a man after his own deceitful heart. Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel and agreed to work seven years for Laban for the right to marry her. When the time finally arrived for the marriage to be consummated, Laban deceived Jacob by exchanging Leah for Rachel. No one likes being deceived, especially a deceiver.
Jacob would have to serve Laban another seven years for Rachel. As he worked for his uncle, their relationship was often strenuous. Numerous times Laban changed Jacob’s wages. According to Jacob’s complaint recorded in Genesis chapter 31, Laban cheated him and changed his wages ten times. But who’s counting? Esau charged Jacob with cheating him twice, Jacob charges Laban with cheating him ten times. When you play in the realm of deceit, what goes around definitely comes around.
Tired of being deceived by Laban, Jacob decided to play the last trick by stealing away with his family and possessions and heading back to Canaan and his family.
Grappling With God
Jacob had enough of haggling with his Uncle Laban. He was wary of his deceit and couldn’t wait to get away. But the prospect of returning home wasn’t so pleasant either. He didn’t exactly leave his family on the best of terms as he was fleeing for his life. So now he was fleeing from Laban who had deceived him numerous times only to face his brother Esau whom he had deceived. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Always the schemer, Jacob made a plan in hopes of appeasing Esau. He hoped to soften him, with bribery, before he actually met him face to face. Where was his faith in God? Didn’t God promise He would be with him and protect him? He left his home alone and now he is returning with a family and great possessions. Hadn’t God upheld His end of the “bargain”?
It was time once again to be alone with God.
At the ford of Jabbok, Jacob was finally broken in the mud. All night long this deceiver wrestled with his covenant keeping God. All night long this self-reliant man exhausted his strength against the omnipotent. All night long this blessing “stealer” begged for a blessing. “Unable” to prevail against his strength, God put Jacob’s hip out of joint. Still unwilling to let go without a blessing, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, which means “strives with God” or “God strives”. The heal grabber was now a God “striver”. God strengthened Jacob by weakening him.
Jacob’s God
It is time to heed Hosea’s words. It is time to stop the vanity. It is time to repent and return. No more feeding on the wind. No more futile treaties. The world’s idols and the world’s Egypts are nothing but air. Worse, they are an affront to God. Why do we try so desperately to hold onto them?
Before Jacob was even born, God had great plans for him. From the womb to the grave, God accompanied Jacob. He made a covenant with him and He kept His word. Jacob was blessed with the land and the offspring God promised him. To this day, all the families of the world are blessed through Jacob and his offspring.
The lessons of Jacob ultimately point to his God. His God who chose him. His God who decided to make him a great nation. His God who gave him natural strength. His God who accompanied him and protected him until all of His promises to him were fulfilled. His God who was patient with him and his deceitful ways. His God who wrestled with him in his hour of need and made him even stronger by weakening him. His God who blessed him and changed him from a “deceiver of men” to a “wrestler of God”. Jacob entered the mud of Jabbok a proud man. Israel left the mud of Jabbok with a limp. A limp that would forever remind him that man is strongest when holding onto God. With both hands.
Jacob’s God is your God. He has loved you from eternity past. He has blessed you and wants to bless others through you. But how can we bless others with empty hands? It is time to let go of the world and take hold of God. With the tenacity of Jacob, resolve not to let go until God has “blessed” you; again and again. But beware. Wrestling with God can be exhausting. It can be painful. But best of all, Israel’s limp reminds us that it will always be life changing.
It is time to get on bended knees and take hold of God. And never let go. You know He never will.
8 but you shall cling to the Lord your God… – Joshua 23:8