Wrestling (Genesis 32:22-32) Daily Prayer for September 6, 2024

Opening [Music] hello and welcome to daily prayer I'm the Reverend AJ oart glad that you are with me we are working our way through Genesis and we are currently in chapter 23 let's go ahead and get started first with a centering breath prayer breathe in breathe out Breathe In Breathe Out Breathe In Breathe Out lift every voice and sing till Earth and Heaven ring ring with the harmonies of Liberty let our rejoicing rise high as the listening Skies let it ReSound loud as the rolling sea our reading for today is Genesis 32: Scripture 22-32 Listen for God's word to speak to [Music] you the same night Jacob got up and took his two wives his two maids and his 11 children and crossed the Ford of the jbac he took them and sent them across the stream and likewise everything that he had Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until Daybreak when the man saw that he did not Prevail against Jacob he struck him on the hip socket and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him then he said let me go for the day is breaking but Jacob said I will not let you go unless you bless me so he said to him what is your name and he said Jacob then the man said You shall no longer be called Jacob but Israel for you have striven with God and with humans and have prevailed then Jacob asked him please tell me your name but he said why is it that you ask my name and there he blessed him so Jacob called that place penel saying for I have seen God face to face yet my life is preserved the sun rose upon him as he passed penuel limping because of his hip therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the hip socket because he struck Jacob on the hip socket at the thigh muscle the word of the Lord thanks be to Reflection God all right so what um this is an interesting one one that we probably have heard before but uh it's kind of wild so Jacob is on his way to go and meet with Esau his twin brother who has wanted to kill him as far as he knows he's fled away from him he's been out of the land for 20 years he's on his way back there's a report of Esau waiting for him with 400 men does not look good so he separated all of his livestock all of his stuff sent some along now we have this final group where he takes his family his two wives his four wives two of them are sort of free free women and two of them are enslaved women has 11 children though actually there's 12 so clearly were actually only listing the males um poor Dina and he sends them across the the river and he is camping at this place he's left alone not the river across the stream I was just looking and some randoo shows up and this kind of cracks for the story of Jacob and the the character and the person that we have met so far Jacob just starts wrestling him and it's really enigmatic it is unclear as far as the narrative goes what is actually going on there are hints certainly that this is somehow God that he is wrestling with but even then it's not super clear these two are caught in wrestling with each other all night and the man sees that he does not Prevail against Jacob so whoever this mystery person is they're well matched against Jacob and to get out of it he he strikes Jacob on the hip socket and his hip goes out of joint joint and later we have an explanation of this is why the Hebrew people don't eat the muscle that is on the hip joint because of this okay this mysterious wrestler says let me go for day is breaking there's something about the light coming that means that he can't still be there which definitely gives this sort of a of almost fairy tale sort of thing right this is um you know the the what is it called ogre that will turn to Stone if the Sun hits it but Jacob Won't Let Go will not let go unless this person whoever it is blesses him and again this is so deeply core to Jacob's character so searching for blessing so searching for the approval of others wrestling constantly fighting scrapping for every single moment and this wrestler asks what is your name Jacob says Jacob right the heel Grabber the supplanter and the man says no your name won't be Jacob anymore it's going to be Israel the one who strives with God or God strives a clue perhaps to who this wrestler is but still it's not definitive Jacob asks who what is your name and the man says why do you ask my name and He blesses him and Jacob calls this place pennyel Divine and human beings saying I have seen God face to face yet my life is preserved Jacob thinks at least that he has seen God this is important uh and and just to put in our hat put a pin in that idea of seeing God face to face because that's going to be brought up in a little bit the sun rises up and Jacob walks away from this place limping sometimes we are caught up wrestling with God and with humans scrapping for every moment every wi and sometimes it's hard to get out of that pattern we might wonder what would have happened in this encounter had Jacob not immediately started wrestling with this person we wonder who is this is this God is this is this some sort of um there's a special word for it but God appearing in human flesh physical manifestation is it someone else that just sort of randomly shows up is it an angel a messenger from God who in many Old Testament scriptures especially is the voice of God and yet has a physical presence is it something something else the text is not exactly clear what do we wrestle with what do we contend with what do we work through how interesting it is that this name Israel which will become one of the names for this people group is one who wrestles with God sometimes we get the sense that these things are supposed to be easy and sometimes they're not this is not only unique to um Israel or Christianity Islam is a word that means struggle as well the idea to contend with work things [Music] out those who have gone through a process of deconstruction of their faith go through this process recognize what are the things that I have received what are the things that I have accepted and do they actually hold up if I wrestle with them all night what is left some things may remain and some things may be disregarded or perhaps put on the compost heap so that they may they may become something different [Music] the imagery here is also of this sort of Dark Night of the Soul times when we may have deeply struggled even existentially wrestling with God and humans and yet we prevail it is through that struggle we become the people that we [Music] are so where have you wrestled what blessing have you held on [Music] to what are you yet struggling and wrestling with are there things that you know you need to wrestle with and maybe haven't done so yet I invite you to take some time to consider to meditate to pray and when you're ready we'll join our hearts together in Prayer prayer satisfy us with your love in the morning and we will live this day in joy and pray is my country is of thee sweet land of liberty of thee we sing land where my parents died land of the Pilgrims Pride from Every Mountain Side Let Freedom [Music] Ring especially we thank you for God's desire for liberty for all people [Music] the country in which we [Music] live the love of family and friends opportunities for faithful service particular blessings of this day people of God for what else do we give thanks we give thanks for the opportunities to struggle the challenges the joys for the things that we have learned along the [Music] way under your law we live great God and by your will we govern ourselves help us to be good citizens to respect neighbors whose views differ from ours so that without partisan anger we may work out issues that divide us and elect candidates to serve the common welfare through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen especially we pray for those who consider themselves Independence those who consider themselves Democrats those who consider themselves Republicans those who try not to think about politics particular concerns of this day people of God for what else do we pray we pray for Beverly who had a stress test continued recovery for Barbara after hip replacement for Sadie who's having trouble putting on weight prayers for Cheyenne and Josh as well as Clayton continued prayers for Christa former student of Ras continued prayers for pton whose casts have been removed continued prayers for Jimmy for Richard who is undergoing some stress [Music] testing for Charles the brother of Shirley whose senior care facility is closing Shirley needs a new find a new one for him for all of those on our hearts and Minds almighty God bless those who hold office in the governments of the city state and nation that they may do their work in a spirit of wisdom kindness and Justice help them use their authority to serve faithfully and promote the general welfare through your son Jesus our lord amen as in Jesus's name we pray using the words that he taught us saying Our Father who art in heaven Hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation ation but Deliver Us from Evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever amen now May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with us all amen bless the Lord the lord's name be praised thank you so much for joining me today for daily prayer join me tomorrow for some more like this video share it with someone else click on the subscription and the notification button go to our website St Andrews pc.com for more information and find us on Facebook and Instagram the Liturgy today came partially from the Presbyterian um Church USA whatever it's called book of common worship um 2018 Edition but then I added stuff to it including lift every voice and sing text by James Welden Johnson and Tex and music owned by Fe Publications signed to assigned 1991 to the Laurens Corporation and my country tis of the text by Samuel Francis Smith from 1813 um it is an election season and it's important to be praying for one another for our leaders all of that stuff so um the reading came from the new revised Standard Version updated Edition with my own little I don't actually didn't tweak it today thanks for joining me have a blessed day we'll see you next time bye [Music]