Genesis 32:24-26 English Standard Version
24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
I have wrestled with this scripture for years. At times I have wondered if perhaps Jacob was wrestling with himself. Perhaps I thought this way because I am a stubborn person and I wrestle with myself.
In us there is the flesh and the spirit and they are opposed to one another.
Galatians 5:17 English Standard Version (ESV) For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
This battle does not end just because the spirit is stronger. The flesh cries out “you’re killing me” when crucified. Yet as much as we put the old man to death, our flesh still remains. We recognize which thoughts are generated by the flesh and which are spirit. The spirit warns us not to “go there”.
We have a long list of memories about what happens when we gave in to the flesh in the past. We wrestle with temptation to our own hurt, just as Jacob was pained in the flesh. The idiom, “getting one’s nose out of joint” refers to the displeasure of not getting things our way.
May our zeal for the Lord be stubborn enough to win over the flesh, Amen?