In Hosea 12:3, we are told that Jacob struggled with God Himself. His mystery opponent was the Angel of the Lord. In a sense, Jacob had been wrestling with God from the moment the sun set on his flight to Padan Aram (28:11). He had outmaneuvered his brother, deceived his father, and in the intervening twenty years had found a worthy opponent to his cunning schemes in his father-in-law, Laban. Now he was frantically trying to appease Esau with droves of gifts. Jacob wrestled all night; in fact, it took a dislocated hip for him to finally stop! The same touch that crippled his hip restored his faith (cf. 2 Cor. 10:3–5; Heb. 12:11–13). He would not let go of the Angel until he received a blessing. Jacob moved from wrestling with God to clinging to God; from struggling in his own strength to surrendering in tears and supplications (Hos. 12:3–4).

“What is your name?” the Angel asked. The last time Jacob had answered this question he had lied, saying he was Esau (Gen. 27:18–19). The “heel-catcher” was caught! Emptied of self and confidence in his own cleverness, he confessed that he was Jacob the supplanter. But the blessing involved a name change. The Angel told him he would from now on be called Israel, “for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed” (32:28). Jacob prevailed in defeat; he won by losing, and became strong in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9–10). Instead of fighting against God, he was now Israel, which means “God’s fighter.”

As he crossed over the Jabbok River after his encounter, the sun rose on him (Gen. 32:31). He was beginning a new chapter in his life, after finally learning that “a man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Prov. 16:9). It wasn’t just his hip muscle that shrank, but his own ego and will. His experience was well worth the limp!