Jacob had sent his family across the Jabbok River. Now he is alone at night with the river; this soft talking, manipulating, deceiving Jacob. Here it is in the dark by the river Jabbok; the river that runs in the dark between the life you have lived up to this moment and the new life that could be on the other side of the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. All you have to do is cross it.
But crossing over to a new life is not an easy thing to do. It is not a simple process because before one can cross, unknown dangers and terrifying battles may have to be faced. This is what Jacob discovered. Crossing into Canaan was not just a matter of crossing a stream, because in the dark a strange and mysterious Presence arises. Ancient tales said that rivers had spirits that had to be defeated before they could cross the river. But when we read in the Scriptures, we learn that the antagonist who appeared in the night to seize Jacob for a fight that would last until dawn, was not a river spirit, but the God of justice who forced Jacob to fulfill his judgment.
There comes a time in our lives when each soul must be held accountable by the Jabbok River. This Old Testament story is dramatizing the consequence that comes to every soul that has tried for too long to evade the truth about itself. The soul must struggle with the mystery of existence and the reality of God to whom we must give an account. It is a time in our lives when we cannot manipulate anyone or deceive anyone or get out of the situation because there is no one but you and God.
Jacob is wrestling with the judgment of God that flows through his very essence. Tomorrow he has a date with destiny; he sees Esau whom he so easily degraded into an object to be used for his own advancement. Jacob saw his world darkened because of him. Old memories were awakened; old fears arose from the past. All his betrayals, deceptions, lies and manipulations converged on him in a fateful battle.
Here, by the river Jabbok, Jacob had to find the God within. He had to face himself and admit deep down that he didn’t deserve anything. He had to give up the pride that he thought he could achieve his own peace of mind with his own wits. Jacob had to struggle with himself to break through to the divine. Who will win?
We too must fight many personal battles with our inner selves along the Jabbok River. We cannot move into new life until we reconcile ourselves and recognize ourselves for who we really are. Then we must make the decision as to which of us will win the battle by the river Jabbok. Who will win when we see dirty, broken, bleeding, failed people in one corner crying out to be loved and in the other corner clean, bright, rising stars? Who will win when we hear the voice of Jesus calling us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him and the voice of Satan offering us power, wealth and prestige? Who will win the fight when a friend is in trouble or disgrace and being by their side would mean that their own sweet reputation could be tarnished as well? Who will win when power and status parade before our eyes and tempt us to betray ourselves and others in exchange for recognition, adulation, or high office? Who will win?
Who will win as we and Jacob wrestle with the God within our souls at night by the Jabbok River? Our true selves who were made in the image of God or the fragments of ourselves who want to make idols of things like sex, power, money, and recognition?
The Presence in Jabbok is moving within us, calling us to struggle with our depths until we find our true selves.
Biblical reference: Genesis 32: 22-32 (NIV).