Articles

Genesis 32: 22-27

²² “That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ²³ After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. ²⁴So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. ²⁵ When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. ²⁶ Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’”

One might think that only Abraham saw Jesus as we have journeyed through the OLD Testament and encounters with Jesus. But a new generation of God’s people has arisen now. We are going to take a look at Jacob.

Abraham is dead, Sarah is dead, Isaac married Rebekah, and they had twin boys, Esau and Jacob. Jacob grew up and tricked his brother out of his birthright and then had to run away. He was known as a trickster, and for 20 years or so, he lived with his father-in-law, Laban. Soon, Laban and Jacob’s households were too big to exist in the same location, and Laban tricks Jacob. (Genesis 31:41, “Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times”). Or at least he tries to, but God blesses Jacob, and when the tensions got to be too much, he heads home.

Isaac, we will learn, is still alive. We see that in Genesis 35:27-29. “Jacob came home to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.”

Back to the story at hand. Jacob (now in his late 60s or early 70s), his wives and concubines begin the journey back home, and along the way, Jacob encounters a man. He separates himself from his family. They head across the river Jabbok, and that very night, Jacob wrestles with the man. Later, we find out that he knows it was God, and he names the place Peniel, meaning, “So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.’”

We know from our previous lessons that any time one sees God ‘face to face’ in the Old Testament, it is Jesus. Jacob sees Jesus and wrestles with Him. This encounter changes a few things about Jacob, and he is never the same again.

God, Jesus, physically changes Jacob in that He dislocates a joint in his hip, and Jacob walks with a staff after that. We do not know if he ever recovers from that. Then, Jesus changes his name from Jacob, meaning ‘a trickster’ to Israel, and we see that in verse 28. “And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.’”

All of us need to have our own struggle with God to have God make changes in us. Jacob was never the same again; his life would take some hard turns fraught with hurt and pain. His own children would trick him and hurt him, but he would remain faithful to God. You see, Jacob could not serve God in Abraham’s encounters; he needed his own. Your children cannot serve God through your encounters and your experiences; they need to see God, wrestle with God, and have God change them.

The change was marked by changed names as well; this seemed to be a common thing for God to do, even in the New Testament era. Abram became Abraham, Sara became Sarah, Jacob became Israel, later Saul becomes Paul, Simon becomes Peter, and we too are promised a new name one day given to us by God (see Revelation 2:17, 3:12).

Now, Jesus could have defeated Jacob at any time during the night that they wrestled, and I find it amazing that Jacob did not give up. He wanted to be blessed by God, and he held on with all his might. We see verse 26: “Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’” Jacob wanted God to bless him, and he refused to let go. He refused to give in and give up.

How do you and I respond when we are tested by God? Jacob refused to give up, and he was blessed. And even though his life got very hard, he lived in that blessing, and it empowered him to push through all the pain. Do we give up too soon when seeking a blessing from the Lord? Do we ‘tap out,’ as they say, and shortchange ourselves? Jacob was not a perfect man; in fact, he was very far from that. He had failed God times after time, yet God blessed him.

We see also that when we struggle, when we go through the tough fights with God, it is not to break us, and it is not for God to destroy and beat us, but to challenge us to hold on with all we have. God wants men and women who thirst after Him, who need Him and His blessings and live for Him. Men and women who refuse to let go in spite of their sinfulness and shortcoming, they understand that God, Jesus, is all they have, and their only hope.

I pray that you have had, and or that you are looking for your encounter with the Lord. Your night of wrestling, so to speak; a night that will change your forever and empower you to endure that tough time that may be ahead.

Often, we think that being blessed by God means more money, power, prestige or the like, but more often than not, it is Jesus equipping us to endure what is coming our way. When we see Jesus and experience His hand in our lives, it secures us to move forward come what may. It helps us to hold on and trust that He has the way planned, nothing surprises Him, and we can trust Him that He has it all worked out.

We who have children that we are teaching in the way of the Lord should begin to pray that they have their own experiences with the Lord, their own wrestling with the Lord, and their own blessings from the Lord to empower them to endure the dark times that are ahead. Long after we are gone, it is these encounters that will sustain them and endear them to Jesus. He will be their hope and salvation, like He is ours, like He was Jacob’s, like He was Abraham’s and Sarah’s, and all who serve Him.

Dr. Sean Gooding
Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church
70 Victoria Street, Elora, Ontario

Assaults Against ICE Up 1,153% in 11 Months
Assaults against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are up 1,153% in 11 months, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As ICE officers continue to arrest the most violent criminals nationwide, U.S. citizens have increasingly obstructed their efforts, including physically attacking them and threatening to kill them, according to multiple reports nationwide. The most recent death-threat-related arrests were of a Virginia high school assistant principal and his brother. At the same time, the number of death threats made against ICE officers has increased by 8,000%, The Center Square reported.

Massachusetts Democrats propose ‘transgender commission’ to push gender ideology throughout state
A bill introduced by Democratic Massachusetts lawmakers would create a commission of ‘transgender persons’ and activists to ensure the LGBT agenda is carried out in all sectors of public life.

Here’s where Maduro could live out his days in luxury — as Trump weighs strikes in Venezuela’s waters
A senior Trump administration source said Secretary of State Marco Rubio has floated allowing Maduro, 63, to relocate to Qatar as the gas-rich emirate helps mediate the conflict. Three current and two former administration officials described the scenario as plausible.

US envoy Witkoff concludes talks with Putin at the Kremlin on Ukraine war
Vladimir Putin met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday at the Kremlin for almost five hours of talks seeking to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, with a Russian envoy calling the discussions “productive”.

Hegseth on the deadly boat attacks: “Just begun”
no stop to the attacks is expected, Pete Hegseth announced at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday evening Swedish time. “We have only just begun our crackdown on drug boats and drug terrorists, who should be sunk to the bottom of the ocean because they are poisoning the American people,” he said.

New Republican Movement to Irish politicians: “We will not sit back any longer and watch our culture and religion destroyed by the people we put in power”
A group calling itself the New Republican Movement has emerged in Ireland, appearing in a video posted on social media on 28 November 2025, threatening elected representatives in the Newry, Mourne and Down area. The video features three masked men, one of whom appears to hold a handgun, reading a statement that labels local politicians as “legitimate targets” due to their policies on immigration and alleged “sexual indoctrination” of children in schools.

NASA Responds to Russia Accidentally Blowing Up Its Only Astronaut Launch Facility
The launch pad of Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome spaceport in Kazakhstan sustained significant damage following a botched Soyuz launch last week. While the Soyuz MS-28 crew on board the rocket, including cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev, as well as NASA astronaut Christopher Williams, safely made it to the International Space Station, the launch pad was heavily damaged

Two-state solution the ‘only’ way to resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Pope Leo XIV says during Middle East visit
Pope draws rare rebuke from across Israel’s political spectrum. Pope Leo XIV strongly endorsed the two-state solution as he continued his visit to the Middle East on Monday, traveling from Turkey to Lebanon. While speaking to reporters on the papal plane, the first American-born pope said, “For years now, the Holy See has publicly supported the proposal for a two-state solution.” He noted that “We all know that Israel does not yet accept this proposal,”

Pope Leo vs. God’s Word
In a showdown between Pope Leo and God’s Word, no one has to second-guess which has the greater authority, because that’s clear! Nonetheless, Pope Leo XIV, the 267th spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church has pitted himself in a match against the scriptures, inspired by the Almighty, suggesting that he knows better than God when it comes to the nation of Israel, bequeathed to the Jewish people.

Terrorists deserve justice, not flattering ‘NPR’ profiles
Many killers of U.S. citizens walk freely in territories controlled by the Palestinian Authority or nations that America considers allies, such as Egypt and Jordan. After the terrorist attack by an Afghan national on two members of the West Virginia National Guard in Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump labeled the murderer a “savage monster” and an “animal.” He also said about Rahmanullah Lakanwal: “We will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice.”

Mom charged with killing pregnant biological daughter in rural Michigan woods
Authorities charged a woman and her husband with murder Tuesday in the death of her pregnant biological daughter whose body was found in a Michigan forest three weeks after she disappeared. Rebecca Park, 22, was in the final days of her pregnancy when she was last seen Nov. 3. The baby had been cut out of her when her remains were discovered last week, prosecutor Johanna Carey said in court. “This is, frankly, evil personified,” Carey said.

Iran recruiting spies in Bat Yam? Shin Bet issues warning, mayor sounds alarm
The mayor of Bat Yam addressed residents following a Shin Bet alert regarding attempts by Iranian intelligence actors to recruit locals for espionage activities.

‘Hezbollah disarms or Israel acts’: Netanyahu, Ortagus meet as Israel-Lebanon tensions flare
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday met with US President Donald Trump’s envoy for Lebanon affairs, Morgan Ortagus, in Israel as border tensions with Lebanon intensify, according to Israeli officials. Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder joined the meeting. The talks come one year after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which Israeli officials say is eroding. “If there is no dramatic change by the end of the agreement period, another round of fighting in the north is almost inevitable, a security official told The Jerusalem Post.

Kremlin after talks with US envoy: We are no closer to peace in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with United States President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in the Kremlin has concluded, the Kremlin press service said on Wednesday. The US and Russia did not clinch a compromise over peace in Ukraine, and peace is no closer to but also no further away, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.

Putin’s warning: Russia is prepared to go to war against Europe
“If Europe suddenly wants to start a war with us and starts it,” Putin said, then it would end so swiftly for Europe that there would be no one to negotiate with in Europe.

Turkey Pushes for Closer Ties With Iran Despite Mounting Sanctions as Both Countries Pursue Regional Ambitions
Despite the recent reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran, Turkey has called for closer diplomatic and trade relations with the Iranian regime, as both countries seek to bolster their influence in the Middle East while openly targeting Israel. Turkey’s Ambassador to Iran, Hicabi Kırlangıç, said Ankara was working to expand bilateral cooperation with Tehran by leveraging existing capabilities to increase economic ties between the two countries.

IDF kills three terrorists breaching Gaza ceasefire yellow line
The Israeli Air Force eliminated the terrorists in separate incidents in both northern and southern Gaza… after they crossed a designated buffer zone and approached Israeli troops in separate incidents in northern and southern Gaza,

US working to save ceasefire in north but Israel is clear: ‘Heading for escalation. We will decide when’
Last ditch effort to prevent ceasefire collapse: Israel agreed not to attack Lebanon until the end of the Pope’s visit, but in light of Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm, an Israeli official clarifies that ‘there is no point in continuing with the agreement’

In a ‘Post Truth’ World, What Do Pastors Appeal To As Their Final Authority?
Post-truth. It’s a term some have heard. Essentially, it means objectivity has lost its footing to subjectivity; feelings and opinion are preferred over facts. my concern is what the church thinks and does. What do churches (and especially pastors) appeal to as their final authority? Do they regard the Bible as God’s unchanging Word? His timeless, transcendent truth? Or is the Bible weighed along with societal norms and public sentiment? Jesus saw the Scriptures as unbreakable divine authority, as objective and universal truth.

Alabama Zoning Commission Rejects Proposal For Muslim School After Town Erupts In Fury
A Hoover, Alabama zoning commission unanimously rejected a rezoning request Monday that would have allowed a Muslim K-12 academy to relocate to an office building in the Birmingham suburb, capping a contentious public hearing that packed roughly 170 residents into the room and erupted with heated testimony over concerns of growing Islamification of the area,

Tropical Cyclone Senyar leaves over 1,000 dead, millions affected across Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia
Over 1,000 people have died and hundreds remain missing on Tuesday, DeTropical Cyclone Senyar leaves over 1 000 dead, millions affected across Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysiacember 2, 2025, after rare Tropical Cyclone Senyar brought severe flooding and landslides across Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.

New Jersey counties under State of Emergency as Nor’easter brings heavy snow to the U.S. Northeast
The season’s first Nor’easter began impacting the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast overnight, prompting a State of Emergency in parts of New Jersey and school closures across multiple states. The storm is forecast to rapidly intensify, possibly dropping up to 30 cm (12 inches) of snow across parts of the interior Northeast through Tuesday, December 2, 2025.

US NatGas Hits Three-Year High As Forecasts Point To “Long, Cold Winter”
U.S. natural gas futures spiked to their highest levels in nearly three years as models now show a frigid first half of December across the Lower 48. Several forecasters are also warning of a potential polar-vortex-driven Arctic blast event later this month, which could drive temperatures even lower.

Oklahoma Student Says Transgender Instructor Failed Her for Quoting Bible in Essay on Gender
A University of Oklahoma student said her psychology instructor gave her a failing grade on an essay in which she cited the Bible, in violation of her First Amendment rights. The school now says it has placed the instructor, a man who claims to be a woman, on administrative leave while it investigates the matter.

‘Imported Violence’: New Hospital Data Confirms 50% Surge in Stabbing Victims in 4 Years as Germany’s Migrant Crisis Spirals
Germany’s corrupt, globalist political establishment keeps gaslighting the public, saying everything is “under control,” and all is good, but new medical data has revealed the country is spiraling deeper and deeper into chaos as knife violence explodes to levels once unimaginable.

11 US warships and 15,000 troops now in Caribbean as Venezuela tensions escalate
More than 10 US warships, including the country’s largest carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, are bearing down on the Caribbean amid escalating tensions between President Trump and Venezuela.

Pope Leo urges US not to attempt military ouster of Venezuela’s Maduro
Pope Leo urged U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday not to try to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro using military force.

Chinese, Japanese Boats In Tense Standoff Near Disputed Islands As Taiwan-Related Feud Escalates
The severe diplomatic standoff which was triggered by last month’s words of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wherein she suggested Japan would militarily aid in Taiwan’s defense in the event of a Chinese invasion is increasingly becoming a potential military standoff. We earlier detailed that Japan has even deployed medium-range missiles to a remote Japanese island not far from China.

People Are Turning to AI for Therapy, Grief & Love – And It’s a BIG Problem
More people than ever are asking AI chatbots to talk them off the ledge, help them say goodbye to loved ones, and find life partners. It feels private, always available, and cheaper than human alternatives. But when the mediator is software optimised for engagement, we hand over the parts of life that define us.

The Gathering Storm
While many Americans are searching for the best online holiday deals and figuring out what to watch on Netflix tonight, a storm is gathering. Decisions that are being made right now could radically alter the course of human history, but most of the population is so self-occupied that they don’t even realize what is happening. We could soon find ourselves involved in multiple global wars simultaneously, and once we reach that stage, there will be no turning back.

Extreme Carnage! Crypto Investors Lose $800,000,000,000 In Just 1 Month As Forced Liquidations Reset The Market
It’s a bloodbath out there right now. On Monday alone, crypto investors lost about $200,000,000,000 in just 24 hours. Overall, crypto investors have lost about $800,000,000,000 over the last month. In this article, I want to try to explain why this is happening and what is coming next. You see, the truth is that the era of easy money is ending. For a long time, investors could borrow yen at ultra-low interest rates and use that money to purchase cryptocurrency and make amazing returns. But now Japanese bond yields are going nuts and all variations of the “yen carry trade” are starting to unwind…

Vaccine Stocks Plummet After FDA Memo Links COVID Shots to Children’s Deaths
Vaccine makers saw their shares drop Monday following the release of an internal memo from Vinay Prasad, the FDA’s vaccine chief, in which he wrote that Covid-19 vaccines were linked to at least ten deaths in children.

The Entire Story of the Bible is About Jesus, Part 6 :: By Sean Gooding

3 Dec 2025