The Change in Jacob
Bishop Boyd Carpenter. Genesis 32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. I. In what position do we find Jacob's spiritual state up to the time of this second incident in his life? During the first period of his life he was simply a man of the world. After the vision at Bethel he was a religious man; the sense of religious influence was seen in his life; after the conflict at the ford Jabbok he became a spiritually minded man. He was going home with his sin yet weighty on his soul, unpardoned, unforgiven, uncleansed by the Divine power. Bethel was the house of God, to teach him that he could not set his foot upon a single acre of soil without finding that the Governor of the world was there; here we have the unfolding of the wider thought of the intercommunion and personal relationship between the soul of man and his Maker. II. Those who trust in the God of Bethel and providence are looking to Him for what He gives; but the aspirations of the spiritual man are wholly different. At Bethel Jacob said, "If Thou wilt be with me and wilt do me good." At Jabbok his first thought was, "Tell me Thy name." He desired to know more of God, not to get more from God. To gain further spiritual experience — this is the thirst of the spiritual man. To make a friend of God for the good that we can get — this is the idea of the merely religious man. (Bishop Boyd Carpenter.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. WEB: Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day.