The Ford of Jabbok (Part 1)—Genesis 32:22-32

Posted on January 29, 2025

Home Blog Posts The Ford of Jabbok (Part 1)—Genesis 32:22-32

Exemple

The Ford of Jabbok (Part 1)—Genesis 32:22-32

And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had. And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank. Genesis 32:22-32

You should be familiar with the story told in our text for the day, the account of Jacob leaving his uncle Laban who he had served for 20 years and returning with his entire family and all his wealth to the promised land, haunted by his past misdeeds and the prospect of grave retribution from Ishamel. The fear for his life and the continuation of his lineage (vs 9-12) are all embedded in the name Jabbok! “The Hebrew word Jabbok means
•        pouring out, emptying
•        flowing rapidly, effusing
•        diffusing, dissipation,
•        pounding, beating down, pulverising
•        covering with dust
•        wrestling

What a comprehensive description of praying for deliverance! Please deeply savour each line of description, what it reflects or demands in any believer, I mean a believer, praying for deliverance! Indeed, Jabbok is the place where Jacob wrested with the Lord, where he made his total surrender to God. It was where he cast the last of his idols and got a new name, a new character.

It was at Jabbok, a stream which intersects the mountains of Gilead and falls into Jordan midway between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee—moving from death to life; a probable reason for the lyrics of the song “I have come over from Babylon to Capstone dear land and it is just heaven to me,” just as it was for Jacob being transformed and renamed Israel, a man with power with God!

It is the place:

  1. of being alone with God to sort out my mess!
  2. of obtaining preservation of the lives of others!
  3. where the unseen God shows up as a man (Peniel) with whom I contend until my strength, my independence, self-reliance is totally exhausted, emptied out, and
  4. help comes in the touch of the thigh.

Our God knew where to touch and such comes in the day of trouble (John 16:21; Isaiah 66:9,22; 2 Kings 19:3). Are you at the ford of Jabbok in your life? There is hope, there is assurance. Shalom.

Pastor Afolabi Oladele

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *