Read Genesis 25:19-26.

Introduction⤒🔗

We are all familiar with trademarks and logos. They play a very prominent role in a company’s identification and advertising. Companies and craftsmen like to be identified by their signature trademark; it is their distinctive mark that sets them apart from their competitors. Top ranking companies are concerned not only to protect their distinctive trademark, but are also concerned that their trademark is attached to a product of superior quality and craftsmanship. As one slogan puts it: “Before the name goes on, the quality goes in.” Companies are identified with their trademark or logo: at the end of every T.V. commercial the logo is flashed on the screen; in magazine advertisements the company logo is prominent; and on the product itself the logo is proudly displayed.

What is the trademark of God’s work of saving grace? What are the distinguishing marks of divine grace at work in a man’s life?

God’s work of saving grace will be evident in a man’s life, making him distinct and different from the natural man: “if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; they have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). To discover the trademark of God’s grace—the evidence of God’s work of saving grace—let us look at the life of Jacob.

We read in Genesis 25:23 that the LORD revealed to Rebekah that the two babies in her womb would become the progenitors of two separate nations of people. But most significantly, the LORD revealed that the older son would serve the younger; in other words, contrary to the prevailing custom, the younger son would receive the pre-eminent position. In the case of the Old Testament patriarchs, (the earthly fathers of God’s covenant people), receiving the pre-eminent position also meant receiving the covenantal blessing—in the case of Jacob and Esau it meant being the son who would carry on the covenant line. The New Testament (Romans 9:6-12) indicates that the LORD bestowed His sovereign saving grace upon Jacob while He passed over Esau, allowing him to follow the natural course of his own sinful heart. Thus, in order to discover the trademark of God’s grace—the evidence of God’s work of saving grace—let us look at the life of Jacob.

If God’s Saving Grace is at Work in Your Life, You will have an Active Desire for the Divine Blessing←⤒🔗

²⁷The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. ²⁸Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. ²⁹Once, when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. ³⁰He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I am famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) ³¹Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” ³²“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” ³³ButJacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright. Gen. 25:27-34

Genesis 25:27-34 records the account in which Jacob procures his brother’s birthright. The birthright included the right to become the head of the family, to assume the position formerly occupied by the father—it traditionally was bestowed on the eldest son. In the case of the patriarchs, as noted in the Introduction, the birthright also included the covenant blessings of the LORD—note Abimelech’s words to Isaac recorded in Genesis 26:29b; “You now are the blessed of the LORD.”

The transfer of the birthright from the elder son to the younger reveals their spiritual priorities. Esau is so focused on the immediate gratification of his earthly desires that he discounts the birthright­ with all of its spiritual and divine significance. In his comments made to Jacob, Esau reveals his lack of zeal, or even interest, in the divine covenant:

³⁰Esau said to Jacob, I beg you, feed me with that same red pottage, for I am famished. ³¹And Jacob said, First sell me your birthright. ³²And Esau said, Look, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me? Gen. 25:30-32

Esau’s opinion is that the divine blessing is not something for which it is worth dying. Esau’s action and attitude reflect the mind of the natural man, as defined by the Apostle Paul when writing to the Philippians,

¹⁸As I have often told you, and even now tell you with tears, many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹Their destiny is perdition, their god is their own appetites, and they glory in their shameful conduct. They set their minds on earthly things.Phil. 3:18-19

Although Jacob wrongly takes advantage of Esau’s weakness and moment of vulnerability, he shows an active interest in the covenant blessing. Although his actions are unworthy, his attitude shows the work of God’s grace: there is an active desire to possess the covenant blessing. Note how that desire is graphically presented in Matthew 11:12, “from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and aggressive men take it by force.” Those whom our Lord describes in Matthew 11:12 have the commendable attitude that says, “We must have entrance into the kingdom of God! We shall do whatever it takes to gain entrance!” They exhibit an active interest in the divine blessing—this is the very attitude Jacob expresses in his desire to procure the birthright.

Contrast this with the attitude expressed by another Old Testament character, the false prophet, Balaam. Balaam pleads, “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my final end be like his” (Num. 23:10b). Balaam desired the final state of the redeemed—but not enough to do what was needed to secure it. Balaam refused to surrender himself to the LORD—when the LORD refused to grant him permission to respond to the call of the king of Moab to curse the people of Israel (Num. 22:12), Balaam sought to do so anyway. Consequently, “God’s anger was aroused because [Balaam] went; then the angel of the LORD set himself in the roadway as an adversary against him” (Num. 22:22).

If God’s saving grace is at work in your life, you will have an active desire for the divine blessing a desire that does what is necessary to procure the blessings of the kingdom of God, namely, you will trust the Lord Jesus Christ with a trust that surrenders yourself unto Him.

If God’s Saving Grace is at Work in Your Life, You will have Respect for God’s Sacred Covenant←⤒🔗

⁴⁶Then Rebekah said to Isaac, 'I am disgusted with living, because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.' ^28:1So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him and commanded him: 'Do not marry a Canaanite woman. ²Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father, Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. ³May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. ⁴May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham.' ⁵Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau. Gen. 27:46-28:5

Like his father, Abraham, before him, Isaac also shows a concern that his son, Jacob, have a believing spouse—one who will share with him a true faith in the LORD. He instructs Jacob to not marry a daughter of the Canaanites; but rather to take a wife from his family in Paddan Aram who had a knowledge of the LORD and a connection to the covenant community (Gen. 28:1-2).

Jacob obeys his father’s directive and sets out for the distant country of Paddan Aram. In so doing, he is showing a respect for the LORD’s sacred covenant—he is aware that the people of God are to be distinct from the world and they are to maintain that distinctiveness as God’s holy people, as the Apostle Paul exhorts the Corinthians,

¹⁷Come out from among them and be separate, says the LORD. Touch no unclean thing; and I will receive you. ¹⁸'I will be a Father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.^7:1Therefore, since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Cor. 6:17-7:1

At this point also, Jacob’s action is different from that of Esau. Esau initially took two wives from the daughters of the Canaanites: “When Esau was forty years old he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite” (Gen. 26:34). Later, in an inept attempt to gain Isaac’s blessing, Esau takes another wife from Ishmael’s family:

⁶Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. ⁷Esau observed that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother and went to Paddan-aram. ⁸Esau realized that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father, Isaac. ⁹So Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath who was the sister of Nebaioth and the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son—besides the wives that he had. Gen. 28:6-9

Esau does not comprehend the fact that Ishmael is not a part of the covenant community, (he is a son of Abraham, but he does not possess the faith of Abraham). Esau fails to comprehend the spiritual significance of the covenant, viewing things only from a physical, earthly perspective. Esau’s gesture is superficially religious, because he lacks any true vital spiritual life.

If God’s saving grace is at work in your life, you will have respect for God’s sacred covenant, taking to heart the command contained in Leviticus 20:7-8,26,

⁷Therefore, sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. ⁸You shall keep my statutes and obey them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you... ²⁶You shall be holy for me; because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations in order that you should be mine.

If God’s Saving Grace is at Work in Your Life, You will have a Holy Fear of the LORD←⤒🔗

¹⁰...Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. ¹¹When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. ¹²He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ¹³There above it stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. ¹⁴Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. ¹'I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” ¹⁶When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” ¹⁸Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. ¹⁹He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. ²⁰Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear ²¹so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God ²²and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth. Gen. 28:10-22

Genesis 28:10-15 records the divine revelation Jacob received when he set out for Paddan Aram. He saw a ladder extending between heaven and earth, the angels of God were ascending and descending this staircase-like ladder, and the LORD Himself is seen standing above the ladder. The whole emphasis of this revelation is the assurance of the LORD’s covenant blessing. The vision itself—with the ladder and the angels—indicates the unbroken connection between the LORD and His people, as well as His divine ministry to them. When the LORD speaks to Jacob He identifies Himself as “the LORD [or, Jehovah],” the covenant God of his fathers, He confirms to Jacob the covenant promises, and He assures Jacob of His divine protection. The very timing of the vision was intended to convey divine assurance to Jacob: it comes to him as he sets out on his journey away from the Promised Land in obedience to his father’s command.

It is very significant how Jacob responds to this divine revelation: “Jacob awoke out of his sleep and said, Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was unaware of it. ¹⁷He was afraid and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Gen. 28:16-17). Even as the LORD ministers His covenant mercy and blessing, Jacob is aware of the awesome majesty of the LORD God, and he expresses a holy, reverent fear of God.

Compare Jacob’s attitude towards the LORD with that of the wicked as recorded in Job 21:14­ 15, “They say to God, Get away from us! We have no desire to know your ways. ¹⁵Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What will we gain by praying to him?” Their whole attitude is that of using God, rather than worshiping Him and reverencing Him as God; there is no fear of God before their eyes.

If God’s saving grace is at work in your life, you will have a holy fear of the LORD, the attitude described by the Apostle Peter,

¹⁷...if you call upon the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, live your remaining time on earth in fear, ¹⁸knowing that you were redeemed from your futile way of life handed down from your forefathers—not by perishable things, such as silver or gold, ¹⁹but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or defect, the blood of Christ. 1 Pet. 1:17-19

If God’s Saving Grace is at Work in Your Life, You will Take Hold of God’s Grace and Refuse to Let Go←⤒🔗

³Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. ⁴He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my master Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. ⁵I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’ ⁶When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, 'We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.' ⁷In great fear and distress, Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. ⁸He thought, 'If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.' ⁹Then Jacob prayed, 'O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ ¹⁰I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. ¹¹Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. ¹²But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’ ¹³He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: ¹⁴two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, ¹⁵thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. ¹⁶He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, 'Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.' ¹⁷He instructed the one in the lead: 'When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ ¹⁸then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’ ¹⁹He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: 'You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. ²⁰And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us;’ for he thought, 'I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.' ²¹So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp. ²²That night, Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ²³After 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. ²⁵When 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. ²⁶Then the man said, 'Let me go, for it is daybreak.' But Jacob replied, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.' ²⁷The man asked him, 'What is your name?' 'Jacob,' he answered. ²⁸Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.' ²⁹Jacob said, 'Please tell me your name.' But he replied, 'Why do you ask my name?' Then he blessed him there. ³⁰So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, 'It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.' ³¹The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. ³²Therefore, to this day, the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon. Gen. 32:3-32

In Genesis 31:11-13 there is recorded God’s instruction to Jacob: “the angel of God said to me in the dream, ¹³I am the God of Beth-el, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now get up and leave this land and return to the land of your birth.” In obedient response to God’s command, Jacob prepares to leave Paddan Aram and return to Canaan: “Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him” (Gen. 32:1).

As he approaches Canaan, and receives the report that Esau is advancing towards him with four hundred men, Jacob is distressed with fear (Gen. 32:6-7). Jacob turns to the LORD and humbly appeals to His covenant mercies:

⁹Then Jacob prayed, 'O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ ¹⁰I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. ¹¹Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. ¹²But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’ vs. 9-12

In response to his prayer, Jacob has a mysterious encounter with God in which he wrestles with the Angel of the LORD (vs. 24-32). Jacob’s wrestling with the Angel is the physical counterpart to his previous wrestling with God in prayer. Jacob’s whole spiritual life is defined in his declaration, “I will not let You go, unless You bless me” (vs. 26). Even though he has been exposed to a life-threatening situation, (encountering Esau with his four hundred men)—in consequence of obeying the LORD’s command to return to Canaan—and, also, because he finds himself in an incapacitated state, both physically and spiritually—as symbolized by the LORD putting his hip out of joint—Jacob tenaciously clings to the LORD his only Savior. His act of faith is in harmony with the testimony of the Psalmist:

²⁵Whom have I in heaven except you? And there is no one on earth whom I desire besides you. ²⁶My flesh and my heart faint; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.

²⁷Those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who act like harlots, being unfaithful to you. ²⁸But it is good for me to be near to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, so that I may tell of all your works. Psl. 73:25-28

If God’s saving grace is at work in your life, you will take hold of God’s grace and refuse to let go. From John 1:12-13 we are made to see that a genuine work of the Holy Spirit in one’s life results not only in the initial act of receiving of Christ, but also in a continued trusting commitment to Him:

¹²But to all who did receive him [an initial act of faith, as is indicated by the aorist form of the Greek verb, λαμβανω], to those who are believing on his name [a continuing faith and commitment, as is indicated by the present participle of the Greek verb, πιστευω, we may translate it, “those who are believing,” or, “those who are continuing to believe”], to them he gave the right to become children of God—¹³they were born, not by natural descent, nor by human will, nor by a husband’s desire, but by God. Jn. 1:12-13

Conclusion←⤒🔗

Scripture teaches that Jacob, in distinction from Esau who was left to his own natural inclinations, was the subject of God’s saving grace. When you examine Jacob’s life as it is recorded in Scripture, you discover the distinctive trademark—the evidence—of God’s work of saving grace:

• an active desire for the divine blessing;
• a respect for God’s sacred covenant;
• a holy, reverential fear of the LORD; and,
• a clinging to the God of grace, no matter what, and refusing to let go of Him.

As you examine your own live in the light of Scripture, may you either gain assurance and confidence that God’s saving grace is at work in your life; or, may you pray that the LORD would perform His work of saving grace in you.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. What does the LORD tell us about the two sons born to Isaac and Rebekah? See Mal. 1:2b-3a How does this spiritual distinction become evident in their lives and the choices they make? With which son can you identify? As we consider the evidence of God’s redeeming grace in Jacob’s life, do you see the same work of grace in your own life?

^2bWas not Esau Jacob’s brother? says the LORD; yet I loved Jacob; ^3abut Esau I have hated. Mal. 1:2b-3a

Note: The terms “love” and “hate” are covenantal terms, indicating the LORD’s covenant is with Jacob, while Esau is left to go his own sinful way.

2. What does Jacob want to procure from Esau? See Gen. 25:29-31 What was the significance of the thing Jacob desired to obtain? How does Jacob go about obtaining the birthright? What does Jacob’s desire, despite his objectionable method, tell you about his attitude toward the LORD’s covenant? What was Esau’s attitude? See Gen. 25:32, 34b When it comes to a relationship with Christ, are you like Jacob or like Esau?

²⁹Once, when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. ³⁰He said to Jacob, 'Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I am famished!' (That is why he was also called Edom.) ³¹Jacob replied, 'First sell me your birthright.' Gen. 25:29-31

Note: The birthright contained the covenantal blessing.

'Look, I am about to die,' Esau said. 'What good is the birthright to me?' ^34b... So Esau despised his birthright. Gen. 25:32, 34b

3. What is causing grief to Rebekah’s heart? What is she afraid Jacob might do? See Gen. 27:46 Consequently, what does Isaac instruct Jacob to do? See Gen. 28:1-2 How does Jacob respond? See Gen. 28:5,7 What kind of wife would Jacob find among Rebekah’s family? See Gen. 24:50-51 Like Jacob, are you careful to be faithful to the LORD’s covenant and remain distinct from the unbelieving world? See 2 Cor. 6:17-7:1.

⁴⁶Then Rebekah said to Isaac, 'I am disgusted with living, because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.' Gen. 27:46

¹So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him and commanded him: 'Do not marry a Canaanite woman. ²Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father, Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.' Gen. 28:1-2

⁵Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah...⁷and Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and had gone to Paddan Aram... Gen. 28:5, 7

⁵⁰Laban and Bethuel answered, This matter comes from the LORD. We can say nothing to you either one way or the other. ⁵¹Look, Rebekah is here before you, take her, and go on your way. Let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken. Gen. 24:50-51

¹⁷'Come out from among them and be separate,' says the LORD...^18'I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters,' says the LORD Almighty. ^7:1Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves for all defilement of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Cor. 6:17-7:1

4. What does Jacob see in his dream, which is graciously given to him by God? See Gen. 28:12 What promise does the LORD make to Jacob? See Gen. 28:13-15 What is the purpose of this dream given to Jacob as he, in obedience to his father, is departing the Promised Land, heading to Haran? How does Jacob respond to this dream? See Gen. 28:16-17 What does this tell you about his attitude towards the LORD? Do you, like Jacob, have a holy, reverential fear of the LORD? See 1 Pet. 1:17-19.

¹²[Jacob] had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ¹³There above it stood the LORD, and he said: 'I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. ¹⁴Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. ¹⁵I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.' Gen. 28:12-15

¹⁶When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, 'Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.' ¹⁷He was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.' Gen. 28:16-17

¹⁷...if you call upon the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, live your remaining time on earth in fear, ¹⁸knowing that you were redeemed from your futile way of life handed down from your forefathers—not by perishable things, such as silver or gold, ¹⁹but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or defect, the blood of Christ. 1 Pet. 1:17-19

5. After he has sent his family and his herds ahead to his brother, Esau, what happens to Jacob that night? See Gen. 32:24-30 Who was this mysterious man? What does Jacob refuse to do and what does he request? See Gen. 32:26 What does this tell you about Jacob’s relationship with the LORD? Despite the trials He may see fit to bring into your life, do you still say to the LORD what Jacob said? Is your testimony the same as that of the Psalmist? See Psl. 73:25-28.

²⁴So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. ²⁵When 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. ²⁶Then the man said, 'Let me go, for it is daybreak.' But Jacob replied, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.' ²⁷The man asked him, 'What is your name?' 'Jacob,' he answered. ²⁸Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.' ²⁹Jacob said, 'Please tell me your name.' But he replied, 'Why do you ask my name?' Then he blessed him there. ³⁰So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, 'It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.' Gen. 32:24-30

²⁵Whom have I in heaven except you? And there is none on earth whom I desire besides you. ²⁶My flesh and my heart faint; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. ²⁷Those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who act like harlots, being unfaithful to you. ²⁸But it is good for me to be near to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, so that I may tell of all your works. Psl. 73:25-28