I will not let you go unless you bless me. (Genesis 32:26)(NLT)The following is a worship profile taken from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House Publishers. I highly recommend this study Bible for anyone who wants to learn more about praise and worship.
Jacob
Jacob pursued God's blessing as an athlete pursues a prize. If Jacob had retired early the night before his meeting with his brother, Esau, or if he had whiled away the hours in sleepless anticipation, he would have had good reason. This was the same Esau he had cheated out of his father's blessing years ago. Accompanied by four wives, twelve sons, a daughter, and an abundance of material possessions, Jacob had made his way back to the land where his brother was still living. Yet Jacob spent the night before the meeting wrestling with a mysterious visitor until daybreak. "I will not let you go unless you bless me," Jacob persisted (Genesis 32:26). And so Jacob received a blessing, along with a new name, Israel, which means "one who struggles with God."
Jacob the Worshiper
Despite his character flaws, Jacob appreciated the greatness of God and the privilege of serving him. From his youngest days, Jacob heard the story of God's covenant with his grandfather Abraham and his father, Isaac. Jacob then continued this legacy of devotion to God.
Notice that Jacob exerted much to gain his blessing. Going without sleep was tiring enough, but wrestling for hours surely exhausted him. And for what? The blessing was not material gain--Jacob was already a wealthy man. Jacob sought God's favor. That was the great treasure that God offered and Jacob eagerly accepted.
Learning from Jacob
Rarely do we think of worship as a strenuous exercise. Yet there are times when we are called to set aside our comfort--or our struggles--and seek only God.
Following the Example
Like an athlete who has just begun training, we may be surprised at how little endurance we have when it comes to seeking God. We may find that obtaining God's blessing is more difficult, more elusive than we first thought. Yet God calls us to persist, for he is anxious to bless us. The blessing he gives will change us, just as God's blessing transformed Jacob.
Singing His Praises,
Joey C.