“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
While listening to the song “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” I was struck by the words “Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel,” and I couldn’t help but think of the meaning behind that statement…
Emanuel (God with us) will come to you, O Israel (those who wrestle with God).
God will meet those who struggle with him, and Bless those who refuse to let him go.
Genesis 32:22-32 tells the story of Jacob, who, while traveling, happened at one point to be alone and without possessions. It was in this place that he met God and grappled with him all night. Jacob refused to let God out of his sight until God blessed him.
In this struggle, God changed Jacob’s name from usurper to Israel.
Remarkably, it was God who wrestled with Jacob, God who injured Jacob’s hip to overpower him, God who said “let me go” for it is daytime… Yet Jacob refused, refused to let go of God, refused to leave that place, refused to give in to the pain he felt from that struggle and so he was blessed.
As we anticipate Christmas in this season of advent, let us not forget that God meets us in our desert, in our loneliness, in our destitution.
If we refuse to give up and refuse to let go of God, He will surely bless us.
“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9, NIV).
