Here we're dealing with the story of Jacob at the Jabbok River Crossing, an incident in which he wrestles all night and secures a blessing. It's a strange incident, isn't it? We've got something which occurred a thousand or more years before Jesus' time, something reminiscent of superstitions and primitive religions: a man wrestling for a blessing with a creature that must escape before the light of day, like a vampire or a werewolf. This is a strange portion of the Bible to have to deal with.

Maybe it would help to know something of the background of this fellow Jacob. He's an up-and-comer, a go-getter, an aggressive and shrewd climber. And he doesn't always play his cards "according to Hoyle." He uses his wits and his strength to claw his way up in the world. In other passages about Jac…