And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel;  for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed. Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel:  “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” (Gen 32: 28-30)

Jacob had a problem. His brother, Esau, whom he had tricked out of his inheritance, was advancing in his direction with 400 men: threats to him, his family, his flocks, and his possessions. True to his nature, Jacob devised a cunning plan to appease his brother by sending delegations ahead of him with gifts, until eventually he was left alone with his family. Finally, he sent his family ahead, and was left alone for the night.

That night, the story tells of how a “man“ – whom we take to be God – came and wrestled with him until the morning, when Jacob famously says “I will not let you go until you bless me!” Bless Jacob He did, giving him a limp in the process that would always remind him of the encounter..

For many of us, it often seems as if the night is dark, and Esau is approaching. We might feel that we have prayed many prayers, just like Jacob sending his gift ahead, but we don’t know if they are making any difference. We are left on our own with God, which of course is exactly where He wants us. Jacob knew the promises that God had made, but now it wasn’t enough for them just to be in his head: he needed them to become a reality; he needed to get hold of God until the words became flesh for him personally.

This is where the Rubik’s cube comes in. Sometimes the things we are desperate for just don’t seem to happen, and no matter how hard we try, how much we pray, how many gifts we have sent in advance, Esau keeps coming and the cube just doesn’t line up. God wants us to know that He can see what we can’t see, and that only He has the solution to the cube. The promises that He’s made us are real but only He can bring them about. It is He who hold the cube, not us: all things really do work together for the good of those who love the Lord, and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28), but we need to hold onto God until He blesses us, not try to grab the cube to make it line up.

Whether it’s the nations or our own lives, God has got the cube in His hands. Jacob wrestled until he prevailed: not only did he remember God’s promises, but he held onto the promise keeper until they became part of his life. And here is the great encouragement for us: Jacob named the place of this encounter Peniel, “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” (Gen 32:30) Peniel means “Facing God.” God wants us to hold onto Him because He wants us to seek His face, and when we do we know His life and we see His promise fulfilled in the outpouring of that life. The eventual meeting with Esau was a time of reconciliation, not enmity. Jacob was born in the flesh as a human baby, but spiritual Israel was born when he clung to God and would not let him go until he received the blessing of fruitfulness.  When we meet with Esau as Israel, we find that the victory has been won, and the Rubik’s cube has lined up.