“雅各”这一个名字，在原文中有好几个意思：有一个意思是抓住，还有一个意思是诡诈的排挤者。雅各这一个人因为诡计多端的缘故，所以他一直受神的管教。雅各的经历与以撒的经历是完全不同的。以撒的特点是接受，我们接受从神来的丰富，这是很快、很容易的。一个基督徒如果要进入基督的丰富，看见基督的事实是他的，看见基督的生命是他的，那快得很，只要一看见，就立刻能进去，什么问题都解决了。但是，雅各的经历不是这样，乃是一生一世的。天然的生命，是一生一世的。我们活在地上有多久，我们这一个人的血气的活动也跟着有多久，这就需要神长久的、继续不断地对付，需要神一步一步的对付。我们感谢神，这一个工作并不是永远作不好的，并不是永远作不了的。神总有一天能作得好。总有一天，神摸着雅各天然能力集中的地方，雅各就变为软弱。
毗努伊勒的经历
就在那天夜间，神遇见他─“只剩下雅各一人；有一个人来和他摔跤，直到黎明。那人见自己胜不过他，就将他的大腿窝摸了一把，雅各的大腿窝，正在摔跤的时候就扭了。”这个地方叫作毗努伊勒。这一个地方，就是雅各血气的生命最用力的地方，也就是雅各血气的生命受对付的地方。
神与雅各摔跤
不是雅各在这里作什么，也不是雅各祷告，也不是雅各去与神摔跤，乃是神来与雅各摔跤，是神来压住雅各。什么叫作摔跤？摔跤就是要把一个人压在下面。神来与雅各摔跤，就是神要叫雅各服在祂的下面，要叫雅各没有力量，要叫雅各不能再动，要叫雅各不能再挣扎。摔跤的意思，就是叫你没有力气，叫你倒下去，叫你不能动。摔跤的意思，就是把你摔倒了再有一个力量压在你身上。圣经告诉我们，神来与雅各摔跤，但是神不能胜过他。雅各的力量真是最大的力量！
什么叫作神不能胜过他呢？当我们不倚靠神的时候，当我们自己在那里打算的时候，当我们自己在那里觉得满意的时候，我们只得承认说，神不能胜过我们。当我们在那里用自己的力量去遵行神的旨意，用各种各样出乎天然的方法去拯救自己的时候，我们只得承认说，神不能胜过我们。有许多弟兄姊妹，信主已经多年了，可是他们还只得承认说，神不能胜过他们。他们还是那样聪明，还是那样刚强，还是那样有本事，还是那样有办法，神不能胜过他们。他们从来没有被神摔倒过，从来没有被神打败过。弟兄姊妹，也许你与神摔跤已经有五年、十年了，但是神还没有胜过你。你没有一次被神带到一个地步说，“我完了，我爬不起来了，我没有办法了；”这就是神不能胜过你。
信息重点：神要对付的，不是我们的环境，乃是我们天然生命最刚强的地方。
应用祷告：主耶稣，求你让我看见自己天然生命中仍倚靠自己的地方，赐我顺服的心，甘心接受你的对付，使你的生命更多成形在我里面。阿们。
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The Breaking of Jacob’s Natural Life (1) — Gen. 32:22-24
The name “Jacob” has several meanings in Hebrew, one means to grasp or take hold of, and another is a deceitful supplanter. Because Jacob was a man full of scheming, he was constantly under God’s discipline. Jacob’s experience is entirely different from Isaac’s experience. Isaac’s characteristic was receiving — we receive the riches that come from God, and this is quick and easy. If a Christian wants to enter into the riches of Christ, to see that the reality of Christ is his, to see that the life of Christ is his, this can happen very quickly; the moment he sees it, he can immediately enter in, and every problem is solved. But Jacob’s experience is not like this — it is a lifelong matter. The natural life is a lifelong matter. As long as we live on earth, the activity of our fleshly self continues just as long, and this requires God’s prolonged and continual dealing, God’s step-by-step dealing. We thank God that this work will not forever go undone — it will not remain unfinished forever. God will eventually accomplish it. There will come a day when God touches the very place where Jacob’s natural ability was concentrated, and Jacob will become weak.
The Experience of Penuel
That very night, God met him — “Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he had not prevailed against Jacob, he touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh, and the socket of his thigh was dislocated as he wrestled with him.” This place was called Penuel. This was the place where Jacob’s fleshly life exerted its utmost strength, and it was also the place where Jacob’s fleshly life was dealt with.
God Wrestling with Jacob
It was not Jacob doing anything here, nor was it Jacob praying, nor was it Jacob going to wrestle with God — rather, it was God coming to wrestle with Jacob, God coming to press him down. What does it mean to wrestle? It means to press a person down beneath you. God’s coming to wrestle with Jacob meant that God wanted to make Jacob submit under Him, to render Jacob powerless, to keep Jacob from moving any further, to keep Jacob from struggling any further. To wrestle means to drain you of strength, to make you fall down, to make you unable to move. To wrestle means to knock you down and then press a force upon you. The Bible tells us that God came to wrestle with Jacob, but God could not prevail over him. Jacob’s strength truly was the greatest strength!
What does it mean that God cannot prevail over someone? When we do not rely on God, when we are making our own plans, when we feel satisfied with ourselves, we must admit that God has not prevailed over us. When we use our own strength to carry out God’s will, when we use all kinds of natural methods to save ourselves, we must admit that God has not prevailed over us. Many brothers and sisters have believed in the Lord for many years, yet they must still admit that God has not prevailed over them. They are still as clever, as strong, as capable, and as resourceful as ever — God has not prevailed over them. They have never been thrown down by God; they have never been defeated by God. Brothers and sisters, perhaps you have been wrestling with God for five years, ten years, yet God still has not prevailed over you. You have never once been brought by God to the point of saying, “I am finished, I cannot get up, I have no way out” — this is what it means that God has not prevailed over you.
Message Main Points: What God wants to deal with is not our environment, but the strongest point of our natural life.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, let me see the places in my natural life where I still rely on myself. Grant me a submissive heart, willing to accept Your dealing, that Your life may be formed more in me. Amen.