Jacob's thigh hollow was put out of joint when he wrestled with God. But we see one amazing thing in verse 26: "And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." According to our thought, Jacob's thigh hollow was already out of joint, and he was depleted of all strength. How could he not let God go? Yet the man said, "Let me go, for the day breaketh." This shows that when the hollow of our thigh is touched, we hold on to God the strongest. When we cannot make it, we turn and grasp hold of God. When we are weak, we become strong, and when we are crippled, we turn back to God and say, "I will not let You go." To us, it seems impossible that we can do this, but this is a fact. When our strength is gone, we find ourselves grasping hold of God. The grasping that happens when our strength is gone is the real grasping. Those who grasp hold of God have no need of their own strength. The faith that accomplishes things is the faith that is as small as a mustard seed. A faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains (Matt. 17:20). Many times, fervent prayers and fervent faith are merely fervor; they do not bring about any result. But often, when we do not have the strength in ourselves to seek God, when we cannot even pray to Him or ask of Him, and when we cannot even believe, we find ourselves believing! The amazing thing is that this feeble faith, this little faith, brings in results. When Jacob was so strong, he was useless in the hand of the Lord. But when the hollow of his thigh was touched, God took hold of him.
He blessed Jacob saying, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel" (Gen. 32:28). The name Israel means "ruling with God" or "reigning with God." This was the turning point in Jacob's life. The experience at Peniel shows us that Jacob was defeated by God's hand; the sinew of his thigh's hollow was touched, and he became crippled for the rest of his life. Following this, however, God said, "As a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." This is true victory. When we are defeated by God, we have truly prevailed and truly lost confidence in ourselves. Whenever we find that we can no longer make it, that is the time when we have overcome.
Let us read verse 29: "And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there." Jacob wanted to know who the man was and what His name was. But the man would not give Jacob His name; He would only tell Jacob after he reached Bethel (35:10-11). Jacob did not know the man. He did not know when He came and when He left. Jacob only knew that his own name was to be changed to Israel; he did not know who that person was. All those whose thigh hollow has been touched by God are not too clear about what they have experienced. This is something that we must all realize.
After one brother heard the story of Jacob at Peniel, he said, "Last Friday night, God touched the hollow of my thigh, and He dealt with my natural strength." Another brother asked, "What happened?" The first one answered, "When God opened my eyes that day, I became finished. I was very happy and thanked the Lord greatly because He had touched the hollow of my thigh." It is questionable whether one can be so clear about his own experience. The story of Jacob shows us that when his natural life was touched, he was still not very clear about what had happened. If God has touched our natural life, we probably did not know about it at the time. We may only know about it after a few weeks or a few months. Some brothers do not know what happened to them when their natural life was touched. They only know that they dared not do something and were not as capable, strong, and clever as before. Formerly they had much confidence, but now their confidence is gone. Only when they turn to God's Word one day, do they realize that God has touched their natural life.
Therefore, we should not wait for such an experience to come. If our eyes are set on the experience, we may wait for a few years and still not get it. God does not allow our eyes to be set on our experience; He only allows us to set our eyes on Him. Those who seek for experience will not find it, but those who look to God will find the experience. Many people are saved without being conscious of it. In the same way, many Christians have their natural life touched without realizing it. This was the experience of Jacob. He was not very clear at the beginning. He only knew that he met God that day. On that day, he came face to face with God.
Those who have passed through the experience of Peniel will not be able to tell others very clearly about the doctrine of it. All they know is that they have met God and that they have become crippled. They can only say that they are not as strong as they once were, and that they are not as confident as they once were. Every time they try to maneuver or contrive, they find themselves unable to do it any longer. Every time they try to prove their ability, they are stopped. Lameness is the proof of the thigh hollow being touched. One does not become crippled by shouting, "I am lame!" If a man still acts confidently, speaks persuasively, moves independently, insists on his proposals, and does not wait on God and look to Him when things happen, he is not crippled, and God has not touched him yet. Jacob did not know God's name; all he knew was that a mark was left on him, the mark of lameness. What does it mean to become lame? It means to no longer live by oneself, trust in oneself, or believe in oneself. One dares not consider himself clever or capable, and he dares not exercise his schemes. All he can do is look to God and trust in Him. He is in fear and trembling and remains in weakness. This is being crippled, and this is having the sinew of the thigh hollow touched. There is no need to spend time to consider when this will happen or how it will happen. All we have to do is look to the Lord and believe that one day, subconsciously the sinew of our thigh hollow will be touched.
However, the experience of Peniel alone is not complete. Peniel signifies God's beginning. It was there that God first told Jacob that he would be called Israel. After Peniel it is hard for us to detect Israel in Jacob. We still see Jacob. In Peniel Jacob only knew that his own name would be called Israel; he did not know God's name. Jacob did not know who God was until Genesis 35. Hence, Peniel was only a turning point. The completion is not found until we come to Bethel. More time was needed before God's work could be completed in Jacob.