Wrestling with God

²² And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, ^(A)and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. ²³ He took them, sent them ^[a]over the brook, and sent over what he had. ²⁴ Then Jacob was left alone; and ^(B)a Man wrestled with him until the ^[b]breaking of day. ²⁵ Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He ^[c]touched the socket of his hip; and ^(C)the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. ²⁶ And ^(D)He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”

But he said, ^(E)“I will not let You go unless You bless me!”

²⁷ So He said to him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Jacob.”

²⁸ And He said, ^(F)“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but ^[d]Israel; for you have ^(G)struggled with God and ^(H)with men, and have prevailed.”

²⁹ Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”

And He said, ^(I)“Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He ^(J)blessed him there.

³⁰ So Jacob called the name of the place ^[e]Peniel: “For ^(K)I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” ³¹ Just as he crossed over ^[f]Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.

An Invitation to Abundant Life

Israel’s Rejection of Christ

9 I ^(A)tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, ^2 (B)that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. ³ For ^(C)I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my ^[a]countrymen according to the flesh, ⁴ who are Israelites, ^(D)to whom pertain the adoption, ^(E)the glory, ^(F)the covenants, ^(G)the giving of the law, ^(H)the service of God, and ^(I)the promises; ^5 (J)of whom are the fathers and from ^(K)whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, ^(L)who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

Feeding the Five Thousand^(A)

^13 (B)When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. ¹⁴ And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He ^(C)was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. ^15 (D)When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”

¹⁶ But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷ And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

¹⁸ He said, “Bring them here to Me.” ¹⁹ Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, ^(E)He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. ²⁰ So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. ²¹ Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.