I grew up with a daddy who loved to “wrestle” with my brother and me when we were little. It was a wonderful game of squeals and giggles as we hopped on his back and grabbed at his arms and legs in vain. A quick spin and he’d be loose again, grabbing us up and throwing us across his shoulders.

Those are cherished memories, colored in bright shades of joy, but my idea of wrestling changed rather drastically when my brother and I got to high school and he joined the wrestling team. My parents and I would go to his matches as a family, and I’m glad I didn’t have to watch alone because it could almost be traumatic.

If you’ve never seen a wrestling match, it starts off the way you might think. There might be a little circling as the opponents size each other up, but then they engage, grabbing each other and wrenching their opponent’s limb in an attempt to put him in a position that gives them the advantage. Without exaggeration, I can say that even though my brother was never seriously hurt, it felt like watching as another person tries to systematically dislocate my brother’s joints for a win.

The two memories are at completely different ends of the spectrum. One joyful, the other anxiety-inducing, and that got me thinking about the men in the Bible who wrestle with God. It might be tempting to assume that it would be a terrifying experience to be avoided at all costs because there’s no such thing as a more intimidating opponent than God, but when I remember that He’s also our Father, it makes me think back to those nights when I was a child playing with my daddy.

Jacob Wrestles with God

Three men wrestled with God in some way in Scripture—Jacob, Job, and Habakkuk. Jacob wrestled with God physically while Job and Habakkuk wrestled with God the same way we can today—by bringing Him our doubts and questions. And I think the results of these three wrestling matches reveal something interesting about wrestling with God.

The first man to wrestle with God in the Bible was Jacob. The wrestling match has two results. The first is that Jacob’s hip is pulled out of the socket. The second is that Jacob is given the name Israel. This name change is later reiterated a couple of chapters later when God appears to Jacob. He confirms that Jacob shall be called Israel. Then reiterates the covenant He formed with Abraham and Isaac, adding Israel to the lineup.

Here’s what I love about this. Israel means “one who wrestles with God,” and this point in Scripture can be seen as the point when God becomes the God of Israel. So when God chose the name Israel, He was also choosing for Himself the name, God of the Ones Who Wrestle with God. So what’s the result of match 1? God is patient. He takes on Himself a name that lets Jacob, as well as us, know that He is a patient God who’s not afraid of or insulted by our need to grapple with Him from time to time.

Job Wrestles with God

The next man to wrestle with God is Job. Job believed himself to have been judged by God unjustly and wanted to take his questions about God before Him. And then he got exactly what he wanted. God showed up, and Job learned a few lessons. By the end of the book, we get today’s verse. Job basically says, “I’ve heard the rumors, but they don’t do You justice.” The result of this match is twofold as well. First Job is humbled in a big way. But he also experiences the bigness and power of God in a way that few people ever have on earth.

Habakkuk Wrestles with God

Last to wrestle with God is Habakkuk. He was a prophet who prophesied just before the Babylonian exile. He knew the pain and trials that were coming, but couldn’t do anything about it. And in his hurt and frustration, he went to God. He asked difficult questions about God, full of pain, without holding back. The results of this match? Habakkuk wrestles with God and spends the entirety of the last chapter of his book praising God for His goodness and sovereignty. He drew close to God to help him grapple with difficult things, and He learned that God is worthy of worship regardless of the situation.

What Wrestling with God Teaches Us

All of these wrestling matches ended with two things—humility and a deeper knowledge of who God is.

The thing about wrestling with God is it’s intimate. It’s face-to-face (if not face-on-face), and your opponent is going to be all up in your business. There’s no hiding. And I think that’s exactly the place God wants us to get to in our relationship with Him. Face-to-face, nothing held back, no hiding. As long as we approach the opportunity to grapple with our Heavenly Father with humility, I think we shouldn’t fear bringing our questions about God and moments of faith and doubt to Him. Because in the end, what we’ll find is a deeper knowledge and understanding of just how good He is.