When Dawn Breaks

It’s a dark scene shrouded by shadows and begging for sunlight. Two men wrestle until dawn breaks. But this fight isn’t just physical—it’s spiritual. And the setting mirrors our own soulful struggles sorted out in the debt of night.

It’s a dark scene shrouded by shadows and begging for sunlight. Two men wrestle until dawn breaks. But this fight isn’t just physical—it’s spiritual. And the setting mirrors our own soulful struggles sorted out in the debt of night.

Genesis 32 recounts the match between Jacob and God. Three times the narrator mentions the rising sun, each corresponding to a pivotal point in the story. The first glimmer of light comes as Jacob wrestles with the man “until the rising of the dawn” (Genesis 32:24). It’s an apt picture of Jacob’s own spiritual journey. Jacob has spent his life in the dark, trying to wrestle a blessing from others and from God.

Again the man says to Jacob, “Let me go, for the dawn has arisen” (Genesis 32:26). Light peaks over the hills as the sparring match comes to a close. But Jacob won’t let go until the man blesses him. He’s not seeking some pleasant benediction. Jacob is looking for prophetic favor. Such blessings in the Old Testament are often indicative of the future. And Jacob knows that in just a few hours, he’ll face his past and his potentially bitter brother.

Before the man blesses Jacob, he changes his name. The NET Bible notes this play on words as Jacob, described as one who fought with men and God, will now be called Israel, meaning God fights. The man who spent his life trying to wrangle God’s blessing finally receives it by faith.  

The story ends at sunrise as Jacob realizes that God graciously revealed himself and still allowed Jacob to live through it and tell others about. So he names that place Penuel or face of God. “The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip” (Genesis 32:31). Jacob is now ready to move forward, humbled by a limp that will forever remind him of his journey from fighting to faith.

It looks a lot like our own lives doesn’t it? How many times have I fought God for something he wanted to give me by faith? I hate to admit how often my own dark nights expose a struggling, selfish soul. But I’m also discovering that God does his best work in the stillness that comes just before dawn.

Dawn—it’s those brief moments of quiet just before the sun peaks over the horizon. It’s those still seasons of our lives when heaven seems silent and we must trust God’s sovereign hand even when we can’t see where he’s leading. Here I see my sin clearly as I clamor and control everything and everyone. And it’s here that God meets us bringing his deepest work to our soul’s dark and desperate places.

So if you find yourself in one of these still seasons—like I do today—take heart. God is up to something. Changing us. Softening us. Stilling our wrestling hearts. Dawn is breaking through. Can you see it?