"The Wrestler" - Doug Rehberg

One of the great American bands of the late 20^th century was the Allman Brothers. Their lead singer and guitarist, Gregg Allman, wrote most of the songs that composed a genre of music many called “country-fried rock and roll.”

Well, there’s a five-minute song that Gregg wrote in 1969 that became for me, and my buddies in college, the lament of all laments – “Whipping Post”. It’s said that Gregg wrote this song in the middle of the night. He had no pen or pencil, but he was so desperate to get the lyrics down that he took the ends of burnt matches and wrote the lyrics on an ironing board. Here are his nocturnal musings:

I've been run down
I've been lied to
I don't know why,
I let that mean woman make me a fool
She took all my money
Wrecks my new car
Now she's with one of my good time buddies
They're drinkin' in some cross town bar

Sometimes I feel
Sometimes I feel
Like I've been tied
To the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Good lord I feel like I'm dyin'

My friends tell me
That I've been such a fool
And I have to stand down and take it babe,
All for lovin' you
I drown myself in sorrow
As I look at what you've done
Nothin' seems to change
Bad times stay the same
And I can't run

Sometimes I feel
Sometimes I feel
Like I've been tied
To the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Good lord I feel like I'm dyin'

Sometimes I feel
Sometimes I feel
Like I've been tied
To the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Good lord I feel like I'm dyin'

When the Allman Brothers first recorded it, it was five minutes long. But sometimes in concert they’ve been known to stretch it to twenty-two minutes, and when they do, the crowd erupts. And the reason the crowd is so into it is because every one of us can identify. Maybe it’s not the scorn or thief or carelessness of a lover, but it’s someone in your life who’s tying you to the whipping post.

Of all the characters of Scripture, none felt more persecuted by those close to him than Jacob. For 94 years he lived feeling as though his father and brother were standing in the way of God’s promise. They were to blame. They were the ones that he (and his mother) sought to overcome.

This week we begin a two-week investigation of Jacob’s experience in Genesis 32:22-32. Here in the dead of night, when he’s all alone, the Lord condescends to expose Himself as a man who wrestles Jacob for hours. It’s as a wrestler that the Lord reveals so many powerful truths about God, Jacob, and us.

In preparation for part one of “The Wrestler”, you may wish to consider the following:

1.         Review Jacob’s life by reading Genesis 25-33.

2.         What is the significance of the birthright and the father’s blessing?

3.         Why is the Lord’s statement to Rebekah in Genesis 25:23 so critical to the story of Jacob?

4.         Why is Isaac so resistant to God’s word? What’s wrong with God’s message?

5.         Why does Rebekah aid Jacob in conning his father?

6.         What is the significance of the words in Genesis 27:33, “Then Isaac trembled violently”?

7.         Why does Jacob send all his family and goods to meet Esau before him?

8.         Why does God wait till Jacob is alone to expose Himself?

9.         What does Jacob learn about God and himself from wrestling with the incarnate God?

10.     How does this exposure prove that our greatest struggle in life is not with a man or woman, father or mother, sister or brother, but God?

See you Sunday!