The author of Hebrews presents an additional portrait of Jacob as a man of faith:

"By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both sons of Joseph; and worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff." (Heb. 11:21)

Just prior to the wrestling match at Peniel, Jacob spoke these words,
"…For with my staff I passed over this Jordan." (Gen.32:10)

Jacob had a friend, a tried and true companion which remained faithfully at his side through all the seasons of his life, a silent witness to all his sufferings, a quiet presence in his poverty, adversity, and loneliness.

His companion? The wooden staff of his earthly pilgrimage "…with my staff I passed over this Jordan." "He blessed…and worshiped…leaning upon the top of his staff."

Jacob's staff was to become the constant reminder of the humiliation and weakness destined to become the foundation of his ministry. The writer of Hebrews gives a fourfold portrait of Jacob as "dying, blessing, worshipping and leaning." (Heb.11:21).

Notice that the end of Jacob's life, the full weight of his ministry rests entirely upon his "staff." Jacob's ability to bless others as well as his capacity to worship would both flow from a lifetime of leaning. The staff of Jacob would forever point to his "pilgrim identity." It stood as the daily reminder of his abject dependence upon God. Jacob's staff was the second confirming witness against Jacob's independence and self-will. The first was his limp!

At Bethel Jacob picked up this staff and walked away. After his encounter at Peniel, he will lean for support the rest of his life. The scripture says:

"When the man saw that he could not overpower him he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled…the sun rose above him as he passed Peniel and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon." (Gen. 32: 29, 30-32)

I believe that Jacob's limp became precious to him. Perhaps the only thing more precious in his life and memory was his "staff." Andrew Jukes points out,

"Jacob to have God's strength, must lose his own…The man 'whose hand lays hold' is not a 'prince of God,' until the hollow of his thigh is out of joint. When he is weak, then he is strong."

Notice the two fruits proceeding from Jacob's "leaning posture": He blessed and he worshipped. It was a result of the brokenness of a lifetime that Jocab would bless others. It was a from a foundation of "humble dependence" that Jacob would be able to worship God in any meaningful way.

"The man asked him, 'What is your name?' 'Jacob,' he answered. Then the man said your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."
(Gen. 32:22,29)

We must prevail with God before we can prevail with men. Jacob the deceiver is dead. Israel "the prince" now emerges from a long twilight struggle, "leaning" for support upon a "simple staff. Andrew Jukes concludes:

"Would we be Israels? These are the conditions, - to go over Jordan, and wrestle alone, and be smitten in the fleshly part and lamed, and halting; so shall we have power with God and man; and because so few will submit to this, there are many Jacobs, but few Israels."

As it was with Jacob, so it is with us. We bless others only to the degree that we will "lean" our full weight upon the staff of grace. We worship God "in spirit and in truth" only in so far as we can remember who He is and who we used to be!

How precious is this final portrait of Jacob. He is dying; he is blessing; and he is worshiping; yet all because he is "leaning."

A.B. Simpson concludes:

"… out of the thing that is the hardest, we often may get the greatest blessing…Jacob did not get his answer by struggling. When at last he yielded and fell prostrate at the feet of Him who wrestled with him, then he received the blessing… You have been too strong. You have tried to do too much. You thought you could wring the blessings from Esau, outwit Laban, and now propitiate Esau. You have tried to do things yourself, oh Jacob! Fall a helpless child at My feet, and let Me be your strength, and carry you henceforth."