Consider the scene of Jacob’s wrestling and answer two simple questions. Who wins, really? And who is his opponent?
The story of “Jacob’s wrestling match with an angel” is definitely a mysterious and interesting one. It begins in the wake of Esau’s anticipated encounter. One night, as Jacob and those with him cross the Jabok, Jacob stays behind, leaving him alone with a mysterious man, who initiates a wrestling match. The identity of this man is neither known nor given, so we must interpret. Kass suggests that it might be a stand-in for Jacob’s antagonists, one of Esau and Isaac. The wrestling match therefore represents an intimate entanglement of each other, where Jacob ultimately conquers his opponent, fulfilling his tendency to take yet another thing. Regardless of the opponent, the story reminds us of Jacob’s taking of Esau’s blessing in Genesis 27. Both stories occur in the dark in hurried anticipation of Esau’s arrival, and both end in a victory for Jacob. One distinction is that in the former story (the taking of Esau’s blessing), Jacob lies and identifies himself as Esau, whereas in the later (wrestling match) he correctly identifies himself as Jacob. With the later story, Jacob is then ultimately given a new name, Isreal. To go along with this recurring theme of giving things/people names, we can interpret this act of naming as a newly established connection between Jacob/Israel and God. Now, after prevailing against adversity and being blessed with a new name, Jacob may pass on and create the diverse lineage promised to Abraham.
One thing of note about this wrestling match is who the winner truly was. Strictly speaking, Jacob overpowers his opponent, who submits only after injuring Jacob’s hip. Jacob is now left with a limp, which effectively functions as a mark of his encounter. However, if we imagine the opponent as either God or a manifestation of Him, it would seem that God was the true winner of the match. This is because, God, through this match, forces Jacob to confront his own actions and prevail over them. After, Jacob is left with a mark of the encounter so as to commemorate his turning point.
jrundle 
I find that your interpretation of this situation as a “turning point” is an interesting one. You are right in describing those specific actions that have changed over the previous “match” that Jacob participated in: the taking of his brother’s blessing. This show us that Jacob has gone through a renovating period of change during the 20 years he spent away from home. It’s as if this vigil match was finally preparing him to reencounter his brother and begin the next, and definitive, episode of his life.
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I found your interpretation interesting. I think agree strictly speaking Jacob is the winner of this physical battle with his unknown opponent. However, as you stated, “if we imagine the opponent as either God or a manifestation of Him, it would seem that God was the true winner of the match.” I think that God was the true winner as He did push Jacob to confront the darkness within him, and deal with his restless subconscious. All of which, enabled him to come into better and closer fellowship with God
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