Jacob was a man who stubbornly struggled to have his will prevail, sometimes against the very will of God. The title of his biography, probably 'The Way Things Ought to Be' (a la Rush Limbaugh) had to be changed to 'The Way Things Will Be' after having struggled with God and having his hip thrown out of joint. The limp and the need for the staff to walk punctuated Jacob's complete and total dependence upon God, yielding to God's will. We must also learn to subordinate our wills to God.