Two
Questions Touching the Nature of God
Which
arise from the story found in Genesis 32:24-32:
With
Whom Did Jacob Wrestle?
Why
Was This Being Unable to Prevail Against Jacob?
THE STORY
Genesis 32:24-32
[24] Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until
the breaking of the day. [25] When he saw that he didn’t prevail
against him, the man touched the hollow of his thigh, and the
hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained as he wrestled. [26] The
man said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” Jacob said, “I
won’t let you go unless you bless me.” [27] He said to him,
“What is your name?” He said, “Jacob”. [28] He said, “Your
name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought
with God and with men, and have prevailed.” [29] Jacob asked him,
“Please tell me your name.” He said, “Why is it that you ask
what my name is?” He blessed him there. [30] Jacob called the
name of the place Peniel; for he said, “I have seen God face to
face, and my life is preserved.” [31] The sun rose on him as he
passed over Peniel, and he limped because of his thigh. [32]
Therefore the children of Israel don’t eat the sinew of the hip,
which is on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because he touched
the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.
INTRODUCTION
This story brings up
one question that in this lifetime may not have a complete solution.
With whom did Jacob wrestle? Did he wrestle with a man, with an
angel, with God? The story points to this man being more than a man.
This may then lead to another question. If the man was more than a
man, either an angel or God, how is it that he didn't prevail against
Jacob? What kind of God (whether himself or one of his angels) would
be unable to prevail against a mere mortal? (For it is generally
assumed, and reasonably so, that Jacob is a mortal and not a god or
demi-god such as is found in the Greek myths.) In this article I will
argue that Jacob wrestled with a man that was also much more than a
man. I will also answer the second question such that God is exalted
as God, not simply in spite of this not prevailing against Jacob, but
because of this.
FIRST QUESTION
With whom did Jacob
wrestle? The story begins by stating that Jacob wrestled with a man.
This man was a real physical being that could be touched and could
touch. He could hear and speak.
This man is
presented as being more that a man as well. He touches the hollow of
Jacob's thigh and is it strained (or put out of joint according to
some translations) such that Jacob limped because of it (v.31) and
the remembrance of this is passed on to his descendants in the form
of a dietary regulation (v.32). When this man is asked for his name,
he does not give it, but seems to imply that it should be obvious to
Jacob who he is. The scriptures testify that the greater blesses the
lesser (Hebrews7:7). This places this man on a higher lever (whether
human or divine) than Jacob. Afterward the event was over, Jacob
called the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), saying “I
have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Jacob
clearly believed he had wrestled with God.
This man changed
Jacob's name to Israel. He said to Jacob, “You have fought with God
and with men and have prevailed” (v.28). This can be taken to mean
that in this particular event, Jacob was in fact wrestling with God
in the form of a man. Perhaps a more likely meaning of this is that
Jacob had previously prevailed against men in various struggles and
conflicts, and now in this struggle he had prevailed against God.
We see that Jacob
wrestled with a man who was more than a man. Who was it? Was he
wrestling with an angel as a representative or authoritative
ambassador of God? This is very possible, and would not be the first
time nor the last time in the history of God's people that an angel
(often referred to as the “Angel of the Lord”) appeared to one or
more of God's people in such a way that it was described as God
appearing (for example, see Judges13:19-23) to them.
However, if it was
not an angel with whom Jacob wrestled, then it seems the only other
possibility is that he wrestled with God in the flesh. While this
seems a strange thought, it is also not the first time that God
appeared in the flesh to his people (for example, see Genesis18:1-33, note verse 22), nor is it the last time. At a later
time, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah7:14) of a man who would be called Immanuel (which means “God
with us”). Though his own teaching, through signs and wonders,
through the teaching of the apostles, Jesus is shown to be both God
in the flesh (consider John1:1-14). *
While arguments can
be made for either possibility, Moses does not make this clear to us
in his record of this event, and thus I do not feel compelled to
offer (or even think it best to offer) a definitive opinion on the
matter. It is clear that Jacob wrestled with a man that was much more
than a man, either God in the flesh or an angel in the form or a man
as a representative of God.
This conclusion
leads to the …
SECOND QUESTION
This question
concerns the power, and thus the nature, of the God of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. The question could be simplified into something like this:
How is it that God (or even his angel) could not prevail against
Jacob (a man) in a wrestling match? One might even dare to shorten it
further to the questions: Is God weak? How could a man be stronger
than God? However, I will focus on the first question, as that is a
question that comes more directly from the story at hand. How is it
that God (or even his angel) could not prevail against Jacob (a man)
in a wrestling match?
This second question
begins as, “how is it that God COULD not prevail against Jacob?”
Looking at the story again, we find that the question is not an
accurate question. The story does not tell us that God COULD not
prevail against Jacob, it merely tells us that God DID not prevail
against Jacob (v.25). While DID not might include the idea of COULD
not, it does not necessarily include it. In this case, I think it is
quite reasonable to conclude that God DID not prevail even though he
was quite able to prevail. The creation and maintenance of the world,
along with the mighty works performed by God as recorded in the
history of God with his people, both of these lead me to accept that
God was, is, and always will be almighty.
Now the second
question has become, “Though God COULD prevail against Jacob, how
is it that he DID not prevail against Jacob?” This really is two
questions: 1) How could God be such that he might not prevail over a
man? 2) Why would God become such that he might not prevail over a
man?
HOW
With the first
question, we have seen that God is able to come to men in the form of
a man. Taking on such a form for the sake of appearing to men does
not (in a sense) necessitate losing all that makes God God, including
his power, but may require concealing some of the visible things of
God.
WHY
The greater question
(in my opinion) is why would God become such that he might not
prevail over a man. God is our creator. He is able to create us. He
is also able to destroy us. Yet, he delights not in destroying his
creation, but delights in seeing his creation change and grow, from
bad to good, and from better to best (as stated by Ezekiel in Ezekiel18:23,32; 33:11).
Brute force is not a
father's main tool in raising his children. Wisdom, discipline and
instruction are much more useful, particularly when brought to a
level that the child can understand. When employed properly, and
received, properly, such instruction and discipline can help raise
that child up to a higher level. The prophets, Jesus, and the
apostles spoke of God as the Father. (Consider that God has not
learned from the example of earthly fathers, but it is the best
earthly fathers that have learned from the example of God.) He deals
with men both as individuals and as communities at their level in
order to raise them out of their condition to a better level. So this
is the answer to the why. Why would God become such that he might not
prevail over a man?
In this story of
Jacob wrestling with a man, God deals with Jacob on Jacob's level.
God does not appear in all the awesome power and glory of God, but
comes as a man, a man like Jacob. God values perseverance and
endurance in his children (consider Matthew24:13), particularly in connection with obtaining the goal God
would have us reach. Will Jacob persevere? How much does Jacob want
the blessing? God, as a man, pushes Jacob to his (Jacob's) limit.
Most people would give up before now, but not Jacob. God saw that he
didn't prevail against him. I think God was pleased that Jacob was so
committed to gaining the blessing. Jacob does receive the blessing.
He comes out of this event changed for the better. This is a
transition in Jacob's life. God showed his awesome power not in
crushing a man, but in changing a man. God showed his strength not
with brute force but with a meekness that can touch the heart of a
man. King David wrote to God, “Your gentleness makes me great”
(Psalm18:35).
Understanding this
brings us to …
ONE LAST QUESTION
God desires that all
men would turn from their sin to God's ways, and live (live forever).
Jacob wanted that blessing. He fought and wrestled for it. When it
became more difficult, he still held on. He wanted the blessing. What
about you? Do you want the blessing of eternal life? Will you wrestle
and strive with God? When it becomes difficult will you give up, or
will you still hold on until you have gained life at last, until you
hear God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant”?
We
desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the
fullness of hope even to the end,
that
you won’t be sluggish,
but
imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherited the
promises.
Hebrews
6:11-12
FOOTNOTES
*1
For more information concerning appearances of God to men in the
Bible, I recommend the two brief articles below found on the
GotQuestions?org website:
Scripture
references taken from the WEB unless
otherwise noted.
