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Genesis 32:24-32
Genesis 32:24-32
Last time, Jacob was returning home.
He was worried how his brother Esau would react.
It has been 20 years or so since they had last interacted.
Jacob sends livestock to Esau as a gift.
Jacob stays on the western side of the Jabbok river.
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.
This is a strange encounter, because we do not know the identity of the man wrestling with Jacob.
The text never tells us.
A few verses down, verse 29, Jacob asks this man for his name.
But the text does not tell us who this man is.
It simply says the man blessed Jacob.
and then Jacob departed.
It is widely accepted that this event was a Christophony or a Theophany.
These are fancy words used to describe a preincarnate appearing of Jesus.
There are other places in the Old Testament that appear to be preincarnate encounters with Jesus.
It is widely accepted that these verses are an example.
The man wrestling with Jacob is Jesus.
We are given a clue in the text found in verses 25, 28, 29 and 30.
Verse 25 tells us during this wrestling, the man touched Jacob’s hip and it was put out of joint.
We are going to talk more about this in a moment, but for now this is an indicator of a change.
The man touching Jacob’s hip caused Jacob to change.
We know that when we encounter Jesus, He has the power to change us.
So this is one clue as to the identity of the man.
The second is in verse 28.
In this verse, the man changes Jacob’s name.
Jacob becomes Israel.
This is something that God has done.
God changed Abram’s name to Abraham.
Jesus called some of the disciples by a name given by himself.
Saul was changed to Paul after an encounter with the Lord.
The name change is a clue to the identity of this man.
Thirdly, in verse 29.
This verse tells us that the man blessed Jacob.
One argument about the identity of the man is that he is an angel.
But there are no accounts in the Bible where an angel blesses someone.
Blessing comes from God.
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
The blessing of Jacob is an indicator of this man’s identity.
Lastly, verse 30
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
The word Peniel
add Hebrew to slide.
This word means “Face of God or Facing God.”
This word has a direct object.
El is added to the word indicating the object of the word,
put the hebrew text of Exodus 20:3 on screen
“You shall have no other gods before me.
In this context, the word paniym is used.
This word means face.
But it is used without a direct object.
It is done this was because there is no need as the direct object of the one speaking the word is the one speaking the word.
I know this is a bit technical, but I want you to see the actual word.
It helps us in our understanding.
When Jacob uses the word Peniel, it is referring to the face of God.
But what about the verse that says, no one has seen the face of God and live?
That is where the concept of a Theophany comes into play.
God has appeared in various forms throughout the Bible.
He appeared in a burning bush.
He appeared in the form of a cloud by day and fire by night.
He appeared to Joshua at Jericho.
He appeared to us in the person of Jesus.
No one has seen the Father, but the Father reveals Himself through the Son (Matthew 11 and John 1).
Jacob prevailed in the wrestlingthis does not mean he was victorious.
prevailing mean that jacob beat the man.
the prevailing means he did not give up.
He did nit quit.
when the challenge was difficult he did not allow the circumstance to win.
how can someone wrestle with God, we do it everyday
the point of the verss is the transofrmation
Jacob was changed to Israel
There is a change when we are confrinted by God
We will be identified differently we are to be different no longer identified by the names of this world, but identified in terms God uses
Ephesians 1:1I am a saint.
Ephesians 1:3I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Ephesians 1:4-5I am chosen and predestined for adoption to sonship by the Heavenly Father.
Ephesians 1:6I am accepted by God and a recipient of his grace.
Ephesians 1:7I am redeemed and forgiven in Christ.
Ephesians 1:11I have a wonderful inheritance of spiritual riches in Christ.
Ephesians 1:13-14I am indwelled and sealed by the Holy Spirit who guarantees my inclusion into the family of God.
Ephesians 1:15-18I have access to spiritual wisdom and insight in Christ by the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:19-21I participate in the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ because of the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:22-23As a member of the Body of Christ I am united to the Lord and represent him on earth.
Part 2 Colossians 3:1-17
Additionally, jacob walked differnt;y
the encounter with God did not leacve him the same
he was physically changed
This speaks to our transfoemation
we must be different
Romans 12
2 cor 5
talk about what transformation in, recognize sin in us and a need for a savior
what is sin
give example of walking in woods.
a sign says no trespassing
maybe just beyond the sign is a beautiful waterfall
and a unicorn
this is temptation to go chick it out but if you heed the sign the warning it is not sin.