According to one Christian commentary of the Bible incident described, "Jacob said, 'I saw God face to face'. Jacob's remark does not necessarily mean that the 'man' with whom he wrestled is God.
Moses saw God face-to-face upon an unknown mountain sometime after he spoke to the Lord in the burning bush but before he went to free the children of Israel from Egypt (see Moses 1:1–2, 17, 25–26, 42; see also Exodus 3:1–10).
Jacob encounter with God at Peniel is very significant because it brought about a divine shift in his life, thus, Peniel is a place of divine shift. Key Verse: Genesis 32:30, “So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared,” (NIV).
Jacob was trying to do life his own way. While he tried to run from God, a stranger met him during the night and begins wrestling with him. It is during that encounter that Jacob realizes he is wrestling God and requests a blessing. It is then that God changes Jacob's name to Israel - meaning "strives for God."
Jacob (Genesis 32:22-32)
Jacob, who was Abraham's grandson, also wrestled with God. This one was a little different because Jacob wrestled with God all night and God dislocated Jacob's hip, which gave him a limp for the rest of his life.
KEY TAKEAWAYS. The plot conflict of Jacob's story stems from his disbelief in God's ability and willingness to give him the blessing he promised him before birth, so he spends his life hurting everyone around him. Instead of trusting God, he schemes and tries to steal the blessing and abundance for himself.
Jacob had been relying on his own physical strength and mind, instead of on God. His limp not only generated his surrender, but also was a physical reminder of his struggle against God.
Jacob, son of Isaac and brother of Esau, wrestled with an angel all through one night on the bank of the Jabbok.
Jacob's tenacious faith pleased God and he rewarded Jacob's request (Hebrews 11:6). When God calls us to wrestle with him, there's always more going on than we first understand and God always uses it to transform us for good.
Jacob had two meetings with God - one at Bethel (Genesis 28) and the other at Peniel (Genesis 32). Bethel means "the house of God" (a type of the church) and Peniel means "the face of God".
Ex 33 on God's Face: A Lesson from the Enochic Tradition
Ex 33:18-23 depicts Moses who asks the Lord to show him His glory. Instead the Lord agrees to proclaim his name before Moses, telling him that it is impossible for a human being to see God's face.
The divine countenance is the face of God. The concept has special significance in the Abrahamic religions.
9 Now when he was risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.
Abstract. In the Bible, St. Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was struck blind by a light from heaven. Three days later his vision was restored by a "laying on of hands." The circumstances surrounding his blindness represent an important episode in the history of religion.
Moshe (Moses) asks God “Show me your glory.” God responds that He cannot be seen by any human being. But, God tells Moshe, “Stand in the cleft of the rock” and “you will see My back, but My face must not be seen.” (Exodus 33: 17-23) What does this mean?
Moses (Deuteronomy 33:1; Joshua 14:6; Psalm 90:1; Ezra 3:2; 1 Chronicles 23:14; 2 Chronicles 30:16). Moses is the only person called “man of God” in the Torah.
His agency was tested. Through this wrestle, Jacob proved what was most important to him. He demonstrated that he was willing to let God prevail in his life. In response, God changed Jacob's name to Israel, meaning 'let God prevail.
Like some Jewish commentators, Islamic commentators described the event as punishment for Jacob failing to give tithes to God but making an offering like a tithe to Esau.
It is as if God is reminding us that there are no perfect people, no perfect marriages, no perfect families, no perfect churches. Jacob was a liar, runner, cheater, and pretender, but God forgave him of his sins and used him to send Jesus into the world. He can forgive us and use us for His purposes as well.
Jacob knew that he wasn't wrestling a man, but God himself, and refused to let go until He blessed him. Jacob names the place where the wrestling match happened “Peniel” which means “Face of God.” Here are five lessons we can learn from Jacob's wrestling match with God.
After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel. " So he named him Israel.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) interprets the term "archangel" as meaning "Chief Angel", Michael is the only individual so designated in the Latter Day Saints canon. It is believed that he is the head of all of the angels.
Later in the narrative, following a severe drought in his homeland of Canaan, Jacob and his descendants, with the help of his son Joseph (who had become a confidant of the pharaoh), moved to Egypt where Jacob died at the age of 147. He is supposed to have been buried in the Cave of Machpelah.
32 Verses 24 to 28. [24] And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. [25] And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
Summary of Genesis 28:12-15
While Jacob was sleeping, he had a dream. God was speaking to him. I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.