Jacob is wrestling with a spiritual entity that has come down as a tangible man. We believe its Jesus Christ.
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29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray you, your name. And he said, why is it that you don't ask for my name? And he blessed him there. The man asked why does he want to know his name? What difference does it make to you?
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. You can't look upon the true face of God or it will kill you. God tones Himself down to a point where you can see Him and not die when He comes to earth in a tangible form. “Peniel” means “face of God”.
31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. “Penuel” is another name for “face of God”. They are done wrestling, the sun has come up, and Jacob is limping.
32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, to this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank. It's still Jewish custom that they don't eat that piece of the thigh of animals because of this incident.
Genesis 33:1-20: it's now 20 years later since Jacob stole Esau's birthright and did him wrong.
1 ¶ And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. Esau came with 400 men, no women or children, so it looks like Esau is ready for a confrontation. Jacob divides his group into 4 different distinct groups.
2 And he put the handmaids and.... |
