The Face of God

Jacob was alone, he had sent his servants and family well ahead of him. During the night, another man showed and they began to wrestle. We can only speculate what got them two to wrestle. Maybe they were sitting around talking and one ask the other, “Hey, you want to wrestle”? or is it possible that Jacob was jumped from behind? Only two people could answer that, one is Jacob and the other… they did wrestle though, all night long. The bible says until daybreak. Again we can only speculate how long the battle took place.

Jacob was kicking butt. He must have been a scrapper because the bible says that when the man noticed he wasn’t winning he touched Jacob’s thigh, which was out of joint. The man then said to Jacob, “Let me go, for the day breaks”! But Jacob refused!

Why did Jacob refuse?

During the battle as the day was breaking, I imagine Jacob realizing that he was not just wrestling a man, but what the bible says as God. A preincarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. So now we know that the other person was actually God.

Then the Lord said to Jacob, as if he didn’t already know, “What is thy name”? In which Jacob answered, “Jacob”! At this time, our Lord told Jacob that his name would no longer be called Jacob but Israel. The bible goes on to say: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and has prevailed (won success)! Afterwards Israel asked for the Lords name? But the name never came, only, “Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name”? And the Lord blessed him there.

At this point I assume the Lord left Israel there alone again. Jacob (Israel) standing there, probably thinking about what just happened. Thinking about his thigh. Thinking how blessed he is, decided to name the place, Peniel (The Face of God). “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved”, Jacob says.

As Jacob passed over Peniel we can the the sun rising, shining and casting a shadow of Blessed Jacob onto the ground below. We see Jacob limping and with each step he must be smiling, “I’ve wrestled with God”!

Genesis 32:24-31

This is the King of the Jews — Photo by Ricky Turner on Unsplash

Christ, hanging on the cross was laughed at by those saying, “He saved others: let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God”. Christ, being who he is, hung there, not making a move to save himself, but hanging there to save those laughing at him and the solders who were mocking him and offering him vinegar. The solders looking up at Jesus, saying if you’re the King of the Jews, go and save yourself as it was written above his head, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS”.

Satan was in full attack mode when Jesus was hanging for out lives.

I believe he (Satan) was using those around Jesus — the rulers, solders and one of the criminals that hung with him, which said, “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us” — to do his dirty work.

As we now know, wickedness and righteous hung with Jesus, the other man that hung there on the other side of Jesus rebuked the other with a rhetorical question, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?” and he went on saying that they were rightly accused and are getting what they deserved, “but this man” he says, “has done nothing wrong” and then he ask Jesus to remember him when Jesus arrived in his Kingdom! Jesus didn’t leave that man as if he was a mushroom, Jesus say’s, as I imagine Jesus’ blooding dripping eyes looking over at him, “Verily I say unto thee, Today you shall be with me in paradise”.

Oh how I would love to be with Jesus in Paradise. We can’t even imagine what it would be like there. But one day soon, it’ll be here on earth.

Here is a question I want to answer…

What is this paradise Jesus is talking about?

Stay with me and let’s seek the truth together. As Peter says, I’ll will remind you of things you already know.

Luke 23:35-43

Want to share the word of God? See below...