Introduction

‘That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So, Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ The man asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Jacob,’ he answered. Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.’ Jacob said, ‘Please tell me your name.’ But he replied, ‘Why do you ask my name?’ Then he blessed him there. So, Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.’ The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore, to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.’ Genesis 32:22-32

This is surely one of the most amazing and yet very complex texts within the Scriptures. Jacob now leaves the camp he was in, takes Leah and Rebekah, two female servant and his eleven sons and crosses the ford of the Jabbok, Genesis 32:22-32.

Morris, in his commentary, says the following.

‘The Jabbok is a stream that flows west into the Jordan, entering it about halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.’

After all his family and servants crossed the stream, he sends all of his possessions over, Genesis 32:23. This is Jacob’s last night on his own on this side of the camp, Genesis 32:21, but notice that Jacob wrestled with a man until daybreak, Genesis 32:24 / Hosea 12:3-5.

Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.

‘From Hosea 12:4, we may learn that the wrestling of Jacob, mentioned in this place, was not merely a corporeal exercise, but also a spiritual one; He wept and made supplication unto him.’

When the man saw that he couldn’t overpower Jacob, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was dislocated, Genesis 32:25. The man asked Jacob to let him go because it was daybreak, but despite having a dislocated hip, Jacob refused to stop until he received a blessing from the man, Genesis 32:26 / John 15:5. It was at this point that Jacob was weeping and begging, Hosea 12:4.

Jacob is determined not to let go of the man and when asked, he openly admits his name is Jacob, Genesis 32:27, which means deceiver and because he wouldn’t give up his name was changed to Israel which means, ‘he struggles with God’, Genesis 32:28.

Josephus, in his writings, says the following, concerning the name Israel.

‘It means one that struggled with the divine angel.’

A name change usually signifies a change of identity and character. When his name is mentioned as Jacob from now on, this is an indication that he’s returning to his old self. When his name is mentioned as Israel from now on, this is an indication that his mind is set on God.

Jacob had struggled with God and with humans and have overcome, Genesis 32:28. Jacob then asks what the man’s name was, but the man asks why did he want to know and then he blessed Jacob, Genesis 32:29. Notice that no answer was given to Jacob’s question concerning the man’s name, Judges 13:18. Later in Bethel, his name is revealed to Jacob, Genesis 35:9-15 / Hosea 12:5.

Hamilton, in his commentary, says the following.

‘One wonders if ’Why is it that you inquire about my name?’ Genesis 32:29, is another way of asking, ’Jacob, don’t you realize who I am?’

I’m sure we’ve all had times when we struggle in prayer with God to bless us or others around us. Jacob didn’t know exactly who he was struggling with, but he does name the place, ‘Peniel,’ Genesis 32:30, which means ‘face of God’.

Jacob calls the place Peniel, because he saw God face to face, and yet his life was spared, Genesis 32:30. In the Scriptures people believed that anyone who saw God face to face would die, Genesis 16:13 / Exodus 33:20 / Judges 13:21-22.

The Hebrews understood that no one could see God in the fullness of His glory and live, they understood that sinners can’t see God in His full glory, Exodus 3:2 / Exodus 33:22 / Exodus 13:21 / Genesis 20:3 / Genesis 28:11-13 / 1 Kings 3:5. Sin and holiness just don’t go together, they can’t coexist in the same place, Isaiah 59:2. He possibly named it this because he didn’t know the man’s name.

This is the turning point of Jacob’s life. He wanted a blessing because he knew now that he needed God. The blessing was the passing of his old life and the coming of his new life. Before any of us can face our enemies, we must first of all, face God.

Notice that Jacob now has a limp, Genesis 32:31. This is the second constant reminder from God, that the tendon would not be touched, Genesis 32:32. The dislocated hip was to be a permanent reminder to him of this occasion, Genesis 32:32. Not only was his hip dislocated in order for him to remember the occasion, but it is also dislocated to remind him that this whole wrestling match was real and not some kind of dream or vision. Kind of like Paul’s thorn in the flesh, 2 Corinthians 12:8-9.

WHO IS THIS MAN?

If we simply take the text, it’s clear that this person is a man. However, some believe it was an angel and others believe this is a Christophany, which suggests that this is a preincarnate appearance of Christ. How can we know? A little Scripture detective work will really help us identify who this man is.

When we read Hosea 12:3-5, we begin to notice some parallels. Notice that although Jacob asked for a name, the man didn’t give him one, Genesis 32:29. It seems that Jacob came to the conclusion that the man he wrestled with was actually a representative of God because he damaged Jacob’s hip joint with a single touch, Genesis 32:25, and because this man knew everything about his past, Genesis 32:28.

The man said Jacob has wrestled with God, Genesis 32:28 / Hosea 12:3, and Jacob says he has seen the face of God, Genesis 32:30. As a man Jacob struggled with God, Hosea 12:3 / Genesis 32:28, but he struggled with ‘the angel,’ Hosea 12:4. Note Hosea doesn’t say ‘an angel’ but ‘the angel’. Notice that Jacob overcame him, Hosea 12:4 / Genesis 32:25, and begged for his favour, Hosea 12:4 / Genesis 25:26.

We see that Jacob wanted a blessing from the man and wanted to know the man’s name, Genesis 32:29. He received the blessing, but not the name, Genesis 32:29. However, Hosea said that Jacob received the blessing but found the name of his benefactor in Bethel, Hosea 12:4, and it was there it was revealed that the blessing came from LORD God Almighty, Genesis 35:9-15 / Hosea 12:5.

To summarise what we’ve discovered so far, we read in Genesis 32:24-30, the person is described as a man. In Hosea 12:3, we read that Jacob wrestled with God, in Hosea 12:4, and we read that Jacob wrestled with ‘the angel’. We now move from the question of who is this man, to who is this angel? In Hosea 12:5, the angel reveals His Name as the LORD God Almighty.

Who is this angel? This is the pre-incarnation appearance of the Christ. He is the angel of the LORD. Remember the word ‘angel’ in Hebrew is ‘malak’ and it simply means messenger.

Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.

‘This was doubtless the Lord Jesus Christ, who, among the patriarchs, assumed that human form, which in the fulness of time he really took of a woman, and in which he dwelt thirty-three years among men.’

Haynes Jr, in his commentary, says the following.

‘A study of these passages reveals that the Angel of the Lord appeared in human form, Genesis 18:2 / Genesis 22:1-18 / Hebrews 13:2, and performed normal human functions, Genesis 32:24 / Numbers 22:23 / Numbers 22:31, yet he was an awe-inspiring figure, Genesis 32:30 / Judges 6:22 / Judges 13:22, exhibiting divine attributes and prerogatives including predicting the future, Genesis 16:10-12), forgiving sin, Exodus 23:21, and receiving worship, Exodus 3:5 / Judges 13:9-20.’