seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 32:22 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. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 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. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
28 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.”
29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. 32 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.
Here's the link to the commentary.Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel: The name Israel is a compound of two words: sarah (meaning, fight, struggle, or rule) and el (meaning, God). Some take the name Israel to mean, He who struggles with God or He who rules with God. But in Hebrew names, sometimes God is not the object of the verb but the subject. Daniel means God judges, not he judges God. This principle shows us Israel likely means, God rules.
I never have liked this story. I mean it's in the Bible, and I do Believe it to be true... but this is one of those stories that feels more like symbolism than the story.
Jacob sent his family and all his belongings across the Jordan. He was alone on the east side. Jacob was on his way back to Canaan, where he grew up, when this happened.
Jacob's brother, Esau, vowed to kill Jacob for tricking him and their father, Isaac.
Jacob used trickery to steal his brother's, Esau's, birthright and blessing.
Jacob's mother, Rebekah, overheard Esau saying he would murder Jacob, and warned Jacob.
Jacob ran. Jacob spent 20 years hiding from his brother.
Now his brother, Esau, was on the way with 400 men!!!!
Is it any wonder Jacob tossed and turned all night?
This story says Jacob was touched in the tendon... and that's why Jews don't eat the tendon.
Well hooey!
I'm an old woman. I'm 73. Back in the 90's I had surgery on my back... L5S1 Laminectomy. Until recently I never had an issue. Until recently that is. About a month ago, I was turning in my bed and I felt a "pop". The socket in my back... L5S1 "popped". My stride is crooked. My sciatic nerve is acting up again. I tossed and turned and now I have a limp.
I think Jacob was alone with his fears. He knew he was facing possible death and dismemberment and he could not sleep. He tossed and turned and argued with himself in nightmare after nightmare. He had to face fear. He had to realize what he did wrong. He slept like a man fighting the sheets. During the night... he "popped" a hip joint.
Jacob popped a hip joint tossing and turning in a long nightmare, reviewing his trickery and deceit. When he woke the next morning, the pain in his hip reminded him of the nightmares. The hitch in his gitalong reminded him from that day on, he had to stop being full of trickery and deceit.
Jacob changed... and that's why his name changed.
I guess this was a Baptism by nightmare.... right?
"Jacob" limped from that day on.
Jacob changed.
"Jacob" became "Israel".
Baptism by nightmare...
