Dennis On: Wrestling With Scripture

Wrestling With Scripture

If there was ever a story in the Old Testament that, even as a child, confused me, it would be this one.

Jacob Wrestles

Genesis 32:

²⁴ Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. ²⁵ When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. ²⁶ Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” ²⁷ So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” ²⁸ He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but ^[n]Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” ²⁹ Then Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. ³⁰ So Jacob named the place ^]Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.” ³¹ Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh. ³² Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.

God wrestles with men?  Actually it doesn't say that this was God but that has always been the assumption.  Some say it was "the one who became Jesus Christ."  Really?  The context says it was a man but since Jacob ends up naming the place Peniel which means "I have seen God face to face, the assumptions spring from this.  

What's really going on here.  Is God a vampire that He has to get back in the coffin before the sun rises?  

The REAL explanation of this is fascinating.  I wonder if any ministers in the COG will ever again say that this is Jacob wrestling with God who would become Jesus Christ?

Let me get right to the point.  No sense in going on and on and having to join On-And-On-Anonymous over this story

Jacob was wrestling, in the dark, with his last seen 20 years earlier brother Esau.  This is Esau , the brother deceived by Jacob out of his birthright.  Good reason for a good brother on brother fight.  Jacob had no clue who had accosted him, though in the text he was on the way to see Esau because Esau was coming to see him with 400 men.  Jacob had just taken many of Laban's cattle and sheep and now was having to consider giving them to Esau as a token of being sorry for events 20 years previous.
 
However, Esau caught up with Jacob in the dark.  Jacob had no clue who he was fighting in the dark.  He had not seen Jacob for many years.  Esau was not ready to tell Jacob who he really was as they scrapped "all night."  It may have seemed like all night to Jacob.  Esau wanted to be done with it by sunrise so Jacob would not recognize his long lost swindled brother.  


That's the simple story.  Jacob was wrestling Esau.  
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Prove it!

Genesis 33:

Jacob Meets Esau

33 Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. ² He put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph ^]last. ³ But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

⁴ Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. ⁵ He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” ⁶ Then the maids came near with their children, and they bowed down. ⁷ Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down. ⁸ And he said, “What do you mean by all this company which I have met?” And he said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” ⁹ But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own.” ¹⁰ Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand,for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. ¹¹ Please take my ^]gift which has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have plenty.” Thus he urged him and he took it.

When Jacob said, "for I have seen your face as one sees the face of God,"  this was one of the great "nudge, nudge, wink wink"s of the Old Testament.  It "dawned" on Jacob that it was Esau he was wresting with all night just hours before. It must have been an interesting moment when Jacob realized, "Oh it was you." 

 Esau had forgiven him as he himself had prospered anyway, but a little eye for an eye between brothers seemed appropriate to Esau and a limping Jacob was eye enough for him.

Jacob never wrestled with "God."   Jacob never wrestled with a God that later became Jesus Christ .  The idea that "no man can see the face of God and live," is intact as this story always caused some to wonder, "well Jacob did and he just got a limp out of it." Jacob looked into the face of his brother Esau who later he said , probably sheepishly, was what he thought may have been God and now sees was Esau. It had to be a great moment of realization on Jacob's part.

I would encourage all COG ministers to consider this small example of how you haven't been taught enough about the Bible or you haven't done enough homework to tell everyone how it all is.  Those of you who live off prophetic peepings and mutterings had better be very careful how you teach because you do cause people to determine their life changing actions and beliefs and that can have consequences down the road. Not to mention all the good sinew meat that , "to this day" is not eaten by some because of this misunderstanding.

Amen

 Dennis C. Diehl

The Exciting Life of Herbert W Armstrong College Students

Reading this is like being in a time warp.  Does ANYONE have "turnabout" dates in College anymore? Only in COGGERland?

Check out that world class educational institution in the middle of Oklahoma that is training the next generation of Herb-bot's

HWA College Volunteers Keep "Turnabout" Tradition Alive

Seven Herbert W. Armstrong College student and graduate ladies kept the HWAC “turnabout weekend” tradition alive on November 8 when they hosted a group date for the 10 HWAC men at the men’s residence, known as Bethel.

Semiannual turnabout activities in Edmond are some of the students’ favorite activities of the year, and range as far as the HWAC ladies’ imaginations. Though the men do the planning and asking of dates the vast majority of the time, the ladies are known to seize the opportunity and pack several weekends’ worth of expenditure, time and effort into the occasion.

Obviously at one point in HWA's college career he had a "turnabout " weekend and it impressed Lord Six Pack so much that he has to have it too!  I will now ask the same question that I have asked repeatedly about the COGlets: "Why can none of these splinter cult leaders or splinter groups EVER come up with ANYTHING original??

UCG Members Told To Fast That Earthy, Sensual, Demonic Influences Stay Away From Upcoming Conference

UCG has a conference coming up.  Robin Webber has laid out the agenda for the meeting and has this to say.  Notice that Jesus Christ is not the focus of their conference. Jesus Christ once again is not to be found. Grace is not to be discussed.  The list could go on and on. 

Instead UCG is focused upon the negative.  Evil is out to destroy UCG.  God is an impotent wuss that cannot keep UCG safe.

If UCG were really grace focused and were believers in the Jesus Christ they claim to follow, then they would not need to be sitting around for several days worry about envy, lies, or earthy sensual demonic influences.

We are humbled by the task set before us. More than ever, we are in need of God’s grace, mercy and direction on all our lives. Since my recent selection as chairman, my eyes have more than once visited the admonition found in James 3:13-18: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Will you please pray for us towards this end? If you can set aside time to fast this coming week, before the upcoming meetings, that would truly be meaningful. We sincerely seek Almighty God’s direction and not our own. On behalf of the Council and Administration, I implore you as your brother in Christ. As you bow your heads before our Heavenly Father, we will surrender our hearts, roll up our sleeves, and get on with the work.

I had to laugh at that last line.  This is the same thing they have been saying for decades.  They said this same thing while part of WCG as they connived and manipulated in the background while in WCG's employ.  They said it while they were rupturing into COGWA two years ago. 

That last line has never worked because not a single one of them actually believe it!  They have no idea on how to surrender their hearts. They have never worked an honest days labor in their lives where they had to dirty their fingernails or strain some muscles.  More importantly, they have never accomplished a "work."