Genesis 32 – 35

Jacob was wrestling with a “man” which may be God. During this he is told in verse 32:28 of a name change:

You will no longer go by the name Jacob. From now on, your name will be Israel because you have wrestled with God and humanity, and you have prevailed.

Interestingly it’s not until chapter 35 and God states the name change again that it finally changes. This is one of those sections that one has to wonder who the “man” was that he was wrestling and what the meaning of that was. Why did he dislocate Jacob’s hip?

Leading up to this encounter Jacob was stressing about meeting his brother. Now this man who conned is father and brother to get the birthright and blessing. He lied and manipulated events to be in his favor now had to face his brother. He faced God before having to face his brother. Interestingly in crippling Jacob, God is showing us that He is looking for the unlikely to build his nation, not just the rich, dynamic and powerful. What man would think as the logical choice, God realizes that would only provide doubt it was his glory.

Chapter 34 has a disturbing story about Jacob and Rachel’s daughter Dinah. A Hivite named Shecham rapes Dinah and then falls in love with her. He then asks her hand in marriage, yet ends up killed in a fit of revenge by her brothers. This story is disturbing and shows how barbaric many cultures are. In western civilization we consider this rare, but it still happens. I don’t have any comment other than people who read this somehow tie it into God’s truths, when it’s just a historical account and is no way an example of how man should live a Godly life.

The 12 tribes of Israel are not set and we see how the name arrived. The next story is of Joseph, where God takes the most unlikely once again.