I've often thought that the story of Jacob's struggle with "the Man" in Genesis 32 gives a new meaning to the old hymn, "He Touched Me." Jacob experienced the divine presence not as a healing touch but as a crushing blow that brought great agony. Carl Jung (Freud's most brilliant and wayward disciple) said that if the Bible (particularly the story of Job and the book of Revelation) teaches us anything it is that "though God can be loved, he must be feared." I think that there is something to that assertion although in all honesty it does trouble me.
As in so many other stories in the Bible, in Genesis 32 we again encounter the image of a violent God. But then as Alister suggested in last week's study maybe these stories reveal more about the human misperception of God's character than anything else. Maybe our struggles with the God-that-crushes is really a struggle with our own internal violent demons. Maybe we project our own violent tendencies into the external world and especially onto God. I wish I had more to offer on this but "maybe" is the best I can do right now.
As much as the story troubles me on one level it also deeply inspires me on another. For example, I absolutely love Jacob's defiance, even after having his hip disclocated (or whatever the exact physical injury might have been). The "Man" says, "Let me go" and Jacob says, "I will not." That sort of reminded me of God saying, "Let me people go" and Pharoah responding "I will not." The human will really is an imperial power which is why tyrants and dictators of all stripes attempt to break it with violent force. So I applaud Jacob for refusing to meekly submit to the divine violence. Somehow his faith recognized that behind what he experienced as the divine-power-to-crush was ultimately a divine-will-to-bless.
To me, the most profound moment in the story is the question in vs. 27, "What is your name?" The last time that Jacob had heard that question was when asked by his old and dying father Isaac. At that time Jacob had lied and said "Esau" in order to get what he wanted. As I see it these are the two defining moments in Jacob's life. In both instances the question is "What is your name?" I think Jacob spent most of his life pretending to be what he wasn't (Esau) in order to get the blessing that he desperately wanted. But he finally realized that it was enough to simply be Jacob. And the irony of it is that when he stopped trying to be something he wasn't (Esau) he became a new man and received a new name (Israel). How much of our lives do we spend trying to take what can only be received as gift?
Last summer I had the priviledge of speaking at a Kinship Kampmeeting. For those of you that have never heard of this organization it is a Seventh-day Adventist group composed of lesbians, gays, bi-sexuals and trans-gendered persons. When I told them this story of Jacob many were visibly moved and told me afterward how much they identified with Jacob's struggle. Many of them have spent all their lives trying to be what they are not (straight) in order to get what they desperately need (affirmation and acceptance). I was deeply moved by the stories I heard that week.
Interestingly, the story itself does not name Jacob's assailant. Jacob even asks, "Tell me your name" but rather than an answer gets a probing question instead, "Why is it that you ask about my name?" Why is naming so important to us? Maybe it gives us a sense of control in that what we name we somehow think we know. By naming our children we indelibly place our stamp upon their lives. Giving something a name defines it and limits it and signifies our mastery over it (like Adam naming the animals and then his wife which might have been an even bigger mistake than eating the forbidden fruit!). But in this story God is the nameless One. We can encounter but never control God. Every god that can be named is an idol of our own making. God will never comfortably fit in our small mental boxes.
I like the final image in our story: Jacob limping out into the bright light of a new day. He may not look like much of a hero but then things are not always what they seem on the surface!
As in so many other stories in the Bible, in Genesis 32 we again encounter the image of a violent God. But then as Alister suggested in last week's study maybe these stories reveal more about the human misperception of God's character than anything else. Maybe our struggles with the God-that-crushes is really a struggle with our own internal violent demons. Maybe we project our own violent tendencies into the external world and especially onto God. I wish I had more to offer on this but "maybe" is the best I can do right now.
As much as the story troubles me on one level it also deeply inspires me on another. For example, I absolutely love Jacob's defiance, even after having his hip disclocated (or whatever the exact physical injury might have been). The "Man" says, "Let me go" and Jacob says, "I will not." That sort of reminded me of God saying, "Let me people go" and Pharoah responding "I will not." The human will really is an imperial power which is why tyrants and dictators of all stripes attempt to break it with violent force. So I applaud Jacob for refusing to meekly submit to the divine violence. Somehow his faith recognized that behind what he experienced as the divine-power-to-crush was ultimately a divine-will-to-bless.
To me, the most profound moment in the story is the question in vs. 27, "What is your name?" The last time that Jacob had heard that question was when asked by his old and dying father Isaac. At that time Jacob had lied and said "Esau" in order to get what he wanted. As I see it these are the two defining moments in Jacob's life. In both instances the question is "What is your name?" I think Jacob spent most of his life pretending to be what he wasn't (Esau) in order to get the blessing that he desperately wanted. But he finally realized that it was enough to simply be Jacob. And the irony of it is that when he stopped trying to be something he wasn't (Esau) he became a new man and received a new name (Israel). How much of our lives do we spend trying to take what can only be received as gift?
Last summer I had the priviledge of speaking at a Kinship Kampmeeting. For those of you that have never heard of this organization it is a Seventh-day Adventist group composed of lesbians, gays, bi-sexuals and trans-gendered persons. When I told them this story of Jacob many were visibly moved and told me afterward how much they identified with Jacob's struggle. Many of them have spent all their lives trying to be what they are not (straight) in order to get what they desperately need (affirmation and acceptance). I was deeply moved by the stories I heard that week.
Interestingly, the story itself does not name Jacob's assailant. Jacob even asks, "Tell me your name" but rather than an answer gets a probing question instead, "Why is it that you ask about my name?" Why is naming so important to us? Maybe it gives us a sense of control in that what we name we somehow think we know. By naming our children we indelibly place our stamp upon their lives. Giving something a name defines it and limits it and signifies our mastery over it (like Adam naming the animals and then his wife which might have been an even bigger mistake than eating the forbidden fruit!). But in this story God is the nameless One. We can encounter but never control God. Every god that can be named is an idol of our own making. God will never comfortably fit in our small mental boxes.
I like the final image in our story: Jacob limping out into the bright light of a new day. He may not look like much of a hero but then things are not always what they seem on the surface!
3 comments:
As we look at Jacob and our perceived ill treatment by God our perception is from our VERY meager reality. The greater our understanding the greater our confusion. An 8-year old knows from Sabbath School "God is love". We look at the writings of the "enlightened" and at the end of the day they have to accept what the 8-year old knows or they have to "abandon God.
A young child only knows the love of self. As we mature we understand the love of parents and brothers and sisters. This development continues with the love of physical attraction then to marriage and the love of a spouse and then to parents and the love of ones children.
If God's perfect love is 100 on a scale of 1 to 100 where do you think the ideal earthly parent's love measures up to? Do you think we humans are even in the double digits?
So Jacob holds on to the "abuser" and begs for a blessing. This goes back to a previous blog entry and makes you think of an abused child. The child is getting the crap kicked out of him by a parent yet he begs mommy or daddy for a hug or a sign of affection before bed time?! This does not sound like an all loving God but that is kind of the corner we are painting Him in if we call Him the "aggressor" and the "blesser".
So here is God being saddled with our misconceptions and our TOTAL lack of comprehension. It isn't really fair. No wonder God loves us! If He just liked us he would have hit the "SMITE" key a long time ago. :-)
I appreciate your thoughts on this Greg. I agree that our perception is from a "very meager" point of view. But that is all we have.
As I see it the options are not quite so stark as belief in a loving God or abandon God all-together. I think we are all stuck with limited conceptions of God throughout our lives. As the Apostle Paul suggest, "we see through a glass darkly." But then at least we do see.
My own view is that God is not an abuser but a God of love. However, I think that to be honest to the Bible requires that we name the God that is disclosed in it regardless if that image fits our preconceived notions or not. There is no question that the Bible in some places depicts God in violent and even abusive ways. The question is how we choose to deal with that information.
For me, this means that I wrestle with the text much like Jacob wrestled with the divine!
My latest CD, "Fire at the Water's Edge," has a song I based on Jacob's wrestling with "God." It's also about my own struggle. Lyrics and music can be found at my website: wesdavisonline.com
Wes Davis
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