Theodicy Soteriology, Hermeneutics

TRINITY : M. M. NINAN
Here again the wrestling man turns out to be God. At Peniel Jacob saw the face of God as a man.
This is confirmed by the prophet Hosea
Hosea 12: 2 The LORD has a charge to bring against Judah; he will punish Jacob according to his
ways and repay him according to his deeds.3 In the womb he grasped his brother's heel; as a man he
struggled with God.4 He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his
favor. He found him at Bethel and talked with him there--5 the LORD God Almighty, the LORD is his
name of renown!
Hosea thus confirms that the Angel of the Lord who fought with Jacob was indeed God himself. Now
how do we explain the fact Jacob overcame God? Remember that this was the night before Jacob
was going to meet his brother Essau whom he tricked. Jacob still had a second chance to make the
choice between right and wrong. To concede that he had tricked his brother. He was reluctant to do
that. Finally the Angel of the Lord had to touch him and make him weakling. The next day we meet
Jacob appearing before his brother Essau limping. Then he fell down and gave the honor due to his
elder brother. Every one of us struggles with God. We still can make choices against God and prevail.
But it will lead to disaster. God in his mercy may touch and make us limping just to humble ourselves
to chose the right from the wrong.
The 'angel of the LORD' who visited the patriarchs was God Himself, not any creature masquerading
as God. God himself authenticates it thus:
Ex. 6
2 God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD.3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God
Almighty, but by my name the Yhvh I did not make myself known to them.
5. God who appeared in the Burning Bush
Ex 2
Moses meets the Angel of the Lord in the flames of fire and widentifies himself as God.
2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that
though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange
sight--why the bush does not burn up."4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God
called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am."5 "Do not come any
closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."6 Then
he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob."
At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.7 The LORD said, "I have indeed
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