Jacob and YHWH

September 5, 2009, 11:12 am by dc-agape.

Genesis 32:22-32

The relationship between Jacob and YHWH has been strained at best.  The relationship starts with a conditional prayer.  During the 20 years with Laban, Jacob does not talk to YHWH until the end, when he is fearful that Laban might hurt him.  So it is not surprising that he would wrestle with YHWH the night before meeting Esau. 

Jacob wrestles with an unknown man the entire night.  When YHWH sees that he cannot win, he cheats.  He damages the socket of Jacob’s hip.  Jacob is still winning because YHWH has to beg Jacob to release him.  Jacob demands a blessing before he will release YHWH.  Since YHWH does not know that this is Jacob he has to ask for Jacob’s name.  YHWH then renames Jacob to Israel.  What a fitting name for the children of Israel.  Israel means “to struggle with YHWH and men and overcome”.  Throughout the Old Testament they struggled with YHWH and with men, but survived.  Even to this day the struggle with men continues, the recent attacks in Gaza are a perfect example. 

Jacob does not know that he has been wrestling with YHWH and also has to ask for a name.  YHWH avoids the question by giving his blessing.  So Jacob names the place after the experience and limps onward to meet his brother, Esau.  Great way to start a possible bloody confrontation: lack of sleep, lack of mobility, and exhausted from wrestling!

From a gay Atheist interpretation of this event YHWH is a wimp!  He cannot beat the weaker of the two sons of Isaac.  YHWH is also not omnipotent, he does not know the name of Jacob!  The whole concept of the Christian god being all-powerful and all-knowing is just a bunch of bunk.

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