ST. MARK UMC: August 3, 2014 - Stories of our Ancestors / Desert Scribblings: August 3, 2008 - Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost

Genesis 32:22-31

New International Version 

(NIV)

Jacob Wrestles With God

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 

24 So Jacob was left alone, 

and a man(?)Mal wrestled with him 

till 

daybreak. 

25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 

26 Then the man 

said, 

“Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob 

replied, 

“I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

27 The man asked him,

 “What is your name?”

“Jacob,”

 he answered.

28 Then the man said, 

“Your name will no longer 

be Jacob, but Israel,[a] 

because 

you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

29 Jacob said, 

“Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, 

“Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[b] 

saying, 

“It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[c] and he was limping because of his hip.

In the Hebrew Bible, Penuel (or Pniel, Pnuel; Hebrew פְּנוּאֵל) is a place not far from Succoth, on the east of the Jordan River and north of the river Jabbok. It is also called Peniel "Face of God" by Jacob:

"It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared." (Gen. 32:30 NIV)

Here Jacob wrestled (Gen. 32:24-32) "with a man" ("the angel", Hos. 12:4) "till the break of day." This episode resulted in God (or the angel) changing Jacob's name to "Israel" (Gen. 32:28) which literally means, "He who struggles with God."

A town was afterward built there (Judg. 8:8; 1 Kings 12:25). The men of this place refused to give bread to Gideon and his 300 men when they were in pursuit of the Midianites (Judg. 8:1-21). On his return, Gideon tore down the tower there and killed all the men of the city.

When the Northern Kingdom of Israel broke away from the United Monarchy c. 930 BCE, Jeroboam, its first king, established his capital in Shechem. A short time later, he left Shechem and fortified Penuel, declaring it as his new capital (I Kings 12:25). He and his son, Nadab, ruled there, until Baasha seized the throne in 909 BCE and moved the capital to Tirzah (I Kings 15:25-34).

Pnuel is a common name given to males in the Assyrian culture.

Penuel vs. Pniel

Two categories of spellings exists, the i-type Pniel and Peniel and the u-type Pnuel, Penuel and Pnuël. The Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia^[1] prints the i-type פְּנִיאֵל for Pniel. The u-type is only a minor textual variant written as פנואל for()Pnuel in the critical apparatus. It appears only in  (the Samaritan Pentateuch), σ´ (Symmachus),  (the Peshitta) and  (the Latin Vulgate).

Therefore translations like the Luther Bible write Pnuël as being directly translated from the Vulgate. So does the KJV, the ESV and the Elberfelder Bibel. But translations like the NIV, the NIrV and the Schlachter 2000 write Peniel or(i)Pniel.

The New International Reader's Version (NIrV) is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Translated by the International Bible Society (now Biblica) following a similar philosophy as the New International Version(NIV), but written in a simpler form of English, the NIrV seeks to make the Bible more accessible for children and people who have difficulty reading English, such as non-native English speakers. The authors describe it as a special edition of the NIV written at a third grade reading level.

Here is a comparison of a passage in the King James Version, the New International Version, and the New International Reader's Version: 

KJV: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (1 Timothy 3:16, KJV)
NIV: "Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory." (1 Timothy 3:16, NIV)
NIrV: "There is no doubt that godliness is a great mystery. Jesus appeared in a body. The Holy Spirit proved that he was the Son of God. He was seen by angels. He was preached among the nations. People in the world believed in him. He was taken up to heaven in glory." (1 Timothy 3:16, NIrV)

A children's version of this text, targeted at 4 to 7 year olds and featuring the characters of the Berenstain Bears, has been published by Zondervan and HarperCollins.

The Vulgate is a late fourth-century Latin translation of the Bible that became, during the 16th century, the Catholic Church's officially promulgated Latin version of the Bible.

The translation was largely the work of St. Jerome, who, in 382, was commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Vetus Latina ("Old Latin") collection of Biblical texts in Latin then in use by the Church. Once published, it was widely adopted and eventually eclipsed the Vetus Latina and, by the 13th century, was known as the "versio vulgata" ^[1] (the "version commonly-used") or, more simply, as the "vulgata" ("Vulgate").

It was made the Catholic Church's official Latin Bible as a consequence of the Council of Trent (1545–63), when, in the face of the Protestant Reformation, it became evident that an authoritative reference for scripture was needed.

"But the One whom we wrestle with is the One whom wants to see us grow, to see us flourish, to see us redeemed, the One who loves us beyond all comprehension or understanding."

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Charles Wesley put it in his great poem

“Wrestlin’ Jacob”

“Come O Thou Traveler Unknown”

 in

The United Methodist Hymnal,

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,

386-87

:

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Yield to me now—for I am weak,
but confident in self-despair!
Speak to my heart, in blessing speak,
be conquered by my instant prayer:
speak, or thou never hence shalt move,

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And tell me if thy name is Love. 

<!--[endif]-->

'Tis Love! ‘tis Love! Thou diedst for me,
I hear thy whisper in my heart.
The morning breaks, the shadows flee,
pure Universal Love thou art:
To me, to all, thy mercies move—

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->

 thy nature, and thy name is Love. 

<!--[endif]-->

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RHYMEZONE=DIEDST=REDUCTION DIET

Desert Scribblings: August 3, 2008 - Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost:The story of Jacob wrestling with the mysterious figure near the Jabbok is an ambiguous text. Two figures, Jacob and the man, enter into conflict but neither walks away a true victor.

 There is ambiguity,

 almost ambivalence, in the outcome. 

 It 

doesn't(?)lay 

out a clear, new path.

 It 

doesn't(?)point 

Jacob in a new direction. 

 There 

is

 no giant shift in Jacob’s mission, no new pronouncement from on high.  

Just 

two(?)figures

 leaving(?)the site of battle with things(?)changed,

 but 

with(?) no(?)strong(?)indication(?0ink)what those changes mean 

or 

what(?0ink)should be done about(?)them.

 Jacob emerges changed into this new person Israel,but he emerges limping away from the conflict. There is something poignant in this also. Namely, life can sometimes hurt. Life is struggle, it is not always easy, and sometimes when we emerge from our times of trouble we emerge wounded. In Jacob’s case, meeting God “did not lead, as we are wont to imagine,to reconciliation, forgiveness, healing. It resulted in a crippling”

There is something dangerous about encountering God. This is demonstrated time again in the biblical witness. Moses desires to see God’s glory but God allows Moses to only see the back of God’s form because “no one shall see me and live” (Exodus 33:20). Uzzah reached out to steady the ark of the covenant and was struck down (2 Sam 6:6-7). Isaiah cried, “Woe is me!” when he beheld God’s presence in the temple vision (Isaiah 6). There is something dangerous, edgy about encountering the divine.

Encountering God and being changed by that encounter may bring about some pain. Change is rarely without effort or sacrifice. To emerge as Israel, Jacob also needed to be wounded. The apostle Paul expressed a similar theme when he wrote about baptism: “Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life”(Romans 6:4). Jesus himself spoke about the kind of change life with God requires by describing it as taking up our cross, or taking up a death sentence. The life of faith isn’t just something that is a heavy burden, but is something that might just call for something that will cause us pain, either physical or emotional.

The wrestling Jacob story is one that reminds us of what life with God often looks like when we move beyond the promises of prosperity preaching and tired cliché religion: it is often hard, it is often a struggle, and it might even bring us some hurt. But the One whom we wrestle with is the One whom wants to see us grow, to see us flourish, to see us redeemed, the One who loves us beyond all comprehension or understanding.

***

My thoughts:

It still sounds as if "God"  nothing but being self aware; dealing with stress as it relates to cognitive dissonance/dissonance reduction.

Must be nice,
one having figured out a living while at the same time:
..."ABEL"...
:advertising(?)bartering(?)showcasing(?)pleading(?)ransoming, etc. ,
having a surplus willing as well as:
..."CAIN"...
:exchanging in return for same kind of attention having made your religion.

I mean living!

LOL

This is just too funny...how...difficult it seems for everyone understanding...?

Why are people so afraid of just coming right out and putting these conjectures out there for others unable figuring this out for themselves.

Surely!
 I'm not the only one "ABEL" seeing this...
this easily?

And I'm sure there are others... would appreciating the honesty.

FUCK THE REST OF THEM!

Any forms 
of 
manipulations and deceptions 
eliminates 
PO$sibility of CON$ent.

Theriogenology...

is the branch of veterinary medicine concerned with reproduction, including the physiology and pathology of male and female reproductive systems of animals and the clinical practice of veterinary obstetrics, gynecology, and andrology. Theriogenologists are veterinarians with advanced training in animal reproduction and obstetrics. In the United States, most theriogenologists are board-certified by the American College of Theriogenologists.

***

DESTINY

:
MISSION

ST. MARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

:

JESUS, EINSTEIN, AND ME

 UP ALL NIGHT 

WORKING NEW PLAN HAVING HELP
FROM 
SURPRISINGLY NEW ADDITION 

TO 

OUR TEAM?

 As death never a choice too late should laws of physics hold true;
what
would staying positive do, when loving only those 
loving
?
 you

 M - I- C--   K - E - Y--

M-O-U-S-E

Who's the leader of the Club that's made for
you and me
?

"Doesn't it say in the bible one shouldn't cast pearls before swine?"

~(Janet Claire Segers Gary)~

***

In the Hebrew Bible, Penuel (or Pniel, Pnuel; Hebrew פְּנוּאֵל) is a place not far from Succoth, on the east of the Jordan River and north of the river Jabbok. It is also called Peniel "Face of God" by Jacob:

"It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared." (Gen. 32:30 NIV)

Here Jacob wrestled (Gen. 32:24-32) "with a man" ("the angel", Hos. 12:4) "till the break of day." This episode resulted in God (or the angel) changing Jacob's name to "Israel" (Gen. 32:28) which literally means, "He who struggles with God."

A town was afterward built there (Judg. 8:8; 1 Kings 12:25). The men of this place refused to give bread to Gideon and his 300 men when they were in pursuit of the Midianites (Judg. 8:1-21). On his return, Gideon tore down the tower there and killed all the men of the city.

When the Northern Kingdom of Israel broke away from the United Monarchy c. 930 BCE, Jeroboam, its first king, established his capital in Shechem. A short time later, he left Shechem and fortified Penuel, declaring it as his new capital (I Kings 12:25). He and his son, Nadab, ruled there, until Baasha seized the throne in 909 BCE and moved the capital to Tirzah (I Kings 15:25-34).

Pnuel is a common name given to males in the Assyrian culture.

Female being admonished for having bought herself a new dress?

             

In the Hebrew Bible, Penuel (or Pniel, Pnuel; Hebrew פְּנוּאֵל) is a place not far from Succoth, on the east of the Jordan River and north of the river Jabbok. It is also called Peniel "Face of God" by Jacob:

"It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared." (Gen. 32:30 NIV)

Here Jacob wrestled (Gen. 32:24-32) "with a man" ("the angel", Hos. 12:4) "till the break of day." This episode resulted in God (or the angel) changing Jacob's name to "Israel" (Gen. 32:28) which literally means, "He who struggles with God."

A town was afterward built there (Judg. 8:8; 1 Kings 12:25). The men of this place refused to give bread to Gideon and his 300 men when they were in pursuit of the Midianites (Judg. 8:1-21). On his return, Gideon tore down the tower there and killed all the men of the city.

When the Northern Kingdom of Israel broke away from the United Monarchy c. 930 BCE, Jeroboam, its first king, established his capital in Shechem. A short time later, he left Shechem and fortified Penuel, declaring it as his new capital (I Kings 12:25). He and his son, Nadab, ruled there, until Baasha seized the throne in 909 BCE and moved the capital to Tirzah (I Kings 15:25-34).

Pnuel is a common name given to males in the Assyrian culture.

"Honey!  

Didn't I tell you, when tempted, just say,

'DEVIL!  

GET 

THE(?)E 

BEHIND 

ME!'"

~(Husband)~

("NO SEX(MAN)WITH (HUNT)ANIMAL!")

("IT'S A DINOSAUR!)

(MEN... are animals..T?W?O")

(NO MEN ARE MAM(?)MALS!"

"I did!"

And he told me,

"Looked lovely back there... too!"

~(Wife)~

If you ain't the lead dog; the scenery never changes...?

 

It’s also been portrayed in a psychological-spiritual sense. At the end of the 19^th century Paul Gauguin painted “Vision After the Sermon: Jacob Wrestling with the Angel.” The bottom and left hand side of the painting shows women, wearing their church attire of bonnets and dresses. Many have their heads bowed, one woman has her hands folded in a praying position, one is looking off in the distance in a state of meditation. Overall they give off a sense of piety and reverence. And then, in the upper right hand corner, against a red background, is an angel and a human, engaged in a wrestling match. If you were to just look at that part of the painting you would get a sense of confrontation and strife, and maybe even anger. So it’s the “real” world, and the “imagined world” side by side, and it raises the question of which of these more accurately portrays what’s going on with these church goers. Is all calm and reverent as it appears, or is there a great struggle going on?

***


 There is ambiguity,

 almost ambivalence, in the outcome...? 

My thoughts:

Here!

You figure it out.

I'm wanting to see if

 you can even figure this out yourself?

Bet you won't even try!

 

Genesis 32 New International Version (NIV)

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

32 [a]Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.[b]3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’”6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”7 In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,[c] and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,[d] the group[e] that is left may escape.”9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”17 He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”19 He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.” 21 So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

GOD ALMIGHTY! 

I  Do Hope Your Peckerwoods WiKnow kknow the Difference

Between 

This Man and the Rest of Us?