Sometimes Scripture isn't immediately sensible to me. This story has been one that's remained a mystery until today when I learned that in Hebrew Panim/Penim (the vowels are missing in Hebrew, so could be spelled either way) means 'face', and that Pnim means 'inside'. When we see someone's true face (not a hypocritical one), we see also what is inside of them. For example, The King noted Nehemiah's downcast face and connected it with his downcast heart.
In Genesis 32, Jacob wrestled with God and called the place Peniel (Face of God). With this new insight regarding the connection between our face and our inside, we see that that night Jacob saw more than the physical face of God in that humble wrestling match. In fact, in the dark night of his soul, he saw the heart of God. He saw that God wrestling with him not to kill him, not even to harm him…but for his good. God humbled him (the limp) only because it was what Jacob needed (He did not stop wrestling with God until his hip was displaced).
When Jacob sees who God is on the inside, he also comes to see how God views him. God doesn't see him as a "Jacob" (deceiver, low lifer), but as an "Israel" (prince of God)! He'd tried many times in the past, even before Jacob's birth, to tell Jacob that he was special, but Jacob doesn't really believe/get it until this darkest night in the desert.
Until we wrestle with God and men (spirit and flesh) and overcome, we will see ourselves as unworthy low-life rather than the highly esteemed sons of God. Until we wrestle with the realities of spirit and flesh we will view God as against us (imposing oppressive laws and repressive demands) instead of the one who actually fights our battles.
It's all there—old truths delivered fresh and powerful. Oh! The beauty and wonder of God's Word. May we know and handle it better and better.
