Genesis 32:30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “it is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
Peniel means “face of God”. This passage reminds us of the later story of Moses who encountered God and heard Him say, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live” (Exodus 33:20). Jacob’s words are an important contrast to what Moses heard. Jacob did see God face to face and he did die. His death was significant enough for God to give him a new name, Israel. His death was a spiritual death.
Isn’t that the real test of our sanctification? It isn’t that we have received something but have ceased to be something, my old self. Jacob wrestled and was injured by God. Normally we wrestle with obedience and submission and find ourselves dictating to God. We try to reshape the purpose of God to align with our own plans. We try to change His name. We need to learn to distinguish between the impression made on us by a vision, feeling or dream and identification with the One who gave us the vision. The love of God and His forgiveness are the first things we experience; we are not prepared as yet to recognize His other attributes of holiness and justice because that would entail death to everything that does not conform with God’s nature.
If we have difficulty seeing, hearing or getting through to God, we imagine it is because we are on track and doing things well, so God must be in approval of us. The opposite is true. God is refusing to yield to our will and his only recourse is to cripple us, which cripples our plans. He leaves us with no other option than to confront him face to face with our need to acknowledge Him and seek His blessing of forgiveness.
