Who can find God unless He allows Himself to be found?
The prophet Hosea is repeating the history of Jacob narrated in the Torah in Hosea Ch 12, to teach his audience that Jehovah God is not to be found by any device of man; but by returning to His revealed way, observing kindness and justice, and waiting for Jehovah continually (Hos12v6).
Hosea 12 vv 4,5
v4
Yes, he wrestled with (strove against) the angel (Messenger) and prevailed;
He wept and sought His favor,
He found Him (us) at Bethel,
And there He spoke with us,v 5
Even Yahweh (Jehovah, the Lord), the God of hosts;
The Lord (Jehovah) is His memorial(ie: name).
Who found who? The Lord God made Himself known, and allowed Himself to be found.
The Lord is not to be found physically everywhere.
He is not readily seen everywhere, whenever anyone wants to see god.
This is because God has ordered His creation in such pattern that the creatures cannot comprehend His greatness by their own devices.
v 4 tells us that Jacob did not wrestle as to overpower the angel/messenger and claim dominance; but he even wept in his effort for seeking His favor.
Some copies have " He found US " in v 4 , signifies that the God Jehovah Jacob sought after is not a singular entity.
Also the text (Hosea) suddenly reminds us, the audience, that it is God [ this US ] communicating with us, rather than just a man designated Hosea (singular person) expressing his understand.All the OT copies have " He spoke with us " in v 4; not just with him (Jacob).
Again, we are told that God did not just speak with Jacob; rather God is communicating with the audience Hosea is prophesying to - us.
When His name "Jehovah" is mentioned, much of the audience would suddenly think they are hearing from some cults or non-orthodox Christian religion.
Many are so separated from the truth of God, as to find His words alien to their concept, doctrine and understanding.
This alienation with the memorial of God also demonstrated that this one true God of Hosts is not created by such people; as they do not even know Him, saved recognising His attributes. Far is modern religion and human conception from the Biblical revelation.
Yet the rational thinkers (sceptics) think it rational that God must be seen and felt by the vast majority for them to acknowledge His existence.
They dismissed the Biblical God as He is not readily demonstrable by their set experiment/tests.
The text is thought of as a story weaved with human error and mis-understanding.
(Matt 13vv14,15)
God, the creator (above His creation) is not a slave of thinkers; needing to act according to any order or request to reveal Himself for a public spectacle.
He needs not make His way readily comprehensible by His creatures.
Which man of some talent has made his way/thought and reasoning comprehensible to an ant or a dog or a fruit? And when the rational person come to step on an ant, command a dog or cook a fruit, little has he made his action and plan understood by these lowly creature first. The ant did not understand Bio-physics; the dog did not understand Genetic engineering, even Psychology; and the fruit did not understand Home economics, or Chemistry.
So much for the creatures. So much more for the creator.Since when has unreasonable thought and demand been hailed rational, and blindness viewed as insights?
The prophet Hosea/writer tells us in this passage that God is not to be found physically everywhere. He is not readily seen whensoever the seekers look. He is only experienced under unique circumstances at particular location revealed by God Himself. His discovery is not to be determined by men; by any experiment.
It is a rare occasion seeing Him.
Yet Jacob realised the importance of His blessings, and he needed that.And God is recognised or designated by a specific name (YHWH). A name not chosen by anybody but revealed by Himself.
Gen 32v24:
Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
This man came with a purpose, that caused him to stay wrestling for the night, rather than just for a short while as wrestling normally last.
The encounter was so important to Jacob as to warrant his effort for the night.
And His God is understood by him even when coming in the form of a man.
His characteristics so strong and familiar to Jacob as to be unmistakable. His attributes are determined even before His appearance. A specific Deity rather than alien, confusing concept; forming an identifiable impression in Jacob's mind even before the encounter.Gen 32v26:
Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
Jacob was certained that this man is not just an ordinary man, but someone greater than himself; someone whose blessing he needed and sought after.
It was this man who came and found Jacob; not Jacob who devised some sort of plan and waited and got this man in sight.
His God found him, rather than Jacob coming to him.
Jacob recognised Him even that dawn was not yet broken and they were still in relative darkness. And his God did not hold back in blessing him.
And this God does not set Himself apart from His creation/creatures by sitting on His throne afar/above. He was within touch/reach. He could be experienced. He is not stone-cold. He is not violence all the way. He could entertain a dialogue.
He is set apart from His creation and yet not separated (as is cut off).Gen 28vv 13-19:
v13
And behold, the Lord (Jehovah) stood above it and said, "I am the Lord (Jehovah), the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie (are lying), I will give it to you and to your descendants (seed).
The God of Jacob called Himself Jehovah, which is readily recognised by Jacob to be his God.
This God has the power and right to execute judgement and establish contract/covenant without any need to consult anybody. He needs no witness other than Himself. His words are final; leaving no room for question and doubt.
v14
"Your descendants (seed) shall also be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Je- repeated the promise to Abraham to Jacob; by so doing Jehovah is affirming that He is the true God in whom Abraham placed his faith.
Je- is also showing His audience that the promise to Abraham was coming into a reality down the line of Israel rather than down the bloodline of slave servant as well.
Jacob ( Israel ) and all those who will spring out from this covenant are counted as one singular subject. This is reflected in the words, " seed " & " and you shall spread out.." not they shall spread out.
So, the true Israel, the seed of Jacob, even those who will be adopted as sons in the New Covenant ( by having the same faith ) is brought out in this promise. (Matt13v16)
v15
"And behold, I am (will be) with you and will keep (guard) you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until [surely] I have done what I have promised you."
Jehovah expressed His protection and affirmed His promise.
This certainty is not made clear and guaranteed by experiment/tests. It is the Will/Grace of God; providence of His promise.
And in the time of Christ, in the land of Israel, the promise is fulfilled; in that all are drawn to God as sons of Israel by faith through Christ, even to the corners of human existence.
v16
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord (Jehovah) is in this place, and I did not know it."
This verse affirms that Jacob recognised with certainty that Jehovah is his God. No doubt is expressed.
He thought he was diligent enough to search and to recognise His holiness, and yet God came to find him; and he did not know where he was beforehand.
God is revealed before any experiment can be devised, let alone conducted.
The passage emphasised on the belief of the supernatural God who can be communicated with at the time, and method/mode, and place He determined proper.
v17
And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven (the heavens)."
Holiness beyond explanation.
Impression so awesome, that Jacob came to believe it as truth even that he knew he had a dream.
Here is one of the many who would place their trust in a dream rather than an experiment or things physical. From this source of dreamers come the adopted sons of Israel in the New Testament era. People who would recognise God yet not by experiment or news report but by meeting their God.
The non-believers, of course, do not meet God or come to know Him by the same way and establish trust. (Matt 13 vv14,15)
v18
So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar (memorial), and poured oil on its top.
Jacob then set up a physical sign for his non-physical encounter.
Experiment for proving the Bible may come after personal encounter with the living God. It is not needed for knowing God.
v19
And he called the name of that place Bethel; however, previously the name of the city had been Luz.
He designated the place -"house of the Almighty God".
The little area is within the territory of the city Luz. [This is like the city of Tyre within the territory/region of Tyre. The location of the city is not ascertained although the region is known.] The specific spot was not spoted even that the area could be located.
Jacob did not know where he would see the gate of Heaven although he knew where the city Luz was.
We do not know where and when God would touch us although we know He is amongst us. It is God who initiates.
Gen 35vv 10-15 - 18:
v 10
And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob. But Israel shall be your name."
Thus He called him Israel.God has designated a new covenant with Jacob by raising up a new name.
This is a covenant within a covenant
v 11
God also said to him, "I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you.
This new covenant also resembles the old, receiving the blessings and approval from God.
"A nation" could be referred to the bloodline of Jacob and Abraham, being the part of the Old Covenant.
"A company of nations" is referred to the assemblies (Church) of people from different nations who will come to God from the same faith Israel had.
By faith as the physical bloodline cannot and does not includes nations.Why kings? It is because the company of nations will not be under the earthly rule of the bloodline of Abraham. The nations will be ruled by leaders (kings) from the same faith of Israel. So they are justified by faith; without which nobody is justified. By faith they are Israel (the one who wrestles with God).
v 12
"And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And I will give the land to your descendants after you."
All his seed will inherit the promised land.
The earthly Israel (country/land) has today become a land for the faithful. All pilgrims may direct their faith towards Jerusalem, the city of God; and walk Israel to taste the footstep of God, and feel the hand of the Almighty.
v 13
Then God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him.
God works according to His own timing and method.
God demonstrated His supernatural quality by ascending, after sharing His closeness with Israel.
Where God is, man cannot reach by physical devices.
v 14
And Jocob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a libation (drink offering) on it; he also poured oil on it.
It was a spot of land, and a pillar (memorial) can be set up. It is not a path where men could travel.
Jacob would also like to bless the spot, recognising its spiritual significance/quality.
v 15
So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.
The place of the Almighty as the name; solemn and awesome. God of Israel is no less than Almighty.
v 16
Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe labor.
They journeyed on and lived on to experience the promise of God. They did not linger on one spot. They did not plan to give birth on that known spot as to gain more blessing.
v 17
And it came about when she was in severe labor that the midwife said to her, "Do not fear, for now you have another son."
How many sons did Rachel have? Bible error? Anachronism?
Why not think for a short while and accept what could be ethnically natural, for the sons of Jacob to be regarded the sons of all his wives and concubines? It is recorded that Israel had 12 sons and only the last one was from Rachel.
The midwife need not be cruel (rude) enough to remind her audience that Rachel did not bear a son by her own.v 18
And it came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Benoni (the son of my sorrow); but his father called him Benjamin (the son of my right hand).
This is the son that lifted the sorrow of Rachel for not having a son while her sister gave birth to many. This is her sorrow that she had to depart before sharing her son together with Jacob. Till this moment her sorrow of having no son was remembered deeply as she wanted to express it by naming the child. This is her sorrow not able to face her sister again with the joy of having a son.
She did not look on further for the promise and providence of the Almighty.
God had promised them a blessed future, with nations and many descendants.
Israel did not let sorrow overrun him, but had faith in the future of his son, trusting that Jehovah will work through his seed from strength to strength.
Exodus 3v15:
And God, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The Lord (Jehovah), the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name (to generation of generation) to all generations.
The God of all the ancients of the Jews/Israelites has only given one name "JEHOVAH" which is His memorial to all generations.
There is no other name given by Him under Heaven, by which this God is called or designated, or remembered.
Muslims claim that the only true God is called Allah, and the name Je.. is not found in the Qur'an and hadiths even before any abrogation;
Many claimed that God has many names;
Humanists worship isms and life-forces, and do not recognise who the Almighty is;
Escapists are too busy escaping from life;
Bubbhists do not even ascertain a name for the ultimate God.
Many Buddhists and Taoists worship Buddha and gods of other names. No one worships the Almighty alone.
The Bible is specific, that He (Je..) has given us one name for His memorial; and set forth one New covenant from one Old covenant [continuation].
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