10. First, He appeared in the form of “a man:” i5Y US Ps, —“A man wrestled with him.” A man he is called from his shape and his actions. He “ wrestled,” P28?; that is, saith R. Menachem in Rashi, 72yn', “he dusted.” This, saith he, is the sense of P28; for pydsna nay ody vow ,—“ they stirred up the dust with their feet,” as men do in earnest wrestling; or, as himself would have it, in allusion to another word, to signify “the closing with their arms,” to cast one another down, as is the manner of wrestlers. A great conten- tion is denoted, and an appearance in the form of a man, further manifested by his “ touching the hollow of Jacob’s thigh.”
224 APPEARANCES OF THE SON OF GOD [EXERC. X.
11. Secondly, He is called an “Angel” by Jacob himself: Gen. xlviii. 16, “The Angel that redeemed me.” This was the greatest danger that ever Jacob was in, and this he remembers in his blessing of Joseph’s children, praying that they may have the presence of this Angel with them, who preserved him all his life, and delivered him from that imminent danger from his brother Esau. And he calls hin, Psa FNP, —“ The Angel the Redeemer ;” which is the name of the promised Messiah, as the Jews grant, Isa. ‘lis 20, >is isp 83,
—‘ And the Goél” (the “ Redeemer’) “shall come to Zion.” And he is expressly called “The Angel,” Hos. xii. 4.
12. Thirdly, This man in appearance, this angel in office, was in name and nature God over all, blessed for ever: for, in the first place, Jacob prays solemnly unto him for his blessing, Gen. xxxii. 26, and refuseth to let him go, or to cease his supplications, until he had blessed him. He doth so, he blesseth him, and giveth him a double pledge or token of it, in the touch of his thigh and change of his name; giving him a name to denote his prevalency with God,— that is, with himself. And from hence Jacob concludes that he had “seen God,” and calls the name of the place, “The face of God.” In the second place, Gen. xlviii. 16, besides that he invocates this Angel, for his presence with and blessing on the children of Joseph,— which cannot regard any but God himself without gross idolatry,—it is evident that “the Angel which redeemed him,” verse 16, is the same with “the God which fed him,” that is, the God of his fathers.
And this is yet more evident in the prophet: for with regard unto this story of his power over the Angel, he says, “ He had power with God;” and proves it, because “ he had power over the Angel, and prevailed.” And he shows whereby he thus prevailed: it was by “weeping and making supplication unto him;” which he neither did nor lawfully might do unto a created angel. And therefore some of the Jews apply these words, “ He wept and made supplication,” unto the Angel’s desire to Jacob to let him go !—foolishly enough; and yet are they therein followed by some late critics, who too often please themselves in their curiosities. Again, this Angel was he whom he found, or “ who found him, in Bethel ;” an account whereof we have, Gen. xxviil. 10-22, and xxxv. 1. Now, this was no other but he unto whom Jacob made his vow, and entered into solemn covenant withal that he should be his God. And therefore the prophet adds expressly in the last place, Hos. xii. 5, that it was “the Lorp God of hosts” whom he intended.
13. From what hath been spoken, it is evident that he who appeared unto Jacob, with whom he earnestly wrestled, by tears and supplications, was God ; and because hewas sent as the angel of God, it must be some distinct person in the Deity condescending unto that office; and appearing in the form of a man, he represented his future
SECT. 11-15.] UNDER THE OLD TESTAMENT, 225
assumption of our human nature. And by all this did God instruct the church in the mystery of the person of the Messiah, and who it was that they were to look for in the blessing of the promised Seed.
14, Exod. iii. 1-6, “ And Moses came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. And the Angel of the Lorp appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LorpD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw. not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.” And herein also have we expressed another glorious appearance of the Son of God. He who is here revealed is called “ Jehovah,” verse 4; and he affirms of himself that he is “ the God of Abraham,” verse 6; who also describes himself by the glorious name of “I am THaT I AM,” verse 14; in whose name and authority Moses dealt with Pharaoh in the deliverance of the people, and whom they were to serve on that mountain upon their coming out of Egypt; he whose fS1, or “merciful good-will,” Moses prays for, Deut. xxxiii. 16. And yet he is expressly called an “ Angel,” Exod. iii. 2,—namely, the Angel of the covenant, the great Angel of the presence of God, in whom was the name and nature of God. And he thus appeared that the church might know and consider who it was that was to work out their spiritual and eternal salvation, whereof that deliverance which then he would effect was a type and pledge. Aben Ezra would have the Angel mentioned verse 2, to be another from him who is called “God,” verse 6: but the text will not give countenance unto any such distinction, but speaks of one and the same person throughout, without any alteration; and this was no other but the Son of God.