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Baseball65
USA
734 Posts |
 Posted - 05/06/2008 : 06:22:31
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Hi Y'all.
So.. I try to read the Bible once a year cover to cover. (I have no discernible religion and that's not what this post is about)
Anyways.. I have read this before, and every year I say to myself "Surely some other TMSer must have caught this little gem" but each year I search the archives and I don't see any posts about it, so here goes.
In the 32nd chapter of Genesis, Jacob is returning Home to Canaan where he was born and raised, after a long stay with his new In-laws. He is a bit concerned that His Biological twin brother Esau might be a little more than pissed off, seeing how as the last time they were together Jacob stole his "Birthright". Apparently Esau thought that this was a grievous enough offense that he was planning on KILLING Jacob. Earlier in the book it is made clear that Esau is the dominant of the two and Jacob is more of a Mommy's boy.
Several years have elapsed since their last meeting and Jacob is having Massive anxiety about their reunion. So much , in fact that he sends his entire family, wives, children, flocks, men and maidservants ahead of himself to confront Esau. He calculates that if Esau is really pissed , he'll kill them off first and that will give Jacob enough time to get away. (Very Gallant....chivalry was still a millenia or two away)
He is going to see Esau the next day. He sends the last of his family across the river Penuel and than lays down to sleep.
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Genesis 32:24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 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.
and down the page a bit.
Genesis 32:31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.
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The "Man" in the story is supposed to represent God.
The next day he is servile, crawling ,ingratiating... and LIMPING. He carries this 'touch from God' for the rest of his life. TMS ?
At the end of this ditty, Jacob's name is changed to Isra-el or "Wrestles with God"..... a better etiology might be "wrestles with spirit" . Ethical Monotheism was still several centuries away. The 'Elohim' of the Bible is a plural.'El Shaddai' is a vaguery that loosely means 'the almighty'..The tetragrammaton of YHWH comes waaaay later.
It's fairly obvious though; he was in a pretty bad place. He's coming home from the in-laws to see his supposed angry, vengeful brother. He's deathly afraid...afraid enough to sacrifice all of his family,wives,etc. He's probably ashamed at his cowardly actions, and in an unconscious rage that after 14 years away, he is still mortally afraid of his brother.(childhood anger...his dad preferred Esau!) The next day, in spite of Esau's joy at seeing his brother, Jacob remains supplicant and patronizing.
In context this looks to be the first ever well documented case of TMS. The conflict is obvious and so is the need for a symptom.
I know it might sound funny, but crack a bible and read it in context. It's not a stretch.
-bb65
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mk6283
USA
272 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2008 : 09:20:16
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Pretty cool. Thanks for sharing.
Best,
MK |
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First recorded Case of TMS ????
