We Who Wrestle with God: Perceptions of the Divine

The Hebrew patriarch Noah (c. 3000-5000 BCE) is known as the first prophet of the Jewish tradition, whose story is told in the book of Genesis. Genesis includes two distinct stories about Noah: the story of the Great Flood and the story of Noah as a winegrower.

In the flood narrative, God destroys the human race because of its wickedness. Noah is the ninth descendant of Adam, who, because of his righteousness, is chosen by God to survive the flood along with his family and effect a renewal of history and the human race. According to God’s instructions, Noah builds an ark in which he preserves male and female examples of every species of animal along with his family. After the flood, God promises never again to destroy the world and sets a rainbow in the sky as a sign of a new covenant with Noah and humanity.

In the wine narrative, Noah drinks too much of the wine he has made and falls asleep naked in his tent. His son Ham mocks his father, while his sons Shem and Japheth discreetly help him. As a result, Ham becomes a representative of evil in biblical tradition, while the other two brothers are blessed. In all, Noah functions as a symbol of righteousness and obedience to God’s will; his trajectory illustrates the moral themes of growth and idealism traced in We Who Wrestle With God.

A revered Hebrew patriarch, Abraham (early second millennium BCE) is considered one of the founders of Judaism and a seminal figure to all three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam).

Abram (later Abraham) is a nomadic herder and lives in the city of Haran in Mesopotamia until he receives a call from God to migrate south to the land of Canaan, where he will establish a prosperous dynasty and enjoy a special covenant with the divine. Abram and his wife Sarai (later Sarah) encounter many adventures in Egypt, acquiring wealth in a time of famine and, later, attempting to settle the Plain of Jordan in the face of hostile warring factions. In their old age, God miraculously blesses Abraham and Sarah with children, and Isaac carries on Abraham’s legacy. Abraham shows his depth of devotion to God when he obeys the divine call to sacrifice Isaac and is prevented at the last minute by an angel.

In Peterson’s narrative, Abram/Abraham is a symbol of faithfulness to God’s call to “spirited adventure.” A prototypical “late starter,” Abraham awakens from immaturity at an advanced age, and his newfound initiative in conquering new land, planning for the future, and establishing the worship of the one God is rewarded by becoming the father of a great nation.

One of the most important Hebrew prophets, Moses (14th-13th century BCE) is famous for leading the Israelites out of slavery and for formulating the Ten Commandments and the other laws that formed the basis of Judaism. Moses’ deeds are recounted in the books of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, and the first five books of the Bible (the Torah or Pentateuch) are traditionally regarded as “the Books of Moses.”

As recounted in the book of Exodus, Moses is born to Hebrew parents in Egypt and raised in the Egyptian court. In time, the Israelites are demoted to the status of enslaved people in Egypt, and God calls Moses to play a leading role in leading them to freedom. Finally owning up to his identity as an Israelite, Moses demands that the Pharaoh free his people. The Pharaoh adamantly refuses but finally relents after God brings a devastating series of plagues on Egypt.

Moses leads the Israelites on an arduous journey through the desert on their way to the land of Canaan promised to them by God. On the way, Moses’ abilities as a leader are tested severely by the discontented and unfaithful Israelites, but he finally delivers the Ten Commandments as a sign of the new covenant between God and his chosen people.

In Peterson’s analysis, the story of Moses represents the journey from sinful and lazy habits to personal responsibility and self-government. Moses himself serves as a moral example in the biblical narrative, overcoming his own sense of inadequacy and the temptations of power on his way to becoming a just leader and faithful man of God.