A Change of Name and Nature

But Jacob stayed behind by himself, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he couldn’t get the best of Jacob as they wrestled, he deliberately threw Jacob’s hip out of joint.
The man said, “Let me go; it’s daybreak.”
Jacob said, “I’m not letting you go ’til you bless me.”
The man said, “What’s your name?”
He answered, “Jacob.”
The man said, “But no longer. Your name is no longer Jacob. From now on it’s Israel (God-Wrestler); you’ve wrestled with God and you’ve come through.”
Genesis 32:24-28 The Message

The name, Jacob, means deceiver. And if you read the book of Genesis, you will discover that he was only one in a long line of deceivers. What Jacob had sown, he had reaped in abundance through Laban's deceit and treachery. And yet, God had made a promise to Abraham and Isaac and now to Jacob. Jacob - who was heading home - hoping against hope that he would not die at the hand of his twin brother, Esau. You may remember that Jacob had manipulated his twin into giving up his birthright and had stolen Esau's blessing, as well.

Now on the eve of what may be his death, Jacob has come face-to-face with who he's been. Deceiver. Manipulator. Mean and hateful. And he realizes unless God intervenes, all is lost. It's what we refer to in this day and age as a "Come to Jesus" moment - where the lies are stripped away and only the Truth remains. He is desperate...

Enter the wrestling match; his hip has been thrown out of joint. Now in great emotional and physical pain, Jacob is on the ground, desperately holding onto the Man, refusing to let go. He has gotten down and dirty. And the Man asks, "What's your name?"

Why? It was to allow Jacob to acknowledge the Truth. The Truth about himself. The Truth about his life - what he'd done and how he had gotten to this place. You know that God knows who and what we are. We should know also that He loves us too much to leave us there unchanged by His grace.

“I’m not letting you go ’til you bless me.”
"What's your name?" I am Jacob. I am a heel. A deceiver.

John 8:32, You will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free... And immediately God changed him to a new name and a new nature. Verse 28, From now on it’s Israel (God-Wrestler); you’ve wrestled with God and you’ve come through.

God is no respecter of persons. He will do the same for us when we acknowledge who and what we are without Him.

Prayer:

Father,
          We never tire of asking You to change our hearts, O God! Give us clean hands and pure hearts. Let us walk in holy love toward one another. Rescue us from our sinful ways, Father, In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen