The name Jacob comes from the Hebrew word for “heel.” When big brother Esau is born, Jacob is right behind him—clinging firmly to his foot. Jacob is a heel-holder, a wrestler always manipulating, outmaneuvering, and outwitting others. But tonight he is out of aces. Tonight his pride finally meets its master.
Jacob is returning home after 20 years of absence. He’s moving at a slow pace to accommodate his wives, the children, and all the livestock. And his brother is coming to meet him with 400 men. Why so many men? It can mean only one thing. Esau is planning to assault him, to avenge past wrongs.
At a ford of the Jabbok, a stream joining the Jordan about halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, a stranger appears out of the night. The man wrestles with Jacob until daybreak. He shows his superiority over Jacob by touching his hip and putting it out of joint. Jacob is to limp the rest of his life. But he doesn’t let go. He won’t let go, he says, until God blesses him. The man asks, “What is your name?” (Gen. 32:27). Jacob. God then reveals a new name, Israel, “God’s warrior.”
Tonight Jacob’s self-reliance dies. True faith is born in its place. He won’t practice deceit anymore. Jacob has wrestled with God and prevailed – not by manipulation but in prayer.
What is your name? Great question. The new name Israel indicates Jacob’s new relationship with God. We all have a birth certificate name. Our character and conduct may or may not have anything to do with that name’s meaning. But God has given us a beautiful new name, Christian. It’s a name that honors his Son. Living a life consistent with that name is more than an obligation. It’s a joy and a blessing.