Jacob is a biblical hero who depicts the power and grace of God to change and renew. He is most commonly known in the Bible for his cunning and deceitful ways, especially towards his twin brother Esau. However, after losing to God in a wrestling match, Jacob received God’s blessings and a new name – Israel.
Jacob is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 25. When Jacob’s mother, Rebekah, was pregnant with him and his fraternal twin Esau, she inquired of God as to why her two babies were fighting in her womb (Genesis 25:22). God replied that the enmity between the two brothers was a foreshadowing for the two nations that would arise from them. Jacob would be the forefather of Israel (Genesis 32:28, Genesis 35:10-13) and Esau of Edom (Genesis 36). Additionally, Esau, the elder twin, would become the servant of Jacob, the younger (Genesis 25:23). Fittingly, Jacob’s name is derived from the Hebrew verb which means “to follow”. Jacob was born grabbing onto his twin brother Esau’s heel. Hence, Jacob means in Hebrew “one who follows on another’s heels” (Genesis 25:26).
From the time of his birth until his wrestling encounter with God (Genesis 32:24-29, Jacob was associated with trickery and deception. His most notorious acts of trickery were committed against his twin brother Esau. Jacob offered his famished brother a bowl of soup in exchange for his birthright as the firstborn son, which was a double portion of his father Isaac’s inheritance (Genesis 25:29-34). Moreover, Jacob robbed Esau of their father’s blessing (Genesis 27:1-29, Genesis 27:35), which had been Esau’s right to receive.
When Jacob was returning home to Canaan with his family after his many years of service under Laban, Jacob received the news that his brother, who had threatened to kill him for his past trickery, was on his way to meet him (Genesis 32:6). Despite sending gifts of appeasement, Jacob was afraid for his life and family. He prayed to God for help and sent his family and possessions on ahead of him to protect them.
Left alone in his camp, God came and wrestled with Jacob until daybreak (Genesis 32:24-29). Jacob’s struggle with God is symbolic of his struggle with his inner self. God wanted to enter into a relationship with Jacob, however, he couldn’t do so until Jacob admitted his weakness of self-reliance, deceit, and trickery. When Jacob refused to surrender to God, a mere divine touch on Jacob’s hip forced the young man to surrender and admit his utter need for God (Genesis 25-26).
After Jacob surrendered to God, He blessed Jacob and gave him a new name – Israel (Genesis 32:28) and with it a new identity. Jacob was no longer to be associated as the swindler and trickster of his past. Jacob was a new creation, filled with God’s blessings with a divine purpose to establish the Israelite nation. But as a continuous reminder of their encounter and His blessing, God gave Jacob a permanent limp (Genesis 31-32).
This morning I awoke and felt God wanting me to surrender for His divine purpose. He brought me to Hillsong’s song,“I Surrender”. As I softly sang along to the song, I came to the place of surrender. I could feel that God had something important for all of us. Then Genesis 33:3 came to mind, which tells us that- (Genesis 33:3) He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
So, how is Jacob’s story relevant today? Like Jacob, we can enter into a relationship with Christ today by asking forgiveness for our sins and declaring God to be our Savior and Redeemer. Through admitting our brokenness to Him, God can give us a new life as His children, and we can enter into an eternal relationship with Him, full of His blessings and good promises over our lives.
Jacob was able to experience a new identity through his new name, Israel. In the same way, when we come to know Christ, we experience a transformation. It changes everything: our lives, our thoughts, our actions, etc.
We can also learn from Jacob’s story that people throughout the Bible wrestled with God in not only a physical sense. There’s nothing wrong with questions and the need to explore the Bible more. Christian faith isn’t blind, but rather, based on how God has come through for us in the past. We can wrestle with Him and still emerge with a new identity.
Come to God today. He wants us to surrender in a beautiful way and cease struggling with ourselves and our surroundings. He wants to free you and give you your new name-I Am His. He wants the chance to show you how strong, brave and loved you are. He wants you to become the warrior that fights the good fight. He wants you to know that He has your back, no matter what happens in this life or the next.
