Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
—Genesis 32:28
Today’s verse comes at the end of the famous scene where Jacob wrestled with God. Some Christians read this story and wonder why Jacob bothered struggling with the Almighty. After all, God would automatically win. He could have subdued Jacob with little effort. Yet He chose to wrestle with Jacob, perhaps because He knew this child needed to struggle against Him more than any other.
Jacob certainly knew what it was like to struggle at this point in his life. His mother Rebekah favored him, but his father Isaac preferred Esau. For a son (and a younger one at that), this had to be particularly difficult. The Bible reveals Jacob also paid harsh consequences after he participated in Rebekah’s deception. He got the birthright and blessing that should have gone to Esau, but he had to flee his homeland because Esau wanted to kill him. In so doing, Jacob lost everyone and everything dear to him.
Perhaps most significantly, Jacob wrestled with his own sin. His name means “he grasps the heel” or “he deceives.” Jacob was given this name because when he was born, he came out grasping Esau’s heel. Yet he also lived up to the figurative meaning of his name. Earlier in today’s passage, the angel of the Lord asked Jacob for his name. When Jacob replies, the angel knows what the name means. He knows Jacob is essentially saying, “My name is Deceiver.”
Maybe this is why God gives Jacob a new name at the end of this account. He doesn’t want Jacob to focus on sins or regrets. Instead, the new name Israel communicates that God sees Jacob’s strength and triumph. Additionally, it communicates an expectation that Jacob will function in strength from this
point forward.
You might feel like Jacob today. Your name may not be tied to a specific sin, but maybe struggles and regret weigh you down. If so, you might not be able to change your name—but you can ask God to change how you see yourself. Ask Him to reveal your strengths and show you how they can honor Him.
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