Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
There’s something about being alone in the quiet night when you have a great deal to think about and perhaps even some decisions to make. When was the last time you had such heavy things on your heart that you couldn’t sleep and you found yourself wide awake in deep reflection, maybe even desperate prayer, in the middle of the night?
Yesterday I left you with Jacob, alone in the night contemplating both his shameful past and his potentially frightening future. Fearful of his twin brother, from whom Jacob had been estranged for 20 years, and whom he would probably see tomorrow, wisdom not sleep was what Jacob needed! When Jacob and Esau had separated 20 years before, Esau vowed to kill Jacob. I have no doubt Jacob was giving serious consideration to the fact this may be his final night alive, and not only him but all of his family whom he had sent across the Jabbok River leaving him alone.
Suddenly a man approached Jacob and evidently without words they began to wrestle. Genesis 32:24 describes the scene like this: “Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched… Then the man said, ‘let me go for it is daybreak.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go until you bless me.’ The man asked Jacob, ‘what is your name?’ ‘Jacob’ he answered. 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.” (Gen. 32:24-28)
While there has been much debate about the identity of this man with whom Jacob wrestled that night, many agree it was likely an angel sent from God for the purpose of giving Jacob a message from God. A new name for Jacob would be significant both in his meeting with Esau and beyond as he sought to relocate back to his homeland. From this day forward Jacob is referred to in the Biblical record by both names, but most often by his name Jacob.
In Genesis 48, the account of Jacob preparing to die, I note that the name “Israel” is used for Jacob several times including this powerful promise to his son Joseph: “Then Israel said to Joseph ‘I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. And to you I give the ridge of land I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.” (Gen. 48:21,22) You may recall Jacob was an old man near death and he was in Egypt, when he was speaking these words to Joseph, his favorite son. Jacob was predicting that Joseph and all his descendants would be rescued from Egypt by God and led back to their homeland, the place where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had lived. In fact the land where Joseph and all his brothers had been born.
Now back for a moment to this all-night wrestling match. The name “Israel“ probably means ‘struggle with God’ and when applied to the people who are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that sure is a good description of the long and difficult journey the Jewish people have walked with God. Even today, in the horrific recent Hamas attack and slaughter of Jews we hear a great deal of political and military rhetoric describing the retaliation, but thus far have you heard any Jewish voice urging the nation to cry out to God for help? The attack happened on the Sabbath, and yet still I have yet to hear a Jewish politician or a Rabbi or any military leader calling on God for help? As we saw yesterday in Gen. 32:9-12 Jacob prayed earnestly seeking God’s help and reminding God of the journey they have walked together over these past 20 years. This all-night wrestling match and the name change is in part God’s response to Jacob’s desperate prayer asking God for help.
That God given name “Israel” became the name of God’s Covenant with Abraham and his descendants. “Israel“ became the name of the Land God had promised would be the Covenant homeland for Abraham and his descendants. “Israel“, also became the name of the People who would become this great nation descending from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his 12 sons.
Genesis 33 is the amazing, God led reunion of Jacob, his family, and his estranged twin brother Esau. Rather than hatred and warfare, a remarkable reconciliation and restoration of relationship took place between Jacob and his brother Esau. I urge you to listen to this chapter on the Dramatized Audio Bible at the conclusion of today’s edition. Will you take note with me please of how this chapter ends. “So that day Esau started on his way back to Sier. Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. After Jacob came from Paddan Aram he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. He bought… the plot of land where he pitched his tent. There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.” (Gen. 33:16-20)
Do you see Jacob taking specific action to declare that this is his homeland? Purchasing land, building shelters, and pitching his tent, but most of all building an altar for worship? The name El Elohe Israel means: “Mighty is the God of Israel”. One of the things I look for in the Bible is when a place has important connection through the generations. That place, Shechem was, more than 300 years later, the very same place Joshua, as he neared the end of his life, called all the Israelites together and challenged them to decide and declare who their God would be in this, their reclaimed homeland. “Choose you this day whom you will serve…as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD God of Israel.” (Joshua 24:15).
As significant as those events with Jacob were, God had even more in store for him. Tomorrow, we’ll join Jacob in Genesis 35 as God invites Jacob back to Bethel, the place of their first encounter 20 years before, when Jacob was running for his life, and he heard the unbelievable words that God loved him and was passing to him the Covenant blessing of his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham. Oh, tomorrow is going to be very special, it’s one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, but first today, let’s pause and reflect.
Can you echo Jacob’s words that Jesus Christ is Mighty God and has been your strength? Can you respond to Joshua’s challenge by saying YES, I have chosen JESUS CHRIST is my Savior, my LORD, my King, and I will serve and follow Him forever? Let’s spend some time with Jesus and here’s a song to help you express your allegiance to King Jesus!
Today’s Scripture is Genesis 32:24-33:20.
Choose below to read or listen.
Gen. 32:24-33:20 Gen. 32
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Genesis 33
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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