Jacob or Israel?
While most people would see Jacob's
character transformation and name change to Israel after wrestling
with the Angel of YHWH as a type or symbol of prevailing with God in
prayer ( especially intercession), I think its more than that. I
believe its way more than an allegorical story, but that its an
example and pattern of transformation by encounter. I think it is a
wholesale revelation and understanding, a life change that is
completely opposite of the way he conducted himself in relationship
to people and God his whole life up until that point. The first part
he was in charge and the remaining part of his life he trusted God.
Jacob's encounter with God released
him from being a spiritual orphan to being a prince and prevailer
with God ( the meaning of Israel). You don't get to become Israel
until you learn that God wins and your strength (thigh) has no
redeeming value. We don't become Israel until we walk with a limp
for the rest of our lives because of our encounter, visibly and
noticeably different forever. From the wrestling in the desert and
forward he would trust God for establishing him and his tribe and the
eventual nation of Israel. Even though that meant going back to his
dysfunctional family to try and make things right after the way he
left. With his heart in the right place, the Angel of God went
before him and softened his brother's heart.
Jacob was born chasing after his
brother and grabbing after everything he could get his hands on
through deceit and cleverness. His name Jacob meant Heel or heel
grabber and that worldly label defined him for most of his life. The
Text in Genesis is very clear that he was a momma's boy and his dad
Isaac favored his twin brother Esau, who was more of a manly man.
That being understood, it accounts for Jacob's orphan/abandonment
behavior and the need to take his brother's inheritance as opposed to
trusting God for his own.
The way I read the text, Jacob's mother
Rebekah held onto the prophetic promise God gave her that the
youngest son would be the leader and bearer of the birthright and
that is a sign of her incredible faith and trust that she helped
Jacob walk into his destiny even if he didn't fully realize what that
was yet. God always fully intended on Jacob being the one in the
line of Christ and the progenitor of the twelve tribes, but he will
have it done his way. The encounter with God released Jacob from the
anxiety and stress of having to figure out his own destiny and helped
to heal the father wounds of his natural father at the same time. I
think that may account partially for the reason God chose him as the
father of the twelve tribes and Jacob's tenderness towards his
younger sons Joseph and Benjamin.
Jacob is the type of person who tries
to make the will of God happen in their own strength, in other words
a lot like most of us or at least hopefully how we used to be. Like
many of us, he grew up in a household that was dysfunctional and
lacked affirmation. He knows there is a call of God on his life
(Padan Aram) confirmed by dreams, but still goes and works for the
man for 14 years multiplying sheep ( making money), outside of his
homeland and birthright. Even in Jacob's rebellion God recounts his
great promises to him in a dream knowing he will turn his back on
them for a long time. God is patient, he will wait and he will have
his way. He always has our best interests in his heart. Its
interesting that 14 years seems to be the seasoning time for the
cultivation of a prophet, but I digress. Only when the oppression
and lack of justice in Jacob's world becomes unbearable does he
really consider the call and promise of God in his life.
Jacob ( and you and me) have to face
God all alone, that is why he puts his family on the other side of
the river. When you face God alone in an honest encounter, before
you face those you have wronged then your character is revealed.
Surprisingly to those of us who are expecting rebuke and punishment,
what God does most of the time is reveal the character and person he
has seen in you and me all along, (Israel) princes and princesses
before him, because he sees us in Christ. When we accept God's
encounter and word to us and receive nothing less than God's best
and blessing we get the revelation of who we are. With the revelation
of the way God sees us, we can face anything and anyone and its never
as bad as we thought it was going to be, people will forgive and
accept you when you finally figure out who you are. It comes down to
believing that the Father's blessing really was for you in the first
place.
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