On the night of fear and distress for our ancestor Jacob, when his brother Esau was on his way with his army to kill Jacob, Jacob was all alone. Then Jacob saw Someone. Now in traditional Near Eastern culture, people didn't wander the countryside alone in the dark much. So Jacob would naturally have assumed that a man he met out by the Jabbok River in the middle of the night was either a bandit, or one of Esau's assassins. But when Jacob engaged the Man in hand-to-hand combat, he was surprised to find the Man unarmed. And when they fought, the Man had no accomplices jumping out of the bushes to attack Jacob."This is easy," Jacob began to think. "One man. Alone. Unarmed. I wonder what he's doing here."
Now Jacob was not the wimp that he is sometimes pictured as being. When he had first arrived in Syria twenty years earlier, there was a well in Paddan Aram with a large stone over its mouth. Ordinarily it would take several strong men to budge that stone, but Jacob had just casually rolled it aside to water his cousin's sheep. In hand-to-hand fighting, Jacob was pretty well invincible.But the Man said, "Let Me go. It's daybreak.""So why can't I beat this guy?" Jacob wondered. They kept fighting until almost dawn with Jacob wondering why he could not overpower this strange Man, and Who the Man might be.
Then the Man gave Jacob his next clue. As they wrestled, the Man touched Jacob's hip with His fingertips. Immediately, miraculously, Jacob's hip wrenched out of joint. This was no ordinary strongman, but Someone with miraculous power. Perhaps an angel. Whoever it was, Jacob was now more determined than ever not to let this Miraculous Being get away. He felt the need of God's blessing more than life itself. He had loved and served God faithfully since his childhood. But during the past 24 hours, he had experienced a desire for God's Presence with him more than ever before. Now it appeared that God had sent Someone with the power to bless him, and Jacob realized that he must not let this opportunity escape.
Jacob said, "I won't let you go unless you bless me."
So the Man asked Jacob, "What's your name?"
It was a promising-sounding question. The name Jacob in Hebrew means 'he will grab the heel' or 'he will trick.' He had received the name when Jacob and Esau were born fighting, and Jacob had grabbed Esau's heel. Jacob had never been inclined towards deception, but his ability to do it had saved his life a few times. If only now he could be blessed and enabled to outwit the murderous Esau today, so that he would not have to kill Esau, or be killed! So Jacob said, "Jacob."So Israel asked for confirmation. He wanted to be sure that he had understood correctly. "Please tell me your Name.""Your name will not be just Jacob any more," the Man answered, "but also Israel, because you've successfully become the ruler over both God and people."
What's that he said? Rule over God? Whatever could he mean? How could a mere human conquer God? Was he joking? Blaspheming? Whom have I beaten here this morning? Would God come down to my level and wrestle with me and let me win, as a daddy would for his toddler? What kind of authority am I being given here? Would the Infinite King of all the Universes allow me to tell Him what to do? And then obey me? How can that be?
But God-in-human-form just said, "Why ask?" and gave him the blessing he needed.
So Israel understood and named that place God's Face, because there God had met him Face to face and had saved Israel's life.
And that is why being part of the Jewish People is the most important and wonderful thing that can happen to anybody. And why knowing God's Face, the Messiah, is the key to Jewish identity. That's why the Rightful King of Israel must rule the whole earth from Jerusalem, and His People Israel rule with Him. Your name, Israel, comes from the Hebrew verb "sarah" which means 'be in charge, be ruler.' It means 'he will tell God what to do and God will do it.' That is also why anyone who ignores Yeshua has rejected his or her Jewishness. Yeshua is God's Face, the Rightful King, Israel's Messiah, the fulfillment of both your Jewishness and your humanness. And that's why, once your Jewishness is completed by your being in Him, you can ask Him for whatever you want. In the time and the way that is best for you, He will do it. There is more to your Jewish identity than any eye has seen or any ear has heard. Trustingly following Him is the key to it all, whether you are Jewish by natural birth and ancestry or not.
{24} So Jacob was left alone and a Man wrestled with him until daybreak. {25} And he couldn't beat the Man. Then the Man touched Jacob's hip, and Jacob's hip wrenched out of joint as they wrestled.{26} The Man said, "Let Me go. It's daybreak."
Jacob said, "I won't let You go unless You bless me."
{27} So the Man asked Jacob, "What's your name?"
He said, "Jacob."
{28} "Your name will not be just Jacob any more," the Man answered, "but also Israel, because you've successfully become the ruler over both God and people."
{29} Jacob said, "Please tell me your Name."
He answered, "Why ask My Name?" and blessed him there.
{30} So Israel named that place God's Face, and said, "Because I saw God Face to face and He saved my life."