Its all in the Name

When my sister was pregnant with her first child she spent hours thinking about names. She often would text or write list of names that were possibilities. I recall saying that really it must be so hard, as all too often a name matches a trait in a person. 

Just look in our house each person name that has been gifted to them matches so perfectly - Joan: gracious, Brigid: power, strength, Anne : grace.

Then my name, Karen: pure - making me laugh when I think about simplest of things like I am unable to lie as you just look at me and can see the guilt written all over my face for not telling the truth. The only way I can get around in times I need, is to only tell half a story or change the subject!! Possibly you have too much insight now ;o) hehe

I’d venture a guess that Jacob had struggles with his name too. Jacob name meant “he grasps the heel,” which is an idiom in Hebrew for “he deceives” Can you imagine? “Hi, I’m ‘he deceives.” Would you be interested trading some camels for a few sheep?” …... 

Jacob’s name, however, was fitting. He was a deceiver. He manipulated his older brother Esau in order to gain Esau’s birthright (Genesis 26). He deceived his father Isaac and stole Esau’s blessing (Genesis 27).

Though Jacob life, he made a covenant between Laban and himself which further solidified Jacob’s identity: he was indeed a deceiver. His time in Paddan Aram was marked by the heap and pillar he and Laban set up - a constant reminder that they could never get past their own selfishness. Jacob traveled back home with the same identity he’d always known. 

BUT THEN GOD STEPPED IN. 

That night as he wrestled with God, Jacob faced his identity once again when asked, “What is your name?” And once again he answered, “He Deceives.”

But there, in that moment, God gave Jacob a new identity. 

“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, 

because you have struggled with God and 

with humans and have overcome” 

Genesis 32:28

Jacob had deep roots in his old identity, but not too deep for the Lord. Though Jacob was entrenched in sin and selfishness, God reached in and called him to something greater - a new identity in Him. 

This is God’s heart for us too. We are not unreachable in our mistakes and no matter how far gone we think we are, we are still reachable. Jesus came to pursue our hearts through His life, death and resurrection. He sacrificed everything while we were still dead in our sin and He did it all to call us sons and daughters, to birth in us a new identity inextricably rooted in Him. (Ephesians 2: 2-5) 

Jacob received a new name and, in Christ so have we. This is who we really are, BELOVED: we are His. May we rest in our new identity that cost our Saviour everything. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; 

old things have passed away, and look, 

new things have come. 

2 Corinthians 5:17