Jacob's New Name
Thoughts on Parashat Vayishlach “And He Sent“ (Genesis 32:4-36:43)
This past week we’ve been reading Parashat Vayishlach “And He Sent“
Genesis 32:4-36:43
Obadiah 1:1-21
Hebrews 11:11-20
As always the case with our weekly reading, something “pops out” to me and I try to dig into it. This week it is the name change of Jacob. Let’s first look at the verses within the Parashat.
Twice Jacob is told that his name will no longer be called, “Jacob”, but “Israel”.
“Then He said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but rather Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men, and you have overcome.” (Genesis 32:29 TLV)
“God appeared to Jacob again, after he returned from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him. God said to him, ‘Your name was Jacob. No longer will your name be Jacob, for your name will be Israel. So He named him Israel.” (Genesis 35:9-10 TLV)
So, what does this mean, given that as we will see throughout Scripture, the name, “Jacob” continues to be used? In fact, there are many times where we see both, “Jacob” and “Israel” used almost seemingly interchangeably.
Let’s first take a quick look back. When Abraham and Sarah’s names were changed from Avram to Abraham (Genesis 17:5) and Sarai to Sarah (Genesis 17:15), they were known from that time forward as Abraham and Sarah. Avram, the contraction of Av aram (meaning, “father of Aram”) and Sarai (“my princess”, in Hebrew) were names that referred to them personally. But, in the Kingdom, they would become the patriarch and matriarch of the faith for the world. So, God added the Hebrew letter, “heh” to reflect the increase of the scope of their name and renown. Thus, they became exclusively know as Abraham and Sarah.
But, such is not the case with Jacob. He receives a new name altogether. Yet, Scripture will continue to use both names, sometimes what even seems interchangeably.
Jacob, or “Ya’aqob” means “ heel’ or ‘surplanter”. Whereas “Yisrael” (Israel) means, “to contend with God”).
A commonly accepted view is that Jacob refers to the “old” character of Jacob of his early life and “Israel” refers to his new nature after wrestling with God and men (Esau and Laban).
The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks suggests that perhaps the two names indeed represent two aspects of Jacob, one being a man who traded for his brother’s birthright, used deception to gain his blessing, fearful, and lacking in faith while another being a man filled with faith, courage, and resiliency. He writes,
“Are we Jacob, embarrassed by who we are? Or are we Israel, with the courage to stand upright and walk tall in the path of faith?”
Rabbi Pesach Wolicki from The Israel Bible writes,
“Jacob retained both his names because he continued to live in both roles. And so have the Jewish people. The Jewish people have spent much of our history as ‘Jacob’ subservient, in exile, continually defending ourselves from outside influences that could compromise our unique identity. At the same time we are also “Israel’, charged with the leadership mission to be a ‘kingdom of priests and holy nation’ that brings knowledge of God to all humanity.”
We all can have the nature of Jacob or the nature of his brother Esau. I think it’s not an accident that Scripture spends so much text covering the lives of these 2 brothers. It is wise for us to spend time in these Scriptures.
We all have to make our sojourn as Jacob did. We all have to have our wrestling matches. Our individual destinies may not have anywhere near the equivalents of Abraham, Isaac or Jacob, but we still have divine destinies for which God intends for us. And, we are living in prophetic times. Let us seek to do what we were created for! Everyone one of us are flawed, broken vessels, just as our forefathers were. Let us stay faithful and in prayer to be transformed into vessels for God’s work.
Messianic Rabbi Jefferey Feinberg sums everything up so beautifully,
“In that dark night at Peniel, Ya’akov hangs onto the one blessing he most treasures-not the temporal blessing of pre-eminence, but the eternity of God’s Presence, grounded in the eternal promise of the Land. Ya’akov becomes Yisra’el that night, because he desires his highest destiny, God’s dream to bring him to the Land.”
Jacob, the man and father of 12 sons. Jacob, the father of Israel, the set-apart people in a set-apart land ……to be a light to the nations, to birth our Messiah to bring salvation to Israel and the world.
Prayer Points:
Pray for the Jewish people around the world to come to know Messiah as Lord and Savior. May He meet them at “the special place” (see Genesis 28;11)
Pray for the people and the physical land of Israel. May the sojourners make aliyah (return to the land) as we await for the restoration of all things and the return of Yeshua.
Pray for the false teaching of replacement theology to be exposed and that the Church acknowledge her foundation in Israel and repent of the false teaching that God has replaced Israel with the Church. May Jews and Gentiles be one in Messiah Yeshua, Jesus the Christ.
In Him,
Wayne
You who fear ADONAI, praise Him! All Jacob’s descendants, glorify Him! Revere Him, all you seed of Israel. (Psalm 22:24 TLV)
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, so that the surpassing greatness of the power may be from God and not from ourselves. (2 Corinthians 4:7 TLV)
Thank you to those who are reading these musings I share. Several of you have given me wonderful words of encouragement. May you all be blessed. Love you all.