And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. Genesis 32:28
What does it take to get your name changed? Women often change their names when they marry, to take their husband’s name. People in the entertainment industry often change their names for publicity reasons. People seeking to hide their identities for various reasons will take on different names. In some cultures, boys and girls are often given a new name when they are deemed to have passed into adulthood. In most cases, the change in name marks a significant event that makes a major difference in the life of the person. In Jacob’s case, he swapped his old name, which means supplanter (a fancy way of saying cheater) for a new name that means a prince with God. The new name marked his entry into a period of life in which the presence and guidance of God was to play a key role. You and I also received a new name when we were saved, and it makes a huge difference to us.
Jacob’s name change came after a night of wrestling with a man who turned out to be either an angel or God. We can remember before we were saved, we were wrestling with God, too, as the Holy Spirit convicted us of our sins and sought to bring us to Christ. We are told that Jacob, recognizing Who he was wrestling with, laid hold of his Visitor and demanded a blessing. He received the blessing. So did we, when we trusted the Saviour. To be declared a prince with God was an amazing revelation to Jacob. To be declared a child of God is an amazing revelation to us. We have entered into a precious and eternal relationship that is even more wonderful than that into which Jacob passed that night when he wrestled with God.
If we read the account of Jacob’s encounter, we read how the sinew in his thigh shrank, so that he emerged from the encounter with a limp. He never lost that limp. Every time he took a step, he was reminded of that night in which he wrestled with God. You and I also have our walk changed because of our encounter with God. Our life is not what it was in our unredeemed state. We don’t go anymore to places that we frequented before, and we don’t act like we used to. The difference is because of an encounter that changed us, not just our name, but everything in our life.
Today is a good day to look back and appreciate how different our life is, now that we have encountered God. We can say with the hymn writer: Praise God, praise God, I’m a child of the King! -Jim MacIntosh