Then the man said, ‘You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.’” vs. 28
Genesis 32:26-31
The wrestling match by the ford of the Jabbok was a turning point in the life of Jacob. He had reached maturity, and his Gen-X days were over. He had his wives and his children. His beloved Rachel was pregnant with Benjamin. There would be no more sons or daughters. He was ready now to be the father of a nation and from now in Israel would be his name. But the wrestling match was but a harbinger of what was to come. Through the centuries strife and contention have come to be identified with the name Israel. There have been years of exile and intense persecution. Even today the battles continue as this small nation continues to occupy the world’s center stage. We’d be hard-pressed to name another people who have been more heroic in fighting for their very existence. But Israel had a greater purpose than mere survival, a purpose that was understood clearly by the prophet Isaiah. Israel would be a “light to the nations so that God’s salvation would reach to the ends of the earth.” And through the mission of Jesus of Nazareth, born not too far from the ford of the Jabbok, that’s exactly what has happened. Jacob made his peace with Esau, and now Jesus is the prince of peace for all humanity.
Thought for the Day: How has Israel survived for so long?
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