A New Name for Jacob; Israel

We have discussed the significance of the words Jew and Hebrew and its origins, and now we will discuss a third name given to this people. The name Israel. What is the meaning of this name? The first time we read it is in Genesis 32:30. This is the first of the 2,506 times it is mentioned, from Genesis to Revelation. The story associated with the giving of Israel’s name is very intriguing, just as the nation of Israel is today.

 

Let us read the account of this fascinating fight in Genesis 32:24-30 and see how beautiful it turned out to be. Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” We can rename this event as the Gospel according to Jacob. Let’s see what we can learn from it.

 

The account begins with the appearance of an individual, in Hebrew, ish (אִישׁ), translated man, and ends by saying that this Man is God. This is what is clear. In verse 24 we read that a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day, and in verse 30 we read, “For I have seen God face to face”. Who is it that Jacob saw? A theophany is a visible manifestation of God usually restricted to the Old Testament. Most in rabbinical Judaism try to avoid the obvious; they connect this encounter with the next person who appears, namely Esau. So, they say that the Man was really Esau’s angel fighting Jacob; like a pre-fight before the bigger one to come. A forced interpretation because of the obvious connotation, that this angel was divine.

 

 We read in the Midrash Rabbah – Genesis LXXVII:3; R. Hama b. R. Hanina said: It was the guardian Prince [angel] of Esau. To this Jacob alluded when he said to him [Esau]: Forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of Elohim. Another, Maimonides, had a little more respect and said it was all a dream; In his famous Guide to the Perplexed (P.238) he wrote, All this passed in a prophetic vision. Do not imagine that an angel is seen or his word heard …  And we might ask, why not? One modern commentator said that this man was Esau’s alter-ego. An alter ego is like a copy of oneself, or an alternative personality. (Sarna JPS Comm. Genesis 32:24). Superman had an alter ego; he was a newsman in the daytime and Superman in troubled times. So was Esau – he was a man in the daytime and an angel at night!

 

Their interpretation is clearly out of line because at the end this Man blesses Jacob and gives him a new name, Israel. Should we dare to conclude that Esau’s evil angel blessed Jacob and gave him the name Israel?  One rabbi, a biblical commentator, David Kimchi from the 11th century, moved out of the mold and boldly recognized the message here. Concerning this passage he wrote, The angel not only says that He is God, but that Jacob had worshipped him as such; Then beyond all doubt He was God, the true object of worship. (Commentary on the Prophecy of Zechariah by R. Kimchi).

 

Clearly Kimchi saw it, but did he have enough courage to see Yeshua in there? We see how we can find all points of view within Judaism. Arguing and having different opinions is a Jewish tradition; two Jews, three opinions. Here was a great example.

 

 

Its Meaning

Jacob’s new name would be Israel, but what does this name mean? One would have thought that a name mentioned so many times in the Bible would be easy to understand, but no. Judging from Genesis 32:28, the form ישראל (Israel) appears to be a compilation of two parts. The first one is the noun אל (El), the common abbreviation for Elohim, which means God. The second part of this name appears to be related to the verb שָׂרַע (sara). In this context, this word means to struggle, to contend with, which speaks of the struggle of Jacob with the Angel of YHWH (Genesis 32:29 and Hosea 12:4). Some say the word Israel means the prince of God, or to contend or fight with God or God fights. Others say it means God judges from the word saphat, (שָׁפַט) to judge. The Bible commentator Sarna wrote that the grammatical structure of the name Israel has no exact equivalent among biblical personal names, so it is special.

 

All these interpretations may be true but there is one word which stands out. It is the word struggle. Let’s see the reason God gave for Jacob’s name change.  We read this in verse 28, For you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed. What we have are the words God and struggle together in the name Israel. But which one is it? Is it Israel fighting against God or Israel fighting with God?

 

Both are so true when it comes to the history of the Jewish people. God is fighting alongside Israel. We have seen Him fight with Israel in preserving her throughout these last 2000 years. We saw Him in recent history as well, in the last several wars in Israel; 1956, ‘67, and ‘73. And today as well; God fights with Israel in preserving her from the eternal enmity of her neighbours. See the map as explained in Psalm 83.

 

But the other meaning is just as true, Israel is fighting against God – how is that? She is fighting against Yeshua as she does not want to recognize His Messiahship,

 so here Israel is fighting God. Isaiah 53 begins the account of the life of the Messiah with this, “Who has believed our report?” He is the same prophet who said that the Lord Himself will be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel (8:14).

 

Israel is indeed the name of the nation, but do you know who else in the Bible is called Israel? You might be surprised by this one – Yeshua Himself. We see this in Isaiah 49, where the Messiah speaks as He is getting ready to give His life in what will soon be described in the 53rd chapter. See 49:3, “And He said to me, `You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.” But is it the nation or the Messiah who God is referring to here? See what vs.5 says, “And now the LORD says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, So that Israel is gathered to Him (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, And My God shall be My strength).”

 

There is a dichotomy here, with two things differing but seeming to be the same. We find that there are two Israels: In vs.3 we see that the servant is Israel, and yet, in vs.5 this Servant gathers Israel back to God. How could this servant be both Israel and its Savior? This section of Isaiah from chapter 40-53 is called the Servant Song and it is speaking of Yeshua. Because Jacob failed, the Messiah becomes the Servant, fights for her, and takes on the role of Israel. So then, God not only came down to wrestle and to bless Jacob, He even took his place for a while, He even died for Israel as He did for each one of us; this is the God of our Bible.

 

 

Another Purpose for Israel

In our previous study we saw the purpose for the Jewish people, laid out specifically in the Gen.12:1-3 passage. It was through the loins of Abraham that the promised Seed would come, the One who would bless the entire world. The genealogy of Matthew demonstrated the direct link between Abraham and the incarnation of the Messiah 2 millennia later. Another passage which speaks of the purpose for the Jew, or for the nation of Israel can be seen in Exodus 19, right before the giving of the 10 commandments in Exodus 20. Here we will read what the nation of Israel represents to God and why they were chosen. Unfortunately, very few Jews know about this role. Ask a Jew why God has chosen them and most of the time, they do not have an answer.  But it is no secret, showing us the sad fact of how far away Israel is from the Word of God.  Exodus 19:5-6 reads,  `Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

 

God says that Israel will be a special treasure to Him. How beautiful! The Hebrew word here is segulah (סגלה). It speak of possession. According to Keil and Delizsch, it refers to very valuable property, stemming from the word (סגל), which means laid by, or put aside,  such as a treasure of silver and gold. These two individuals by the way, were great commentators from the 1800’s and Delizsch was a messianic Jew.

 

In the parables of Matthew 13, we find one about the treasure who is Israel. In vs. 44 we read, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” While this represents Israel, the next event, the pearl refers to the Church, found in vss. 45-46. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

 

 

The Beauty of the Pearl

This is why I believe that the gates of heaven are made of pearls. This will be our future abode according to Rev. 21:21. During my training as a gemologist, I was fascinated by pearls.  The particularity of pearls, as opposed to all other gems, is that it is formed when a foreign object, such as a grain of sand becomes trapped inside a living animal – inside a pearl-producing oyster. As a natural defense, the oyster secretes a liquid called nacre, which covers the intruder. The nacre solidifies, and over time, the many layers create a smooth and lustrous natural pearl.

 

What we learn is that the pearl is a gem that is formed out of the suffering and the pain of an oyster. Then if the suffering of the oyster is the reason why the Lord has chosen the pearl to cover the gates of heaven, then every time we will come in or out of the New Jerusalem, we will remember that it was because of His suffering and sorrow that we now have access to the presence of God. The words of Isaiah 53:4 confirm this where it says, “Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows”. His work will be like a great piece of artwork engraved forever on the gates of heaven.

 

And let’s not miss out on another important point about the pearl. This is the only gem that does not need to be cut and polished or faceted from its raw form. The diamond, the sapphire and all other gems need to be polished for completion, but not so with the pearl. As soon as you take a pearl out of the oyster, it is already beautiful and ready to be owned, the only gem that emerges from nature perfect and complete. This reminds us of salvation. Jesus’ Hebrew name is Yeshua, which means salvation, a gift given to us for free.  We had nothing to do as all the work is done for us. We just need to take it.

 

And one more facet about the pearl. It is the only gem formed from a living organism and the time period of its formation is relatively short. While most the other gems are formed through an extremely slow process of nature, a beautiful pearl could be formed after a short period. Do you know how long it takes to form a cultured pearl that is fit for the market? Three years, the same length of time as the ministry of our Messiah. So, salvation in Yeshua is not something that we work for; it given to us right away, and it is given to us by the Life Giver, our Lord and Savior, Yeshua.

 

 

A Nation of Priests

As mentioned earlier, Israel was to become a nation of priests (Exodus 19: 5-6). The word priest comes from the Hebrew word kohen (כהן). A priest in the days of the Tabernacle and Temple was one who would act as a mediator between God and man.

 

Here were their functions: They were to:

  1. Pray on behalf to the people (Joel 2:17)
  2. Set a personal example of holiness (Deut. 33:9)
  3. Teach others (Lev. 10:11, Mic. 3:1, Mal. 2:7) (TWOT)

 

This is what Israel was to be to the nations but she never yet fulfilled this function. However, during the Messianic Times or the Millennium she will succeed as many passages of the Hebrew Scriptures predict.

 

Such passages include Isaiah 61:6 where the LORD says, But you will be called the priests of the Lord; You will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, And in their riches you will boast. Other passages are Isaiah 66:21, I will also take of them for priests and for Levites  and they shall tell of His praise, 60:3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising, and from Isaiah 43: 21 This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.

 

There is another thing that Exodus 19:6 says, something that is crucial, “And you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”. The requirement for priesthood is holiness. This requirement is not only for Israel, but for each believer today. It is this requirement that the whole of the law is about to demonstrate, our need for holiness. This is why the study of the Mosaic Law is also very beneficial for us today.

 

The Number 70

There is another connection, a major one which can be made with the nation of Israel. We spoke earlier about the Table of Nations. There are 70 nations mentioned. All the sons of Shem, Ham and Japheth mentioned in chapter 10 add up to, respectively, 14+30+26 =70. This information was not given amiss. The number 70 in the Bible is often connected with God’s administration of the world and of Israel.

 

See the 70’s:

  1. The nation of Israel began with exactly 70 people (including the two sons of Joseph) Gen. 46:27.
  2. The number of elders who were appointed to help Moses administer Israel in the wilderness (Nu. 11:16).
  3. There were 70 years in Israel’s Babylonian exile.
  4. The Sanhedrin had 70 members. It was the governing Jewish judicial and administrative body in Judea, which likely began during the Hellnistic period, around the third century BC. It became very ineffective after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD but continued in a very limited capacity until around 425 AD.
  5. The 70 weeks, ‘or seventy-sevens’ of Daniel 9:24-27, decreed by God as the period in which Messianic redemption was to be accomplished.

 

Along with these 70’s, we take note that during the Feast of Tabernacles, a feast which points to the Millenium, or Messianic Times when Israel will hold her rightful position as a nation of priests, there will be in celebration of this event, the sacrifice of 70 bulls. The rabbis connected this number with the nations and said, it was one sacrifice per nation. This is a connection made between the first mention of 70 in the Table of Nations and the sacrifices that are going to be done in the Millenium (Zech. 14:16) as the nations will be required to observe this feast. And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This connection between Israel and the nations will continue for eternity.