Jacob and the Lord - Pt 3

And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:27-28 ESV). Jacob was wrestling for his life! We have seen the last couple of days that Jacob was alone before God. He was about to face his past. He was heading to meet his brother, after 20 years of running. This was a frightening time, so Jacob sent his family and all his possessions away and came empty handed to face the Lord. I don't know whether he intended to meet with God, or just to be alone, but God met with him, and it was an experience that would change Jacob's life forever! After the wrestling match with God, "the man" who Jacob doesn't know yet to be God, asks Jacob an important question. (Point of Information: Any question from God is important!) He asks Jacob, "what is your name"? Had God wrestled with Jacob all this time and not known his name? The answer to this question is undoubtedly NO! God knew Jacob. God had pre-ordained the days of Jacob's life. He had planned out his very existence before the beginning of time. God knew his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham. God knew Jacob's children and his grandchildren, including King David who would one day be in the lineage of Jacob. God had numbered the hairs on Jacob's head. He knew him in his mother's womb. And, God had planned this wrestling match! Of course God knew Jacob. This was a deeper question. It got to the heart of the matter. Tomorrow we will see that Jacob gets a new name. He had been known to the world as Jacob, the rascal, the deceiver, the trickster. He was known as the one who stole his brother's birthright. He was known as a man who followed God, but often took things into his own hands. God wanted to know after the wrestling match, not who Jacob had been, but who he was today. May I ask you a question? What is your name? Not what you have been called all your life. Not who you have been perceived to be. I don't want to know about the sin of your past. Who are you today? Have you accepted Christ? Are you a new creation? Have you grown in the Lord? Are you known by your relationship with God? Do people recognize God being active in your life? I'm sorry if this illustration makes you feel uncomfortable, but it works. If your funeral were to be held today, how would you be remembered? What would they say about you, the child of God? Better yet, what would God say about you? Can you answer the question facing Jacob: What IS your name?