The Transformation of Jacob

Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and humans, and have prevailed." Genesis 32:26-28

The story of Jacob wrestling with the angel (God) is a story of transformation. The name Jacob means "heel grabber" in Hebrew and was given to him because he grabbed his twin brother Esau's heel when he was born (cf. Genesis 25:26). Jacob the heel grabber not only describes his birth but like many Hebrew names, is also an apt description of his character. Jacob's life was defined by trickery and deceit mostly at the expense of his brother. He tricked Esau into selling his birthright for some stew and bread (Genesis 25:29-34) and he conspired with his mother to steal his dying father's blessing from Esau as well (Genesis 27). All of these actions lead to Jacob fleeing from his brother's wrath and spending decades estranged from Esau.

As time went by, Jacob started his own family and having subsequently become the victim of deceit at the hands of his father-in-law Laban (Genesis 29-31), he again finds himself fleeing potential danger. At this point Jacob seeks reconciliation with his brother Esau. While it may be that he only went back to his brother because he had no where else to go, he does seek genuine reconciliation with and sends a peace offering to begin the process (Genesis 32:3-21). Jacob does not know what kind of reception he will receive from his brother (whether he will be killed or forgiven), so he sends his family safely away and prepares to face Esau alone (Genesis 32:22-23). Jacob the heel grabber is now ready to face the consequences of his life, rather than weasel his way out as he had so many time before.

All of this leads to Jacob wrestling with an unknown man all night at the river Jabbok. The story implies that Jacob is wrestling directly with God and after a long struggle he emerges with a new name and new identity. Jacob demands a blessing from the man, a blessing he has earned through wrestling (rather than stolen like before). The change of his name from Jacob to Israel signifies a change in identity. Israel means "one who wrestles God" and connotes a person of integrity who faces conflict directly. This is a marked change for Jacob who previously lied, cheated, and ran from conflicts.

Jacob wrestles with God but in sense he is wrestling with himself. He is becoming the person that God created him to be and the one through whom the blessing of Abraham would continue. Jacob does not leave this scuffle with God unscathed however, as he will now walk with a limp (Gen. 32:31). After wrestling with God, Jacob goes on to reconcile with Esau. He could not reconcile with Esau until he reconciled with God. By receiving a blessing from God and undergoing and identity change, he is prepared to make things right with his brother. Put another way, when we are able to love God we can finally love one another. Jacob needed to deal with himself and his relationship with God before he could seek reconciliation with his brother.

And so it is with us. We all must wrestle with God in our own way. We must face the truth about ourselves and submit our lives to God. Having done so, we can seek renewed relationships with those in our lives, no longer defined by our human nature but defined by who God created us to be.