“You Shall No Longer Be Called Jacob, but Israel”

 

“You Shall No Longer Be Called Jacob, but Israel”

On Jacob’s journey back home from Haran, his heart was heavy and unsettled as he approached the ford of the Jabbok River.
He had heard that Esau—his older brother who had once sought to kill him in fury twenty years earlier because Jacob had taken his blessing—was now coming toward him with four hundred men.

Jacob’s characteristic calculations surfaced again.
He divided his family and livestock into several groups and sent them ahead one by one. Of course, he planned to stay at the very end.
After his wives and children crossed the river, he remained alone on the riverbank.

Suddenly, a man appeared and wrestled with him—it was an angel sent by God.
They struggled intensely, neither able to overpower the other.
Finally, the angel touched Jacob’s hip socket and dislocated it, yet Jacob still refused to let go.
As dawn approached, the angel asked Jacob to release him.

“If you do not bless me, I will not let you go.”
“What is your name?”
“My name is Jacob.”
“From now on, you shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel.”

“Jacob” means one who grasps the heel.
“Israel” means one who prevails with God.

Why did God change Jacob’s name to Israel?
Why did He say Jacob had won?

In this wrestling match, Jacob did not win physically.
He was injured, exhausted, and utterly drained.
His “victory” did not refer to bodily strength—it referred to Jacob’s desperate longing for God’s blessing.

At this point in his life, Jacob no longer needed wealth, honor, or power.
He now understood that nothing in this world could safeguard his life except the blessing of God.
God saw Jacob’s earnest desire—his deep need to receive blessing directly from Him.

We may think there are many things in this world we can rely on, but at the decisive moment, there is nothing we can truly trust or depend on.
Jacob came to understand this truth.

Only the power of a promise can overcome every circumstance.
My grandson once asked me to buy him ice cream. I told him I would buy it for him the next afternoon.
The next day, he came as promised and asked for his ice cream.
I said, “Grandpa is a bit busy…”
But he replied, “Grandpa, didn’t you promise yesterday?”
“Yes… yes. You’re right. I remember.”

Normally, whatever I say at home goes unquestioned.
But when my grandson brings up my promise, I can only yield.
This is why he always likes to hook his little finger with mine and make a promise.

Jacob prevailed because he discovered the world of promise.
He had received immense blessing from his father Isaac—so much so that Isaac had nothing left to give Esau.
Yet when Jacob later stood before Pharaoh, he described his 130 years of life as “few and troublesome.”

Why had his life been so difficult?
Because he lived with resentment and anxiety—always feeling wronged, always troubled.

Why did Jacob suffer so much?
On his way to Haran, he pitied himself day after day.
He talked to his uncle Laban only about his hardships, but never mentioned God’s promise.

“Uncle, you may not know this, but I belong to God.
I have received great blessings, and on my journey here God also gave me promises and favor.
As long as you are with me, you too will be blessed—your flocks and herds will flourish.
Please serve God with me.”

Had Jacob spoken this way, would Laban have continued worshiping idols?
Would Laban have deceived Jacob ten times?
Would Jacob later say he had lived a sorrowful life?

We are weak, but the promise of God that dwells in us is powerful.
In God’s promise, there is strength to overcome any situation.
Even God does not break His own promise.

Jacob, who held onto the promise, became a man who prevailed with God.

Genesis chapter 49 records Jacob’s blessings to his sons before his death.
When blessing Joseph, he said Joseph was a fruitful vine by a spring whose branches climbed over the wall, and that the Almighty had been his Shepherd.
Even more astonishingly, Jacob told Joseph that his blessings surpassed those of his forefathers.

Was his blessing greater than Isaac’s and Abraham’s?
Isn’t that presumptuous?

Not at all.
Jacob had finally opened his eyes to the promise he had received.
He had been the one who received the greatest promise and blessing, yet he continually spoke according to circumstances rather than the world God had shown him.
He failed to testify.
His circumstances always seemed large, and the word of the Lord always seemed small.
Thus, his life inevitably became difficult.

But near the end of his 147 years, he finally opened his eyes to the Lord.
“Ah, I am the one who received the greatest blessing in this world.
There is no one more blessed than I am.
I tried to protect myself, to control my world, to cling to my life—that is why it became so difficult.
A life that trusts solely in the Lord’s promise is simple and victorious.
Now I am no longer Jacob; I am Israel—the one who prevailed with God.
I am the most blessed of all.”

When the Gibeonites held onto the promise, even Joshua and the Israelites could not harm them.
They became woodcutters and water carriers, living a joyful life.
Those who should have died were spared, becoming servants for the house of the Lord.

Three hundred eighty years later, Saul killed some Gibeonites, and Israel suffered a severe famine.
Their grievance had reached God.
When they held onto the promise, they appeared to live as insignificant servants, yet possessed a dignity and honor that could not be violated.

Dear readers, let us proclaim:
I am not Jacob—I am Israel!
Let us testify that we have received greater blessings than anyone else.

不要叫雅各，而要叫以色列

雅各离开哈兰返回家乡的旅程中，在雅博渡口前，他的心情既复杂又沉重。
雅各听说，20年前因抢走自己的祝福而怒气冲冲地追杀自己的哥哥以扫，正带着四百人迎面而来。
雅各特有的算计浮上他的心头，即把家人和牲畜分成几队，依次前行。当然，他想要跟在最后。妻子和孩子们就这样渡过了河，他独自留在了江边。
突然，有个人前来与他摔跤，原来是神派来的天使。
难解难分的摔跤一直进行着。
最后，天使将雅各的大腿窝摸了一把，但雅各还是不放手。
黎明到来的时候，天使请求雅各放自己离开。
“如果你不祝福我，我就不放你走。”
“你叫什么名字？”
“我叫雅各。”
“以后你不要叫雅各，要叫以色列。”
“雅各”的意思是抓住脚跟。
“以色列”的意思是，人在与神的较量中获胜。
神为何要把雅各改称为以色列呢？
为什么说雅各赢了呢？
这场摔跤中，雅各并未取胜，甚至到了大腿窝扭伤、精疲力尽的程度。
雅各的“赢”并非指肉体上的胜利，而是指雅各所渴求的祝福。
如今，雅各需要的并非荣华富贵，也不是名誉或者权势。他明白了除了神的祝福之外，这个世界上再没有能保障自己生命的地方。
神看到了雅各必须从神那里获得祝福的急切心情。
也就是说，我们认为在世界上可以期待的事物众多，但在关键时刻，根本没有我们能信任或者依靠的对象。雅各知晓了这一事实。
只有应许的力量才能战胜所有的环境。孙子让我给他买冰淇淋吃，我说明天下午给他买。第二天，孙子如约而至，让我给他买冰淇淋。
我说：“爷爷有点忙……”
孩子说：“爷爷昨天不是约定好了吗？”
“啊，是的，是的。我知道了。”
平时，我在家里说什么就是什么，但只要孙子把应许拿出来，我就只能认输。
因此，孙子总喜欢伸出小手指和我立约。
雅各之所以得胜，是因为他发现了应许的世界。
他从父亲以撒那里获得了极大的祝福，甚至父亲再没有可给哥哥的祝福。
这样的雅各站在法老面前的时候，说他度过了130年的艰难岁月。
他的人生艰难的原因是什么？
也就是说，他心里感到委屈和压抑，一直过着痛苦、不安的生活。
雅各为什么如此辛苦呢？
当他前往舅舅拉班所在的哈兰时，终日自怜自哀，只对舅舅谈论自己的状况，却对神所赐的应许只字未提。
“舅舅或许不知道，我是属神的人。我得到了莫大的祝福，在来的路上神也赐给我应许，赐给我福分。只要和我在一起，舅舅就会蒙福，羊群牛群也会蒙福。请舅舅也和我一起侍奉神吧。”
如果是这样，拉班会侍奉神像，敬拜外邦神吗？
雅各会被拉班欺骗十次吗？
雅各会说自己度过了艰难的岁月吗？
我们虽然弱小，但我们心中的神的应许却很强大。神的应许里有能战胜任何环境的力量。
连神在应许面前也无可奈何。
心怀应许的雅各是一个战胜神的人。
《创世纪》第49章中讲述了雅各临终前为儿子们祝福的内容。
雅各在为约瑟祝福时，说泉旁的约瑟的树枝越过了墙垣，还说全能者成了他的宝贝。
更加令人惊奇的是，雅各告诉约瑟说，他的祝福比祖先的祝福更大。
难道他的祝福比父亲以撒和爷爷亚伯拉罕的更大吗？不觉得这有点放肆吗？
并非如此。
如今，雅各对自己得到的应许睁开了眼睛。虽然他是得到最大应许和祝福的人，但他总是说一些环境的话，而不说神给他显明的世界，也不做见证。环境总是很大，主的话语却很微小。
因此，他的生活必然会很艰难。
在结束147年的人生时，他对主睁开了双眼。“啊，我是这世上得到最大祝福的人，再没有比我更幸福的人了。我想要保守自己，掌控世界，抓住我的人生，这便是艰难的人生啊。相信主的应许而活的人生才是简单、得胜的人生。现在，我不再是雅各，而是以色列，是在与神较量中获胜的以色列。我是蒙受最大祝福的人啊。”
当基便民族抓住应许时，约书亚和以色列百姓对他们也无计可施。他们劈柴挑水，过着非常幸福的生活。这些本该遭受死亡的人活了下来，成了为耶和华的殿挑水的人。
380年后，因扫罗杀了几个基便人，以色列遭遇了严重的饥荒。原来是基便人的冤屈达到了神的面前。当他们得到应许时，看似过着微不足道的奴仆的生活，但却有着不能随意触碰的威严和尊贵。
读者啊，让我们呐喊：我不是雅各，而是以色列！让我们做见证说，自己比任何人都受到了更大的祝福。