Israel...wrestling with God.

**Image re-used from a previous blog**

"Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed."--Genesis 32:28.  Here we reach another turning point in the redemptive journey back to God. To bring things up to speed from Genesis 29, by this point, Jacob has had 11 sons between Rachel and Leah, a 12th would come in Genesis 35.  These 12 sons would go on to become the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. By Genesis 32, Jacob leaves Laban's household and is about to encounter his brother Esau, the same brother whose blessing Jacob stole, read all about it in my previous blog "Stolen Blessings." The night before Jacob meets Esau, Jacob wrestles with God, Jacob is Israel.

Israel.  The Hebrew word for Israel means persists or perseveres.  The New King James translates this verse struggled with God.

Israel.  Israel would become a great nation.  To this day Israel (Palestine) continues to make news headlines because of the conflicts going on in that part of the world.

Israel.  We also need to recognize that the true Israel are those who kept God's commands in the Old Testament to their dying day.

Israel.  In the New Testament, the true Israel are those who kept the commands of Christ.

Israel.  Today, if you are in Christ, YOU are the true Israel. More on this subject can be found in another previous blog of mine called "Who Is Israel?".

Israel.  The name means strives, persists, or struggled with God. We read the Genesis account, Jacob literally wrestled with God and survived. Because of this he is re-named Israel and Israel (Jacob) names the place where this happened Peniel (the face of God) in Genesis 32:29 because he saw God face to face and lived.

Israel.  The text says Jacob prevailed after wrestling with God. His hip was knocked out of socket (vv. 25 and 31-32) but he still prevailed. As Christians, as Israel, I am sure we have all wrestled with God at some point in our walk with Him. Maybe wrestling with God meant resisting the temptation to sin and do His will instead.  Maybe your struggle with God meant you sought understanding like Job about something going on in your life.

Israel. No matter what your struggle with God is or was, my prayer is that like Jacob you will prevail. Jacob's name was changed to Israel because he not only prevailed in wrestling with God but he prevailed in his struggle with men.

Israel. My encouragement this morning for you is this. Whether your struggle is with man or God, always seek God's face through it all and do his will. We may struggle with God and/or man from time to time but we MUST prevail if we wish to be known as Israel.  Also, read the account in Genesis 32:24-32. 8 verses should not take you long.

Finally, if your struggle with God is whether or not you should give your life over to Him through obedience to the gospel, it is crucial that you prevail in this struggle because your very soul depends on it. Wherever your at, may we always strive to be known as ISRAEL!    

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!