Nougat 8

Have you ever read a passage and on the nth reread, days – perhaps even years later – you notice something that shifts the meaning? Today’s Holy Nougat did that to me.

“Then he said, “Your name won’t be Jacob any longer, but Israel, because you struggled with God and with men and won.”” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭32‬:‭28‬ ‭CEB‬‬

The Struggle

So all this time I’ve been focused on the struggle, I failed to notice that Jacob struggled With God AND Men AND WON. Talk about strategic placement of conjunctions! Previously I noted that Jacob fought with God. I don’t know that I fully registered the implications of ‘and won’ either. But it absolutely makes a difference. In case you are wondering why, let’s rehearse a bit of his life story.

Jacob is the spunky, 2nd-born twin son of Isaac and Rebecca. According to our biblical story, he was ordained by God as the Chosen heir (or was he?), and in ensuring that he received his prophetic due, his mother conspired with him to trick his father.

But was that really the Prophetic word? A quick visit to the text states

“And the LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; two different peoples will emerge from your body. One people will be stronger than the other; the older will serve the younger.”” ‭‭(Genesis‬ ‭25‬:‭23‬)

The Prophetic Word did NOT state Who would be stronger, nor did it mention that Jacob was due his twin’s birthright!

Nevertheless, having taken matters in his own hands, Jacob was obliged to leave home. That proved providential, but ironically, it also meant that technically he lost the birthright he cunningly stole (in a prior incident), but the prophetic words remained to be proven. For, there was the matter of the final prophecy from Isaac, and the original prophecy before he was born.

And those years of bondage to Laban would suggest that Esau’s nation would be greater than Jacob’s fledgling family. In his return home, or near there, Jacob was understandably fearful. Yes, he had outsmarted Esau twice before, and he outsmarted the master conniver Laban; but rather than remain separated from his twin, when Laban got to be too much trouble Jacob returned to Esau’s territory.

He hadn’t yet met Esau and was totally sure he would not be welcome. Jacob did what he had to do, with the shrewdness of a military commander. And that’s where God’s messenger (Jesus, perhaps) met, fought with, and blessed Jacob. So our nougat assumes we have digested all that, provides the sweet treat to seal Jacob’s deal and remove his fears.

The Word blessing was at once factual as it was prophetic. It was Factual since Jacob had fought wits with Isaac, Esau and Laban. He won every single time with Esau, and did so in the long run with his dad and Laban. His scuffle with God’s messenger was also a win – technically – and, unlike prior encounters, served to strengthen the relationship with God, rather than sever ties.

But for a man about to face his past, those wins were possibly incidental to his future.

Except for the fight with the messenger!

Despite his dislocated hip (or perhaps because the added handicap), Jacob was not leaving empty. (He’d never done so before either). He demanded a new personal blessing. One for the future. So, being told of a name change resulting from winning struggles against God and men was also prophetic. It promised him that he would emerge victorious in the meeting with Esau.

Dear Siblings

Jacob’s new name is part of our divine identity. We can also claim that blessing prophetically. Because we have been grafted into Israel’s inheritance and family. It permits us to be genuine in and about our struggles with God; and it assures us that in the final outcome, our earthly struggles are already sorted. Yes, we will lose some skirmishes, but by God’s grace, we can prevail.

By prayer, earnestly struggling with God through the issues, we can find the strategy to go forward.

Hold strain

Seek God’s face (and forgiveness if necessary) and

Press on in Faith,

Deliverance is near.

The Struggle is Real – with God & Man, but the Victory is near!

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May all we seek be found in Christ