Jacob had two names. He was Jacob at birth, and later, he was renamed to Israel. In the Bible we often learn that names have great significance, often reflecting the character of the person. It’s such an amazing concept that so many people were named from birth, and later, we see how meaningful that name was. Jacob is a good example of that. He held on to his elder brother’s heel on the way out of the womb. This behaviour caused someone to name him Jacob, meaning heel grabber or supplanter (which means a person who takes the place of another through force, scheming or strategy) (Genesis 25:24-26). As we read further into Jacob’s story, we see that this meaning fits his character so well. He schemed his father, his brother and his uncle.

Later on, Jacob has an encounter with God and it says that he wrestled with God (Genesis 32:22-29). Jacob holds onto God and refuses to let go until God blesses him. God then changes his name to Israel, which means God prevails. The passage goes on to say that Jacob has struggled with men and God and has prevailed. So even though Jacob was such a schemer, God still blessed him.

I think these two names say a lot. His names are basically about struggling with men and struggling with God. Our relationships with others and God are the two main sources of our failures and sins. When I read this, it made me think of the great commandment.

³⁷ And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:37-40

Jacob (and us too) tends to want to choose to struggle with God and with man. But we are all called to love our neighbors and love God. If we love with God’s love, we will not struggle but we will give and not take and trust and not force. We can see how we too fall into this mold of Jacob where we try to force our own way. But the great news is that in spite of that God still wants to forgive us, give us another chance and bless us just as he blessed Jacob.