May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
What do we need protection from? I'd like to suggest...mostly ourselves!
In Genesis 32:22-32 Jacob wrestled with God himself.
The two key moments for me in this passgae fall around (1) the name of Jacob and (2) the name of the God of Jacob. Notice that the angel of the Lord says to Jacob, "What is your name?" (v27), Jacob tells him, the Lord then changes his name to Israel. In verse 29 Jacob says to the angel of God, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?"
I believe that in the Hebrew culture of this time, to reveal your name to another was a sign of vulnerability, at times submission and even surrender. Perhaps this was the whole purpose of the angel of the Lord meeting with Jacob. Jacob was after a blessing, God was after a heart of surrender. Jacob knew who he was in his own strength. He'd spent his life from day 0 manipulating his circumstance to work in his favor.
Every find yourself wrestling with the world for some sort of clarification of who you are? Ever found yourslef in a state of distress because you don't yet feel you have the answer? Perhaps the answer to your distress lies not in your ability to make things work in your favor, but perhaps in surrendering your name to the Lord.
May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
Does God know your name?
1 comment:
Welcome to the blogoshere! Like your take, I certainly need to surrender more myself:)
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