Genesis 32:28 And he said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel: for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”
Jacob’s life up until this point has, been a collection of destroyed relationships. He has gotten what he wanted, but at a horrible cost. He is without a welcome place to go.
God has a different plan for him. For the last chapter of his life, he is to be a godly man.
When we submit to God and ask for His forgiveness, He gives us a new nature. Ezekiel 36:26 says, “Moreover I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” A new heart! He gives us new desires. Jacob’s new normal isn’t selfishness. So also with us. We don’t have to operate under a destructive way of life. What used to be instinct, that which would lead toward bad decisions is changed. We’re different. This is the process of becoming God’s child. We now have His desires. We want to please Him.
This is why Jesus is better than religion. We don’t have to force ourselves to follow rules that are contrary to us. He gives us the “want to” to follow Him. His ways are life and peace. Galatians 5 gives a laundry list of bad behavior that we often fall into. This was Jacob’s way of life before this encounter. Galations then speaks of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. God’s will isn’t so much a plan to follow, but a way to be. Just as an orange tree naturally grows oranges, so our new heart bears love, joy, peace,…Even though we still wrestle with the bad behavior, He’s given us a greater desire to follow Him. Even though Jacob still made mistakes, the last chapter is a good one. So, also will He help us to finish well.
Thanks, God, for wanting to engage us. Thanks, also for your patience with us.