Jacob the Heal-Grabber

Most people who have spent their lives growing up in church, are familiar with the story of Esau and Jacob.  Beyond the initial opening of the Old Testament story, not much is spoken concerning Esau.  The main focus is on the patriarch Jacob.  One of the meanings of Jacob's name is "heal-grabber", figuratively painting a picture of his birth.  The nickname is also indicative of one who is always grasping for something, whether or not it is rightfully theirs.  (Have you ever known anyone who was always "taking", wanting more?)  Of course Esau was born first, but Jacob was very quickly birthed and appeared to be holding on to the heal of his older brother.

When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.

The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment;

so they named him Esau.

After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;

so he was named Jacob.

Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

Jacob was a deceiver and what we would call in the present-day a con-artist.  He manipulated Esau out of his birthright, and would continue to exhibit his deceitful ways all through life.  In fact, he received a dose of his own medicine when his Uncle Laban did a switch-a-roo on the woman he wanted to marry.  I'm sure this opened Jacob's eyes as to how it feels to be on the receiving end of his own type of behavior.  This was until he had an encounter with the Living God.

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.

When the man saw that he could not overpower him,

he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.

Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

The man asked him, “What is your name?”

"Jacob,” he answered.

Then the man said,

“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?”

Then he blessed him there.

So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying,

“It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.

Jacob's last act as a deceiver and a heal-grabber earned him a new name and a blessing from God Himself.  I can relate to Jacob in multiple ways: living in the shadow of someone else, always grasping for more because I think the world owes it to me or I deserve it, and dealing with the resulting consequence of my own poor behavior.  What I especially have in common with Jacob, is having been touched by the Living God through salvation never to walk the same again.  My desire is have those around me and who read this post to experience the same God I have.  Don't live as a deceiver and heal-grabber because of sin and its destruction.  Walk in newness of life with a new name.