Struggling with God, June 3, 26.

Dear Ihood, let's start with the naming of Israel as Israel, because I think it has a great deal to do with what you're going through right now.

I will personalize it for you at the end.

The name Israel was given to Jacob at Peniel, Genesis 32, when he was on his way to reunite

with his brother Esau, doing so while not knowing if that reunion was going to be bloody or not.

God had told him to return, and had promised that such a return would be blessed.

But this was a promise that Jacob had to hang on to by sheer faith, especially after he got word that Esau was headed his way and with 400 armed men with him.

This was because the last time Jacob had been living together with Esau, he had deceived their father Isaac into giving him the blessing.

And Esau had been furious about it, vowing to kill Jacob, Genesis 2742.

So Jacob had fled and wound up at the house of Laban, where God greatly enriched him.

Years passed, and Jacob is eventually directed by God to return to his ancestral homeland,

Genesis 31.3. So when it got down to the point, Jacob sent servants with flocks ahead of them all,

presenting the flocks as peace offerings to Esau. And then, preparing for the worst, Jacob divided his people and the animals with him into two bands.

If one band was attacked, the other could perhaps get away.

He then sent them all across the four J-Boc, and he himself remained behind until the break of day. While alone during the course

of that night, a man wrestled with him and they struggled to a stalemate. The Lord, for it was the

Lord, then touched Jacob's hip and put it out of joint and told Jacob to let him go. Jacob refused to let go

unless he got a blessing. The angel of the Lord asked him for his name, and when he was told

Jacob, he renamed him as Israel. This is a name that you still carry, and it is the reason that you

have that limp. The name Israel means he wrestles with God. Centuries later, the prophet

Hosea says that Jacob, by his strength, had power with God, Hosea 12. 3.

Jacob consequently names the place where this occurred, Penil, because it was there that he saw God face to face and lived.

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