Sometimes things in the Bible have deep meaning but go unnoticed. Each word has profound meaning or else the word would not be there! The word for today is “EleloheIsrael” in the passage:
18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city. 19 And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money. 20 And he erected there an altar, and called it “EleloheIsrael”. (Gen 33:20)
Generally, anywhere in the Old Testament wherever something is called a name, the reason is explained… for there _______, as an example. In this case, there is no apparent reason given for the name as the chapter ends there. The subsequent chapter goes to the story of Jacob’s sister, Dinah, and the offense against her by King Shechem.
In the previous chapter, Jacob wrestled with the Man/God (Jesus) who changed his name to “Israel”. Then God gave the reason why: “For as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed” (Gen 32:38). Implied, is that “Israel” means because of God, Jacob the prince, has prevailed. It turns out that Israel means, “he retains God” (Abarim Publications). Jacob was a prince with power because he out-wrestled God, notwithstanding that the Almighty God gave him the Power to win.
Also implied, is that God gave Jacob much Power, more than he needed for the moment, but he retained the power that God induced into him.
Jacob was “charged”, so to speak, not only for the moment but for his entire lifetime! He became a new person because God energized him. As such, when Jacob wrestled with God, he was “born again” and would grow the Power that he retained. (Think of the Parable of the Pounds wherein all but one grew the money that God had given them to hold for Him. [i])
So far, one word of the name, “EleloheIsrael” has been identified — Israel means, he retains the power of God. EleloheIsrael means “God (Is) the God of Israel (ibid). Now, adding the two together, “God is the God of he who retains the power of God”.
Why that amazing name? Jacob wrestled with God for a few hours, but he retained the Power from that wrestling match thenceforth. In fact, Israel increased the power. He became the father of many people, and his seed founded the nation of Israel who were born to retain God.
The nation of Israel was formed from the loins of Israel just as the world of Adam was formed from the loins of Adam. However, in that wrestling match, perhaps God induced His Spiritual Seed, the Holy Spirit, into Jacob to make him a new creation. Then, Israel induced the Power of God unto his sons.
Dinah was not a tribe that made up Israel because Shechem violated her. The Power that had been induced into her by Israel, her father, was short-circuited. Israel became a nation made up of the tribes of the brothers, except for Joseph who received his portion through his sons.
As such, the nation of Israel has always retained the Power as God’s chosen and peculiar people. The nation of Israel was built on the Power of God that was given to Jacob as they wrestled. They did not wrestle for the fun of it, but for Jacob to win, so that he would have the Power of God to form a new nation built on God. Throughout all the loss of Power, Israel has always and will always retain the Power that Jesus induced into Jacob that night.
What had happened to Jacob? Perhaps the same thing that happened to Saul:
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ… (1 Cor 5:3-4)
When the person Israel became absent in body, he would remain present in Spirit that when his sons were gathered together, along with the Spirit of God, the nation of Israel would have the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul built the Church throughout Europe and Asia. He grew what Jacob empowered by the same Spirit as Jacob.
Jacob wrestled with “Jesus” and won. How about Saul? “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore, they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:3-4). Saul means, “questioning”. He was religious but not spiritual, in contrast to those of today who claim to be spiritual but not religious. Saul was questioning God. Was the religion of the priests and rulers in the Spirit of God?
Well, Saul started the wrestling match with God for a reason. God would let Saul win! The questioning was over, and Saul was persuaded when he wrestled with God! “As he (Saul) journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:3-4).
Not by coincidence, the gate to Jerusalem is on its north is by the Damascus Gate which is also known as the Shechem Gate. Saul was traveling the same route that Jacob took. Is that coincidence or God’s Plan for both Jacob and Saul?
Saul won the wrestling match as well, although perhaps he did not see it that way! How so? “But the Lord said unto him (Ananias), ‘Go thy way: for he (Saul) is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).
That is what Jacob did. He bore the Name of God (The “El” in Israel).
Paul means “humbled”. He bore the Name of Jesus in humility. It seems that Saul lost his wrestling match with Jesus for Jesus said, “I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake” (Acts 9:16). He suffered for the “children of Israel” — for Jacob’s children.
Likewise, Jacob suffered for his children. They all tried to kill Joseph who God ordained to be the greater brother; the very son chosen by God to excel.
Saul was charged just as Jacob. “…Be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized” (Acts 9:17-18).
There was no water around or even mentioned as with the eunuch and Philip. Saul had already been cleansed by the bright light, [ii] so afterward, Paul was baptized by filling of the Holy Ghost… the Ghost of whom? Jesus. He would bear the Name of Jesus and form a New Israel whose boundaries were the entire world.
Saul remains charged to this day. God’s “Shekinah” (Light of God) is spread all over the world. The world has retained what Paul brought to them! Paul is who God had in mind when Jacob walked the Way from Damascus. What is the Damascus Gate? The Way to the Garden Paradise of Jerusalem? Both Jacob and Saul were walking that Way!
Jacob spread his tent there and marked it with an altar. Then, hundreds of years later, Saul ambled by. Why was it necessary to specify that Saul was a tentmaker? Because Jacob would spread his tents all over that land, and so would Saul!
Now, perhaps I am wrong, but the story of Jacob wrestling always confused me why wrestling with God is worthy of mention. Perhaps we all wrestle with God and Saul was no different than the rest of us. I wrestled with God for weeks before God let me win.
How did I win? I was charged with the Holy Spirit induced by God with no water even around. My wrestling match was spiritual, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephes 6:12).
In the corner of evil was Satan. In the other corner, the “Cornerstone” came out for me. He wrestled against those powers on my behalf. God won the match for me. I only stood by and was persuaded that I could not win the mismatch without Jesus in the ring for me. That is rebirth, that is when I was born again.
(picture credit: Messianic Prophecy Bible Project; "Wrestling With God")
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