A Turned Page ~ Bob Coy

So He said to him, "What is your name?" Genesis 32:27 (NKJV)

In order to understand the importance of this question, you need to understand the person to whom it is addressed. It's Jacob-son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and heir to the covenant promises God gave to his grandfather (Genesis 12:1-3).

Jacob's character emerges as his story unfolds in Scripture. From the moment he was born, up through his adulthood, Jacob demonstrates the drive and desire to put himself ahead of others by any means necessary. Even his name (which means "heel catcher") is a testimony to his "me-first" mindset.

Then, one night, the Lord appears and engages him in a wrestling match. All night long, Jacob struggles and strains to come out on top. But he can't. Then, after hours of expending his own effort and energy, God knocks his hip out of joint. For a self-made man like Jacob, this was a huge blow. His life would never be the same. He would never have the ability to run or even run things as he had in the past. He was put in a place of profound weakness and inability.

It's then that the Lord asks him, "What is your name?" and it's a way of getting Jacob to acknowledge what he was all about up to that point...himself. But God goes on to tell him that from now on, in his new-found place of weakness, his name would be Israel, which means "ruled by God."

The Lord used this question to turn a page in Jacob's life story. Jacob, the one whose default was to rely on his own resourcefulness, would now be forced to depend on God to guide and govern his life.

What's your name? Who are you? Are you constantly set on charting your own course in life, or are you dependently living under the authority of the One who is better and wiser?

Discuss with your group the meaning of your name. Why were you given this name? In what ways have you “lived up” to your name?

Dig into Genesis 32:24–32. What do you find interesting about this encounter? Who is this angel who prevails? Why do you think Jacob was wounded in the hip? What’s the lesson to learn here?

Decide as a group to prayer for Israel. Lift up God’s chosen people and pray that they would recognize and embrace their Messiah!