"What Is Thy Name?"
Genesis 32:27
The Lord Jesus had been wrestling with
Jacob all night. At last he had touched the hollow of his thigh, rendering
Jacob helpless before him. All Jacob could do was cling to his Master and seek
the blessing of his favor. "And he said unto him, `What is thy name?' And
he said, `Jacob'. And he said, `Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but
Jacob was made to confess his name. When
the Lord asked, "What is thy name?", it was
not for his information, but for Jacob's humiliation and instruction. God
forced Jacob to acknowledge who and what he was. "My name is Jacob."
I am a cheat, a supplanter, a deceiver. I hold the birthright by my own
efforts; and all my efforts are sin. I am Jacob, the sinner!
Then the Lord gave him a new name -
As a prince,Jacob
had power with God and with men. His new name,
Yet, Jacob was still a man of sinful
flesh. Jacob said to the man who wrestled with him, "Tell me, I pray thee,
thy name. And he said wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?"
He was a subdued man; but his flesh was not destroyed. He pried into that which
God had not yet revealed, and sought familiarity with God. The Lord refused to
tell him his name, because he must believe God within the scope of his
revelation. Faith demands no more than God reveals!
Yet, the Lord "blessed him
there," in spite of his weakness, in spite of his sinful curiosity. Thank
God, the blessings of his grace are unconditional and free!
Don Fortner