Wisdom from scripture

I've decided to start a thread revealing some of the wisdom of scripture instead of mindless debates over the nonexistence/existence of God.

In Genesis 32:27, we see Jacob wrestling with God. It is a rather peculiar scene as God asks Jacob a rather peculiar question. He asks Jacob what his name is. Why?

What is the message here if any?

Originally posted by whodey
I've decided to start a thread revealing some of the wisdom of scripture instead of mindless debates over the nonexistence/existence of God.

In Genesis 32:27, we see Jacob wrestling with God. It is a rather peculiar scene as God asks Jacob a rather peculiar question. He asks Jacob what his name is. Why?

What is the message here if any?

God was just checking to make sure he did not pick a fight with the wrong man .. very important.

Anyway this is beside the point. The Genesis writer called the person a man. Hosea called him an angel. Jacob thought it was God. Most likely an angel sent by God on a mission to change Jacobs name to Israel and the angel just wanted to have some fun as well. No harm done.

Dont read too much into it .. 🙂

Originally posted by whodey
I've decided to start a thread revealing some of the wisdom of scripture instead of mindless debates over the nonexistence/existence of God.

In Genesis 32:27, we see Jacob wrestling with God. It is a rather peculiar scene as God asks Jacob a rather peculiar question. He asks Jacob what his name is. Why?

What is the message here if any?

Jacob means one who follows on another's heels or supplanter. He was given this name because he was the twin to Esau and followed in birth on his heels. The name later became to also mean supplanter because of his deception to gain the birthright and blessing over his brother.

I believe he was asked his name to bring to Jacob's attention his former history and it was changed to "Israel" to indicate the change in his history from that point. I believe Jacob asked the name of "the man" to identify who had the authority to change his name.

Here is the context:

Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.”

(Genesis 32:24-30 NASB)

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE NAME ISRAEL?

ANSWER:

Israel - which we get from the Greek, is originally in the Hebrew, "Yisrael".

Yisrael means, quite literally, "He has striven with God," or "He has been saved by God," based on which translation of "sra" was meant to be used.

"Yi", in the Hebrew, is the masculine form "he". "Sra", in the Hebrew, comes from the Semitic root "Sry", which means "to strive or to save." The word "El," in the Hebrew, is a form of the word for God.

When you see 'el' in any Hebrew name, it is a form of the word for God. See other names such as Ishmael (God has heard), Michael (Who is like God), and Daniel (My judge is God).

To better understand which meaning of Sra we are to use, we need to understand the origin of the name Israel. The origins came from Genesis chapter 32 where Jacob struggles with a man all night long until he is blessed. The man asks Jacob's name, then tells him that his name is no longer Jacob, but Israel, because he has striven with God and with man. (Genesis 32:28)

Therefore, we can definitively say that the word 'Israel', based on the Bible, means "He has striven with God."

Jacob (now Israel) became the father of the nation of Israel through his twelve sons - which is why you may hear the phrase, "Children of Israel" referring to the nation itself.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_meaning_of_'Israel'_in_the_Bible

The Instructor

Originally posted by Rajk999
God was just checking to make sure he did not pick a fight with the wrong man .. very important.

Anyway this is beside the point. The Genesis writer called the person a man. Hosea called him an angel. Jacob thought it was God. Most likely an angel sent by God on a mission to change Jacobs name to Israel and the angel just wanted to have some fun as well. No harm done.

Dont read too much into it .. 🙂

Rajk999, a simple direct question : are you a Jehovah's Witness ?

David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall, I pray, into the hand of Yahweh; for very great are his mercies: and let me not fall into the hand of man. So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. (1 Chronicles 21:9-14 WEB)

God Will Kill Everyone



"I will sweep away everything in all your land," says the LORD. "I will sweep away both people and animals alike. Even the birds of the air and the fish in the sea will die. I will reduce the wicked to heaps of rubble, along with the rest of humanity," says the LORD. "I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship. I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will disappear. For they go up to their roofs and bow to the sun, moon, and stars. They claim to follow the LORD, but then they worship Molech, too. So now I will destroy them! And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do. They no longer ask for the LORD's guidance or seek my blessings." (Zephaniah 1:2-6 NLT)

I suspect the reason that Jacob was asked his name is directly related to the incident Jacob had with his father Isaac. For it was Jacob who pretended to be Esau to obtain the blessings.

I've heard that the name Jacob can be translated "deciever". In effect, Jacob is finally confessing his identity, i.e. a sinner, but now God is going to give him a "new name" Israel.

I think the message here is confession and repentance and redemption.

Originally posted by whodey
I suspect the reason that Jacob was asked his name is directly related to the incident Jacob had with his father Isaac. For it was Jacob who pretended to be Esau to obtain the blessings.

I've heard that the name Jacob can be translated "deciever". In effect, Jacob is finally confessing his identity, i.e. a sinner, but now God is going to give him a "new name" Israel.

I think the message here is confession and repentance and redemption.

The modern equivalent is confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin. ... eternal life.

Originally posted by Rajk999
The modern equivalent is confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin, confe ...[text shortened]... edemption and more sin, confession and repentance and redemption and more sin. ... eternal life.

Did Jacob go to heaven or hell?

Originally posted by whodey
Did Jacob go to heaven or hell?

The bible says jacob was buried with his fathers. I know nothing beyond that, sorry.

And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt: But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said. And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.
(Genesis 47:29-31 KJV)

Originally posted by whodey
I've decided to start a thread revealing some of the wisdom of scripture instead of mindless debates over the nonexistence/existence of God.

In Genesis 32:27, we see Jacob wrestling with God. It is a rather peculiar scene as God asks Jacob a rather peculiar question. He asks Jacob what his name is. Why?

What is the message here if any?

The lesson is that if you want to receive a blessing from God sometimes you need to struggle to achieve it.

Originally posted by sonship
Rajk999, a simple direct question : are you a Jehovah's Witness ?

cheap, real cheap shot!

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
cheap, real cheap shot!

I think he did it in 3 threads. He is a comedian.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
The lesson is that if you want to receive a blessing from God sometimes you need to struggle to achieve it.

As in work for it. oops the dreaded 'W' word.