His Name Was Called Jacob

Feature 2 – September 2024 – Grace & Truth Magazine

His Name Was Called Jacob

The name Jacob, from the Hebrew Ya‘aqov, comes from the root עקבʿqb, meaning “to follow, to be behind.” It also means “supplant, circumvent, assail, overreach,” or “heel” from the word, עֲקֵב ʿaqeb. Another meaning is “may God protect.”

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What’s In A Name?
If we would think about the birth of Jacob, it can be easily understood why his parents would give him a name referring “to follow, to be behind” and “heel.” After all, his appearance into the world followed the birth of his twin, whose heel he was clutching (Gen. 25:26). On the other hand, no parent would likely name their son Supplanter, Circumventor, Assailer or One-Who-Overreaches! Yet these names came with the name “Jacob,” and over the years of his life he also proved them to be correct. Thankfully, the meaning of “may God protect” also came true in a wonderful way.

We may wonder if we can glean instruction from the meanings of Jacob’s name. Romans 15:4 (NKJV) simply reminds us, “Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” There is something to learn!

Jacob was a scoundrel right from the beginning. Did he know instinctively that it had been announced that “the older shall serve the younger” (Gen. 25:23)? Probably not, but his holding to his brother’s heel affirmed the contest had begun (see v.26). It is not difficult to find examples in his deeds as he grew older that correspond to the meanings of “Jacob.”

Supplant – “to supersede and replace.” As a young man Jacob sought his brother’s birthright to be the first in the priority of inheritance. He heartlessly bought this right from his famished brother for a bowl of lentil stew (vv.29-34).

Circumvent – “to find a way around [an obstacle].” To wrongly obtain the first-born blessing would not be a simple feat, as Jacob was a smooth skinned, domesticated young man. His older brother was hairy and smelled of the woods. Therefore, a deception was plotted to fool his father. Dressed in Esau’s clothing, covered on his hands, arms and on the smooth part of his neck with the skins of the little goats, Jacob took his mother’s savory meat to his father and tricked him to obtain the blessing of the first-born (Gen. 27).

Assail – “to attack violently; assault.” In stealing the blessing by trickery, Jacob assailed his father in purposely deceiving him. While the law had not yet been given, the conscience was present in this swindler and he knew that his mother’s plan was wrong. In fact, he had questioned her about being discovered and was worried about possible consequences. Furthermore, Romans 2:12 states, “As many as have sinned without law will also perish without law.” Jacob’s assault was also against the LORD, a sin against God’s order as expressed later in the commandment “honor your father and your mother” (Ex. 20:12).

There were others whom Jacob attempted to swindle. He did what he could to gain as many of his father-in-law’s herds as possible (Gen. 30:37-43), not recognizing that it was actually the LORD that was giving him riches. Of a more serious matter, when Jacob first fled from his brother, heading off to his uncle’s place in Haran, God met Jacob at Bethel. There the LORD promised to keep him and bring him back to the Promised Land (28:13-15). Jacob responded that, should this be so, of all the LORD would give him, he would give God a tenth. Unfortunately, there is no record in Scripture of his keeping that promise. Did he rob God? If so, it was another assault against the living God (Mal. 3:8)!

Overreach – to reach too far. When returning to the Promised Land, Jacob wrestled with a Man, the pre-incarnate Christ. As Jacob began to prevail, the Man touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh and put it out of joint. Jacob in his effort had overreached his ability to prevail, but this incident brought him to faith. He accepted the fact that his name was truly Jacob, the supplanter. However, he began to be called “Israel,” meaning one who prevails with God! What a wonderful thing it is to be changed from being a scoundrel to one who has favor with God!

May God Protect. In all of Jacob’s seemingly fruitful schemes, his own activities did not cause him to prosper. Rather, the living God, who overruled Jacob’s will, caused him to succeed by His power. This is exactly what God had promised him during his first visit to Bethel: “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go” (Gen. 28:15). God’s invisible hand of protection and blessing had been on Jacob even before he had his saving encounter with the Man at Peniel. The name Peniel, where Jacob wrestled with God, means “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Subsequently, the LORD also protected him from Esau’s earlier death threat and from the potential enemies in the Promised Land.

Bringing This Into The Present
How was it that a scoundrel like Jacob, noting all the interpretations of his name that he lived up to, could find favor with the living God? The answer is given by God, who declared, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Ex. 33:19). Each of us who have trusted in our Savior may recognize that even before we were saved the Lord provided angels to minister to us who would “inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14). And what were we? Romans 3:23 brands us all as sinners.2 Most of us may have thought we were not that bad but, with honest consideration, we see that we are sinners! Thankfully, 1 Corinthians 6:11 states, “You were washed … you were sanctified … you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” The Lord watches over us and saved us by His grace, not because we were wonderful, but since we were sinners. In His grace He claimed, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Lk. 5:32). Even today, being saved, we act the scoundrel and need to confess our sins, realizing again His grace in forgiving our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9). What a Savior!

Jacob lived a reprobate life for over 35 years and only came to know the LORD after wrestling with Him for some time. The LORD broke Jacob’s self-will to save him from his ways and turn him to the living God. Are you, dear reader, still living only for self? How long will you fight with God? Grab hold of Him for the blessing of salvation (consider Gen. 32:263). He will change your name from Sinner to Saint!

ENDNOTES
1. BabyCenter.
2. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
3. “And He [the Man who wrestled with Jacob] said, ‘Let Me go, for the day breaks.’ But he [Jacob] said, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me!’”

By G. H. B.