New Identity

Intro

Key Take Away: God gives us all a new identity in him when we trust in him.

Jacob is on his way to see his brother Esau, who he was terrified of...

Why?

Jacob deceived Esau into selling his birthright to him for a bowl of stew.

Jacob deceived his father Isaac in order to get Esau’s blessing.

Esau was angry with him

Genesis 27:36 ESV

36 Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”

Genesis 27:41 ESV

41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

So Jacob had reason to be fearful of his brother. So he starts sending gifts to his brother (Genesis 32:1-21)

After he alone is left alone, Jacob has a man jump him. Listen to this encounter:

Genesis 32:24–31 ESV

24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

The mysterious man with physical power.

Genesis 32:25 ESV

25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.

Jacob whole life up to this point is communicated as

Genesis 11:27–50:26 Wrestling with the “Man” (32:24–25 [25–26])

Physical strength characterized Jacob’s life: at birth grasping the heel of Esau (25:26[27]), moving the stone to water Rachel’s sheep (29:10), and working Laban’s herds for twenty years in difficult conditions (31:38–40).

The mysterious man with naming power.

Genesis 32:27–28 ESV

27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

Jacob is known for his deceitfulness.

Deceived his brother out of his birthright

Genesis 25:29–34 ESV

29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Jacob stole his brother’s blessing

Genesis 27

Genesis 11:27–50:26 Wrestling with the “Man” (32:24–25 [25–26])

The irony is that Jacob’s physical weakness will recall the transformation of his moral strength

Genesis 11:27–50:26 Command for a Blessing (32:26 [27])

That Jacob believes the “man” can render him a blessing indicates that Jacob knows his identity.

Genesis 11:27–50:26 Name and Blessing (32:27–29 [28–30])

If there were any ambiguity about the disrepute of the name “Jacob,” Esau rendered his verdict in no uncertain terms: “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob [yaʿăqōb]? He has deceived me [wayyaʿqĕbēnî] these two times” (27:36). By the change in name to “Israel,” the passage announces that Jacob’s moral character is about to undergo a metamorphosis.

The mysterious man is God.

Genesis 32:30 ESV

30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Theophany)

THEOPHANY (Thē ŏphʹ ȧ nē) Physical appearance or personal manifestation of a god to a person.

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Theophany

Contrast with the Incarnation The incarnate Christ was not, and indeed is not, a theophany. The phenomena of theophanies were temporary, for the occasion that required them and then disappeared. On the other hand, in the incarnate Christ His deity and humanity were joined, not for time alone, but for eternity. See Incarnation; Jesus Christ.

Genesis 11:27–50:26 Naming “Peniel” (32:30–31 [31–32])

The passive voice of the Hebrew verb, “was spared” (niph., wattinnāṣēl), suggests that Jacob admitted that he lived only because God’s grace preserved him.

Genesis 11:27–50:26 Naming “Peniel” (32:30–31 [31–32])

“The old Adam has been shaken off, ‘Jakob’ stays behind on one bank of the river. A new man, steeled and marked, Israel, has developed and he continues the journey on the other bank.”

Jacob’s identity changed for life.

Have you ever experienced your identity being changed by Christ? Can you go back to the moment you were transformed? If not, will you make tonight the night you do?