This is obviously a question, but rather than being one that Jesus asked as has been the last eight devotionals, it is a question that was asked first of Jacob by his father Isaac, then of Jacob by God, then of God by Moses. This is from a powerful sermon that my pastor preached a few weeks ago that has continued to resonate with me personally, so I hope that it will be meaningful for you.

One of the main points of the sermon was that God can’t work on us until we come clean, until we are transparent and honest about who we really are. If you don’t know the story about Jacob, here’s a brief synopsis:

1. Jacob was the son of Isaac (and grandson of Abraham) and Rebekah. He was a twin. Rebekah had a difficult pregnancy. The Bible says that the twins wrestled inside her, and when it was time for her to give birth, Esau came out first making him the eldest (with all the privileges of the first born in that culture), and Jacob came out grabbing onto Esau’s heel. The name Jacob means “heel-grabber” and it also means “deceiver.” That’s a pretty difficult image to live down.
2. When it was time for Isaac to bestow the blessings of the firstborn on Esau, he called Esau to him, told him to go out and kill an animal for a feast, then to prepare a meal and bring it to him so that Isaac could then bless Esau with his inheritance. Rebekah overheard and told Jacob (whom she favored) to hurry out and kill a sheep out back, cook it, and bring it to his father. She told Jacob to disguise himself so that he would feel and smell like his brother. Did I mention that Isaac was blind? Through the deceitfulness of his mother and himself, Jacob was able to beat Esau to the punch and got to his father first. His father was surprised that his son had gotten there so fast, so he said, “Who is it?” Jacob replied, “My name is Esau your firstborn.”
3. Fast forward: Jacob had to leave town in a hurry when Esau found out about the deception. Jacob went to his mother’s family, got married (twice), prospered, and is now returning home. (As an aside, Jacob almost met his match with his brother-in-law, Laban, who tried to get one over on Jacob, but Jacob eventually out-deceived Laban.) Jacob is now a little nervous about the reception he will receive from Esau after all these years. When he finds out that Esau is coming his way, Jacob sends his family ahead and he stays behind (no comment). He lies down to sleep, all alone, and an angel of the Lord comes to visit him. They wrestle (see a theme here?), and finally the angel asks Jacob his name (as if he didn’t know), and Jacob replies, “Jacob.” Now that Jacob is ready to admit who he really is, the angel gives Jacob another name, “Israel,” which means “Triumphant.”
4. Israel (formerly Jacob) matures in his walk with his God and becomes the patriarchal leader of his family, as Isaac and Abraham were before him. He is mostly known as Israel now, and the nation that was promised to Abraham is known as Israel.
5. Through a series of events over hundreds of years, the Israelites end up enslaved in Egypt. Moses is enlisted by God to serve as their deliverer, to lead them out of Egypt. Moses is a little skeptical about taking on this assignment, and in a memorable encounter with God who speaks to him out of a burning bush, he asks God his name. God replies, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” Not Israel, but Jacob. Awesome, right?

God is the God of real people. We don’t have to fake it with God. In fact, as long as we are refusing to come clean with God, it is difficult for us to really learn what we need to learn, to change what we need to change, and to become triumphant in our journey. We can’t deceive God. Let’s quit wasting time deceiving ourselves.

What is the practical application of this message? We need to confess our sins constantly—in the moment and daily. We need to pray that God will reveal our sins to us so that we won’t be blinded by our sin or dulled to our sin by comparison with the worldly culture in which we live. We need to not only confess but also to be willing to change, to turn from our sinful ways. We seek forgiveness, but forgiveness comes only after repentance, as Peter says in Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

What is your name? Whatever is your given name, as a believer in and follower of Christ, you are an overcomer, a Christian, and your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels” (Revelation 3:5). 

In Christ,

Judy