A Spurgeon Snapshot
One of my favorite study Bibles is The Spurgeon Study Bible, available from Lifeway, Christianbook.com, and Amazon. All of the study notes are quotes from Charles Spurgeon’s sermons and writing. For more on Charles Spurgeon, click here.
That night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” he said. And Jacob replied, “Here I am.””
Genesis 46:2 CSB
Even though God changed Jacob’s name to Israel way back in Genesis 32 (see Day 023: Wrestling With God (Genesis 32:24-29), the text switches back and forth between the two names all the way up to Jacob’s death. However, Genesis 46:2 may be the only place in which both names are referenced, other than when God says, “No longer shall your name be Jacob, but Israel” (32:28; 35:10).
There may or may not be a pattern for this, but Charles Spurgeon makes an interesting observation:
“Jacob” was the name of his birth nature; “Israel” was the name of his new and spiritual nature. When Israel was set out to go down into Egypt to see his son Joseph, he started in great vigor and strength for an old man. Faith made him full of force.
But when he was to take the decisive step to leave Canaan and make his journey into Egypt, then he suddenly felt himself a “Jacob” and became fearful. And the Lord… addressed him by the name that was most suitable to his condition. …
The Lord met the weakness of his servant’s faith and gave Jacob the assurance he needed.
In Isaiah 62, God promises Zion that it “will be given a new name, which the Lord’s mouth will announce (v 2):
“You will no longer be called Deserted, and your land will not be called Desolate; instead, you will be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land will be married.”
Isaiah 62:4 CSB
And in Revelation 2:17, God promises that to the one who overcomes, God will
give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.”
Revelation 2:17 CSB
There are days when we lean in to our new identity, and days when we fall back to our old identity. But every day, as we allow the Spirit to conform us to the image of Christ, we are getting closer and closer to the day our new name will be our only name.
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