WOYWW: What's in a Name?

 Sometimes it is quite difficult to find a picture to trace to depict a story in the Bible.

Here is the picture I picked for the story of Jacob wrestling with an angel!!!

That man certainly doesn't look like an angel! Ha ha! 

 "You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob but as Israel..." Genesis 32:28

What's with all the name changing in the Bible? God told Abram in Genesis 17:5, "No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations." Now, after Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, wrestles with an angel and wins, the angel tells him his new name is Israel. Jacob's old name meant "supplanter", because he was born holding his elder brother's heel. Jacob also managed to obtain his father's blessing which rightfully belonged to his elder brother Esau, through the connivance of his mother Rebekah. God changes a person's name to give him a new identity, a new destiny, a new mission. It's also a prophetic call.

Perhaps some of us have nicknames given to us in our youth that have negative connotations relating to our height, our failures, our social inadequacies. Or maybe some of us have labels we carry because a doctor pronounced it upon us: diabetes, cancer, hypertension... We can also give ourselves a declaration that forms a barrier to our happiness or confidence: "I can't do this." "I'm not creative." "I'm not beautiful." "I'm destined to fail."

God can give us a new name, and we can claim it, by looking through the Bible, and finding those verses that we can confess until we believe it.

God did not give me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 "I have power. I have no fear!"

The love of God in me never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 "I am love."

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. Jeremiah 17:14 "I am healed."

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 "I am hopeful!"

 "Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you." Genesis 41:55

This is what the mighty powerful Pharaoh told the starving people of Egypt. Does it not sound familiar? This is exactly what Mary, the mother of Jesus, told the servants in the wedding at Cana (John 2:5). This is just one of the many parallels in the story of Jesus and Joseph.

In the study of the Bible, scholars say that Joseph is one of the clearest and most detailed "types" of Christ. This means, I think, that some aspects of Joseph's life are prophetic of Jesus' life. Both were betrayed by their "brothers", Joseph sold into slavery, and Jesus sold for 30 pieces of silver by Judas. Both Joseph and Jesus were tempted but did not sin. Both were falsely accused. Both were 30 years old when their lives took a significant turn. Joseph was 30 years old when he was made Prime Minister of Egypt, and Jesus started His public ministry at 30 years old. Both became rulers after a period of humiliation. Joseph was put in jail for some time, and we know what happened to Jesus! For both Jesus and Joseph, even their own "brothers" did not accept them. As Joseph's brothers hated him, so did the Jews, a lot of them, hate Jesus and did not believe what He said. As Joseph was stripped of his many colored coat, so was Jesus stripped of his clothes. Just as Joseph was not recognized by his brothers when they came to ask for grain, so too Jesus was not recognized by the Jews as their Messiah. Just as God allowed the suffering of Joseph to save His people, so too did He plan that Jesus' suffering would save us all. There are many other parallels in Scripture that can be cited, just as there are many stories in the Old Testament that point to Christ.

I was just thinking, does MY life point to Christ? Can someone look at my life, and say that I am a "type" of Christ? They say that a Christian's life is the world's Bible. Most people do not open and read the Scriptures, but if we live as we are supposed to live, following Christ, then the world can look at us, and see Him!

I was just thinking, does MY life point to Christ? Can someone look at my life, and say that I am a "type" of Christ? They say that a Christian's life is the world's Bible. Most people do not open and read the Scriptures, but if we live as we are supposed to live, following Christ, then the world can look at us, and see Him!

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Patsy