Jacob's name change to Israel marks his true salvation — the moment the deceiver becomes a prince with God.
Les Feldick teaches that when Jacob wrestled with the Lord through the night and refused to let go until he was blessed, God saw his faith and transformed him into a new man. At that point God renamed him Israel — no longer Jacob the deceiver and supplanter, but a prince who has power with God. This is presented as Jacob's new birth and his decisive change from the natural man to the spiritual man.
Genesis 32:28 — This is the verse where God Himself changes Jacob's name to Israel and explains its meaning — a prince who has power with God and with men.
Scripture connects Jacob's name with deception and supplanting from the start. In Genesis 27:36, Esau protests, 'Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing.' The name Jacob carries the meaning of the supplanter and deceiver. The name change itself comes in Genesis 32:24–28. After wrestling with a man until the breaking of the day, Jacob refuses to let go until he is blessed: 'I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.' The man asks, 'What is thy name?' and when Jacob answers 'Jacob,' he is told, 'Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.' After this event, Scripture continues to use both names of the same man. Isaiah 9:8 says, 'The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel,' and in Genesis 46:2 God speaks to Israel yet calls out 'Jacob, Jacob.'
Les Feldick calls the wrestling at Peniel Jacob's true salvation — the place where Jacob experienced what we call the new birth. Les explains that this was a theophany, the appearance of God, for Jacob knew he was wrestling with the Lord Himself (Clip 0, Clip 1). Jacob's refusal to let go — 'I will not let thee go, except thou bless me' — was a simple faith that God could work with, and God said, 'as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and ye have prevailed... you just hung tough' (Clip 4). Les highlights what the two names mean. Jacob meant the deceiver and the supplanter — his natural, unbelieving state. Israel means a prince with God — his new believing identity (Clip 2, Clip 3). Since Jacob was now a new man in God, in Christ, God gave him a new name (Clip 1). Les also uses this as a picture of what should happen to every believer — a change from the supplanter to a prince with God (Clip 3). Les further teaches that Jacob and Israel can refer to the same nation but are not truly synonymous: Israel was the believing Jacob, while Jacob referred to his unbelieving state. He applies this to Isaiah 9:8 — the word comes to Jacob, the whole nation, but only Israel — the believer — hears it (Clip 2). Even in Genesis 46, God speaks to Israel, Jacob's spiritual side, and yet calls out 'Jacob, Jacob' (Clip 5, Clip 7).
Les Feldick explains that these Hebrew names were definite in meaning: Jacob meant the deceiver, the supplanter, and Israel meant literally a prince with God (Clip 2, Clip 3). This matches Scripture itself, where Esau says, 'Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times' (Genesis 27:36). The name change is therefore a change from the deceiver and supplanter to the prince with God.
Les teaches that God changed Jacob's name because Jacob was now a new man in God, in Christ, and a new man receives a new name (Clip 1). God saw the faith Jacob displayed by hanging tough and not giving up until he was blessed, and by that faith God transformed him (Clip 4). The change from Jacob to Israel is thus the change from the natural man to the spiritual man.
Les says the terms can refer to the same person and nation, but they are not truly synonymous. 'Israel was the believing Jacob, who is now called Israel. Jacob referred to his unbelieving state' (Clip 2). He applies this to Isaiah 9:8 — the word came to Jacob, but only Israel heard it, meaning only the believer (Clip 2). In Genesis 46, God speaks to Israel yet calls him 'Jacob, Jacob,' using both names of the same man (Clip 5, Clip 7).
The Bible says Jacob was left alone and 'there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day' (Genesis 32:24), and Jacob asked the man to bless him. Les identifies the stranger as the Lord Himself — a theophany, the appearance of God (Clip 0). The Lord touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh, putting it out of joint, and Jacob walked with a limp — called a halt in Scripture — from that point on (Clip 0).
Les points out that the famine was set up to bring the whole tribe of Jacob down into Egypt (Clip 5). There, God told Jacob/Israel, 'Fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation' (Genesis 46:3). About seventy souls went down, and over the next four hundred years the nation of Israel grew out of Jacob's family (Clip 6, Clip 7).
Jacob Wrestles the Lord
Les identifies the man who wrestled Jacob as the Lord Himself — a theophany, the appearance of God — and notes Jacob refused to let go until blessed and limped from that point on.
Jacob's Salvation and New Name
Les calls this the place of Jacob's true salvation and new birth; because Jacob is a new man in God, in Christ, God gives him a new name — Israel the prince with God instead of Jacob the deceiver.
Jacob the Deceiver, Israel the Believer
Les explains the meanings of the two names and teaches that Israel was the believing Jacob, applying this to Isaiah 9:8 — the word came to Jacob, but only Israel, the believer, heard it.
From Supplanter to Prince
Les shows that Jacob's name meant the deceiver and supplanter before his conversion, and that the conversion changes the man from a deceiver to a prince with God — as should happen to every believer.
Faith That Hangs Tough
Les reads Genesis 32:27–28 and emphasizes that Jacob's refusal to let go was simple faith — he hung tough and did not give up, and God saw that faith and transformed him.
Both Names Used in Egypt
Les notes that even after the name change, God speaks to 'Israel' but calls out 'Jacob, Jacob,' showing both names for the same man as the family prepares to go to Egypt.
A Great Nation in Egypt
Les shows God's promise to Jacob — 'I will there make of thee a great nation' — and explains how seventy-some souls became the nation of Israel over four hundred years in Egypt.
Jacob the Spiritual Man
Les contrasts God speaking to Israel, Jacob's spiritual side, while still saying 'Jacob, Jacob,' and underlines the promise to make of him a great nation in Egypt.
Genesis 32:24: And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
This is the setting for the name change — Jacob alone, wrestling through the night with the Lord.
Genesis 32:26: And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
Jacob's refusal to let go shows the faith that led God to transform him.
Genesis 32:27: And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
Jacob identifies himself by his old name — the deceiver — before receiving the new one.
Genesis 32:28: And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
The name change itself: Jacob becomes Israel, a prince who has prevailed with God.
Genesis 27:36: And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
Shows what the name Jacob meant from the beginning — the supplanter and deceiver.
Isaiah 9:8: The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.
Distinguishes between the whole nation (Jacob) and the believing part (Israel).
Genesis 46:2-3: And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
Shows both names used of the same man and God's promise to make him a great nation.
Jacob means the deceiver and the supplanter. In Genesis 27:36, Esau says of him, 'Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times.' Les Feldick confirms that Jacob's natural name described his old, unbelieving character (Clip 2, Clip 3).
Israel means a prince with God. When God renamed Jacob, He said, 'Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed' (Genesis 32:28). Les explains that Israel identifies the believing Jacob (Clip 2).
Yes — Les calls it Jacob's true salvation, the place where he experienced what we call the new birth (Clip 1). God saw Jacob's faith when he refused to let go until he was blessed, and by that faith God transformed him and gave him a new name (Clip 4).
In Genesis 46:2, God speaks to Israel and says 'Jacob, Jacob.' Les explains that both names can be used of the same man — Israel refers to the spiritual, believing side, while Jacob refers to the natural side (Clip 5, Clip 7).
Les teaches it was the Lord Himself — a theophany, the appearance of God (Clip 0). Jacob knew exactly who he was wrestling with, which is why he insisted, 'I will not let thee go, except thou bless me' (Genesis 32:26).