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other statement by saying of Jacob, "as a prince hast thou power with GOD and with
men, and hast prevailed".
We have other evidences of the purport of a change of name in Genesis, e.g., Abraham
instead of Abram, Sarah instead of Sarai. In both cases the change is to a higher plane
and the result of a blessing. The name Sarah means Princess and contains the word
which gives us I-sra-el. SAR.--Sar is rendered "prince" 208 times, and "captain" 125
times, hence chief, ruler, governor, etc., and seen in connection with Sarah Jacob's new
name seems to echo its meaning, she the Princess, he the Prince. One feature of great
importance must now be noted which links together the changed names of Abraham,
Sarah, and Israel, and also substantiates the meaning of Prince in the name Israel.
"As for Sarai thy wife, thou shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her
name.......KINGS of people shall be of her" (Gen. 17: 15, 16).
"Thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel.......KINGS shall come out
of thy loins" (Gen. 35: 10).
We must by this evidence retain the kingly thought in the word Israel. Here, in each
instance, the change of name is associated with blessing, and a promise of a royal seed.
Newburry interprets Isra-El by a prince of God, just as we translate Peni-El, face of God,
or Beth-El, house of God. The change of name was given for a revealed reason, "FOR
thou wast as a prince", saritha, "as a prince hast thou power", being but one word.
This word occurs nowhere else, but in Hosea 10: 11. Bethel in the days of Hosea had
become notorious for its idolatry. Israel is exhorted to consider the typical history of
their father Israel, how from being a supplanter he was changed to a Prince of God, and
how from being a keeper of sheep (12: 12) he became a Prince of God, or, as the parallel
is written turning from the type to the antitype, the captive bondman Israel in Egypt
brought out of Egypt by a prophet (12: 13) to become when at last they see God face to
face "kings and priests unto God". Ephraim or Israel had become idolators, they had
fallen by their iniquity, yet, saith the Lord, "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them
freely". Jacob's experience at Jabbok is an Old Testament parallel to Paul's experience
spoken of in II Cor. 12: 9, 10:--
"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect
in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmity that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.......for when I am weak, then am I strong."
Jacob's human frame ever afterwards showed evidence of his weakness and the need
to distrust the flesh, but it would ever be associated with a gracious blessing, a princely
name and a consciousness that henceforth his strength was to be found in God. Jacob's
experience anticipates that day soon to dawn, when the night shall have passed away for
ever, when his descendants shall look upon Him whom they pierced (Peniel) and shall
say:--
"Unto Him that loved us and loosed us from our sins by His own blood, and hath
made us KINGS and priests unto God" (Rev. 1: 5, 6).