Why Israel?

[nebula]

Have you ever wondered why the Lord chose "Israel" to be the name for His chosen people?

Israel = "he struggles with God"

What kind of name is that for the people "entrusted with the very words of God" (Rom. 3:2) and "from whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed" (Gen. 18:18)?

This is a question that had been on my mind for quote some time, yet in all my searches thorugh Scripture, I could not find the answer. But the lord provided me a revelation.

Meet Sue.

Sue is a head professor at my college, and she is a Jew. A few years ago she became ill, and it was determined she had one or more tumors that needed to be removed. The post surgery biopsy found them to be malignant from a very rare, very fatal form of cancer, a cnacer that stemmed from her smooth muscle. Smooth muscle is the muscle tissue tht lines the blood vessels and hollow organs. Translation: it is practically impossible to find the source because the source could be from . . . anywhere.

Her body already weakened by Parkinson's disease slowly deteriorated towards frailty. Her hair fell out due to the chemotherapy, which didn't take, so she no longer had that treatment to kill the cancer threatening her life.

But she wouldn't quit.

She didn't quit teaching, she didn't quit administrating, and she didn't quit maintining a positive attitude. She was determined to stay alive - and to keep living as if alive.

Tumors grew again and tumors were removed. When doctors gave up on her due to her age and condition, she searched for a doctor who would perform the needed life-saving surgery thta invovled removing a portion of her small intestine.

She refused to call it quits. She refused to die.

And she kept on living as if alive.

Yesterday I watched her shuffling down the hall, her upper back in it's permanent bent down position - but her smile was relaxed and her eyes bright as we said our "Hi!"'s to each other in passing. I looked back to see her enter the lab room being re-organized partly under her guidance.

I marveled to myself, "What a tough woman!" We were afraid that she would be gone from us by now . . . but that stubborn Jew just wouldn't quit!

And that's when it hit me:

"You shall be called Israel, for you have struggled with both God and with men and have overcome."

And I had to laugh, a gentle joyful laugh.

All these years reading and studying the Bible, I wondered what it was the Lord saw in His chosen people - those stubborn, rebellious, stiff-necked people, of whom even now probably most do not even honor the God of their Fathers (secular, atheistic, agnostic, Eastern religions). Sure it is easy to see why the Lord chose Abraham. But by the time you get to Jacob and then his sons, you have to wonder what in the world the Lord was thinking? How could such a disfunctional family be called His own?

But this day I saw His people through new eyes. I saw a glimer of what the Lord was seeing - you could say a potential for greatness He wanted to claim for His own. That stubborness may have been their downfall so many times after another, yet that stubborness is what has kept them alive all these centuries and mellenia. That stubborness, that resolve, that determination, that grit to say, "I won't quit. I won't die. I will live as if alive," even through the worst of adversities.

That stubborness gave us the Scriptures. That stubborness preserved the memories of King David and Isaiah and all the rest we honor in the Hall of Faith. That stubborness brought forth the Messiah who saved us from our sins. That stubborness has blessed the nations with the Gospel. That stubborness rebuilt a nation and showed us that prophecies can be fulfilled today.

"You have struggled with both God and man and have overcome."

I believe the Lord is smiling on Sue, the smile I believe He is giving over all His people Israel, whom we now call the Jews. Sure their stubborness has given HIm more than one headache over the ages ("Oy, these people of Mine...!"). But when they become stubborn towards life, stubborn towards His glory, stubborn towards doing good, nothing can beat them and no one can match them. (Their medical advancements and work in Haiti are a testiment to this.)

Just like Sue, a true namesake of her father Israel.

I beleive I see now why the fulfillment of Zech. 12:10 - 13:9 and of Rom. 11:12,15 will be so powerful. We've seen them struggle with God and overcome; we've seen them struggle with men and overcome; we've even seen them struggle with circumstances and overcome. Just wait until we see them struggle with Satan and overcome! (Won't that be exciting?!)

[Guest shiloh357]

Amen!! Excellent post! This one should be pinned!

[MorningGlory]

Great post, Neb! I don't know where you get the insight but it sure hits the nail right on the head.

[~candice~]

Awesome Neb

[Guest]

[e lansing]

Have you ever wondered why the Lord chose "Israel" to be the name for His chosen people?

Israel = "he struggles with God"

What kind of name is that for the people "entrusted with the very words of God" (Rom. 3:2) and "from whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed" (Gen. 18:18)?

This is a question that had been on my mind for quote some time, yet in all my searches thorugh Scripture, I could not find the answer. But the lord provided me a revelation.

Meet Sue.

Sue is a head professor at my college, and she is a Jew. A few years ago she became ill, and it was determined she had one or more tumors that needed to be removed. The post surgery biopsy found them to be malignant from a very rare, very fatal form of cancer, a cnacer that stemmed from her smooth muscle. Smooth muscle is the muscle tissue tht lines the blood vessels and hollow organs. Translation: it is practically impossible to find the source because the source could be from . . . anywhere.

Her body already weakened by Parkinson's disease slowly deteriorated towards frailty. Her hair fell out due to the chemotherapy, which didn't take, so she no longer had that treatment to kill the cancer threatening her life.

But she wouldn't quit.

She didn't quit teaching, she didn't quit administrating, and she didn't quit maintining a positive attitude. She was determined to stay alive - and to keep living as if alive.

Tumors grew again and tumors were removed. When doctors gave up on her due to her age and condition, she searched for a doctor who would perform the needed life-saving surgery thta invovled removing a portion of her small intestine.

She refused to call it quits. She refused to die.

And she kept on living as if alive.

Yesterday I watched her shuffling down the hall, her upper back in it's permanent bent down position - but her smile was relaxed and her eyes bright as we said our "Hi!"'s to each other in passing. I looked back to see her enter the lab room being re-organized partly under her guidance.

I marveled to myself, "What a tough woman!" We were afraid that she would be gone from us by now . . . but that stubborn Jew just wouldn't quit!

And that's when it hit me:

"You shall be called Israel, for you have struggled with both God and with men and have overcome."

And I had to laugh, a gentle joyful laugh.

All these years reading and studying the Bible, I wondered what it was the Lord saw in His chosen people - those stubborn, rebellious, stiff-necked people, of whom even now probably most do not even honor the God of their Fathers (secular, atheistic, agnostic, Eastern religions). Sure it is easy to see why the Lord chose Abraham. But by the time you get to Jacob and then his sons, you have to wonder what in the world the Lord was thinking? How could such a disfunctional family be called His own?

But this day I saw His people through new eyes. I saw a glimer of what the Lord was seeing - you could say a potential for greatness He wanted to claim for His own. That stubborness may have been their downfall so many times after another, yet that stubborness is what has kept them alive all these centuries and mellenia. That stubborness, that resolve, that determination, that grit to say, "I won't quit. I won't die. I will live as if alive," even through the worst of adversities.

That stubborness gave us the Scriptures. That stubborness preserved the memories of King David and Isaiah and all the rest we honor in the Hall of Faith. That stubborness brought forth the Messiah who saved us from our sins. That stubborness has blessed the nations with the Gospel. That stubborness rebuilt a nation and showed us that prophecies can be fulfilled today.

"You have struggled with both God and man and have overcome."

I believe the Lord is smiling on Sue, the smile I believe He is giving over all His people Israel, whom we now call the Jews. Sure their stubborness has given HIm more than one headache over the ages ("Oy, these people of Mine...!"). But when they become stubborn towards life, stubborn towards His glory, stubborn towards doing good, nothing can beat them and no one can match them. (Their medical advancements and work in Haiti are a testiment to this.)

Just like Sue, a true namesake of her father Israel.

I beleive I see now why the fulfillment of Zech. 12:10 - 13:9 and of Rom. 11:12,15 will be so powerful. We've seen them struggle with God and overcome; we've seen them struggle with men and overcome; we've even seen them struggle with circumstances and overcome. Just wait until we see them struggle with Satan and overcome! (Won't that be exciting?!)

WOW! How inspiring! "A stubborn righteousness" This would preach. Thanks!

[Botz]

Sounds like a really stubborn gutsy lady Neb.

I have to say though that I do not believe there was any merit in why G-d chose the Jews...He chose them because He chose them....He chose to set His love upon them for His reasons and His purposes, and not theirs. Just the same as He chose us from before the foundations of the world....it is the unmerited favour of G-d.

As a race, the Jewish people do have some general distinctive traits...one of which is stubbornness...another of which is zealousness.....but they were never the reasons G-d chose them. He did because He did.

[nebula]

I understand, Botz.

However, it's nice to know that God has a mind as well as a heart. And it is encouraging and inspirational to be granted a glimpse inside that mind of His, to get a sense of what actually is ticking inside of there.

There is more to calling and election than just grace, you know? There's also "fit."

[Botz]

I understand, Botz.

However, it's nice to know that God has a mind as well as a heart. And it is encouraging and inspirational to be granted a glimpse inside that mind of His, to get a sense of what actually is ticking inside of there.

There is more to calling and election than just grace, you know? There's also "fit."

Well I think we will disagree on this one Neb, as it seems verging on the sentimental and not acccording to what G-d has revealed of Himself and His purposes through Scripture.

[nebula]

Sentimental?

To me it's factor A added to factor B and equalling factor C.

Why do you suppose the Lord planned for the name of His Chosen People to be called "he struggles with God"?