What’s in a name?

And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 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. Genesis 32:27‭-‬28 KJV ”What’s in a name? … That which we call a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet.” This is Juliet in Shakespeare telling Rome that a name is nothing but a name and it is thus a convention with no meaning behind it. Juliet made a mistake. There’s more to a name. Why would Jacob claim to be Esau to his father, yet tell God he is Jacob. Do you think he really knew who he was? Maybe he should have read Victor Frankl’s, ”In search of Meaning”. There’s more to a name. Jesus Christ has a name by overcoming the enemy, by prophecy, and by sacrifice. Today the name of Jesus is a terror to the enemy. A name represents who you are, and may tell the story surrounding your birth. God had to draw a line for Jacob before the break of day. He changed his name to Israel. Josephus says Israel means one who struggled with God. Rashi says it means one who prevailed with God, Strong says it means he will rule as God. Whatever, the meaning, its different from the meaning of Jacob as a supplanter. You may need a new name in the spirit for different levels of accomplishments. What would yours be for this year? Esau finally arrived but he met Israel instead of Jacob. Life is more spiritual than physical. Read the details. Good morning.