Isaiah 9:8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.
Jacob had his name changed to Israel, just like Abram turned to Abraham; and Sarai to Sarah. ‘Jacob’ means supplanter. And that would have meant that he would keep taking for the rest of his life. This could as well be viewed as stealing.
When he wrestled with God, God changed his name to Israel. And that’s how that nation began: by a man.
Notice in some parts of the Bible, our subject is referred to as Jacob. In others, he is referred to as Israel. One as a man. Another as a nation!
Israel here represents your prophetic calling, your destiny and the name God has ordained to call you. In today’s setting, not everyone will necessarily change the birth name given to them by their parents. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a special name God calls that specific person.
In other words, you could be having a Saul in your vicinity, but you must be spiritual enough to discern when Paul is speaking. Or when Saul stopped existing!
In the Bible, it seemed like God was replacing bad names with better names. And the good news is; today, men have adopted the habit of consulting God on what to name their children. Even in that regard, a child may be named Anaiah, but the parent could not be in position to tell whether she’s a prophet already or not!
One must grow to discern when to treat her as Anaiah and when to treat her as a prophetess. One should know when to speak to her as a daughter, and when to deal with her as God’s voice; especially when they are fully mature both in age and in their office.
An African parent or relative may be too naive and disrespectful having failed to understand that his or her nephew is also the president of a nation. As the elders text, they may forget that the younger ones are carrying the burden of an entire nation and yet condemn them over simpler family matters.
The children who mocked Elisha didn’t know any better. They must have thought it was another bald man. They saw Jacob instead of Israel. They saw mockery instead of the empowered horseman of Israel! The result? — Eaten by bears! Ananias and Sapphira forgot that Peter wasn’t a fisherman no more! He had been given the keys of heaven! They fell dead for lying to him!
I am not trying to fill you with fear and of course it is hard to separate these two entities. Pretty much like it is hard to separate you from God now. You must carry the wisdom to know that your husband is still God’s chosen vessel. That your wife is in charge of a great business empire. If they seem to come short on some things, use such points as conversation starters and affirmers, and slide in the areas that need improvement later.
If you seem to be the one worthy of honor, or the one this article is applauding, your challenge is humility. Don’t think this equation is a one-faced coin. In this New Testament dispensation, however anointed you might be Elisha, God expects you to have self-control and long suffering. Lest you let the bears up on the next generation of prophets.
That view aside, what I wanted to share concerning our theme scripture is another important aspect.
Perhaps you as well have received a special name from God. It’d as well be a vision or dream like Joseph’s. Your ‘Israel’ seems to only pop out once in a while, more like Bruce Banner being a doctor one moment and then the Hulk — a huge superhuman monster the next second.
But you long for the future — for Israel — to come!
The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.
Just like He sends His word to heal our disease, He sends His word to Jacob: to the ordinary you, — but, it lights not the ordinary you, but Israel: THE NATION IN YOU! It lights up your destiny! Your calling!
The entrance of His word brings more and more light defining your destiny, defining your future! (Psalm 119:130)
You will not simply waltz into what God spoke over you, or has called you to be by simply laying back and doing nothing. You must avail yourself to His sent word. He has sent a word. Don’t be like Jacob saying ‘God was in this place and I knew it not.’
He has sent you a word for this season.
Do you know it?
If you had a dream being a billionaire, or by unction it was mentioned of you; you must meditate on the word sent about wealth. As you do, you are not just dealing with Jacob. You are transitioning into Israel: the billionaire you were ordained to be.
This is when 2 Corinthians 3:18 comes into play: you behold the sent word as in a glass, it keeps lighting up the Israel in you, until Israel drowns out Jacob — the former you that people thought would never go beyond a certain cap.
If you are believing to be a wife or a husband (Israel) you must apply sent words such as ‘none shall lack a mate’ until you eventually no longer lack a mate. (Isa 34:16)
Afterwards, when Israel became a nation with tribes, no where was it mentioned: the twelve tribes of Jacob. Israel is your bigger! Sons become tribes! Jacob remains your past, and Israel — your present and future!
The word is sent to the present you but it lights up your future! Making your path to shine brighter and brighter!
Jesus said no man lights up a candle and puts it under a bushel. Could it be that you are under a bushel because you’re not aflame. No one seems to see the good of you! But let the sent word time, and it will light you up! Suddenly everyone will desire to have you on their table to give that good light!
Let your light so shine before the world, Jesus said. But if you have no sent word, you’ll have no light to shine!
Get back to the word.
Get back to the word.
Get back to the word.
And you will arise and shine, for your light will have come!
Notice God Himself spoke to Jacob while baptizing him the new name. Know today, that every moment you spend with His word, every encounter you have with that God-breathed entity, you transition to your prophecy. You transition to your Israel!
Without encounters with the word, you will remain a supplanter. You will remain … Jacob.
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