Jacob was the second son of Isaac. His early life projected a lifestyle and behavioural pattern that closely matched his name, which can be interpreted as supplanter, impersonator, deceiver or usurper. However, he received mercy from the Lord and had a divine encounter where God decided to change his name. In Genesis 32:28, God said to him:
“….Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel…”
The renaming of Jacob as Israel (which means “triumphant with God”) was a spiritual event that had far reaching effects on his physical life and his personality. Immediately after his identity was changed, Jacob stopped exhibiting the characteristics of his old name and began to behave in line with the meaning of his new name. The old things about Jacob passed away and all things became new for him as Israel. I pray for someone reading this devotional that every old symptom of sin, sickness, poverty, bondage and oppression shall pass away from your life today in Jesus’ Name.

It is important to note that what happened to Jacob in the Old Testament is closely related to the regeneration experience seen in the New Testament. Regeneration is the change brought about by the Spirit of God, which makes a person a new creature in Christ Jesus. The salvation that Jesus brought to us is not simply to energize the old creation with new ability and power; rather, it brings about a new creature that has the divine nature of God (2nd Peter 1:4). It also ignites a spiritual process wherein everything working against the regenerated person is thoroughly dealt with (Colossians 2:14). The practical result of this is spiritual regeneration evidenced by radical change in the nature, character, desires and motives of the transformed person. This new creature is so new and different from the old that it even requires a new diet to survive, which is the word of God. That is why Matthew 4:4b says:
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Concerning regeneration, the key element is change. God is calling all of mankind to change through the power of His word. However, there is a strong resistance of this change in every human being (Romans 8:7). This resistance comes from the mind and the body, and must be overcome before any real change can manifest. The transformation experience requires serious effort to overcome this resistance (Romans 12:2). Whenever anyone surrenders his or her life to Jesus, God takes hold of the old lifeless creature and fashions it into a new creature that is heaven-bound, full of life and suitable for His use. Have you experienced this transformation indeed?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.