“There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.” – Genesis 33:20

Ok, that was quite out of the blue, wasn’t it? Let me give you some context.

If you are not familiar with the story, I would recommend you to first read Genesis chapters 25 to 33. It’s such a heartwarming story about broken human beings full of deceit, malice, fears, and doubts. In brief, Isaac, the promised son of Abraham, also waited for 20 years before His wife Rebekah and him had sons: a set of twins, named Esau and Jacob. One day, because Esau was hungry, he sold his birthright (as first born) to Jacob for a red stew (Genesis 25:29-34). Years later, when Isaac was about 100 years old, He told Esau to hunt a game and prepare a meal for him, so that he might bless him (Genesis 27). Rebekah heard this and told Jacob to prepare the meal and pose as Esau, to get the blessings in his place. Their scheme worked and because of that, Esau hated Jacob so much that he had to flee to his uncle Laban, Rebekah’s brother, for refuge. On the way there, he had a dream.

“He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.  Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” – Genesis 28:12-15

God is so good indeed. He is always the One who takes the initiative, who makes the first move. He is the One who promises to bless us in all regards, and even better, He never fails to fulfill any promise spoken. What I admire about Jacob is his original response to God. He never pretended in front of God; he knew it wouldn’t work. He did not hide his fear or awe of God’s presence. In response to God’s promises, he made a vow;

“Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.” – Genesis 28:20-22

This promise took a long process to come to pass. After working at his uncle’s for 20 years, he acquired his own family and wealth, and God told him to go back. On the way back, he remembered his brother, Esau, and was afraid. He sent some messengers to Esau, but when he heard that Esau was prepared to meet him with 400 men, he was devastated (Genesis 32:7).

“Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’” – Genesis 32:9-12

That night, Jacob set aside gifts for Esau, dispatched them with good intervals, divided his people into two groups, and sent them away. Eventually, he was left behind alone, and that night, he had another encounter with God.

“So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”- Genesis 32:24-30

That day he got a new name from God, Israel. He was no longer Jacob, the supplanter, the replacer, but Israel, the one who has struggled with God and with humans and has overcome. Later, he figured that Esau had forgiven him, they reconciled, and he settled down in Sukkoth. He then remembered his God, and called His name “El Elohe Israel” (Genesis 33:20), meaning God is the God of Israel. 

Notice that he called His God’s name with his own name. For a short moment I thought, how dare he directly put his name to call God. I mean, God is the big one and he’s the small one, he should put his name after God’s, not the other way around, right? But that’s not how it works with God. For example, God called Himself God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob when He revealed Himself to Moses.

“God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.” – Exodus 3:15

He is proud to use the name of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to call Himself. That’s how He wants to be called from generation to generation: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob. It reminds me how parents are called in the neighborhood in my country, Indonesia. Usually, people barely know the parents’ name, they will call each parent in reference to their child. For example, if you are called Sarah, someone calling your mother would refer to her as Sarah’s mom, instead of her own name, and it continues from one generation to the next. Now, for example, my sister is referred to as the mother of my niece! Can you see the same pattern with our God? 

Jesus teaches us to call Him, Our Father (Matthew 6:9). For God so loved the world, that He gave His own Son so that everyone who receives Jesus Christ will receive eternal life (John 3:16) and have the right to become children of God (John 1:12). Because we are His children, we have received the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6). As if the privilege to be His children was not enough, God takes pleasure in being called our Father and our God. Even better, He longs to be called according to the names of His children. He brags about us, like when He bragged about Job to Satan (Job 1:8). He is not ashamed to be our Father, to be our God, despite all our brokenness.

If the Bible notes down that Jacob can call Him as El Elohe Israel, can I call Him “El Elohe Stef” – according to my name? Have you imagined calling Him “El Elohe …  – according to your name? Mindblowing, isn’t it? Sounds so intimate and daring. How can I call the Creator of Heaven and earth, King of kings and the Lord of lords as the God of Stef? 

But with all honesty, think about it. If I call Him El Elohe Stef, will it reduce His power? He is still as almighty and as powerful as when He created the universe and everything therein(Genesis 1). Will it reduce His greatness? He is still sitting on His throne (Isaiah 66:1). Will it reduce His glory? Certainly not, for the whole earth is full of His glory (Isaiah 6:3). Will it put His name down? God has exalted Christ Jesus “to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9-11)

So, what effect will it have on Him? None. He will not be harmed at all if I call Him the God of Stef. On the other hand, I am the one getting all the benefits. It reminds me of all the privileges of having such a relationship with the Almighty. Since the Almighty is my Father, I am a heir of all His inheritance and promises, and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). I am restored to my original task to rule and have dominion over creation (Genesis 1:28). I am confident that as I go and preach the gospel to all creation, I am followed by signs and wonders (Mark 16:15-18). I am reminded of His promise that He will always be with me (Matthew 28:20), and never put me to shame (Romans 10:11)

Isn’t it amazing that He is so great, yet He is so close? He is almighty, yet so approachable. He deserves to be served and exalted on high, yet He humbled Himself to serve and became obedient to death, even death on the cross (Philippians 2:6-8). He is not ashamed to be called my Father, instead He longs to have such a profound and intimate relationship with me. 

Therefore, today, I will leave you with these questions:

• How would you respond to Him who loved you first by giving His Son, Jesus Christ, so you can have such a Father-child relationship with Him? 
• How will it affect your life to know that the King of kings has your back and promises to always be with you?
• How will your speech change, knowing your identity as a child of the God who created the whole universe by speaking?