Who is Israel-01

This is a very confusing and often controversial subject. Is Israel another name for Jacob? Is it a name for the lost 10 tribes carried into captivity by Assyria? Is it a land in the Mideast? Is it a current country in the Mideast? We will use only the Bible to answer these questions.

Israel is mentioned come 2300 times in the Bible. It is first mentioned as a name for Jacob.

Genesis 32:22  Now he arose that same night and took his two wives and his two maids and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. :23  He took them and sent them across the stream. And he sent across whatever he had. 

Jacob was leaving his father-in-law Laban and going back to his family home, but was still afraid of Esau.

:24  Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. :25  When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. :26  Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." :27  So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." :28  He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed." 

It is not clear with whom Jacob is wrestling, but He changed his name and made him somewhat lame as a reminder of the struggle.

:29  Then Jacob asked him and said, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And he blessed him there. :30  So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved." :31  Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh. :32  Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh, because he touched the socket of Jacob's thigh in the sinew of the hip. 

Adding to the confusion are the 81 verses that mention Jacob and Israel in the same verse!

Genesis 46:2  God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am." 

Exodus 3:15  God, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, '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, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. 

Even God continued to interchange the names of Jacob and Israel. What does this mean or imply?

Romans 11:25  For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; :26  and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." :27  "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."

This is not a direct quote but a summary of prophesies in the Old Testament, (Psalms14:7, Isaiah59:20, with Isaiah27:9).

This will be come much clearer next Saturday.