What is life but Israel?

My buddy Brett (remember him; chocolate milk?) did a talk today at our church about "wrestling with God" and our need to surrender fully. The talk was good but one thing I learned, and why I did not know this already is beyond me, is that the word "Israel" literally means, "wrestling with God."

For further information I went to an etymology website and this is what I found:

O.E., "the Jewish people," from L. Israel, from Gk., from Heb. yisra'el "he that striveth with God" (Gen. xxxii.28), symbolic proper name conferred on Jacob and extended to his descendants, from sara "he fought, contended" + El "God."

As my mind swallowed up this concept I began to apply it to man's continual search for meaning. After chewing on the idea for several minutes I arrived at the following thought - what the hell is life except a constant wrestling with God?

Philosophers, theologians, scientists - it does not matter - humanity as a whole throughout history has wrestled with the idea of the divine, the holy, the unknowable. Interesting then that a people to literally be set apart as God's chosen would be given a name with such a meaning as to encourage or predict this very struggle.

Now I certainly could be accused here of over thinking (who, me?) this whole situation. Indeed, the reason this name was given may ONLY be because of Jacob's little WWF match with the angel from which the name is derived. But why would God choose a name for an entire people - who would eventually influence the entire planet - with a name whose significance does not extend beyond the one incident that produced it?

I fully believe God encourages the struggle until we are finally left with no choice but full acceptance and surrender. It reminds me of the old adage "It's better to wave and angry fist at God than to ignore Him completely." It is within this context that I believe the searching and honest atheist is in a more enviable position than the person who has written off God, or the possibility of God, completely.

The name itself brings about a certain comfort that the wrestling we do with God in our minds and hearts He already foreknew, and that there is really nothing wrong with it. Interesting even more is that from the nation who bears the very name and legitimizes the struggle we all share would eventually come the only One who can lay the struggle to rest.....