As we hop back into the book of Genesis this fall, we’ll be looking at the story of a man named Jacob. Jacob seems to be anything but a model disciple. He’s a trickster, liar, and selfishly ambitious man who fathers twelve sons by four different women. Yet, God’s eyes were upon him. One fateful night, while alone and desperate, Jacob is wrestled to the ground by a mysterious figure and given a new name: Israel, meaning “one who wrestles with God.” In Jacob’s life we see the love of God that meets us in our mess and works with us to restore his good world. This is the story of Israel. This is our story.