Ge 32:22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok.
23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had.
24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.
25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.
26 And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!"
27 So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob."
28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."
29 Then Jacob asked, saying, "Tell me Your name, I pray." And He said, "Why is it that you ask about My name?" And He blessed him there.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.
32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob's hip in the muscle that shrank.
Again, Moses' point is that the nation Israel must learn from what happened to Jacob here. Jacob did not obtain the blessing by struggling, wrestling and contending with God in stubbornness. He obtained it when he clung to God out of weakness and helplessness.
God came and subdued him. But he resisted. Jacob was stubborn in nature like the nation Israel. God crippled him and Jacob wrestled no more. He no longer wrestles but clings to Him for blessing. He no longer tried to earn the blessing but now sought His grace. Hosea 12:3-4: "...in his strength he struggled with God. Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him..."
And he got it! God is prevailed upon not by our own stubbornness and strength. No, He is prevailed upon by our weakness; when we cling to Him in humility. "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble" (Jas 4:6). And, Jacob, in prevailing with God, he had power with men.
He was blessed with a new name. His new name was a prophecy of sorts as to what he will become. From Jacob, meaning supplanter and underminer, to Israel meaning Prince with God or Prince of God.
The word "Israel" can be translated in three different ways: 1) God rules 2) One who strives with God 3) Prince of God or Prince with God. Since the word Israel was meant to be a blessing or a benefit to Jacob, the third translation seems to fit well.
In the future, the nation Israel will be God's prince over all the earth. He will be the top and leading nation.
From this point on, Jacob will now limp his way through life. He will now have a staff as his daily companion, "...Jacob...leaning on the top of his staff..." Heb. 11:21. Every step is a reminder to him that he must cling to God every step of the way. Every Israelite should be reminded of this and learn from it whenever they abstain from eating the muscle in the hip socket of an animal.
Moses wants his original Israelite readers here to learn that blessing cannot be obtained by scheming, manipulating and being stubborn against God's ways but by clinging to God in submission as in the case of their forefather Jacob.
