Day 8/365- Genesis 25

And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau. Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau's heel. So they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born. (Genesis 25:24-26 NLT)

What's in a name? To God, there's a lot in a name. A name is not just something that you are called by but it reveals the content of your character. It literally reveals who you are, what you are known for.
When I say the name Michael Jordan, what do you think about? I think about the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball. When I say the name Barack Obama you know exactly who I'm talking about. You not only know who they are but what they are about. You know what a person stands for when you hear their name. We either think something positive or negative about someone when we hear their name.
Esau is called so because he is hairy. The name Esau in Hebrew sounds like the word hairy. Jacob's name means "heel grabber" or deceiver. These two men were born with Esau first & Jacob following holding onto his brother's heel. Jacob does indeed live up to his name. He is a deceiver. He deceives his father, his brother, even his uncle. And this is who God chooses to be his special people? What was wrong with Esau? Why would God choose such a broken person?
Not only does God choose him for his redemptive purposes but he also changes his name later in life. He no longer is called deceiver but Israel or "one who strives with God".
God puts his love on those of us that are his people not because we are perfect but because we are not. We need a savior because we cannot save ourselves. God saves his people & then changes their name. They are no longer known by their sin & failure in the past but they are known by their new name, their new identify in Christ.