God's Fifth Covenant with Man
Jacob c. 1600 BC.

Index

    And there was the Lord standing beside him and saying: “I, the Lord, am the God of your forefather Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants.  These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth, and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south.  In you and your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.  Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land.  I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you.”  (Genesis 28:13-16)

    In the course of that night, however, Jacob arose, took his two wives, with the two maidservants and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.  After he had taken them across the stream and had brought over all his possessions, Jacob was left there alone. 

    Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.  When the man saw that he could not prevail over him, he struck Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled.  The man then said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”  But Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.  “What is your name?” the man asked.  He answered, “Jacob.”  Then the man said, “You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel, because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed.”  Jacob then asked him, “Do tell me your name, please.”  He answered, “Why should you want to know my name?”  With that, he bade him farewell.  Jacob named the place Peniel, “Because I have seen God face to face,” he said, “yet my life has been spared.”  (Genesis 32:23-31)

Terms of the Covenant:
     Return tithe of one-tenth to God.
     Name changed to Israel.