Isaiah 40 reminds us to “comfort my people Israel.” Today, “Israel” is a modern State, it is also a first name for many Jews and even some non-Jews, however, it’s origin, of course, is the Bible.
Israel is the name given to Jacob after wrestling and overcoming an angel as recorded in the Book of Genesis, showing his spiritual strength:
Following the angelic name change, “Israel” in Scripture can refer both to the Land and the People of Israel, for God’s chosen people and His promised land, reflect the essence of the angel’s blessing.
Furthermore, the very word itself “Israel” has deep and profound significance in the Hebrew language. Israel (pronounced “Yisrael”) is spelled with five Hebrew letters: ×֓ש×Ö°×ØÖø×Öµ× – Yud, Shin, Resh, Alef and Lamed (remember that Hebrew goes from right to left!)
If you notice, the first letter of the word āIsraelā is the × ā yud, which is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. The final letter in āIsraelā is the tall lamed ā ×, the largest letter in the alphabet.
The very name of the Jewish people, ×ש×Ø×× ā Yisrael, alludes to both its humble beginnings as well as its lofty destiny. Even though the People of Israel have been persecuted throughout history, and we have been made small by our enemies, in the end, God promises throughout the Bible that Israel will be raised high at the end of days. How fortunate are we to live in a generation that has seen the transformation of Israel from a persecuted people into a mighty nation!
When we follow Isaiah’s injunction and provide comfort to Israel, we are tapping into the deepest meaning of the Hebrew word for Israel and fulfilling the prophetic purpose of the Jewish people.
