Jacob was a deceiver but he valued God's blessing, likely from wrong motives.  God was able to use that more than Esau's disinterest.  God intervened in Jacob's life to try to change his heart but it took a crisis before he was ready to wrestle with God to bring about the transformation of his character that resulted in his name being changed to Israel.  God calls us to be Israel as well - to be people who wrestle with God to bring about his desired change in our lives.