Genesis 35
Jacob Returns to Bethel
1Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”
2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.”
4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.
6 Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7 There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.
8 Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak outside Bethel. So it was named Allon Bakuth.
9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel.
11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” 13 Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.
14 Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.
The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac
16 Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.” 18 As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin.
19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.
21 Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. 22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it.
Jacob had twelve sons:
23 The sons of Leah:
Reuben the firstborn of Jacob,
Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.
24 The sons of Rachel:
Joseph and Benjamin.
25 The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah:
Dan and Naphtali.
26 The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah:
Gad and Asher.
These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
27 Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 28 Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. 29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Genesis 35 (NIV)
God called Jacob to move back to Bethel along with his entire household and all who were with him. This was a turning point for Jacob, he urged everyone who was him to give up their gods and be purified, a new life lay ahead of them.
On their way, God appeared to Jacob and blessed him as He had blessed Abraham, that Jacob would be fruitful and multiply. God also changed Jacob’s name to Israel, he was no longer a deceitful man but an overcomer.
Lessons from Genesis 35
- Our knowledge of God is expanded through personal encounters with Him: In Genesis 35 verse 1, God described who He was to Jacob by referencing the encounter Jacob had with God in Genesis 28. Close, personal encounters with God expand our knowledge of Him. Our experiences with God should serve as a testimony about who He is and about the works of His hands.
- Following God requires giving up self and as well as foreign gods. It requires full commitment. You can’t put anything above God and you can’t serve both Jehovah and other gods.
- Remembering how God delivered you in the past helps to build your faith in Him. Remember the deliverance of the Lord.
- The protection of the Lord: God protected Jacob and his people as they journeyed to where God was leading them (Genesis 35:5). When God is on your side, you have no reasons at all to fear. He will deter the enemy from causing you any harm.
- Obedience in God is the key to your destiny: From the start of Jacob’s life, God had made the promise to him that he’ll be the heir of the promises of Abraham. Even though this had been established as Jacob’s destiny, he needed to obey God in order to take hold of it. God’s word doesn’t return to Him void but you can miss it if you walk in disobedience. Disobedience to God opens doors for the devil to move in your life and wreak havoc.
- A new life and a new name: Jacob got a new name, God blessed him and called him Israel. This was a sign of a new beginning, a new identity, a new future… a rebirth. Becoming born-again is the start of a new life, it means leaving old things behind and committing to a new life – the Godly life.
- That which is sacred should be precious to you: God’s things should hold high significance to you. Reverence for the Lord is a fountain of life (Proverbs 14:27).
- Rachel died during childbirth. To her this baby was Ben-Oni, son of her troubles but to Israel, he was Benjamin son of his fathers right hand. People represent different things to different people, just because a person or group of people don’t value you doesn’t mean you’re worthless. In God’s eyes, you are precious and worthy. I pray that you will surround yourself with love and appreciate you.
Reflection
- Who is God to you?
Further reading
Exodus 20:3 [“You shall have no other gods before me.]
Exodus 20:5 [You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me]
- Psalms 91:5-8 [You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.]
Philippians 3:13-14 [Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ]
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for revealing yourself to me. Thank you for this precious gift that it is to have a personal relationship with you. As I study and meditate upon your word and fellowship with you, I pray that you will reveal more of yourself to me that I can be just like you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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