Genesis 35:1-4
God's instruction came to Jacob by way of a command. The NKJV is a little closer to the original when it says, 'arise, go up'. The imperative to arise gives a sense of urgency to the command to 'go up'. The Lord instructed him to settle there but there was measure of time attached to it. Jacob doesn't stay long. When he arrived, he was to build an altar to the Lord. The Lord provides a link to the beginning of Jacob's journey over 30 years earlier. Jacob had managed to fritter away 10 more years since the 20 years spent in Haran. It was as though the journey didn't end until Jacob met the Lord there at Bethel, where he started. Jacob had not yet fulfilled the vow he made to the Lord. The Lord is called on him to fulfill his promise.
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father's household, then the Lord will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." (Gen 28:20-22)
I certainly get the sense that had Jacob been obedient to return to Bethel, instead of settling in Shechem, the who fiasco of Shechem would have been avoided. It took Jacob a while but he finally saw the error of his ways. He finally acted as the spiritual leader and said to his household to put away their foreign gods and purify themselves. They knew they were doing things that were not pleasing to the God of Israel. Jacob understood the importance of going to Bethel. It was time to put away these idolatrous things. They were to cleanse themselves and change their clothes; to present themselves ritually cleansed. He was preparing both physically and spiritually to go meet with God. Jacob had not grasped the idea that God had been with him all along. It's as though he understood it intellectually, in his head, as knowledge; but it hadn't stuck in his heart, spiritually, so as to move him.
God had held up His promises to Jacob; it was time for Jacob to make Yahweh his Lord. It appears Jacob and his household were dabbling with these other gods, possibly the figurines of Laban but more likely the gods they took as spoils of Shechem. They were an abomination themselves, but also reminders of the brutal sin of the murder of the men of Shechem. They all gave up their foreign gods and the earrings associated with the foreign gods. They were then buried under the terebinth trees near Shechem. The oak tree was a sacred site where other gods were worshiped, but nearby was where God had met Jacob. What happened in Shechem was going to stay in Shcehem. To bury these trinkets there was an act of surrendering them. They were making their way to God and leaving behind the foreign gods, the trinkets and baubles of the world.
Note: Nowhere in chapter 34 was there any mention of God. Now we find that they had other gods with them. As they turn back, they bury the gods in this place and walk away from them toward the true God.
What gods do we need to bury on our walk to God? He is calling us back to that place where we belong. We were created by Him to abide in Him. We were made to be in His presence and deep down inside we all long to return to that. But we try to fulfill that inconsolable longing by the things of the world and by the empty promises of the other gods. We should be like Jacob and buy this stuff and return to that place where we met him. We should return to our first love.
Genesis 35:5-7
When word got out about the actions of Simeon and Levi at Shechem, travel would be dangerous. There were likely many who would seek vengeance, but also those who would strike first to assure this didn't happen to them. The Lord made safe passage a possibility. There is really no indication of how this happened. Did he simply instill fear in the neighbors or cause them to many fierce warriors surrounding them? We don't know.
Jacob and company journeyed to Bethel and Jacob did all the Lord had instructed him to do. He built an altar to God and gave it a name. The 'God of Bethel' calls to remembrance that it was there the Lord revealed Him self to him. This was Jacob coming back to where he had met God.
Note: We saw Abraham do this same thing earlier in Genesis.
Genesis 35:8
There really isn't much known about Deborah. She came with Rebekah when she left Haran to Marry Isaac. With this plugged into this place in scripture it appears she must have been an important part of the family. The place was named Allon Bachuth, which means Oak of weeping, commemorating the sorrow of their loss. She was probably around 180 years old.
Genesis 35:9-15
The Lord God appeared to Jacob and blessed him. I bet Jacob wished he took the direct route to Bethel instead of the detour to Shechem. When he yielded his desires to the Lord, he ceased being Jacob and started being the man God called him to be, Israel. From here on out you can see when Jacob was in the flesh, he will be called Jacob. When he was walking with God and in the spirit, he will be called Israel.
The Lord said, "I Am God Almighty." This is the name 'El Shaddai'. The origin and meaning of this name is not known, but the patriarchs knew the Lord as El Shaddai. God spoke to Jacob and confirmed the Abrahamic covenant to him. He would be a great nation; kings would be among his descendants. God was giving the land to his descendants. Then God went up from him. His ascension brings to mind that His is the means by which many could ascend to Him.
After the ascension that Jacob worships the Lord with an altar where he poured out a drink offering and anointed the altar with oil. This passage runs parallel to Gen 28:18-19.
Genesis 35:16-20
Israel moved on from Bethel. We don't know how much time may have passed before this happened. Ephrath is associated with Bethlehem. It is about 15 miles from Bethel to Bethlehem. They were still a way away when Rachel began to give birth. Having great difficulty and understanding what it meant, the midwife tried to cheer her up. Having a son was a mark of divine favor and a great joy for Rachel. This was answer to her previous prayer of Genesis 30:24. She named her son Ben-Oni meaning 'son of my sorrow'. Jacob changed his name; possibly so the name of his only son born in the Promised Land would not bear a name of sorrow and remembrance of the death of Rachel. Benjamin means 'son of my right hand'. Rachel passed and this begins a rather long transition to the next generation. She was well beyond 100 years old.
Why did Israel leave Bethel? We aren't told. There's no real reason to believe it was in disobedience. Its possible God moved him or that he simply grew restless. Many times, this is our human nature. We come to that place where we met God and we grow in holiness and worship Him, and before long we end up leaving. Then, why does it take us so long to return to see our error and turn back to Him? When we finally do, we remember the abiding of the Lord and we are filled with Him and we come to understand the longing that grew in us while we were away. Then we leave again.
The seeking and finding God shouldn't be a cycle of failures and mountaintop experiences. We would be wise to make seeking and finding the Lord a regular part of our day. Our human nature, our natural inclination is to stray away from Him. Bethel means 'house of the Lord' and we need to go there regularly and stay as long as we can. When we step out of the presence of the Lord, we immediately begin to feel that deep longing again.
Genesis 35:21-22
Migdal Eder is given as a location of the next stop. This is unknown also but thought to be the shepherd's fields near Bethlehem. The name means 'tower of the flock'.
Reuben was the oldest son. When he slept with Bilhah, it wasn't a sexual thing, it was very meaningful. Leah was Reuben's mother. She is primary wife at the death of Rachel. However, if Bilhah, Rachel's maid servant desired to be the primary wife, she could make a play for it. However, when Reuben violated her, she was no longer a rival to Leah. This conduct was incredibly offensive and tainted the honor given to the firstborn. Notice it says Israel heard this had happened. Israel was a man governed by God. He didn't react in the flesh as Jacob would have. We see later how this conduct cost Reuben.
He was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father's marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel. (1 Chronicles 5:1)
3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honor, excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father's bed,
onto my couch and defiled it. (Gen 49:3-4)
Genesis 35:22b-26
Notice the name 'Jacob' used here when Israel was being used above. These are the 12 sons of Israel that will become the 12 tribes. We begin to wonder which son, which tribe will the promise flow through? We previously saw Isaac over Ishmael, though older, he was the son of flesh. Then we saw Jacob chosen over Esau, the older. God had chosen Jacob from birth. The list of 12 shows up in various ways. For example, in the inheritance twelve territories are granted. Levites don't get an inheritance and Joseph gets double portion with Ephraim and Manasseh. In other lists, Dan is dropped and Ephraim and Manasseh are listed as tribes.
- Reuben – Had disqualified himself by sleeping with Bilhah.
- Simeon – Had eliminated himself from any blessing by the blood shed at Shechem.
- Levi – Had also eliminated himself from any blessing by the blood shed at Shechem.
- Judah
- Issachar
- Zebulun
- Joseph – When the tribes come back, Joseph is replaced with Ephraim and Manasseh.
- Benjamin
- Dan – Dan will be dropped from the list later.
- Naphtali
- Gad
- Asher
Genesis 35:27-29
Notice that the name Jacob is used here in this passage when Israel was used above. As we go forward, look for the names and relate them to the situation. We tend to see Israel when He is trusting in God and being obedient. We tend to see Jacob when he is in the flesh, acting on is own instincts, passions or emotions.
Kiriath Arba is an early name for Hebron. This was the home of Abraham and Isaac. At 180 years old he was certainly full of years. He was buried in the cave of Machpelah. The death of the patriarch brought Esau and Jacob together again to bury him. They are each 140 years old now. As young men they had ended up hating each other over the blessing. It was now the blessing had meaning.
***
There is residue of previous sin that lingers in our life over time. It's the physical scars, as well as the trinkets and souvenirs of the past we often hold onto. It's mental scars, images you'd rather forget, the people you hurt, the mistakes you made. It's the stuff that constructs strong towers of regret in the dark of the night. We all seem to carry the baggage of our sin, or of sin done to us.
For Jacob, Shechem was a disaster. Yet, in his confusion, as the dust settled from this horrendous act, he came to the end of himself. He found God's grace was sufficient. The Lord met him there and told him to go to Bethel. There was something there for him. He discarded the useless gods, prepared himself and went there. There he came to know the Lord as El Shaddai, a name signifying God's power and sovereignty. It describes the God who makes things happen by means of his majestic power and might. He is the one who fulfills every promise. God's grace triumphed over the residue of sin. God's grace mediates the effect of that residue on our life. When in Christ, we are not at the mercy of the world, of our enemies, of the residue of sin; we are at the mercy of a gracious and merciful God. The God who sometimes uses the things of our past to show the amazing work He did in our life. It's God's way of showing how sinful we were and how needy we were, and how He could take a wretch like Jacob, or you and I, and do His work.
©2019 Doug Ford
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