Scripture: God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.
And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth.
God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.
Observation: Genesis 35:1-15 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Simeon and Levi exact savage revenge on a young man, Shechem (son of the tribal leader Hamor the Hivite), who violated their sister Dinah. But Shechem loved Dinah, spoke tenderly to her, and asked his father to obtain Dinah for his wife. Hamor, wanting to bless his son and maintain peace in the land, offers a covenant of shared landholdings and fair commerce to be consummated by his son’s marriage to Jacob’s daughter. Jacob’s sons interrupt negotiations and deceitfully request one condition: all Hivite men must circumcise themselves. Hamor and Shechem happily agree and convince their fellow tribal men to comply. On the third day after their circumcisions, knowing the weakened state of the Hivite men, Simeon and Levi enter the city and slaughter all the men. The rest of Jacob’s sons join Simeon and Levi in plundering their wealth and enslaving their wives and children. When Jacob hears the news, he expresses dismay over their actions, but his foremost concern is the security of his clan. Nevertheless, his sons justify their actions based on Dinah supposedly being treated like a prostitute.
For today’s reading, Moses chronicles the last leg of Jacob’s family’s journey to their designated settlement in Canaan: Bethel (meaning “house of God”). In anticipation of their arrival, Jacob announces to his clan his intent to build an altar to worship God, who has remained present with him and has faithfully protected him. Wisely, before setting out, Jacob instructs his household to purify themselves by outwardly changing their appearance (removing foreign garments and earrings) and inwardly purging themselves (burying idols of pagan gods). Then we are told that as they journey to their destination, Yahweh faithfully extends his hand of protection over Jacob’s entourage by invoking terror in the hearts and minds of surrounding native tribes. Upon arrival, Jacob builds an altar and names the place El-bethel (Hebrew “God’s house of God”) in tribute to his earlier encounter with God. At El-bethel, Rebekah’s nurse dies. So Jacob buries her under an oak, which he names Allon-bacuth (Hebrew “oak of weeping”).
At this time, God reappears to Jacob, blesses him, and reiterates that he is no longer to be called Jacob (Hebrew “supplanter”) but Israel (Hebrew “strives with God”). Then, echoing his earlier mandate to Adam and Eve (1:28), God renews his promise first spoken to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham (17:16): a company of nations and kings shall come from your lineage (v.11). Lastly, God reaffirms that the Promised Land would remain Jacob and his descendants’ possession. With the Lord’s ascension, Jacob erects a stone pillar and pours a drink offering (oil) over it.
Takeaway: “God Almighty” (v.11) is “El Shaddai,” which parallels Abraham’s encounter with El Shaddai in Genesis 17 when God struck his covenant of circumcision. Here, Moses wants his readers to see the continuity of God’s promises of land and royalty and his chosen people’s proper response to God’s loving generosity: to set aside idols, take possession of the Promised Land, and worship the Lord with reverence and thanksgiving offerings.
Our takeaway? Our Bible records multiple instances where God calls his people to leave home and settle elsewhere to continue the mission. And in each story, our Lord extends his hand of protection. Whether it be Abraham and his covenantal heirs, Moses leading the nation to the Promised Land, Joshua leading Israel into the Promised Land, or even the Exile and repatriation, God works through allies and foes of Israel to preserve his chosen people. But none of these historical events measure up to our Father extending his hand of protection over his adopted children at Calvary (delivering us from the deathly penalty of sin) and Pentecost (empowering us to rise above the debilitating power of sin).
Our part? Like Jacob, we need to put away the idols that compete for our affections and put on our armor of spiritual warfare: truth, righteousness, the Gospel of peace, faith, and a renewed mind transformed by Scripture and prayer that rests in the certainty of our salvation (Ephesians 6:10-20). Then, being prepared for the journey, go with our enduring Gospel and expand the boundaries of God’s kingdom on earth (our Promised Land). And as the Son of God promised us, he will be with us to the end of our journey (Matthew 28:20).
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for sending us your Son, who has delivered us from the Enemy and continues interceding for us (Romans 8:34). We also thank you for your Holy Spirit, who guides and comforts us in our life journeys. Please help us do our part in setting aside idols that compete for our affections and then arming ourselves with renewed minds that wholeheartedly trust in your presence and protection. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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