In Genesis 35 we see the
amazing change that took place in Jacob. God once again became the focal point of
his attention. Of course placing God at the center of one’s life can never be
wrong. So as Jacob did that, blessings begin to take shape again in his life.
It was some thirty years ago, when God appeared to him in a dream at Bethel. Remember,
he saw a ladder from earth to heaven with God on the top of the ladder. And he
saw how the angels ascending and descending that ladder. God spoke to him in
that dream in Genesis 28:15 saying, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will
bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done
what I have promised you.” Jacob realized then that “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he fearfully exclaimed: “How awesome
is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate
of heaven.” And there he made a promise to God saying, “If God will be
with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food
to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father’s house in safety, then
the Lord will be my God. This stone, which I have set up as a
pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will
surely give a tenth to You.” In the years that followed he had served his uncle
Laban, was cheated by him many times over. But God had blessed him and he was
now a rich man with plenty of livestock.
Remember when the episode with his
uncle had done, with God’s help his old feud with Esau his brother was also dealt
with and reconciliation effected. He did cross into Canaan but instead of going
straight to Bethel, he chose to settle 20 miles north in Shechem. There he and
his family had a tragic experience. His daughter was raped and the sons massacred
Hamor and Shechem to exact revenge for the violation. Probably broken and contrite,
Jacob was once again ready to retrace his step with God. And the Lord spoke saying,
“Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make an
altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your
brother Esau.”
This time around Jacob
was ready. Speaking to his people he gave very specific instruction. In verses 2-3
we read, “Put away the foreign gods which
are among you, and purify yourselves and change your garments; and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an
altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has
been with me wherever I have gone.” Here we see Jacob’s renewed obedience
to God. And the obedience of the people were just as full and immediate. Everyone
gave to him the foreign idols and rings, most likely talisman, that they wore and
Jacob had them buried underneath the oak tree. So with renewed faith, they left
Shechem and made their journey to Bethel with new hope and expectation.
We recall that Jacob was fearful that the Canaanites and
the Perizzites might gang up against him after the massacre of the people of Shechem,
when he rebuked his sons for the murderous act. But it was not the case. Verse
5 tells us that the cities of Canaan were terrified instead. God sent the
terror upon them and protected Jacob and his family. When they came to Bethel,
he built an altar and called the place El-Bethel, meaning God of the house of
God. Home at last, Jacob fulfilled his promise. The account of Deborah’s death
was to show the transition that took place. Old had passed and the new had
arrived. And something new was brewing in the air.
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