Genesis 35 "Back to Bethel" Part 1

Genesis 35 : 1 " And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother."

All chapters are important, but this chapter holds a lot of significance for Jacob and as a picture in the Christian life. I will summarize the chapter in this post and attempt to go over how it applies to our lives in the next one.

Jacob's daughter Dinah has just been defiled by Shechem. Her brother's executed revenge in an extraordinary way against the whole city by killing the males and taking the wives, children and flocks. Jacob becomes afraid for his life and that of his family.

God came to Jacob and told him to go back to Bethel. To prepare his people, Jacob told them to put away their strange gods. They then bring them to Jacob and he buried them underneath an oak tree. Jacob came to Bethel. It is then that Rebekah's nurse Deborah died and was buried. God reminds Jacob that his name is Israel and reiterates his promise that the land would be his and that "a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee..."

In verse 16 they journeyed from Bethel. Rachel had hard labor when Benjamin was born and died in Ephrath which is a short ways from Bethlehem.

Then Jacob journeys again but now in v21 something happens for the Bible says that "And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. Notice the name change. He is referred to as Israel instead of Jacob.

Next is a recap of the sons of Leah and Zilpah. Jacob's sons born in Padanaram.

In verse 27 he is again called Jacob : "And Jacob came unto Issac his father unto Mamre..." The Bible does not say if Jacob received a message about his father but we now read that Issac is old (180) and he gave up the ghost and died v29. It is good to note that Esau and Jacob buried their father together. The problems between them are gone.

And so, Abraham and Issac have died. Israel is the head of the family.

Proverbs 7:1-3 "My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart."