Genesis 35 On to Bethel

Jacob is instructed by God to go on to Bethel. The place where he had his amazing dream while running from Esau. But ‘house cleaning’ came first.

When we last left Jacob’s story, Simeon and Levi had ‘avenged’ their sister’s honor. They enticed the men of Shechem to be circumcised and then slaughtering them when they were at their weakest. Then, they plundered the city and all the lands around it. Jacob feared the repercussions of their actions. The ‘neighbors’ could have descended on them and wiped them out, IF God had permitted it.

God didn’t permit it. Instead, God told Jacob to move on from that place. But there was work to be done before the move. I’m curious to know where the foreign gods came from. We know that Rachel brought her father’s household gods, but there were more than what she brought. A thorough ‘house cleaning’ was done in the company of Jacob. Did some of them come with the captives Simeon and Levi brought? Even earrings were given to Jacob to dispose of. Did anyone object? Did anyone try and hide some away, ‘just in case’? And, why did Jacob burry them instead of destroying them? Again, questions we won’t find answers to until we see Jesus face to face.

One more thing before joining our family in their story. Benjamin is conceived somewhere in this timeframe. We don’t know for certain how long Jacob stayed at Bethel. I believe it was more than a ‘stop over’ on the road. We know that Rachel goes into labor after leaving Bethel. I believe it is safe to assume that Jacob left shortly after the incident at Shechem. If Dinah was raped at the age of 14, there would be about 3 ½ years until Joseph would be sold into slavery. This would be the timeframe when Benjamin was conceived and born. I’m going to give the family 2 ½ years in Bethel. Let’s get back into their story now.

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Jacob is not happy. Simeon and Levi have put him in a dangerous position. He doesn’t know what to do. On the one hand, he is afraid the inhabitants will retaliate against his whole camp for the acts of Simeon and Levi. On the other hand, he has to admit that his sons stood up for their sister when he wasn’t able to. The way they did it was deceitful, something that he might have expected from Laban; or something he might have thought of when he was younger. This last though is what brings him the most shame. “Have I passed THIS onto my sons” he asks himself.

There is nowhere else to go but to the Lord. Jacob takes an offering to the altar he and his sons had rebuilt. His heart is heavy as he prepares the lamb to offer to the Lord. His mind won’t quiet within him. At first, he scolds himself for ‘going through the motions’ instead of investing his heart in this time with the Lord. Then, he reminds himself that God wants to hear all of his concerns. Not just when things are good, but when they are in turmoil too. And, since preparing to meet Esau, this is the most turmoil Jacob has brought to the altar.

“Lord hear my heart” Jacob cries as his hands cut the meat to lay on the altar. “Show me Your will. I am lost. My sons have done a shameful thing in response to another shameful thing done to my daughter. Speak to all of their hearts You love and mercy. Give Dinah peace and help Simeon and Levi understand the true measure of what their actions have cost, to all concerned. And help me move beyond this. Lead me Lord and I will follow.”

As Jacob puts the torch to the wood, his turmoil begins to burn away just like the fat of the lamb. It is consumed by the fire and Jacob feels a lightness in his heart. Then he hears the voice of God speak to him.

“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” (verse 1).

That was all Jacob needed to hear. He asked the Lord for direction. Now he had it and he would act on it without delay. Jacob called all his household together to prepare them for this move.

This move was to a place that held significance for Jacob. It was the ‘House of God’. The place where he had the dream about the ladder and God ministering to the earth using that portal. It was also the first place God made His promise to Jacob.

“I need you each to hear this and search your hearts. This is not something I can do for you. You MUST do it for yourselves. The Lord has called me to journey to the place where He first appeared to me when I began my journey to the home of Laban. This place is most holy! It is the very House of God. It is where I saw his angels moving up and down between the earth. I will NOT bring other gods into His house. Search your hearts and belongings. Bring me EVERYTHING that you bow down to in any way. That you have made your gods. Big or small, I want it all. It will NOT be going with us! I will NOT risk angering my God, for any of you.”

Jacob’s tone left no doubt in anyone’s mind. This was serious. Jacob had discovered long ago that Rachel had taken the household idols when they left Laban. He didn’t discover it until they built their house. It was among her belongings. THEY would be the first items on the ‘discard list’.

This task would be more costly to some than it was to others. Some were very attached to their gods. Others simply carried some article for sentimental sake. They would all have to be surrendered. It took two days before the last earring and totem was surrendered.

Once Jacob had assembled everything, he wrapped them in a bundle, tied a knot in it, and buried it beneath a terebinith tree near Shechem. He had NO plans to come this way again. He would never unearth these false gods. And he prayed that none of his company would even try to commit to memory where this tree was.

As soon as the bundle was buried, Jacob brushed the dirt from his hands, stood up, and gave the command to move out.

Every time the company drew near a town, Jacob wondered if they had heard what had been done in Shechem. “Do they hate us?” “Will they attack?” “Do they think that we might attack them?” All these possibilities ran through his head. But he trusted in the Lord; no matter what.

Jacob was unaware that God had caused fear to fall on all those around them. Fear of Jacob and his God. None dared to step foot in his direction. His entire company traveled in safety. That provided by the hand of God alone. NOT of Jacob’s own doing.

When Jacob arrived in Bethel, the very first thing that had to be done was to make camp. Just the bare necessities in the beginning. Then came the most important task; building an altar to God.

Jacob located the pillar he had set up so long ago when he was running from his brother. He called all of his sons together. They would build this altar together, just as they had done in Shechem.

“Bring me stones. As many as you can find. We have a special job to do.”

Jacob’s sons spread out and began carrying stones to him where he would fit them together. He used his original ‘pillow’ as the center of his alter to the Lord. When the work was done, he called for oil and wine as he had done in Shechem. And he dedicated this altar to the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob and all his descendants to follow.

“Here is where I first met God. And here is where we will come to meet him. In the House of God; Bethel.”

A week after arriving, Jacob was visiting the altar and an angel of the Lord met him. What he told him confirmed again the message he had been given after wrestling all night long with the angel of the Lord.

“Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name” (verse 10). Then God reaffirmed his promise that he had made to Jacob from their first meeting. “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” (verses 11-12).

Jacob’s heart swelled. He had made a promise to God during that first meeting. He promised to make God HIS God if God would bring him back to this place in peace. God had done that several times over by now. Laban retreated. Esau welcomed. And the people feared.

The angel of the Lord left Jacob standing there awestruck once again. “To think, God chose me out of ALL the people on the earth. I have no idea why. What he sees in me is beyond my comprehension. But I will worship Him and serve Him for the rest of my life. And I will teach my children to do the same.” Jacob set up another pillar in the exact spot that God had appeared to him. And he poured oil and wine on it as an offering to the Lord.

Jacob and his company settled quickly into the land of Bethel. It had plenty of grass for their herds and space for all who were with him. They were comfortable in this place. Jacob also took his sons with him to sacrifice as he had done all their lives. As they got older, some began going on their own or refusing to go at all. They were finding their own way with the Lord.

Joseph is the son that desires the most to worship his Abba’s God. This brings Jacob and Joseph even closer. Jacob already loved him dearly because he is the only child born out of true love. Jacob begins teaching him things his brothers had no interest in. Jacob teaches Joseph how to read and write and do sums. These tasks come easily to him, as does reasoning through problems. He accompanies Jacob almost everywhere and is able to offer sound advice, especially for one so young. Jacob trusts Joseph above all his other sons.

Rachel is worried. One month she missed her time of women. She is afraid that she may be past the years of bearing children. She had wanted with all her heart to give Jacob as many sons as Leah had. “Will I only be blessed with one?” she wonders. When her second cycle did not appear, she resigned herself to this fate.

A few weeks later, Rachel felt a stirring within her. The same stirring she had felt when she first felt Joseph move. She sits down and focuses on her womb, waiting to feel it again. Just in case she was mistaken. A while later, when she was ready to give up, she felt it again. Her hands flew to her mouth and tears of joy streamed down her face.

This time she didn’t wait to tell Jacob. She ran to where he was and fell on him.

Wanting nothing more than to protect her, Jacob wrapped his arms around her. He could see that she had been crying. He spoke soothingly to Rachel until she was able to regain her composure. When she stopped shaking in his arms, Jacob moved her away from his body so he could look into her eyes.

“What is wrong my love” he asks with tenderness.

Rachel doesn’t speak. Instead, she takes Jacob’s hand and puts in on her middle. Then she waits. She is pretty sure that he won’t be able to feel the babe move within her, but he should understand the gesture.

It only takes a moment for Jacob to understand. His eyes open so wide they seem to leap out from his face. “Are you…” he begins to ask.

Rachel nods her head ‘yes’.

Jacob wraps Rachel in a hug and swings her around with joy. When he finally puts her back on the ground, they both need to steady one another.

“Can I tell everyone” asks Jacob.

“Let’s wait a while. I want to keep this to ourselves as long as possible. To savor each moment together; just the two of us.”

Jacob agrees to Rachel’s request and informs no one. It is only when Rachel begins to show beneath her robes that anyone suspects.

Leah is the first to notice. She is happy for her sister, but this also stings a little. Jacob had stopped coming to Leah for children as soon as Rachel became pregnant with Joseph. She wonders how many children she could have, if Jacob had treated her as he did Rachel. “Twelve years of love before the second seed is grown” thinks Leah.

Rachel is determined to be as strong as Leah. She doesn’t seek out special treatment. Dan’s comments about her not being as strong got back to her, and they still haunted her. Maybe the Lord would grant her even more children when He saw how she bore them with dignity instead of frailty.

(to be continued)

The next time we join our family will be the last time we see Rachel. I’m wondering is this is the time when Jacob begins having his dreams. It would make sense, since as Jacob sees 11 sheathes and stars bowing to him. Benjamin is #11. I may jump ahead in the order given to us by Moses, so I can put Jacob’s dreams where they fit best, in my mind. We will see.

Father God, thank You for sharing Your stories again with me. You always make me think. You encourage me to look deeper than the surface. And to feel what they felt so long ago. “Tell me more!!!”