Genesis. We Need Bethels or You Can Go Home Again 35:1-29

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1 Genesis We Need Bethels or You Can Go Home Again 35:1-29 I think that it was Thomas Wolfe who said You can t go home again. We have accepted that pretty much as a given. And there is certainly truth to this saying. Even if we can go back from whence we came, it isn t the same place. I still go home to San Francisco once in a while. Even today every house I lived in is still standing. But, the neighborhoods have changed, the people have changed. Some of my favorite restaurants are no longer around. And most of the people I knew are no longer living there. Even those who are, are not the people of my memory. They have turned old. I wonder what happened to them? If this is what Wolfe meant, then he is right we can never go home again. But on the other hand we can go back and start afresh. Oh, maybe we can t undo the sins of the past, but with the Lord, we can start afresh. And the Lord is our home, so no matter how far we have drifted, we can always return. It is this truth I constantly remind myself of in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. It is God s truth. We are His children. And yes, we sometimes move away from Him. But He never moves from us. He is there waiting for us to come home. And yes, we, because we are His children, can go home again. This is what Jacob is doing, going home. And while he will find, as Wolfe states, you can t go home again, he will also find as Jesus would say hundreds of years later in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, that our Father is waiting for us to come home again. We will truly understand, as Dorothy did: There s no place like home. There s no place like home. There s No Place Like Home! you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness (Psalm 86:15). VI. The Patriarchs Chapter 11:11-Chapter 50 D. Jacob Chapters Return to Bethel Chapter 35 a. God Speaks & Protects Verses 1-8 b. God Speaks & Blesses Verses 9-15 c. Losses Along the Way Verses i. Death of a Wife Verses ii. Sin of a Son Verse 22a iii. A Parenthesis Verses 22b-26 iv. Death of a Father Verses 27-29

2 Introduction: Well, Jacob s sons had certainly created a bad situation. They took a tragedy and made it into a disaster. And, while we may not totally agree with Jacob s focus, a concern for the reactions of the people of the land versus anger over the actions of his sons, he concerns did have merit. Fortunately, while God intended that Israel s sons would suffer the consequences for their actions, at least in terms of threats, He was still going to protect them so they could return to the land of their fathers. This was not because they deserved His protection, but because of His mercies and promises made to Abraham, Isaac and now Jacob. a. God Speaks & Protects: This is the first time God appeared to Jacob since He had settled in Shechem rather than returning home as instructed. Now He instructed Jacob to return to Bethel. Of course, if Jacob had followed these instructions in the first place, the previous incidents would never have occurred. But, Jacob was to return and to worship God. Jacob has the opportunity to start fresh, start over with God. Does God give us these same opportunities? Is it ever too late? Can You give any examples either from scripture or your own life? Bethel is 12 miles north of the site that would one day become Jerusalem. It was previously here that Jacob had met God, that he had a vision which spoke of the work of Christ as intercessor between God the Father and a fallen humanity. Jacob saw God s angels going back and forth to heaven. This is where Jacob first understood God s personnel involvement in his life. And now, that he had made some progress with his problem of self-dependency versus God-dependency, it was time for him to go back. Jacob recognized this call for what it was and therefore, before setting out for Bethel, he had to do some housekeeping. He rooted out the idols that have been traveling with the group. Apparently he may have figured out that Laban wasn t just blowing smoke. So whether he knew that Rachel had stolen Laban s idols or not he turned up quite a few. This command, to get rid of idols, didn t automatically mean his sons were involved in idolatry. But clearly some in his caravan were. Even if the idols were simply along for the ride, not being worshiped, they were still inappropriate in the caravan of followers of Yahweh. As part of the clean up, Jacob announced to all that they are moving on to Bethel to worship God. And it is God who is watching over them. The people respond by not only giving him their idols, but the jewelry they wore in conjunction with their idol worship. And he buried all of the stuff just outside the city. God in turn directly intervened to protect them from the results of Simeon and Levy s actions. He put His fear on the area s inhabitants so they wouldn t harm Jacob and his people. Hopefully Jacob had learned from all this that no matter what the cost, obedience is always the proper choice. To be obedient sometimes seems to costly or too impractical. But how can we expect God to honor our needs, if we compromise our walk to bring about the results we desire? ) 370 (

3 The experiences at Shechem helped prepare Jacob to return to Bethel. It showed him that he was totally unable to get by other than in dependency on the Lord. This doesn t mean his wrestling match was for nothing. Just as with us it was only over time and seeing God working in his life that built his trust in and dependency on the Lord. It is easy to become fearful of the world around us. It is easy to forget that God is involved in our lives at the most practical level. So, by burying the false gods in his camp, Jacob started fresh. While he wasn t practicing idolatry, he had to clean house because he was responsible for it. Some time, to truly be able to serve the Lord, there are things in our lives that have to be put away. These aren t necessarily idols, but do interfere with our focus and our walk. Can you give any examples of the kinds of people, circumstances, possessions, that might fit this category? One other point: Many men of God fail as the spiritual heads of their homes. While their own walk seems to be adequate, the general walk of their family isn t. And they will have to bear the consequences of their family s failures. Of course this responsibility ends when the children move out. Here of course we have just one big happy family. Jacob also reinforced the concept of getting right with God by instructing all to be clean, to change their garments. Here clothing symbolized their spiritual condition. All through the Old Testament, God gives ritual, including ritual cleansing to represent the spiritual condition of His people. Let me summarize the three points we have seen in these first five verses: 1. The false gods had to be put out of Jacob s household and his camp. While he had a relationship with God this didn t automatically carry over to all within his camp. 2. The people needed to purify cleanse themselves as a picture of confession and repentance. It wasn t enough to put aside idols, but it was also necessary to confess that idolatry was sin. 3. The people had to change their clothes. As we noted clothes are a biblical picture of the quality of walk, righteous versus unrighteous. Confession isn t enough either, if there is no repentance, a change of direction. Returning to Bethel is a picture of repentance. The group finally moves out and as soon as they arrive at Luz, Jacob immediately set up an altar and worshiped the Lord. This can be seen as a fulfillment of Genesis 28:20. 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 so that I return safely to my father s house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God s house, and all that you vie me I will give you a tenth. Now Moses, as an aside, notes the death of Deborah, Rebekah s nurse. She had stayed with Rebekah all these years and Jacob buried her there at Bethel under a tree the locals called Al- ) 371 (

4 lon Bacuth, or Oak of Weeping. Deborah was obviously loved within the household. This would also show, since she had been with Jacob, that Rebekah had died sometime earlier. As we previously noted Jacob never saw his mother again after he had fled his home. b. God Speaks & Blesses: And so, God again appeared to Jacob at Bethel. He reinforced Jacob s name change, from Jacob to Israel. This also reinforced the change in Jacob s relationship with Him. This is God s opening remark in the reassurance or reiteration of the promises He had made previously to Abraham, Isaac and later Jacob. God reminded Jacob that the promises He made to his fathers also belong to him. God was giving Jacob the land of Canaan. The land would also belong to his descendants. This reiteration of the specific promise related to the land can also be understood, by implication, as reinforcement of all the promises God made to Israel. God then departed from Israel, that is the manifestation of His presence, the pre-incarnate Christ. Jacob again set up a memorial of worship. This time he sets up a pillar on which he offered a drink and oil offering. He reinforced the name change of Luz to Bethel. Jacob named the place El-Bethel, that is the God of Bethel or God of the House of God, as a memorial to God s interaction with him as he fled from Esau. It seems he finally realized just how merciful God had been over the years in preserving and blessing his life. i. Death of a Wife: The people move away from Bethel. As them move on, Rachel again gives birth to a son. But this time the delivery was very difficult and she died giving birth to Benjamin. As she was dying she wanted to name the child Ben-Omi, Son of my Trouble. After all he was killing her. But Jacob named him Benjamin, Son of my Right Hand. (Remember when Rachel told Jacob to give her a son, lest she die? Well as the saying goes, Be careful what you ask for, you may get it. We can see just how much Jacob has grown, for though he loses the wife whom he truly loved above all others, he seems to be at peace with her death. How can this be possible except though dependency on the Lord? So Rachel was buried in what would later become Bethlehem. A memorial was set up over the tomb, which was still standing in Moses day. And the site, or the presumed site can still be seen. ii. Sin of a Son: But all was still not well within the family for Reuben went in and slept with Bilhah, one of Jacob s concubines. Reuben, remember, was a son of Leah. Now three of the four sons have really messed up, and Bilhah was Rachel s maid. I wonder what was going on in Reuben s mind. Moses only mentions this in passing and we will not hear of the results until we come to Chapter 49. iii. A Parenthesis: These verses are recap the children of Jacob with their respective mothers. To be continued iv. Death of a Father: So Jacob finally arrived at home and Moses records the two men, Jacob and Esau, joined together to bury their Father. This event occurred some 12 years later, ) 372 (

5 after the disappearance of Joseph. It is unclear why Moses recounts it here except for the fact it ties in thematically with the two deaths recounted in the chapter. The other reason Moses may have for recording it here is that the focus of his account is now moving away from Jacob to a record of his twelve sons. He may not have wanted to interrupt the flow of his focus with the account of Isaac s death. This is also why Moses may record the account we find in the next chapter as this is a natural point to break off his account of Jacob and Joseph. He provides some housekeeping information. So we will touch on the genealogies next week as we move to the story of Joseph. Conclusion: One of the most encouraging messages of this chapter, and really of Jacob s life is that it isn t too late to start over with God. In that sense one can go home again. Why can we go home again? Because we have a Merciful and Loving God. you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness (Psalm 86:15). For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:11-14). Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love (Lamentations 3:32). You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). The message of the parable of the Prodigal son is the message that God s children can always go home again, can always be forgiven, can, like Jacob, start afresh again. This doesn t mean there aren t consequences to our sins. But with repentance and dependency on the Lord, it is never too late to be used of Him and for Him. No matter what you re past, live in your present for His future. Psalm 86 A prayer of David. Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. ) 373 (

6 Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me. Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave. The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life men without regard for you. But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant. Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me. ) 374 (

7 Genesis We Need Bethels or You Can Go Home Again 35:1-29 VI. The Patriarchs Chapter 11:11-Chapter 50 D. Jacob Chapters Return to Bethel Chapter 35 a. God Speaks & Protects Verses 1-8 b. God Speaks & Blesses Verses 9-15 c. Losses Along the Way Verses i. Death of a Wife Verses ii. Sin of a Son Verse 22a iii. A Parenthesis Verses 22b-26 iv. Death of a Father Verses Introduction: (Psalm 86:15) a. God Speaks & Protects: (Genesis 28:20) 1. The false gods 2. Purify cleanse 3. A New wardrobe

8 b. God Speaks & Blesses: i. Death of a Wife: ii. Sin of a Son: iii. A Parenthesis: iv. Death of a Father: Conclusion: (Psalm 86:15, 103:11-14; Lamentations 3:32; Micah 7:19) Personal Application: Have there been times you thought you couldn t go home again? Is there anything keeping you from going home now? Why? Prayer for the Week: Lord, I praise You because I can always come to You, even when I feel I can t In Christ s name, amen.