Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you ever had an opportunity to return to a place where you had a life changing encounter with God? I don’t mean an inspiring prayer time, nor a vibrant worship experience, I mean a powerful encounter with God that actually changed you and maybe even changed the direction of your life?
Yesterday we left Jacob and his large family as they were heading down the road toward Bethel with all their belongings. They were following Jacob who was confident God had told him to move and ‘settle there‘! (Genesis 35:1) It’s hard to see someone’s knees knocking in anxiety when they are walking, but I suspect Jacob’s knees were knocking! The last time he’d been at this place Bethel was more than 20 years before, and that night he and God had a life changing encounter. I’m sure he’d told his family about it many times, but now they were actually going to BE in that sacred place!
I can imagine they came over a small hill and Jacob stopped, his family all gathering around him. Jacob was looking intently over the landscape. Then a smile crossed his face, and if you look closely you’ll see his chin is beginning to quiver and tears are welling up in his eyes, as he peers intently at that tree way over there. No one says anything. Jacob is lost in his remembering… Then finally he says, ‘Ok, I’m ready. You see that tree over there… that’s where it all happened, let’s go.”
Jacob was remembering the night he slept on the ground, exhausted from his long, long day of travel. He’d left very early in the morning and traveled until almost sunset. He had left behind everything and everyone he knew, running from his deceitfulness, his manipulation, and the mess that he’d made of their family. His brother Esau was so mad he was ready to kill Jacob. Jacob had to run… and it would be a long 400 mile trip. This first night was to be both rest and make a plan for the future. But that night God met Jacob!
‘Is this it Papa?” A young voice startled Jacob out of his remembering. The voice was a favorite voice Jacob loved to hear… young Joseph who was standing near an oblong rock that seemed to be standing upright. “That’s it my son. That rock was my pillow that night! Right here is where I had the dream and heard the voice of God! The Genesis record says: “Jacob…built an altar there and he called the place El Bethel because it was there that God revealed Himself to Jacob when he was fleeing from his brother.” (Gen. 35:7) I’m sure Jacob’s sons helped their Dad build that altar of rocks and dirt. They’d seen him do it before, when they arrived at Shechem. (Gen. 33:20) I wonder which son went and got a lamb for an offering on that altar that day at Bethel? “El Bethel” means “God of Bethel” and “Bethel” means “The house of God” (Beth El). So Jacob was declaring that his allegiance was to the God who had met him in that ‘house of God’ place 20 years before, and God had been faithful to His promises.
Was it that night or a few days later that Jacob had his second encounter with God at Bethel? The record says: “God said to Jacob, ‘Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob, your name will be Israel’. So God named Jacob Israel. Then God said, ‘I am God Almighty [El Shaddai], be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from you. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I also give to you and to your descendants after you.’ Then God went up from Jacob at the place where He had spoken with Jacob.” (Gen. 35:10-13) The first time God had met with Jacob, 20 years ago, it had been in a night dream. This time it appears Jacob is wide awake. God is confirming two very important things here. First the name change Jacob had received when he wrestled all night with the angel at the river Jabbok. (Gen. 32:28) Why do you suppose God confirmed this name change? ‘Jacob’ means ‘he grasps the heel’ or ‘he is the deceiver’. ‘Israel’ means ‘he struggles with God.’ What is the significance of this change my friends?
Do you know anyone who has struggled with God? Struggled to believe in God, struggled to trust God, struggled to follow God obediently with their life? That was Jacob! Even though he was born miraculously into the miracle, Covenant, family of Abraham and Sarah and then Isaac and Rebekah, still Jacob had a dark side to him. He was deceptive, selfish, and manipulative. He cheated his brother, deceived his father, and cheated his father-in-law. But he also had been deceived and cheated by his father-in-law Laban, so Jacob was wounded by his own greed and deception. Jacob had shown little interest in knowing the God of his grandfather Abraham, and even though he’d had two encounters with God, still Jacob struggled. He struggled understanding God. He struggled within himself not having a strong desire to know God. He struggled in his personal integrity. I think Jacob struggled being back at Bethel. Why? Because as Jacob reflected on the 20 years which had passed, he saw so many things in his life which were not God honoring. As he reflected on the pile of idols he had buried back and Shechem, he struggled with his failure in leading his family spiritually.
The second thing God confirmed in that Bethel encounter was the Covenant God had made with Abraham and continued with Isaac and was now going to be continued through Jacob and his family! It was the covenant of both land and a nation of God’s people.
How long Jacob and his family remained at Bethel, we don’t know. God had told Jacob to “settle there”. It appears God wanted that place of two significant, life changing encounters between God & Jacob to be a permanent home for Jacob and his family. But Jacob struggled and guess what happened next in Jacob’s life? The record says: “Then Jacob and his family moved on from Bethel.” (Gen. 35:16) I see no explanation why, but I see disaster followed that decision. It appears they headed south and the record says: “While they were still some distance from Ephrath [Bethlehem] Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty… the midwife said to Rachel, ‘Don’t be afraid for you have another son.’ As Rachel breathed her last, for she was dying, she named her son Ben-Oni. But Jacob named him Benjamin. So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is Bethlehem. Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb. Then Israel moved on again…” (Gen. 35:16-21)
Oh that’s so sad isn’t it my friends? Death in childbirth was fairly common in those days, but always heartbreaking, for a newborn baby would need care and love from someone other than its mother. Goat’s milk or camel’s milk or even cow’s milk would have to replace mother’s milk. We have no record of which other wife of Jacob’s took care of little Benjamin. But we sadly know Rachel was simply buried along the way. It is true that gravesite has been carefully protected, generation after generation, for centuries, near Bethlehem. Finally Jacob and his family moved on, and I doubt any of us can imagine Jacob’s depth of heartbreak as he grieved the death of his beloved Rachel. At least she had left him with two sons… Joseph and Benjamin. As far as we know, Jacob was leading his family caravan to his boyhood homeland, but what would await him there? The last time he’d been there… oh my the terrible damage Jacob had done to his family.
Let’s pause right here friends, walking along with grieving Jacob and his family. No one and no words can fully comfort Jacob. Do you know anyone today in that deep place of grief? Is it the death of a family member, or loss of their job, or the terrible news they have received that their own illness is terminal? While Jacob has had two powerful encounters with God, I’m sure Jacob grieved deeply that his relationship with God was nothing like his grandfather Abraham’s had been. Oh he had wasted so much time in his spiritual journey. It could be so much different for Jacob if only he had sought to know the God of his grandfather and his father, as they did. Perhaps it was as he walked Jacob finally decided he was ready for more than an occasional, once every 20 years or so encounter with God. Jacob needed a truly genuine, fulfilling, vibrant relationship with El Shaddai, God Almighty!
Is that where you are today my friend? No matter how far you’ve drifted, no matter how much of a mess you’ve made of your life, no matter how much damage you’ve caused others… El Shaddai, God Almighty can help you! But God won’t force Himself upon you. God knows you and your need better than you do, but He will wait until you are fully and finally ready for His help. Could it be you’ve finally reached that point? If so, what’s holding you back from crying out to God, acknowledging your need for His help, your need for a Savior and asking the resurrected Jesus Christ to save you from your sin! And more… asking Jesus to fix your brokenness! He is the miracle worker and He can and He will!
Here’s a powerful song to help you consider how Jesus is ready to help you right now…
Today’s Scripture is Genesis 35:6-20.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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