Jacob left Shechem when God called him to go to Bethel with
his whole family. He had a vow with God which he had to fulfill.
(Genesis 35:6-7) And Jacob came
to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people
who were with him, (7) and there he built an altar and called the place
El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from
his brother.
Bethel means:
“House of God”
El-Bethel means:
“God of the House of God”
The emphasis is not in the place, but in God himself.
In Bethel, God appeared to Jacob again. This time, it wasn’t
in a dream but in a visitation.
(Gen. 35:9) God
appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him.
It is interesting that the bible says that “he came from
Paddan-aram” when he was really coming from Shechem. This is a way of saying
that Jacob should have gone straight to Bethel when he was on his way back to
the Promised Land, instead of staying in Shechem. If he would have done that,
he surely would have saved his family from the trouble they had to go through –
Dinah’s rape and the revenge by Levi and Simeon.
This can also happen to us! Sometimes we delay in obeying
God’s will because we want to do our own will or because we are afraid of
taking the step; but we don’t realize that life can get complicated if we don’t
pay attention to God’s direction.
BY NAME: ISRAEL
In Bethel, God gave a purpose and an identity to Jacob.
a. Identity: God
changed his name: from Jacob to Israel.
(Gen. 35:10) And God said to
him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel
shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel.
Some people translate the name “Israel” (heb. Yisrael)
as: “he will be the prince of God”.
b. Purpose: God
confirmed Jacob’s and his descendants’ partaking in God’s chosen people (who
are also called Israel).
(Gen. 35:11-13) And God said to
him, “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. (12) 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.” (13) Then God went
up from him in the place where he had spoken with him.
The phrase “a nation and a company of nations” is a
prophetic reference to the Two Houses: the House of Judah (the Jewish people)
and the House of Israel (the 10 lost tribes, meaning, the gentile believers). [See
“The Two Houses of Israel”].
Here, the Lord introduced himself as “God Almighty” (Elohim El-Shaddai). What seemed to be
impossible, He accomplished and He will accomplish. Just as He brought him safe
and sound, He will also give the Promised Land to his descendants.
PILLAR OF TESTIMONY
Having received this important message, Jacob decided to set
up a pillar as a monument and a testimony of what God had revealed to Him.
(Gen. 35:14-15) And Jacob set
up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He
poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15So
Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.
When God changed his name, Jacob had fought and resisted.
But now Jacob wouldn’t have to fight men nor God. In Peniel, Jacob fought
against God, but in Bethel he encountered God. There he spoke with Him. This is
what the prophet Hosea explains:
(Hosea 12:3-4) In the womb he
took his brother by the heel, and in his manhood he strove with God. (4) He
strove with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor. He met
God at Bethel, and there God spoke with us
In Bethel, Jacob found his rest in God. There he received
his purpose and his new identity.
PARALLELS IN THE
BLESSINGS
It’s really interesting to see the parallel between the
blessing God gave to Isaac and the confirmation of the promise God gave to
Jacob in Bethel:
Next time we will finish chapter 35, which describes what
happened “on the road” when they left Bethel. We will also study the
genealogies at the end of the chapter along with Esau’s genealogies from
chapter 36…
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