Genesis 35 – Family Sorrows

 

God told Jacob to go to Bethel and live there. He also told him to make an altar to Him there. Many translations has God speaking of Himself in the third person in the first verse. For instance, The New King James Version (NKJV) reads, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.” Jacob told his household and all those with him to put away their foreign gods, purify themselves and change their garments. These foreign gods would include the idols that Rachel stole from her father’s household too (Genesis 31:19). Then he told his family and all of those with him that they were going Bethel where he would make an altar to the God, Who helped him in his day of distress and has been with him in the way which he has gone. Do you have the testimony of knowing that God helps you in distressful times and that He is always with you? They gave Jacob all of their foreign gods and the earrings in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree by Shechem. They started out on their journey and the terror of God was upon all the cities around them so much so they did not pursue them. Have you ever experienced God’s favor in your life in the presence of potential enemies? With God as your Protector, no harm can befall you. They arrived in Luz, also called Bethel, in the land of Canaan. Jacob built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, which means House of God, because that’s where God appeared to him when he was fleeing from Esau.

First Sorrow – Rebekah’s nurse, Deborah, died and was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. The name of the area was called Allon Bachuth, which means the oak of weeping (Googled, of course). This is Verse 8, which seems to be somewhat out of place in this chapter. So, I googled some more. There are a number of commentaries regarding this verse. Many think this is the nurse that went with Rebekah in Genesis 24:59 when she was taken to marry Isaac. Suggestions were made that Deborah was with Esau when he and Jacob met again in Genesis 33 and she decided to stay with Jacob. What would have been the reason for her to travel with Esau at this time? This could mean that Rebekah had already died. Others suggest that Deborah’s death is mentioned because the writer is talking about Bethel and this is just a side note. So, there is some significance that Deborah is named and her death is noted. What caught my attention is that Deborah is mentioned by name and there are a number of women in the Bible whose stories we know, but they are not named. For instance, the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), the woman caught in adultery (John 8), the woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8) and the widow with the two mites (Luke 21). Each of these are in the New Testament and in the Old Testament, the widow with the two sons and the flowing oil (2 Kings 4) and the woman who had a room built for the prophet, also in 2 Kings 4. Whatever the reason, we get to know that Rebekah’s nurse’s name was Deborah.

God appeared to Jacob again, after he left Padan Aram and blessed him. God also reiterates to Jacob his name change to Israel. He said to Jacob, “I am God Almighty”. He told Jacob to be fruitful and multiply because a nation and a company of nations shall come from him and kings shall come from his body. God told Jacob that the land that He gave to Abraham and Isaac will also be his land and his descendants after him. Then God ascended from that place where He spoke to Jacob. Then Jacob set up a pillar of stone where God talked with him. He (Jacob) poured a drink offering and oil on it. Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke to him, Bethel.

They left Bethel and went towards Ephrath. When they were just a little distance away from Ephrath, Rachel went into hard childbirth labor. The midwife comforted her by saying that she will have this son too. As Rachel was dying, she said that this son’s name is Ben-Oni, which means “son of my sorrow”, but Jacob called him Benjamin, which means “son of the right hand”. Rachel was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). Jacob set a pillar on her grave (a tombstone) which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day – Second Sorrow. Google source states that “to this day” refers to the day the scripture was written. Then Israel journeyed and settled beyond the tower of Eder.

While in that land, Reuben laid with Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant. Jacob heard about it. This means that Reuben had sex with the mother of two of his brothers, Dan and Naphtali. What in the world was he thinking when he did this? Third Sorrow – Jacob’s oldest son had sex with one of his concubines.

The twelve sons of Jacob are as follows:

Leah’s sons – Reuben, the first born, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.

Rachel’s sons – Joseph and Benjamin

Bilhah’s (Rachel’s maidservant) sons – Dan and Naphtali

Zilpah’s (Leah’s maidservant) sons – Gad and Asher

They all were born to Jacob while he was in Padan Aram.

Then Jacob came to where Isaac was at Mamre, or Kirjath Arba (Hebron). This is the land where Abraham and Isaac dwelt. Isaac lived to be 180 years old. He died an old man and was buried by his sons, Esau and Jacob. Fourth Sorrow

We journey to Genesis 36 next.

To God Be the Glory!