I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
That’s why I trust Him, that’s why I trust Him

(Songwriters: Brandon Lake / Christopher Joel Brown / Mitch Wong / Steven Furtick; Trust In God lyrics © Essential Music Publishing, Integrity Music)

It is God who first calls out to us!  It is God who leads the Way back to him for all the days of our lives.  It is God who tells us like he told Jacob, to “get up and go” to the place where we can hear Him with greater focused attention—at an altar of worship, thanksgiving, sacrifice, and submission. “Come to the place where you can remember what I have done for you,” says God, to all who believe Him so we can live more grateful lives. Come and be blessed by God because that is what God enjoys most—blessing us with his growing character traits within us.  Come and get further directions from God with obedient hearts.  Seek to know God with the assurance from God that He is with us wherever we go.

THIS is what God is telling Jacob to do—and Jacob humbly obeys and leads his whole household to go with him.  Bury the idols, cleanse your bodies, and change your clothes—we getting ready to meet God—the One who answered me when I needed Him most.

I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
That’s why I trust Him, that’s why I trust Him…

Genesis 35

Jacob Returns to Bethel

Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”

² So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. ³ Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” ⁴ So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. ⁵ Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.

⁶ Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. ⁷ There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

⁸ Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak outside Bethel. So it was named Allon Bakuth.

⁹ After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. ¹⁰ God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel.

¹¹ And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. ¹² The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” ¹³ Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.

¹⁴ Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. ¹⁵ Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac

¹⁶ Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. ¹⁷ And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.” ¹⁸ As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin.

¹⁹ So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ²⁰ Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.

²¹ Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. ²² While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

²³ The sons of Leah:

Reuben the firstborn of Jacob,

Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

²⁴ The sons of Rachel:

Joseph and Benjamin.

²⁵ The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah:

Dan and Naphtali.

²⁶ The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah:

Gad and Asher.

These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

²⁷ Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. ²⁸ Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. ²⁹ Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God calls Jacob back to the place where He wrestled for Jacob’s fully committed heart, mind, and soul after fleeing from his brother’s wrath from deception.  God wants to meet Jacob there again to remind him of all the ways God has led him and was with him through all his troubles and trials as a result of the deception.  Jacob responds with humbled obedience for He knows God saved him from what Esau could have done to him.  Jacob, “the deceiver” now has a new name in glory—Israel.

God reminds Jacob.  In the middle of life’s continuing problems and challenges, God reminded Jacob of his new name, Israel. Through this reminder, God shows he is faithful to his promises. God’s promises set believers apart.

God’s promise is fulfilled in Jacob with the blessings of 12 sons who will represent the twelve tribes of Israel. 

Jacob responds by hearing and obeying by getting rid of all that could hinder his worship to God.  Jacob buries all household idols and tells the family to prepare themselves for holy worship of God.  Remember Rachel who hid her father’s idols then lied about it?  Rachel had stolen her father’s household idols (Genesis 31:19, 34, 35), and Jacob knew that other false gods were hidden in the camp. Worshiping the gods of the pagan nations was always a temptation to the Israelites.

Jacob cleans up on the outside so God can do His work on the inside.  In God’s Word; washing the body and changing clothes symbolize making a new beginning. Like dirt, sin is defiling and must be washed away (Psalm 51:2, 7; Isaiah 1:16; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 John 1:9). Our old garments typify the old life with its failures (Isaiah 64:6), but God in His mercy gives us “new garments” so we can make a fresh beginning (Genesis 3:21; Isaiah 61:10; Zechariah 3:1–5; Luke 15:22; Revelation 3:18). Before God gave the law at Mount Sinai, He ordered the people to wash and change clothes, for they were about to enter a solemn covenant with Him (Exodus 19:9–15).

Perhaps we have places that are especially meaningful to us because of spiritual experiences we have had there, but a “holy site” must never take the place of the Holy God. To visit a special location and try to recapture old blessings is to live in the past. Let’s ask God for new blessings and a new revelation of Himself!

Jacob’s restoration was now complete. He was back in the place of God’s choosing; he had offered himself and his sacrifices to the Lord; the Lord had spoken to him; and the covenant promises had been reaffirmed. He had come from the house of Laban to the house of God, and though he still had much to learn about his walk with the Lord, Jacob was starting to be “Israel” and live like a prince instead of a pauper.  He was forgiven by Esau and restored to the family.  The proof?  When Isaac, their father died, Esau and Jacob came home to honor him…“And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.”

The last sentence of this passage speaks volumes of a restored relationship between brothers as well as with God.

Wow, the story of God in His people has so many twists and turns!  The lessons we learn just never ends, right?  Lean into what God is saying to you…

Lord,

Thank you for your word that teaches us Truth.  Thank you for reminding us of all you have done for our good and for your glory.  Thank you for telling us how you work in and through real, imperfect people to show us our that our own imperfections can be forgiven and our lives restored all because of your relentless compassionate love for us. Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls, and restore the joy of your salvation at work within us.  You called and I’m coming to listen…

In Jesus Name, Amen

Will You meet me here again
‘Cause all I want is all You are
Will You meet me here again…