God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” (35:1)
God told Jacob to go to Bethel, which is where God had appeared to Jacob on his journey away from home to his relatives and where God had made significant promises to Jacob – promises to be with him in his journeying, to bring him back, to give him the land promised to his father and grandfather, and to give him multitudes of descendants.
Jacob obeyed and travelled with his household and as they went “a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob” (Genesis 35:5).
God is perfectly able to care for his people in dangerous situations.
At Bethel, God appeared again to Jacob and blessed him.
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. 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. 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 (Genesis 35:10–12).
Note that although God said, “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” (Genesis 35:12), Abraham and Isaac didn’t actually own the land – it was still in the promise stage.
Rachel went into labour on their way from Bethel to Ephrath and died in childbirth, but bore a son, whom Jacob named Benjamin.
Jacob came to his father Isaac at Hebron. Isaac died at 180 years and the brothers, Esau and Jacob buried him. How good of God to keep Isaac all those years (he and his family thought he was dying decades before), so that he and Jacob could see each other before he died.
Many years ago, we moved from Vancouver to Ottawa, thousands of kilometers away, placing us only a two-hour drive from my parents. We weren’t quite sure why we were moving to Ottawa, but Alan felt that God was leading us here, so we came. I don’t know all of God’s purposes for directing us here, but I am reminded by this passage (in which Jacob got to see his father before he died) that one of the blessings that we experienced was that our children got to know their grandparents (my parents) and I got to be close enough to visit them frequently in their last years. I am so grateful (also, several of our children met their spouses here – that’s an important thing.)
Prayer: Thank You, God, that You are so trustworthy! You keep Your promises. You are with Your people whether we feel it or not, whether we notice it or not, and You always accomplish Your purposes!
