Blessing, Burial and Brood

Genesis 35, 36

- GOD calls Jacob to Bethel and he builds and alter there.

- Jacob tells everyone in his family to put away all their foreign gods and shows his allegiance to the one true GOD.

- GOD prevented the inhabitants of the land from pursuing the sons of Jacob for what they did. GOD placed a fear on the people of the land.

- Do not forget what GOD told Abraham the sins of the Amorites are not yet complete, but their destruction would come.

- Deborah, Rachel’s nurse dies at Bethel and is buried.

- GOD blesses Jacob, renames him Israel, the name it claims it scenario. Renews his covenant with him, GOD has been faithful to all his promises to Israel (Jacob) and will continue to be, because it is not about Jacob it is all about GOD’s word, which never fails.

- They journey from Bethel to Bethlehem, on the way Rachel gives birth to a baby boy and calls him Ben-oni before she dies in childbirth.

- Ben-oni translates as “Son of my sorrow.”

We are going to stop here for a moment to mention, like baby Ben-oni, we are all born into this death inherited by the choice Adam made. GOD does not want us to remain here, we were created to be part of GOD’s family. Israel (Jacob) does what GOD just did for him, a new name, a new family, a new beginning, a hope, and a future.

Israel renames the boy, baby Ben, Benjamin which means son of the right hand. GOD has a plan, and he is bringing it to fruition through Israel, not because of their goodness, but GOD’s faithfulness and loving kindness to us all.

- The enemy is still not done, and we see this in this statement of 35:22

While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard of it. This again is an obvious power play on Reuben’s part, he wanted authority, power, position which Israel and closer to the point GOD did not give him. Which speaks a lot of the Enemy of our souls that desires authority, power and position that are not his.

- Isaac dies at the ripe old age of 180 years and is buried by Esau and Jacob.

- Chapter 35 is the list of Esau’s descendants, genealogies tend to be uninteresting when they do not hold an intimate connection to us, but the fact that they are mentioned in the text shows that even though they too were not the line that the Messiah would eventually come through, but GOD still loves them and watches over Esau and his descendants. 

 

Next – Brotherly love and Father-in-law fondling