https://esv.literalword.com/?q=genesis+35
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Tuesday, 10 December 2024:
Genesis 35:1, 2 – 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.” So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments.”
In Genesis 33, Jacob decided to stay in Shechem, the land of the Canaanites, instead of going to Bethel as God had commanded (Genesis 31:13). After the terrible sequence of events which occurred in Genesis 34 as a consequence of dwelling among the ungodly, Jacob finally goes to Bethel as commanded, rededicating himself to God. In Genesis 34, God is not mentioned once; in Genesis 35, God is mentioned 11 times. It is here that God blesses Jacob and gives him a new name.
“Put away your foreign Gods.” God demands total loyalty and purity from His people. An encounter with God after suffering the devastating consequences of sin caused Jacob to seek holiness in his life and the lives of those around him. How has the reality of the presence of God in your life driven you to holiness and purity? Is your holiness evident to everyone around you as a visible testimony to the power of the Gospel in your life?
Notice that Jacob knew that his family had accumulated foreign Gods and had done nothing about it until now. His children had kept foreign gods just like Rachel had kept the household idols of her father (Genesis 31:19). Up until now, Jacob hadn’t sought to protect his family from idolatry and the influences of the world. The highest responsibility of a man with children is to be the spiritual head of his family (1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Peter 3:7; Ephesian 5:21-33; Ephesians 6:4; Deuteronomy 6:6-7; 1 Timothy 3:12; Malachi 2:15)
“Change your garments”. Symbolic, and in some ways literally, a person’s garments represent and reflect their identity and character. Clothing, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, communicate something both to ourselves and to others about either who we are or, at least, who we want people to think we are. Also, many social science experiments have proven that what we wear actually changes our attitudes and the way we think. For example, it has been proven that the mentality of a police officer changes when he puts on his uniform, and people are more focused on exercise when they put on gym clothing. Business professionals are more professional in professional clothing. When Jacob says, “change your clothes,” he is not just saying get dressed up for church, he is saying get your mind right, purify yourself, and put on a new, holy identity. In Jesus we are new creations and we are told to “put on Christ,” as our new garment, putting on His identity, His character, and communicating to the world very visibly that we are His disciples.
- Romans 13:14 — But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
- Galatians 3:27 — For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
- Revelation 7:13-14 — Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Genesis 35:3 – God… answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.
Jacob had a life testimony based upon his personal experiences with God, a testimony he shared with others. What is your personal testimony, and how do you share it with others?
Genesis 35:4 – So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.
Under Jacob’s leadership, his household committed to get rid of their foreign gods but Jacob ultimately didn’t. He hid the idols which is certainly not the same as destroying the idols. Though he had taken important steps towards purity and holiness, in reality the families idols remained hidden and accessible, waiting to influence in the future, perhaps because they also had some tangible monetary value, but nonetheless, they were there. What idols do we hang onto because “they aren’t completely bad”? I think television and social media might be among our most destructive idols. We tell ourselves we are going to remove negative programing from our lives, but the desire to be entertained causes us to return to them and be reattached with ungodly messaging and images. Don’t hide or burry your idols, destroy them.
The Latin of the word “decision” literally means, “to cut off” completely. Making a decision is about “cutting off” choices or removing possibilities from your life. Jacob made a ‘decision’ to purify his life but not really. He kept open the possibility of the idols remaining idols. When we repent, we must cut off completely whatever was impure or unholy in our lives. Don’ t leave a door for sin to reenter into your heart.
Genesis 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.
“Israel” means, “He struggles with God,” and many believe that this name refers to when Jacob struggled with “a man” in Chapter 32. However, it seems from our readings that the name “Israel” applies to Jacob’s whole life as he struggles to transition from “Jacob,” meaning the “deceiver,” to a godly person. Jacob struggles with his sin nature his whole life. Can you relate to that? Jacob/Israel depends solely on God’s mercy and grace. So do we. It is worthy to note once again, that the Bible reveals its main characters to be terrible sinners, not superheroes as would had been the case if the Bible were written by men. The Bible reveals the humble condition of man and the need for salvation through Jesus Christ. There are no grace graduates. We all really completely on God’s grace for both salvation and sanctification.
Genesis 35:11 – 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.
God commands His people throughout the Bible to grow in numbers, to make more and more disciples regardless of the world situation. During COVID, many churches shut down permanently, but many churches grew tremendously. Still today, many people blame the world for the decline of the church, rather than blaming compromise within the church for the growing darkness within the world. The faithful will be fruitful, and those who remain in the light will grow brighter, exposing and overpowering the darkness around them.
Genesis 35:22 – While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it.
Israel’s family was corrupt, in no small part due to Israel’s poor example and leadership. Israel seems to do nothing when his sons sin terribly. He did nothing when they slaughtered a town, and here he seems to do nothing when his son commits this abomination. Beyond being an unthinkable sin, Reuben’s action was a challenge to the headship of his father Israel. Reuben clearly had no respect for his father or his father’s authority. To remain silent and passive before sin is to be complicit. Again, where the light doesn’t shine, darkness remains. Christians must confront the sin around them in a loving way, but boldly.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 10 December 2024: Today, recommit to purity and holiness. Remove the idols in your life – destroy them; don’t just bury them. Put on Christ and standout for how wonderfully you are dressed.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 