The Curse of Idleness and Distrust - In Reply on Genesis 35 - 2 years ago
If you read when Moses led the Jews out of Egypt, they took anything of value they were hiding in their luggage, with them.
When Moses went up the mountain and was gone 40 days, they thought maybe Moses was dead, and got restless.
Dathan volunteered to be a leader and suggested they make an idol. The Golden Calf god of Egypt. Out comes all the loot they were hiding. It was melted. Moses's brother Aaron was forced to carve it. They were just getting into an idolatrous party when Moses runs into Joshua half way down the mountain. Moses after a 40 day fast, was upset. When SOME people realized Moses was alive, they knew they'd been lied to. The got behind Moses. God opened a crevasse in the ground and all of the idol worshippers were swallowed up with the golden calf.
It would follow that after that, they had no more gold trinkets. They had Moses to lead them again. They wandered 40 years in the desert, until all the Older People died of natural causes. God was not going to take them into His Promised Land.
Only the young people followed Joshua into the promised land. Even Moses died on the mountain and did not go into the Promised Land. God let him see it.
I love the stories and people of the Bible. I paraphrase when evangelizing. Jesus told stories too. Your walk with Jesus will explode if you'll spend time reading the stories; soaking up the facts along the way.
One time God couldn't find a prophet, to prophesy; so he used a donkey. God wants so much to bless us-his children! It's in reading the stories that we are calmed on WHO GOD IS. He is LOVE.
If you read Samuel, Kings and Chronicles together (as we do with the Gospels, you will begin to understand the God of the Bible. Each book adds details and attributes. God is not mean or unfair; unreasonable. He doesn't constrain us.
The New Testament doesn't constrain us. We don't need a trumpet to be sounded to pick up where Jesus left off. He said GO YE. Go into your world.
In this chapter, Jacob asked his household to put away the strange gods in their possession. But in verse 4, they also gave up their earrings, is their anything wrong with earrings or is it also among the strange gods?.
Thanking you for taking up my question. I look forward to your comments.
Isaac was 140 years old. Esau and Jacob bury Isaac in the same cave as Sarah and Abraham. Surprisingly, Shem was still alive at this time. Did he attend the funeral? Perhaps. We don't know at this time if Rebekah is still alive. She was probably 25 years younger than Isaac, but the text does not say anything about her.
God has now repeated the promise to Jacob at least 4 times since first appearing to Jacob at Bethel 20 years before.
God leaves Jacob and Jacob puts up a pillar in the place they first (on the hill top) He pours a drink offering (wine, perhaps to symbolize blood) on the stone and then anoints it with oil.
From Bethel they journeyed to Ephrath (Bethlehem-house of bread) we and stopped since Rachel was in difficult hard labor. There BenOni (Benjamin) was born and Rachel died in childbirth. Jacob must have been very grieved due to Rachel being is "true love". Jacob marked her grave with a stone pillar.
Then Jacob (Israel) journeyed and put down the tent near the tower of Eder( about 1000 paces from Bethlehem-a shepherd's watchtower on a knoll where shepherds watched their flocks grazing in the valley below). It seems that Israel stayed there a while and during that time, Reuben, about 20 years old, slept with his stepmother, Bilhah and Israel heard of it, probably from Bilhah. Reuben dishonored is father and Bilhah, committing adultery with her (she was most likely submissive to Israel and his sons) and taking what belonged to his father. He probably desired to have a wife, but no suitable woman was around. He probably knew it was wrong to do this. The significance of this action will be discovered later when Israel is old.
The text goes through the list of Israel's children-which children were from which wife. And ten skips to Israel finally coming to his father's dwelling having not seen him for 20 years, Israel may have wondered if he was still alive, or perhaps Esau had told Isaac was still living and were he was living. Isaac was living in the same place that Abraham first lived when he arrived in Canaan, Mamre in Hebron, also call Kirjath Arba (city of four-perhaps related Canaanite chiefs-the ancient name of Hebron.) Sarai died there, and Abraham bought the field with the cave where Sarai and others were buried.
...or perhaps these garments were worn when they worshipped their foreign idols and were defiled along with the bodies and hearts of the people. This is interesting to ponder. I ask myself, when was the last time I really "cleaned house", referring to my person, God's temple? Am I holding onto, storing, or treasuring anything that is impure before God, anything idolatrous, anything too dear to me than it ought to be. In my heart, do I make "back up plans" in case God does not come through for me in my need?
Jacob continues to speak, recounting how God had met him there at Bethel and answered him in his time of distress. That God had been with him in all his sojourning. Jacob probably needed to recount this to himself just as much as to those in his household. So the people surrendered their idols and earrings (may have been part of pagan identity) to Jacob and buried them (as into the grave our sins went with Jesus and did not rise with Him) in Shechem. Do not know the significance of the terebinth tree. It was a turpentine tree that people tapped the resin from and/or a pistachio tree.
Shechem was a turning point for this family. They were going to go God's way away from the "safety" of Shechem and into a walk of trust God and the leading by God. As they journeyed, God made the people in the area fearful of what He might do if they attempted to harm Jacob's group. Arriving at Luz (Bethel) in the land of Canaan, Jacob first built an altar there, renaming it Beth El (house of God). Deborah, is mother's nurse, dies here, and again, Jacob buries her under a terebinth tree. Jacob called named the site of the grave, Allon Bacuth (the tree of weeping). Jacob had known Deborah all of his life.
God appears to Jacob again. Here God reiterates that Jacob is no longer his name, rather Israel (He who contended with God). God tells Jacob the same promise He gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
Having read the comments on this chapter, I can see some of the concerns people have about recent events in Jacob's life.
At this time, (within a few years of leaving Haran), Jacob's oldest son, Reuben, was at most 18-19 years old. Joseph, the youngest was probably not far out of infancy. They were very vulnerable as a family in a land without kin near, with young children and Jacob being the only adult male in the family. They had large herds of sheep and goats, and maybe cattle, (called kine in the Bible). They also had a large number of servants/slaves of varying ages. Some of these male servants were most likely adults.
Jacob was living in Shechem still , even after what had happened to Dinah and the men of the town. Without the men, Jacob may have felt secure and content to stay there. But God said "No." God speaks to Jacob, telling him to pack up and go to Bethel, 10-15 miles south of Shechem. He was to dwell there. Jacob was to build an altar in Bethel, in the place God had appeared to Jacob on his way to Haran. So, God was bringing Jacob back to the place where Jacob first vowed to "make" God his God, under specific conditions.
Jacob gathers his household (wives, children, servants/slaves) and tells them to put away their foreign gods. The servants and some or all of his wives, being from Haran knew of the God of their grandfather, Nahor, but they also worshipped idols. They were double minded in their worship perhaps trying to cover all of the bases, just in case one god does not pull through for them. Maybe these were "back up" gods. Jacob told them to purify themselves. Funny that Jacob had not insisted on this after they left Haran. He tolerated this, but he knew God's people are to be pure before God, having only one allegiance to Him. He told them to change their garments. He knew that God wanted His people to not have any trace of foreign idolatrous worship practices on them. Perhaps the garments of those in the household had idolatrous symbolism.
Noelfrancis I Udejiagbara on Genesis 35 - 3 years ago
When we have vowed a vow to God, it is best not to defer the payment of it; yet better late than never. Jacob commanded his household to prepare, not only for the journey and removal, but for religious services.
But translation to Korean needs to be consulted to KKJB (Korean King James bible) by Word of God Preservation Society. ( P.O.Box, Kang Seo, Seoul, Korea. Printed in Korea)
I study intensive reading of English as 2nd language. I choose this KJB. But there are some misunderstandings as Korean translation version.
I can't say for sure about slaves in the O.T. wearing any form of earring; but the Bible does speak about slaves, who were normally freed from their bond after six years, but who opted to stay on serving their master. Those slaves were officially confirmed as such & their ear was pierced marking them as slaves to their master forever. See Exodus 21:1-6.
Carl, I fear that we have misunderstood your question, so our apologies. We have assumed that your question was to God changing His Name. But, in reading Gen 35, I think your question is "Why did God change Jacob's name"?
If I'm correct, then this actually is a good question. You may remember that this matter came up first in Gen 32:24-30. Jacob had just left Laban's house after serving him for twenty years for his daughters & cattle, when during his journey at a brook, Jacob wrestled with an 'angel' & was winning the match, when the angel weakened his grip on him. But Jacob wouldn't release him until he received a blessing & so it was here at Peniel that the angel of the Lord told him that his name would be called Israel. And Israel = Yisra'el, means 'one who contended with God'. So Jacob would no longer be seen as 'the Supplanter', as his name, Jacob, meant.
Yet, it seems that this name was only a prophecy until God (officially) named him Israel at Bethel ( Gen 35:10-13). So even though the Bible still speaks of Jacob, he is then known as Israel & all his descendants were the 'children of Israel". I hope this helps you.
The Bible says we don't have to answer foolish or unlearned Questions. Let me say this to Carl Gains. God has never changed his name. He is God. He's God the father, the son being Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It's the Godhead in one.
God's Name is.. I AM, no matter what else comes after..He is the Great I AM, when He spoke to Jacob, He THE wanted to make sure Jacob knew, He was THE ONE TRUE GOD, but His Name is, I AM, THAT I AM
David their were wicked tribes that Jacob, "Israel" in his travel to Bethel had to pass, with God's protection they could not touch them. He had God's full shield on. he lost so much as it was his mother's nurse, his wife and then his son to sin, he still knew he had the grace of God. Amazing Grace!
Jacob's life seemed to be just one trouble after another, and sorrow over sorrow; he lost his mother's nurse, his wife, his father, and later a son; but nothing was a sign of God's disapproval, but rather, God came down and spoke to him and guided him away from a bad situation and blessed him with the same blessing and promise as He gave to Abraham and Isaac; and He gave Jacob a new name, Israel.
8 But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth. Irene it says Deborah was buried I think you got your names mixed up.
Can you interpret the meaning of the language in verse 5 ....and the terror of God was upon the cities.... ? Was this "terror" created by something the people of the cities witnessed, or could it be something akin to a "feeling" placed upon their minds by God? Or is it something else? What terror prevented the men of those cities from pursuing Jacob and his people? I'd greatly appreciate any help with this. And if anyone is aware of a site that translates this and other verses, please point it out to me, as I'd love to involve myself with any future questions such as this one. God Bless!!!!!!!
Lovely, it seems like that is the truth that Rachel was the first person to be buried in Bethlehem at lease from that passage of Scripture I believe so Gen. 35:19. God bless us all and also in the understanding of his Word. Glory be to God in the highest through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen!
Reinarudo, I find some truth in your statement but I disagree with the ideal that Reuben got sin from his father Jacob. Though Jacob made some mistakes he still kept trying to please God I don 't see that in any of his sons. Reuben was a grown man and could have followed the good example of Jocob by going out of his father 's house to get his own wife but he chose to do evil Ja.1:13 " Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God... V14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. God bless us all and also in the understanding of his Word. Bless the Lord with all my soul through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen!
GENESIS CHAPTER 35 1 18 15 V22 Reuben got sinned from his father to laid in Jacob concubine. Although law of God not yet given to them but still a sin. In Christian life, God would not allow it. As written in 1 CORINTHIANS 7:2-4 10:13 15:33. God bless us, A-men.
When Moses went up the mountain and was gone 40 days, they thought maybe Moses was dead, and got restless.
Dathan volunteered to be a leader and suggested they make an idol. The Golden Calf god of Egypt. Out comes all the loot they were hiding. It was melted. Moses's brother Aaron was forced to carve it. They were just getting into an idolatrous party when Moses runs into Joshua half way down the mountain. Moses after a 40 day fast, was upset. When SOME people realized Moses was alive, they knew they'd been lied to. The got behind Moses. God opened a crevasse in the ground and all of the idol worshippers were swallowed up with the golden calf.
It would follow that after that, they had no more gold trinkets. They had Moses to lead them again. They wandered 40 years in the desert, until all the Older People died of natural causes. God was not going to take them into His Promised Land.
Only the young people followed Joshua into the promised land. Even Moses died on the mountain and did not go into the Promised Land. God let him see it.
I love the stories and people of the Bible. I paraphrase when evangelizing. Jesus told stories too. Your walk with Jesus will explode if you'll spend time reading the stories; soaking up the facts along the way.
One time God couldn't find a prophet, to prophesy; so he used a donkey. God wants so much to bless us-his children! It's in reading the stories that we are calmed on WHO GOD IS. He is LOVE.
If you read Samuel, Kings and Chronicles together (as we do with the Gospels, you will begin to understand the God of the Bible. Each book adds details and attributes. God is not mean or unfair; unreasonable. He doesn't constrain us.
The New Testament doesn't constrain us. We don't need a trumpet to be sounded to pick up where Jesus left off. He said GO YE. Go into your world.
That is what I read somewhere, that these earrings had idol images or pagan symbols on them.
Maybe the earings had images of stange Gods on them.
GBU
Thanking you for taking up my question. I look forward to your comments.
Udo Amaefule.
God leaves Jacob and Jacob puts up a pillar in the place they first (on the hill top) He pours a drink offering (wine, perhaps to symbolize blood) on the stone and then anoints it with oil.
From Bethel they journeyed to Ephrath (Bethlehem-house of bread) we and stopped since Rachel was in difficult hard labor. There BenOni (Benjamin) was born and Rachel died in childbirth. Jacob must have been very grieved due to Rachel being is "true love". Jacob marked her grave with a stone pillar.
Then Jacob (Israel) journeyed and put down the tent near the tower of Eder( about 1000 paces from Bethlehem-a shepherd's watchtower on a knoll where shepherds watched their flocks grazing in the valley below). It seems that Israel stayed there a while and during that time, Reuben, about 20 years old, slept with his stepmother, Bilhah and Israel heard of it, probably from Bilhah. Reuben dishonored is father and Bilhah, committing adultery with her (she was most likely submissive to Israel and his sons) and taking what belonged to his father. He probably desired to have a wife, but no suitable woman was around. He probably knew it was wrong to do this. The significance of this action will be discovered later when Israel is old.
The text goes through the list of Israel's children-which children were from which wife. And ten skips to Israel finally coming to his father's dwelling having not seen him for 20 years, Israel may have wondered if he was still alive, or perhaps Esau had told Isaac was still living and were he was living. Isaac was living in the same place that Abraham first lived when he arrived in Canaan, Mamre in Hebron, also call Kirjath Arba (city of four-perhaps related Canaanite chiefs-the ancient name of Hebron.) Sarai died there, and Abraham bought the field with the cave where Sarai and others were buried.
After reuniting with Jacob, Isaac dies there.
Jacob continues to speak, recounting how God had met him there at Bethel and answered him in his time of distress. That God had been with him in all his sojourning. Jacob probably needed to recount this to himself just as much as to those in his household. So the people surrendered their idols and earrings (may have been part of pagan identity) to Jacob and buried them (as into the grave our sins went with Jesus and did not rise with Him) in Shechem. Do not know the significance of the terebinth tree. It was a turpentine tree that people tapped the resin from and/or a pistachio tree.
Shechem was a turning point for this family. They were going to go God's way away from the "safety" of Shechem and into a walk of trust God and the leading by God. As they journeyed, God made the people in the area fearful of what He might do if they attempted to harm Jacob's group. Arriving at Luz (Bethel) in the land of Canaan, Jacob first built an altar there, renaming it Beth El (house of God). Deborah, is mother's nurse, dies here, and again, Jacob buries her under a terebinth tree. Jacob called named the site of the grave, Allon Bacuth (the tree of weeping). Jacob had known Deborah all of his life.
God appears to Jacob again. Here God reiterates that Jacob is no longer his name, rather Israel (He who contended with God). God tells Jacob the same promise He gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
At this time, (within a few years of leaving Haran), Jacob's oldest son, Reuben, was at most 18-19 years old. Joseph, the youngest was probably not far out of infancy. They were very vulnerable as a family in a land without kin near, with young children and Jacob being the only adult male in the family. They had large herds of sheep and goats, and maybe cattle, (called kine in the Bible). They also had a large number of servants/slaves of varying ages. Some of these male servants were most likely adults.
Jacob was living in Shechem still , even after what had happened to Dinah and the men of the town. Without the men, Jacob may have felt secure and content to stay there. But God said "No." God speaks to Jacob, telling him to pack up and go to Bethel, 10-15 miles south of Shechem. He was to dwell there. Jacob was to build an altar in Bethel, in the place God had appeared to Jacob on his way to Haran. So, God was bringing Jacob back to the place where Jacob first vowed to "make" God his God, under specific conditions.
Jacob gathers his household (wives, children, servants/slaves) and tells them to put away their foreign gods. The servants and some or all of his wives, being from Haran knew of the God of their grandfather, Nahor, but they also worshipped idols. They were double minded in their worship perhaps trying to cover all of the bases, just in case one god does not pull through for them. Maybe these were "back up" gods. Jacob told them to purify themselves. Funny that Jacob had not insisted on this after they left Haran. He tolerated this, but he knew God's people are to be pure before God, having only one allegiance to Him. He told them to change their garments. He knew that God wanted His people to not have any trace of foreign idolatrous worship practices on them. Perhaps the garments of those in the household had idolatrous symbolism.
But translation to Korean needs to be consulted to KKJB (Korean King James bible) by Word of God Preservation Society. ( P.O.Box, Kang Seo, Seoul, Korea. Printed in Korea)
I study intensive reading of English as 2nd language. I choose this KJB. But there are some misunderstandings as Korean translation version.
Anyway I appreciate you again.
Thanks for the help that makes sense. I will reread chapter 35 with your help you have given me.
It always amazes me how fast Christians are ready to attack other Christians so quickly without understanding the question, even call them names.
Thanks for being one of the good ones Chris.
Carl
If I'm correct, then this actually is a good question. You may remember that this matter came up first in Gen 32:24-30. Jacob had just left Laban's house after serving him for twenty years for his daughters & cattle, when during his journey at a brook, Jacob wrestled with an 'angel' & was winning the match, when the angel weakened his grip on him. But Jacob wouldn't release him until he received a blessing & so it was here at Peniel that the angel of the Lord told him that his name would be called Israel. And Israel = Yisra'el, means 'one who contended with God'. So Jacob would no longer be seen as 'the Supplanter', as his name, Jacob, meant.
Yet, it seems that this name was only a prophecy until God (officially) named him Israel at Bethel ( Gen 35:10-13). So even though the Bible still speaks of Jacob, he is then known as Israel & all his descendants were the 'children of Israel". I hope this helps you.